the Fourth Week of Advent
free while helping to build churches and support pastors in Uganda.
Click here to learn more!
Bible Encyclopedias
Feder, Tobias Gutmann
The 1901 Jewish Encyclopedia
or Polish poet and grammarian, born at Przedborz about 1760; died at Tarnopol, Galicia, 1817. He followed in turn the professions of preacher, proof-reader, cantor, and teacher (1780).
Feder was an ardent admirer of Elijah Wilna, and, like him, a bitter opponent of Ḥasidism and mysticism. As a grammarian he was looked upon by J. S. Biek as the successor of Ben Ze'eb ("Kerem Ḥemed," 1:96). As a writer of polemics his satire was keen and biting; his humor was original; and his imitation of the language of the Zohar was excellent.
His Works.
Feder wrote the following works: "Bayit Ne'eman," an ethical treatise on truth, Berlin, 1794 (Fürst, "Bibl. Jud." 1:349, mentions also a Hebrew grammar by Feder bearing this title, but he seems to be incorrect in this); "Ḳol Nehi," elegy on the death of Elijah Wilna, Warsaw, 1798; "Lahaṭ ha-Ḥereb," attack on modern Biblical criticism directed against A. Wolfsohn and J. Satanov, Byelostok, 1804; "Mebasser Ṭob," introduction to Hebrew grammar, with a criticism of the Masorah commentary "Menorat Shelomoh," by Rabbi Phoebus of Dubrovno, Mohilev, 1804; "Ḳol Simḥah we-Sason," a song of triumph written for the Jewish community of Berdychev on the defeat of the French in Russia, Berdychev, 1814; "Haẓlaḥat Alexander," an ode to Alexander I. of Russia, after the departure of the French from Russian territory, ib. 1814; "Ḳol Meḥaẓeẓim," a satire against M. Levin (Satanov), who translated the Book of Proverbs into Judæo-German, ib. 1816; 2d ed., with introduction and biography by A. M. Mohr, Lemberg, 1853; "Zemir 'Ariẓim," a satirical polemic against the Ḥasidim and their miracle-working rabbis; "Shem u-She'erit," literary epistles and poems, edited by Abraham Gottlober, Lemberg, 1877; "Zohar Ḥadash le-Purim," humorous parody for Purim in the language of the Zohar, in "Oẓar ha-Sifrut," 3:1-15.
- A. Gottlober, introduction to Shem u-She'erit;
- Mohr, introduction to Ḳol Meḥaẓeẓim, Lemberg, 1853;
- Grätz, Gesch. 11:548, note , 2;
- Fürst, Bibl. Jud. 1:277,278,349;
- Zeitlin, Bibl. Post-Mendels. pp. 81-82.
These files are public domain.
Singer, Isidore, Ph.D, Projector and Managing Editor. Entry for 'Feder, Tobias Gutmann'. 1901 The Jewish Encyclopedia. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/tje/f/feder-tobias-gutmann.html. 1901.
