Koraḥ, Yiḥye (Yaḥya) ben Shalom

views updated

KORAḤ, YIḤYE (Yaḥya) BEN SHALOM

KORAḤ, YIḤYE (Yaḥya ) BEN SHALOM (1840–1881), scholar and kabbalist, in *Sanʾa, *Yemen. Koraḥ's works are concerned with masorah, the Targum Onkelos, grammar, explanations on the Pentateuch, and exegesis on Yemenite poetry. In two fields, those of Targum Onkelos and Yemenite poetry, he was a pioneer researcher in Yemen. His works are distinguished by their sharp-wittedness and originality. The most important of them is Marpe Lashon, a linguistic and textual study on the Targum Onkelos of the Pentateuch, which is based on ancient Yemenite manuscripts (published in Keter Torah, 1960). An essay entitled "Berit ha-Lashon" ("Covenant of the Tongue") precedes the work and deals with the Yemenite Jewish pronunciation and the principles of the upper (Babylonian) vocalization. His work on the Pentateuch, Maskil Doresh (1964), consists of new commentaries (ḥiddushim), explanations of words in the way of notarikon and mystic style.

bibliography:

S. Koraḥ, in Y. Korah, Maskil Doresh (1964), 7–19; Ratzaby, in: ks, 28 (1952–53), 266, 401, 404.