The Jewish advance., 1880-08-13

where, because of her great learning,
she was welcomed by all, and where she
was honorably sustained by the Jewish
community until her death. The death
Of her son-to whom had been given a
rabbinical education occurred, before
hers, in his early youth.
El Muallima, the learned was the
name of the wife Of that Ibn Altaras
who transplanted the karaite teaching,
which was contending against rabbinism
to CASTLE, and who there sought to gain
for it an adherence among the rabbis.
After his death, 1926, his wife carried
on his work She was so learned that
she passed as theological authority
with the believers Of Karaitism they
depended upon her for the Karaite ira
ditions, and one was wont to inquire of
the other, how this or that was explain
ed by the Muallima."
The only daughter of the renowned
Castilian, Jewish author, Abdul -hassan
Jehuda Halevi, is celebrated as author
ess. She is said to have written a beau
tiful elegy which is to be found in her
fathers Divan," and which bears the
acrostic of Bath Levi (Levi's daughter.)
In France, too, we find number of
richly gifted women. We begin in Or
leans BELLETTE, sister of R. Isaac
ben Menachem, who was known as
talmudical authority, and who lived in
the middle of the eleventh century, and
HANNA, sister of R. Jacob of Orleans,
who was killed in London on the corona
tion-day of Richard |. of England. Bell
cite, commissioned by her brother, in
structed the women of her native city in
their religious duties Hannah instruct
ed her sisters in faith with regard to the
blessing spoken at the lighting of the
Sabbath candles.
A number of learned women are
named to us in the family of SaIomon
ben Isaac, or Rashi known as commen-
tator of the Bible and Talmud, of Troy,
Champagne.
Rachel, called Bellejeune, Rashi's
daughter, like her sisters, was we'll edu-
Gated. She did not live happily with
her husband, Elieser, and obtained di-
vorce from him.
Miriam, Rashis S grand daughter, daugh-
ter of R. Jehuda ben Nathan, was so
familiar with the Jewish law, that ques-
tions which were connected with cook
ing and bakery were left to her decision,
and she was cited by rabbinical authori-
ties as a credible source.
Anna, another grand daughter of Ra-
shi daughter of r. Meir of Ramerue,
like Billette, instructed women in their
religious duties.
In the first part of the fourteenth
century, we find the mother of the
French chief rabbi, Mathatias ben Jo-
seph, who numbered many rabbis among
his pupils and was highly thought of by
Charles Y. His mother was, as Zunz
expresses it, almost female rabbi. The
learned Rabbi Simon ben Zemach Du-
ran, of Algiers, speaks of her in the
highest terms and substantiates her as
sertion, that the instructing teacher
and not the questioning scholar must
express himself with all defniteness
and precision.
Rome was the home of Paula die
Mansi, the daughter of Jacob Hassopher
(the copyist) and the wife of Jechiel
ben Salomon. Versed in the Hebrew
language, and possessing considerable
rabbinical knowledge, she supported her
father in his works. In 1888 she copied
two quarto commentaries of the Bible
so neatly and correctly, that the hand
writing is worthy Of especial praise, even
to-day. And on Wednesday, the second
of Nissan, March, 1888, she finished in
just as admirable manner, two quarto
volumes of the Halachoth." by R.
Jesaia of TRAM, for her kinsman, Mena-
chem ben Benjamin.
The daughter of r. Samuel ben Ali of
Bagdad, who gathered about him thou