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Meïr ben Simeon of Narbonne

The 1901 Jewish Encyclopedia

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Talmudist and controversialist; lived at Narbonne in the second half of the thirteenth century. He was a disciple of Nathan ben Meïr of Trinquetaille, and a contemporary of Naḥmanides, with whom he maintained a scientific correspondence. Meïr enjoyed a high reputation as a commentator. Asher ben David invokes his authority in his (Asher's) commentary on the thirteen attributes (); and the anonymous commentator on the Targum Onḳlos highly praises Meïr in his "Patshegen."

Meïr was the author of a controversial work entitled "Milḥemet Miẓwah" (Parma MSS. No. 2749). It is divided into five parts: (1) an account of a religious disputation held in 1245 before the bishop En Guillem de la Broa and in the presence of the Jewish notables of Narbonne and Capestang; (2) controversies with Christian ecclesiastics; (3) conversations of an apologetic nature, and explanations of Biblical passages concerning the Messiah and of Talmudical haggadot interpreted by Christians in favor of their belief; (4) commentary on the "Shema'" and on the thirteen attributes of God; and (5) letter on the "Sefer ha-Baḥr," which work Meïr declares to be a forgery.

Another work by Meïr, entitled "Meshib Nefesh," defending the first chapter of Maimonides' "Yad ha-Ḥazạḳah" against the attacks of an anonymous writer, is also extant in manuscript (MS. Ginzburg, No. 572, 10).

According to Neubauer ("Isr. Letterbode," 3:57), Meïr is identical with the Meïr ben Simeon mentioned in a Talmudical compilation (Neubauer, "Cat. Bodl. Hebr. MSS." No. 1558, 2, § 665) and in other works, where he is sometimes called "HaMe'"