Lisser, Joshua Falk

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LISSER, JOSHUA FALK

LISSER, JOSHUA FALK (d. 1807), rabbi and talmudist. Joshua studied under Moses Zerah *Eidlitz of Prague. As dayyan at Lissa he was involved in the decision to condemn and burn Naphtali Herz *Wessely's Divrei Shalom ve-Emet, which called on Jews to emancipate themselves. Lisser published Binyan Yehoshu'ah (Dyhernfurth, 1788), commentaries, including textual emendations, on the minor tractates Avot de-Rabbi Nathan, Semahot, Derekh Ereẓ Zuta. The commentary on Avot de-Rabbi Nathan was reprinted in 1858–64 in Zhitomir and in Romm's Vilna editions of the Talmud. Bearing in mind the spirit of opposition to critical scholarship at the time, Lisser apologized in the preface of his commentary for his suggested textual emendations. In defense of his work he pointed to the precedents of Solomon *Luria and Samuel *Edels, who had also suggested variant readings in their commentaries.

bibliography:

L. Lewin, Geschichte der Juden in Lissa (1904), 271f.

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