Reuvein Margolies - Biography

Reuvein Margolies, (Hebrew: ראובן מרגליות) (November 30, 1889 – August 28, 1971) was an Israeli author and Talmudic scholar.

Early life

Margolies was born in 1889 in Lemberg (now Lviv), then part of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire and now in Ukraine and from 1918 to 1940 in Poland. He emigrated to Mandate Palestine in 1934, settling in Tel-Aviv.

Writings

Margolies authored over 55 books on Jewish topics. He possessed a photographic memory, and was well versed in all aspects of both the written Bible, Oral Torah (Talmud and its commentaries) and Kabbalah (Zohar etc.). He established the Rambam library.

He wrote on a wide range of subjects; His works were meant for both scholars and laymen alike. All of his writings are in Hebrew.

He wrote on the formation of the Mishna and the Talmud displaying originality in thought, and a wide range of knowledge.

He further wrote on the Kabbalah. Such works include "The Rambam and the Zohar" demonstrating correlations between Maimonides Mishna Torah and the Zohar; Nitzotzei Zohar demonstrating correlations between the Tannatic and Amoraic works (such as the Talmud and Medrashim) and the Zohar.

He was also involved in a controversy with Gershon Scholem over the Rabbi Jacob Emden/Rabbi Jonathan Eybeshuetz controversy. Margulies produced a pamphlet defending R. Eybeshuetz and in response Scholem produced his own disagreeing with Marguleis's conclusions.

He wrote a number of scholarly biographies of major Jewish personalities such as Maharsha, Ohr Ha-Chaim Hakodosh, Noam Elimelech, Rabbi Moses ben Nachman (Ramban), and R' Yechiel of Paris including valuable annotation clarifying ideas in their works. The biographies focus primarily on their methods of scholarship and not on their personalities. First printed in Poland, they were never reprinted.

He wrote several works concerning the development of a legal system in the newly formed Jewish State (Kavei Ohr, Tal Tichye).

According to Dr. Yitzchok Raphael, his writing is in a terse style designed to concentrate a maximum amount of information in a minimum of space.

Awards

• In 1957, Margolies was awarded the Israel Prize for his work on Rabbinical literature.

Bibliography

• Toldot Adam (Lemberg 1912) on R. Shmuel Edels
• Yesod Hamishna Va'arichatah (Lemberg, 1933) on the creation of the Mishna
• Sefer Hassidim with his notes (multiple printings)
• Tolodot Rabbenu Hayyim ben Atar (Lemberg, 1925), biography on the Ohr Hayyim includes the notes of Rabbi Meir Dan Plotzky (Kli Chemdah)
• Ohr Meir (Lemberg, 1926), biography of R. Meir of Przemyślany
• Margenuta d'Reb Meir (Lemberg, 1926), sayings of the above R. Meir
• She'elot Uteshuvot Min Hashamayim, R. Margulies's extensive notes on the teshuvot as well as a comprehensive introduction discussing Torah lo' Bashmayim and other related topics (multiple printings)
• Vikuach Rabbenu Yehiel miParis (Lemberg, 1928), with biography of R. Yehiel
• Toldot Rabbenu Avrohom Maimoni, biography of Rambam's son, (multiple printings)
• Shem Olam, to reveal the anonymous people in hazal (multiple printings)
• Nefesh Haya,notes on Shulchan Orakh multiple printings
• Hagadah shel Pesach (Tel Aviv, 1937)
• Sichot Chachamim
• Zohar with his extensive notes (multiple printings)
• Sibat Hitnagduto discussing R. Emden/R. Eybeschitz controversy, Tel Aviv 1941
• Mal'ache Elyon on angels in Hazel (multiple printings)
• Olelot various articles (multiple printings)
• Margalios HaYam on Sanhedrin (multiple printings)
• HaMikra Vehamesora multiple printings
• Mechkarim Bedarkei Hatalmud Vechidotav multiple printings
• Lecheker Shemot Vekinuyim batalmud
• Shaarei Zohar notes on the Talmud directing one to the relevant passages in Zohar.
• Peninim U'Margoliyot A posthumously published collection of essays.

There is also a memorial volume edited by Dr. Yitchak Raphael and published by Mossad R' Kook

See also

• List of Israel Prize recipients
• Margolies

External links

• Several of his works are available on Hebrew Books
• Bibliography
• Photo

(Translated from Hebrew Wikipedia, with additions based on the author's own works)