Between Autonomy and Authority, Between Germania (Ashkenaz) and Tzarfat: The Halachic Thought of Rabbi Meir of Rothenburg
A Master Class by Moshe D. Chechik (Hebrew University, Jerusalem)
Smokler Center Third Floor Multipurpose Room
April 28th-May 2nd, 2025
Mon-Wed & Fri: 9:30 AM – 1 PM
Thurs: 1 PM – 4:30 PM
Rabbi Meir b. Barukh of Rothenburg ob der Tauber (d. 1293), one of the most prominent Jewish legal scholars of 13th-century Germany and France, is remembered in Jewish collective memory primarily due to the tragic end of his intensive intellectual life – his failed pilgrimage to the Holy Land, his imprisonment and death in the Fortress of Ensisheim, and the high ransom paid for his remains years later by a Jewish benefactor who in exchange asked to be buried next to him in the Jewish cemetery of Worms.
His greatest achievement, nonetheless, lies in his literary and legal legacy. Rabbi Meir left thousands of halakhic responsa that constitute a major contribution to Talmudic interpretation and Jewish law and crucial historical record of his era. His highly original halakhic rulings have profoundly influenced Jewish law from the Middle Ages down to the present.
This seminar will offer guided reading and close analysis of ten responsa texts on different subjects. Through this study we will explore Rabbi Meir’s intellectual personality from a variety of perspectives and analyze his multifaceted character as a halakhic authority. Tracing his unique temperament as a jurist, commentator, and teacher, we will situate his specific reasoning within the broader contexts of different halakhic traditions. We will also examine his self-construction, i.e. how he perceived his own place in the halakhic tradition. Above all, we will reflect on and assess the degree of his interpretive independence vis-à-vis his commitment to the sources and previous scholarship accessible to him.
The seminar meets for five days, from 9:30-1:00PM daily. A small number of grants are available to cover lodging for participants. For further information and to reserve a spot please contact Yitzhak Melamed ([email protected]).
Moshe D. Chechik holds a BA and MA from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he is currently completing his PhD in the Department of Talmud and Halakha in the Jack, Joseph & Morton Mandel School for Advanced Studies in the Humanities. His work examines the cultural history of rabbinical literature in medieval Ashkenaz. Chechik’s MA thesis, “The Struggle over Ashkenazi Legacy in Poland: The Printing of Shulhan Aruch in Poland and the Reactions to It,” was awarded the Polonsky Prize for Creativity and Innovation. His doctoral research focuses on the cultural history of halakhic literature in medieval Ashkenaz, with a particular emphasis on Rabbi Meir of Rothenburg. Analyzing Rabbi Meir’s extensive halakhic responsa, he demonstrates how his innovative method contributed to the development of a more ‘global’ halakhic identity while also provoking conflict within Rhineland Jewish communities. He has also published on early modern halakhic responses to plagues and their broader social and legal implications.
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Moshe D. Chechik: Miracle and Nature in the Thought of R. Jacob Emden
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Moshe Dovid Chechik is in the final stages of completing his PhD in the Department of Talmud and Halakha at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he also earned his BA and MA. His master’s thesis, which examined the transmission and debate surrounding Ashkenazic heritage in early modern Poland, was awarded the Polonsky Prize for Creativity and Innovation.
His doctoral research focuses on the cultural history of Halakhic literature in medieval Ashkenaz, with a particular emphasis on Rabbi Meir of Rothenburg, one of the most influential rabbinic authorities of 13th-century Germany. By analyzing Rabbi Meir’s extensive halakhic responsa, this study explores his innovative scholarly approach, which combined a firm grounding in Talmudic foundations with an openness to external traditions. These influences contributed to the development of a more ‘global’ halakhic identity and, at times, provoked public opposition within the authoritative Rhine communities.
He has also published on early modern halakhic responses to plagues and their broader social and legal implications. His research aims to provide a nuanced portrait of Rabbi Meir as a legal thinker and reassess his broader impact on medieval Ashkenazi halakha.
