Rebbe Abraham Ibn Ezra

Rabbi Abraham ben Meir Ibn Ezra (1089 - approximately 1164) was a poet, Torah commentator, philosopher during the Golden Age of Spain, and a prominent Jewish thinker in the Middle Ages.

Life History

Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra was born in the city of Tudela (or Toledo) in Spain in 1089. In his youth, he left his birthplace and began wandering through the cities of Spain hoping to find financial sustenance. He later expanded his travels to North Africa, and eventually reached Egypt.

He was friends with Rabbi Yehuda Halevi, and mentions him several times in his Torah commentary. Some claim that he was his son-in-law.

It is generally accepted that he was friends with the Rambam.

He was unfortunate financially, and suffered losses in every business venture he undertook. In a certain poem he expressed about himself:

"The wheel and constellations in their positions / Turned in their paths against my birth; If candles were my merchandise / The sun would not set until my death I toil to succeed but cannot / For the stars of my sky have twisted me; If I were to trade in shrouds / No person would die in all my days"

His Works and Poems

Rabbi Abraham wrote commentary on the Torah and most of Nach, primarily following the plain meaning and grammar.

The Rebbe frequently cites and discusses his commentary in the sichos on Rashi's commentary.

Additionally, he left behind various mathematical and grammatical works.

Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra wrote many poems and liturgical pieces (including the piyutim "Lecha Eli," "Ki Eshmerah Shabbat," "Agadelcha," "Tzamah Nafshi" and others) and was one of the greatest poets of his time. We have over three hundred poems and piyutim from his pen, many of which are still sung today among Eastern Jewish communities.

His Passing

The time, place, and circumstances of his passing are unknown.

However, in Shaarei Teshuva, the Mitteler Rebbe writes: "As is known that Ibn Ezra and others like him were moser nefesh al kiddush Hashem [gave their lives to sanctify G-d's name]" and the Rebbe noted regarding this: "Until now I have not found a source for this."

On another occasion, the Rebbe noted: "Ibn Ezra is sometimes quoted in Chassidus, and the Mitteler Rebbe writes about him that he passed away al kiddush Hashem; and this detail I have not found by anyone who writes about his life history."

And in another reference: "The words of Ibn Ezra were quoted several times in Chassidic teachings."

See Also

• The piyut "Tzama Nafshi" that he composed

Further Reading

• Hiskashrus | 710 Rabbi Avraham Ibn Ezra on the Tzach website