Simha of Speyer

Simḥa ben Samuel ofSpeyer(13th century) was a German rabbi andtosafist.Neither the year of his birth nor that of his death is known. He was one of the leading signatories of theTakkanot ShumHe was a nephew of the director (parnas)Kalonymus,a student of R.Eliezer of Metz,and a colleague ofEliezer ben Joel ha-Levi.

Simha was the author of the following works:

• Commentary on the treatiseHorayot(quoted in Tosafot Horayot 4b, s.v.Keri)
• Tosafotandnovellæon theTalmud;
• Seder Olam,a work divided into paragraphs and containing decisions, comments on Talmudic passages, and regulations for religious practice (quoted inHaggahot Maimoniyyot,Ishut 6:14, Tefillah 9). All the responsa and decisions which the earlier authors quote in the name of R. Simḥah were probably taken from this work.
• Tikkun Shetarot,on agreements and documents (quoted inHaggahot Maimoniyyot,Gerushin 4:12)
• Sections ( "she'arim" ) on the laws of blessings (quoted inHaggahot MaimoniyyotBerakhot8)

Aside from these works decisions and responsa by Simḥah are mentioned in the responsa collection of R.Meir of Rothenburg(Nos. 573, 927, 931, 932) and in the works of several older authors.

References

This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Singer, Isidore;et al., eds. (1901–1906)."Simhah b. Samuel of Speyer".The Jewish Encyclopedia.New York: Funk & Wagnalls.Its bibliography:

• Leopold Zunz,Literaturgesch. pp. 309–311;
• Heimann Joseph Michael,Or ha-Ḥayyim, Nos. 12, 15