Rav Reuven Margulios
A talmid chacham and author of over fifty-five seforim, known for his annotated editions of the Zohar and for his years as librarian of the Rambam Library in Tel Aviv.
Biography
Early years
Rav Reuven Margulios zt"l, also known as Margoilyos Hayam after his commentary on Meseches Sanhedrin, was born in 1889 in Lemberg (now Lviv), Ukraine, the son of Rav Moshe Margulios. From his youth he was known as exceptionally erudite.
Although he received semichah, he did not become a Rav. Instead he opened a bookstore in Lemberg. It is told that the store was always full of talmidei chachamim, though it was never clear whether he actually sold anything.
Torah and leadership
In Lemberg he began to publish his own seforim. Many of his early works focus on chassidim. One of them, a biography of Rav Chaim ben Attar, the Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh, included comments by Rav Meir Dan Plotzky, author of Kli Chemdah. He also wrote scholarly biographies of the Maharsha, the Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh, the Noam Elimelech, the Ramban and Rav Yechiel of Paris, with valuable notes clarifying the ideas in their works. These biographies concentrate on the methods of learning of their subjects rather than on their personalities. They were first printed in Poland and were never reprinted.
In 1935 Rav Margulios moved to Eretz Yisroel and became the librarian of the Rambam Library in Tel Aviv, which he is also credited with establishing. After the move he produced some of his best-known works. He turned his attention to the Zohar and its literature and produced fully annotated editions of the Zohar, Zohar Chadash, Tikunei Zohar and Sefer HaBahir.
In this period he was also drawn into a controversy with Gershon Scholem over the dispute between Rav Yaakov Emden and Rav Yonasan Eybeschutz. Rav Margulios published a pamphlet defending Rav Yonasan Eybeschutz, and Scholem answered with a pamphlet of his own disagreeing with his conclusions. In 1957 Rav Margulios was awarded the Israel Prize for his work on rabbinic literature.
Teachings and seforim
Rav Margulios wrote over fifty-five seforim on Jewish subjects, all in Hebrew, meant for scholars and for ordinary readers alike. He had a photographic memory and was well versed in Tanach, in Torah SheBaal Peh (the Gemara and its commentaries), and in Kabbalah and Zohar. It truly appears that there was no section of Shas or Midrash, no Rishon or Acharon, and no part of Kabbalah that was not at his fingertips.
His books range from biography and history to discussions of the conduct of the sages of the Gemara, including conduct that seems unusual, which he explains in light of those sages' halachic opinions. He wrote with originality and wide knowledge on the formation of the Mishnah and the Gemara. In Kabbalah, he wrote The Rambam and the Zohar, showing the connections between the Rambam's Mishneh Torah and the Zohar, and Nitzotzei Zohar, showing the connections between works of the Tanna'im and Amora'im, such as the Gemara and the Midrashim, and the Zohar. His writing is terse, in a style, as Dr. Yitzchok Raphael described it, designed to pack the maximum information into the minimum of space.
His best-known works include Malachei Elyon, an encyclopedia on angels; Margoliyos HaYam, a commentary on Meseches Sanhedrin; Nefesh Chayah, a commentary on Shulchan Aruch; Nitzotzei Zohar, a commentary on the Zohar and Tikunei Zohar; and Olelos, essays on Tanach, Shas, the siddur and history.
Later years and passing
Rav Reuven Margulios passed away on the 7th of Elul 5731 (1971) in Israel. A memorial volume, edited by Dr. Yitzchak Raphael and published by Mossad HaRav Kook, describes his seforim in more detail.
Seforim
- Toldos Adam (Lemberg 1912): A biography of Rav Shmuel Eidels, the Maharsha.
- Kav Bashamayim (Lemberg 1913): Notes on the writings of the Baalei HaTosafos.
- Kavei Ohr and Tal Techiyah (Lemberg 1921): Two volumes on halachah in Eretz Yisroel and essays on various topics, including medicine and healers in the Gemara and the laws of ger toshav, and the first printing of Yesod HaMishnah VaArichasah.
- Yesod HaMishnah VaArichasah (Lemberg 1923, 1933; addenda Jerusalem 1956): On the creation of the Mishnah.
- Sefer Chassidim (Lemberg 1924; Jerusalem 1957, 1960, 1964, 1970): The sefer of Rav Yehudah HeChassid, with biographical information, commentaries and his own notes.
- Toldos Rabbeinu Chaim ben Attar (Lemberg 1925): A biography of the Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh, with comments by Rav Meir Dan Plotzky, author of Kli Chemdah.
- Ohr Meir (Lemberg 1926; Tel Aviv 1964): A biography of Rav Meir of Premishlan.
