TE'OMIM, JOSEPH BEN MEÏR:

By: Executive Committee of the Editorial Board., Isaac Broydé

Galician rabbi; born at Lemberg in 1727; died at Frankfort-on-the-Oder in 1793. While still young he succeeded his father in the position of preacher and rabbinical instructor in the yeshibah of Lemberg. Later he went to Berlin, where he stayed several years in the bet ha-midrash of Daniel Jafe. Then he resumed his former position at Lemberg, and in 1782 was appointed rabbi at Frankfort-on-the-Oder, where he remained until his death.

Te'omim, who was one of the foremost rabbis of his time, was a thorough student of rabbinical literature, and was not unlearned in the secular sciences. He wrote: "Peri Megadim," a twofold commentary on the Oraḥ Ḥayyim—one part being entitled "Mishbeẓot Zahab," containing a supercommentary on David ben Samuel's "Ṭure Zahab," and the other "Eshel Abraham," on Abraham Abele's "Magen Abraham" (Frankfort-on-the-Oder, 1753); "Porat Yosef," novellæ on Yebamot and Ketubot, with rules for halakic decisions (Zolkiev, 1756); "Ginnat Weradim," seventy rules for the comprehension of the Talmud (Frankfort-on-the-Oder, 1767); "Peri Megadim," a twofold commentary on the Yoreh De'ah—one part being entitled "Mishbeẓot Zahab," containing a supercommentary on David ben Samuel's "Ṭure Zahab," and the other "Sifte Da'at," on Shabbethai Kohen's "Sifte Kohen" (; Berlin,1772); "Tebat Gome," on the Sabbatical sections (Frankfort-on-the-Oder, 1782); "Shoshanat ha-'Amakim," a methodology of the Talmud, published together with the preceding; "No'am Megadim," commentaries on the prayers, published with the prayer-book "Hegyon Leb." Te'omim left in manuscript "Sefer ha-Maggid" (a commentary on the Pentateuch and the Hafṭarot, sermons for Sabbaths and festivals, and a twofold commentary on Pirḳe Abot) and "Em la-Binah" (a Hebrew, Aramaic, and Chaldaic lexicon; Neubauer, "Cat. Bodl. Hebr. MSS." No. 1500). In the introduction to the last-named work Te'omim mentions a great number of writings of his own, on halakot and ethics, which are no longer in existence

E. C. I. Br.