ḲARA, MENAHEM BEN JACOB:

Bohemian scholar; flourished at Prague in the first half of the fifteenth century. He was a near relative, perhaps a half-brother, of Abigdor ben Isaac Ḳara, whom he quotes in his writings as "my brother." Ḳara was the author of the following works, which are extant in manuscript: a commentary on Prov. xxx., written at the request of Abigdor Ḳara, whothought he recognized in the initials of his own name (Neubauer, "Cat. Bodl. Hebr. MSS." No. 1649, 7); a commentary on the "Mar'ot Elohim" of Enoch al-Ḳusṭantini (ib. 1649, 1); a commentary on Ghazali's "Kawwanot ha-Pilusufim" and on various parts of the "Moreh Nebukim." The author quotes in the last-named commentary Samuel and Moses ibn Tibbon, Moses of Narbonne, Levi ben Gershon, and his own contemporary Moses . On fol. 13 he mentions his imprisonment during eighteen months (ib. 1649, 2).

Bibliography:
  • Zunz, Z. G. p. 165;
  • Steinschneider, Jewish Literature, pp. 99, 115.
K. I. Br.
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