- Margenisa D'Reb Meir (Lemberg 1926; Germany 1948; Tel Aviv 1964): Sayings of Rav Meir of Premishlan.
- Sheelos U'Teshuvos Min HaShamayim (Lemberg 1926, 1929; Jerusalem 1957): The responsa of Rabbeinu Yaakov the Tosafist, who said he received answers to questions of halachah from an angel, with Rav Margulios's extensive notes and a long introduction on prophecy and its effect on halachah.
- Yalkut Margolios (Lemberg 1927): Homiletic material for Shabbosos, Yomim Tovim and various times of the year.
- Imrei Kodesh HaShalem (Lemberg 1928)
- Vikuach Rabbeinu Yechiel MiParis (Lemberg 1928): The disputation of Rav Yechiel of Paris in 1240, with a biography of Rav Yechiel.
- Mekor Chesed (Lemberg 1928)
- L'Cheker Shemos V'Kinuyim BaTalmud (Lemberg 1928; Jerusalem 1960): On names and nicknames in the Gemara.
- Hilula D'Tzidkaya (Lemberg 1929; Tel Aviv 1930, 1961): A collection of the differing views and customs of great Torah scholars.
- Vikuach HaRamban (Bilgoraj 1928): The disputation of the Ramban against Pablo Christiani in 1263, with his notes.
- Butzina D'Nehora HaShalem (Bilgoraj 1930)
- Gevuras Ari (Lemberg 1930)
- Toldos Rabbeinu Avrohom Maimoni (Lemberg 1930): A biography of Rav Avrohom, son of the Rambam, including his responsa translated from the original Arabic.
- Mekor Boruch (Lemberg 1931)
- Shem Olam (Lemberg 1931, 1962): An attempt to identify the authorities behind the phrase "one said... and one said..." in the Midrash, the Bavli and the Yerushalmi.
- Nefesh Chayah (Lemberg 1932; Tel Aviv 1954): Notes on Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim.
- Ner LaMaor (Bilgoraj 1932; Jerusalem 1959): Notes and emendations on the Ohr HaChaim of Rav Chaim ben Attar.
- Mekor HaBerachah (Lemberg 1934): On the concept of making a berachah on a mitzvah, al asiyasan, and on the wording of the berachos.
- Haggadah shel Pesach (Tel Aviv 1937, 1950): With commentary.
- Sichos Chachamim (Tel Aviv 1938): A collection of sayings and quotes of various sages.
- Zohar (Jerusalem 1940-1946, 1960): The Zohar with his extensive notes, in several printings.
- Sibas Hisnagdus (Tel Aviv 1941): On the controversy between Rav Yaakov Emden and Rav Yonasan Eybeschutz.
- Malachei Elyon (Jerusalem 1945, 1964): An encyclopedia on angels in the thought of Chazal.
- Olelos (Jerusalem 1947): Essays on Tanach, Shas, the siddur, history and other topics.
- Tikunei Zohar (Tel Aviv 1948): The kabbalistic work attributed to Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, with extensive notes.
- Sefer HaBahir (Jerusalem 1951): The kabbalistic work attributed to Rav Nechunya ben HaKanah, with extensive notes.
- Zohar Chadash (Jerusalem 1953): A collection of statements from the Zohar arranged by the weekly parshah, with a discussion of the tradition of the Zohar and comparisons between sayings of the Gemara and Midrash and the Zohar.
- Milchamos Hashem (Jerusalem 1953): The work of Rav Avrohom ben HaRambam on the controversy over his father's writings, based on the Vatican manuscript, with an introductory biography of Rav Avrohom by Rav Margulios.
- Mefarshei HaTalmud (Jerusalem 1954-1961): A commentary on some parts of the Gemara.
- Shaarei Zohar (Jerusalem 1957): Notes on the Gemara directing the reader to the relevant passages in the Zohar.
- Margoliyos HaYam (Jerusalem 1958): A commentary on Meseches Sanhedrin.
- Devarim BeItam (Tel Aviv 1959): Homiletic material for Shabbosos, Yomim Tovim and various times of the year.
- HaMikra VeHaMesorah (Jerusalem 1964, 1965): Articles on the chain of tradition in Judaism and other topics.
- Mechkarim BeDarchei HaTalmud VeChidosav (Jerusalem 1967): Varied essays on the Gemara.
- Peninim U'Margoliyos: A posthumously published collection of essays.
- HaRambam VeHaZohar: Shows the correlations between the Rambam's Mishneh Torah and the Zohar.
- Nitzotzei Zohar: A commentary on the Zohar and Tikunei Zohar, showing correlations between the works of the Tanna'im and Amora'im, such as the Gemara and the Midrashim, and the Zohar.