Hillel ben Eliakim
HILLEL BEN ELIAKIM
HILLEL BEN ELIAKIM (c. 12th century), talmudic scholar of Greece. Hillel lived in Salaviri near Constantinople, and is variously cited as Hillel of Greece and Hillel of Romania (i.e., Byzantium; S. Krauss, Studien zur byzantinisch-juedischen Geschichte (1914), 118). Hillel is best known for his commentaries on the tannaitic Midrashim, some of which are quoted in the works of contemporary tosafists (Sot. 15a; 38a), the Ittur of Isaac b. Abba Mari, *Samson b. Abraham of Sens, *Isaiah di Trani the Elder, and other authorities. His commentary on the Sifrei was published from a manuscript by S. Koleditzky. In this commentary, which excels in its clarity and simplicity, he establishes the correct text, compares the statements in the Sifrei with the parallel passages in the Talmud, and translates the difficult words into Greek. He also includes commentaries from *Hai Gaon, R. Nissim, and *Nathan b. Jehiel of Rome. His commentary is of particular importance in establishing the original text of the Sifrei. In addition Hillel wrote a commentary on the Sifra (also published by S. Koleditzky), a commentary on the order Tohorot, and also responsa.
bibliography:
S. Koleditzky, Sifrei… im Perush… Rabbenu Hillel b. Eliakim (1948); idem, Sifra… im Perush… Rabbenu Hillel b. Eliakim (1961); A. Freimann, in: Sefer Zikkaron… S.A. Poznański (1927), 170–80 (Heb. sec.); J. Starr, The Jews in the Byzantine Empire (1939), 61–62, 226–8.
[Zvi Meir Rabinowitz]