Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi

Photo: Jewish Journal

B"H

A brief introduction to Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi

Rabbi Yehudah ben Samuel HaLevi was born around 1075 (some say in 1080) in Toledo / Spain. He moved to Lucena where he went to the Talmudic school of the famous Rabbi Yitzchak Alfassi (Talmud commentator RIF).

Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi developed a friendship to the Torah commentator Rabbi Avraham ibn Ezra (1089 - 1164). Rabbi Yehudah was one of the most famous Rabbis, Poets and Philosophers. He was quite wealthy but he only had one daughter and no sons.

Rabbi HaLevi wrote countless poems Gedichte and approximately 800 of them are known to us today. For twenty years he had been working on his most famous book "THE KUZARI", which is being taught to thousands of Jewish students until today. Originally the book was called "Kitab al - Hujja waal - Dahl fi Nasr al - Din al Dhalil - The Book of Argument and Proof in Defense of the Despised Faith" and was written in Arabic. In 1167, Rabbi Yehudah ibn Tibon translated the book into Hebrew. The Ibn Tibon family used to be extremely famous for their translations in those days.

When Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi got older, he decided to travel to Eretz Israel. On 24th Elul (8. September 1140), he arrived in Alexandria together with the son of Rabbi Avraham ibn Ezras. There are different versions about Rabbi Yehudah died but, until today, we don't have a proof for any of the claims. One versions says that he had never reached Israel and died in Alexandria. The most famous version, however, claims that he reached Jerusalem and was killed by an Arab horseman.

Until today, Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi is one of THE most famous Rabbis; auch he was one of those who didn't compromise at his lifetime. He described Judaism, as it was – no matter if people liked his views or not. In his "KUZARI", the author described Judaism very enthusiastically. Islam and Christendom are called "irrational". Rabbi Yehudah saw his task in preventing the Jews from getting missionized by the church.

The KUZARI as well as the history of the Khazars are an important part of our Jewish history and everyone should study and know about it.

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Sources:

- "Book of Kuzari" translated into English by Hartwig Hirschfeld (1905)

- "The Kuzari" by Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi, translated and sources given by N. Daniel Korobkin