Simeon Shezuri (), or R. Simeon of Shezur, was a Jewish Tanna sage of the fourth generation.

Biography

His surname ''Shezuri'' is either a variant of the Hebrew word ''Shezirah'' (שזירה), and thus stands for his livelihood:

spinning Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spin (physics) or particle spin, a fundamental property of elementary particles * Spin quantum number, a number which defines the value of a particle's spin * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thr ...

fiber Fiber (spelled fibre in British English; from ) is a natural or artificial substance that is significantly longer than it is wide. Fibers are often used in the manufacture of other materials. The strongest engineering materials often inco ...

s, or for the village he resided at: ''Shezor'' (probably in the vicinity of

Sajur Sajur (; ) is a Druze town ( local council) in the Galilee region of northern Israel, with an area of 3,000 dunams (3 km2). It achieved recognition as an independent local council in 1992. In it had a population of . History Sajur is iden ...

). He was a pupil of R.

Tarfon Rabbi Tarfon or Tarphon (, from the Greek language, Greek Τρύφων ''Tryphon'' literally "one who lives in luxury" Trifon), a Kohen, was a member of the Tannaim#The generations of the Tannaim, third generation of the Mishnah sages, who lived ...

, and in one of the disputes over

demai Demai (Mishnaic Hebrew: ) is a Halakhic term meaning "doubtful". The ''demai'' status applies to agricultural produce acquired from common people (am ha'aretz) who are suspected of not correctly separating tithes according to Jewish law. As a r ...

, he cites the ruling R. Tarfon had given him when an event occurred to him. A tomb site attributed to Simeon Shezuri is located in

. The written

tradition A tradition is a system of beliefs or behaviors (folk custom) passed down within a group of people or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common e ...

concerning this tomb site began in early 13th century, noted by Menachem ben Peretz of Hebron who visited the area in 1215.

Teachings

His work is frequently recorded in the

Mishnah The Mishnah or the Mishna (; , from the verb ''šānā'', "to study and review", also "secondary") is the first written collection of the Jewish oral traditions that are known as the Oral Torah. Having been collected in the 3rd century CE, it is ...

Jewish Encyclopedia bibliography: *

Heilprin Heilprin () is a Jewish surname with many variants. Origins Some people with the name derive it from the town of Heilbronn, Germany. "Heilbronn" means "healing well". Besides the numerous Heilbrons, Heilbronners, Heilpruns, and Heilbruns who are ...

, ''

Seder ha-Dorot The ''Seder HaDorot'' or "Book of Generations" (completed 1725, published 1769) by Lithuanian Rabbi Jehiel Heilprin (1660–1746) is a Hebrew-language chronological work that serves as a depot of multiple Hebrew language chronological books a ...

''
ii. 365

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

, 1882; *

Frankel Frankel is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Benjamin Frankel (1906–1973), British composer * Bethenny Frankel (born 1970), American chef and reality television personality * Charles Frankel (1917–1975), American philoso ...

''Hodegetica in Mischnam''
pp. 131-132; *Brüll, ''Einleitung in die Mischna'', i. 138. and

Talmud The Talmud (; ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of Haskalah#Effects, modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cen ...

. The

amoraim ''Amoraim'' ( , singular ''Amora'' ; "those who say" or "those who speak over the people", or "spokesmen") refers to Jewish scholars of the period from about 200 to 500 CE, who "said" or "told over" the teachings of the Oral Torah. They were p ...

were divided regarding the status of his halachic rulings. Some believed that "wherever R. Simeon Shezuri stated his view, the halakha is in accordance with it" According to some views this is the case only when his opinion is recorded in the Mishnah, and according to other views, even when his opinion is cited in the

baraita ''Baraita'' ( "external" or "outside"; pl. ''bārayāṯā'' or in Hebrew ''baraitot''; also baraitha, beraita; Ashkenazi pronunciation: berayse) designates a tradition in the Oral Torah of Rabbinical Judaism that is not incorporated in the Mi ...

. Other amoraim, such as

Rabbi Yochanan :''See Johanan (name) for more rabbis by this name''. Johanan bar Nappaha ( Yoḥanan bar Nafḥa or Napaḥa), also known simply as Rabbi Yochanan or Johanan bar Nafcha (180–279 CE), was a leading rabbi and second-generation '' Amora'' duri ...

, ruled that his views are in accordance with the halakha only in two instances: writing a divorce document for the dangerously ill, and

terumat hamaaser In the Hebrew Bible, the tithe of the tithes (Hebrew: ) is a mitzvah (biblical requirement) for the recipient Levite to give to the priest a tenth (10%) of the tithe of produce that the former received from the Israelites. It applies only to a ...

on produce that belong to an "

am ha'aretz ''Am haaretz'' () is a term found in the Hebrew Bible and (with a different meaning) in rabbinic literature. Grammar In Biblical Hebrew the word usually is a collective noun, but occasionally is pluralized as עמי הארץ ''amei ha-aretz'' "p ...

" - a "''

Demai Demai (Mishnaic Hebrew: ) is a Halakhic term meaning "doubtful". The ''demai'' status applies to agricultural produce acquired from common people (am ha'aretz) who are suspected of not correctly separating tithes according to Jewish law. As a r ...

'' tithe". This was the approach accepted by the

Rishonim ''Rishonim'' (; ; sing. , ''Rishon'') were the leading rabbis and ''posek, poskim'' who lived approximately during the 11th to 15th centuries, in the era before the writing of the ''Shulchan Aruch'' (, "Set Table", a common printed code of Jewis ...

. Nonetheless, R. Shabbatai ha-Kohen showed that there are additional cases where the Rishonim ruled according to Simeon Shezuri, yet not in all instances. Shabbatai ha-Kohen,

Yoreh De'ah ''Yoreh De'ah'' () is a section of Rabbi Jacob ben Asher's compilation of halakha (Jewish law), the ''Arba'ah Turim'', written around 1300. This section treats all aspects of Jewish law not pertinent to the Hebrew calendar, finance, torts, marr ...

References

{{Tannaim Mishnah rabbis