Tobiah Ben Eliezer - Characteristics and Sources

Characteristics and Sources

Throughout the whole commentary Tobiah shows his thorough knowledge of Hebrew grammar and his acquaintance with the works of the earlier grammarians. Incidentally it may be remarked that he seems to have held the opinion that the Hebrew roots are not necessarily triliteral. In certain places he interprets a Biblical word as though it were a mishnaic or Talmudic one. He considers there is not a letter too many or too few in the whole Pentateuch; and he bases many of his haggadic interpretations on the "qeri" and "ketib." One of the main features of his commentary is the allegorical interpretation of all the Biblical passages which speak of God as a corporeal being. He likewise considers that the expressions in R. Ishmael's Hekalot must be taken figuratively (see Leḳaḥ Ṭov on Deut. iv. 12). In many places he refutes assertions of the Karaites, though he does not expressly name their authors. Like many other Biblical commentators, he translates certain words into the language of the country in which he is living, namely, Greek.

Tobiah seldom mentions the sources for his commentary; but they are found to be as follows: Targum of Onqelos; Baraita of R. Ishmael; Baraita of R. Eliezer ben Jose ha-Gelili; Sifra; Sifre; Mekilta; Seder 'Olam; Sefer Yeẓirah; the Jerusalem and Babylonian Talmud; Genesis Rabbah; a midrash on the blessing of Jacob (Jellinek, "B. H." iii. 73 et seq.); Leviticus Rabbah; midrash on the Five Megillot; Tanchuma; Yelammedenu; Pirḳe de-Rabbi Eli'ezer; Baraita di-Meleket ha-Mishkan; Agadat Mashiaḥ; Hekalot of R. Ishmael; Sefer ha-Yashar; Midrash Abkir; Midrash Hashkem; and many other midrashim.

It seems that he utilized the She'eltot of R. Achai, the Halakot Gedolot, and the Yosippon. He quotes also Eleazar ha-Ḳalir, Saadia, Hai Gaon, Shabbethai Donnolo, Ben Asher, Ben Naphtali, and his teacher R. Samson, while he cites passages from Menahem ben Saruk and Moses ha-Darshan without mentioning their names. Tobiah is in turn quoted by those of Rashi's pupils who redacted the Liḳḳuṭe ha-Pardes, and by the following: Menahem ben Solomon in his "Sekel Ṭob"; Jacob Tam in his Sefer ha-Yashar; RaSHBaM in his commentary on the Pentateuch; Ibn Ezra (see above); Tobiah ben Moses the Karaite in his Yehi Me'orot; Isaac ben Abba Mari in his Sefer ha-'Iṭṭur; Isaac ben Moses in his Or Zarua'; Zedekiah ben Abraham (see above); Judah ben Eliezer in his Minḥat Yehudah; Eliezer ben Nathan in his piyyut Lel Shimmurim; and numerous later Biblical commentators, halakists, and casuists.

It will thus be seen that the Leḳaḥ Ṭov was considered as an authority by the German, French, and Italian, but not by the earlier Spanish, scholars. Of the latter Ibn Ezra alone mentions it, disparagingly. But later Spanish authorities who, after the expulsion, settled in the East considered the Leḳaḥ Ṭov as the chief source for their works.

As has been said above, only that part of Tobiah's work covering Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy was edited in Venice, 1546. The same part was afterward reedited with a Latin translation under the title "Pesiḳta" by Ugolino in his Thesaurus Antiquitatum Sacrarum (xv.-xvi.); and was subsequently republished by Aaron Moses Padua under the title Midrash Leḳaḥ Ṭov (Wilna, 1880), with a short commentary or "bi'ur." Four years later the part comprising Genesis and Exodus was published, also under the title "Midrash Leḳaḥ Ṭov," by Solomon Buber (Wilna, 1884), who added a long introduction and copious notes. The commentary on Lamentations was edited by Nacht ("Tobiah b. Eliezer's Commentar zu Threni," Frankfort-on-the-Main, 1895), and that on the Book of Ruth by Bamberger (Mainz, 1887).

Tobiah is known as a Hebrew poet through four poems of his which are still extant. One is an introduction to his commentary on Genesis, another is an epilogue to the same, both being acrostics on "Tobiah bar Eliezer Ḥazaḳ"; a third is a short acrostic on "Tobiah," forming an epilogue to Leviticus;and the remaining one is a "seliḥah" beginning "Ehyeh asher Ehyeh," the verses being arranged in alphabetical order, and signed "Tobiah b. Eliezer Ḥazaḳ." The last-cited poem has been published by Solomon Buber at the end of his introduction to the Leḳaḥ Ṭov.