Joseph Ḥazzan ben Judah of Troyes
JOSEPH ḤAZZAN BEN JUDAH OF TROYES
JOSEPH ḤAZZAN BEN JUDAH OF TROYES (13th century), French scholar, grandson of *Baruch b. Isaac of Regensburg, author of the Sefer ha-Terumah. As ḥazzan in his town, Joseph carefully studied the customs and versions of the liturgy of that community and its synagogal customs in their various traditions, adding customs of his own. After his death, his son Menahem, who succeeded him, wrote, at the request of many, Seder Troyes (ed. by M. Weiss, 1905), in which he summarized all of his father's research. Joseph was one of the few scholars of Germany and France who wrote grammatical works as well: Yedidut, on biblical grammar, and (apparently) Sefer Sarim Rim (Rim being acronym of R abbi J oseph M i-Troyes), on Hebrew grammar. Another book of his was Yesod ha-Ibbur ("The Basis of Calendar Intercalation"). With the exception of a few pages of Yesod ha-Ibbur, these works have been lost.
bibliography:
M. Weiss (ed.), Seder Troyes (1905), introd.; Zunz, Gesch, 84f. 112; Gross, Gal Jud, 239f.; Bruell, in: Jahrbuecher fuer Juedische Geschichte und Literatur, 8 (1887), 63–65; Epstein, in: mgwj, 41 (1897), 474f.; J. Freimann, in: Ha-Eshkol, 6 (1909), 106.
[Ephraim Kupfer]