Abraham ben Nathan

Who is Abraham ben Nathan?

Abraham ben Nathan Ha-Yarhi was a Provençal rabbi and scholar born in the second half of the 12th century, probably at Lunel, Languedoc, where he also received his education. It is for this reason that he is sometimes also called "Ha-Yarḥi" since the Hebrew "yareaḥ" is the equivalent of the French "lune", or moon in English.

In Lunel, Abraham may have studied under RABaD III, but his regular rabbinical studies, were pursued at Dampierre, in northern France, at the academy of R. Isaac ben Samuel, called R. Isaac ha-Zaḳen. Abraham subsequently left his birthplace, and, after much traveling, finally settled in Toledo in 1204, where his learning quickly gained for him the favor of the rich and learned Joseph ibn Shushan and that of his sons, Solomon and Isaac. To these patrons he dedicated his work Ha-Manhig, or as the author called it, Manhig 'Olam, which he began in 1204 and completed some years later. In its present form the book consists of two distinct portions, the first of which comprises a collection of responsa, compiled from his numerous written and oral decisions, some of the former of which still bear the usual epistolary conclusion: "Shalom! A. B. N.". The second part contains extracts from the halakic works of Alfasi, Isaac ibn Giat, and Isaac ben Abba Mari, a relative of Abraham's.