Solomon Judah Loeb Rapoport

Who was Solomon Judah Loeb Rapoport?

Solomon Judah Löb Rapoport, was a Galician rabbi and Jewish scholar. He was born in Lemberg, Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria. He married the daughter of the famed Kezot hachosen, and was instrumental in publishing the work Avnie Miluim of his father in law. He wrote both the index, sources and numerous comments.

After various experiences in business, Rapoport became successively rabbi of Tarnopol and of Prague. He was one of the founders of the new Wissenschaft des Judentums movement. His chief work was the first part of an encyclopaedia. Equally notable were his biographies of Saadia Gaon, Nathan, Hai Gaon, Eleazar Kalir and others.

Thrown upon his own resources about 1817, Rapoport became cashier of the meat-tax farmers. He had already given evidence of marked critical ability, though his writings previously published were of a light character—poems and translations. His critical talent, however, soon revealed itself. In 1824 he wrote an article for Bikkure ha-'Ittim on the independent Jewish tribes of Arabia and Abyssinia. Though this article gained him some recognition, a more permanent impression was made by his work on Saadia Gaon and his times, the first of a series of biographical works on the medieval Jewish sages. Because of this work he received recognition in the scholarly world and gained many enthusiastic friends, especially S. D. Luzzatto.