whose position he considered to be wrong (the story
told by Urbach, p. 412, bottom, is not entirely accurate,
however; see the text of the respon-sum ed. Bloch, p.
188, No. 81; it is understandable that the author whom
Urbach cites thought that the bride’s father was French,
since the Amsterdam manuscript in fact reads “Roda,”
probably Dreux in France, cf. Gross, Gallia Judaica, p.
184, for similar spellings).
He used his authority to forestall enactments (taqqa-
not) that he thought would create a burden on people,
such as the attempt by some communities to allot a por-
tion of the taxes to property, something that Meir said
had never been done in all the kingdom; rather, taxes
were collected only on buying and selling, and were
not collected at all from the poor (She’elot u-teshuvot,
ed. Prague, No. 541, second part of the question; cf.
ed. Bloch, p. 209, No. 141, where he advised more
cautiously that they investigate the custom throughout
Germany and act accordingly, but in general the opinion
agrees with that of the previous question).
The rapidly deteriorating situation of the Jews in
Germany in the latter half of the thirteenth century
resulted in many Jews leaving to move to other towns
under different overlords or leaving the empire alto-
gether. Some followed earlier French rabbis to settle
in Palestine. Meir himself fi nally decided upon this
plan. Emperor Rudolph issued a decree in December
of 1286 prohibiting any Jew from going across the sea
without his permission or that of their overlord (text in
Guido Kisch, The Jews in Medieval Germany [Chicago,
1949], p. 130, in which book, incidentally, Meir is not
mentioned). Meir and his entire family also decided
to leave for Palestine in spite of the royal decree, but
on the way they encountered the bishop of Basel, who
had with him an apostate Jew who recognized the rabbi
and informed the bishop. Meir was arrested and turned
over to the emperor, who imprisoned him in the castle
at Ensisheim. According to Urbach (p. 424), the place
where Meir was caught, in the mountains of Lombard,
was a transition point for those going on to Palestine,
and Meir was arrested not only for transgressing the
decree but for leading others seeking to leave. By 1288
the German Jewish communities had raised a substantial
ransom, which they offered for Meir’s release. Accord-
ing to Solomon Luria (commentary Ya m shet Shelomoh
on Git.t. in ch. 4. 6), the rabbi refused the ransom, saying
that a captive should not be redeemed for more than
his worth (lest this encourage capturing other Jews).
In his “ethical testament,” Judah, the son of Asher b.
Ye h.iel, relates that the emperor held Asher responsible
for the collection of the ransom money, and when Meir
died in prison before the ransom could be paid, Asher
decided to fl ee Germany. From the prison at Ensisheim
Meir was apparently moved to the castle at Wasserburg,
where his students were able to visit him, and one of
them, the aforementioned Samson b. S. addoq, regularly
administered to his needs and recorded his customs in
a book that he later wrote. Meir continued also to write
responsa from prison, in spite of his lack of books and
even suffi cient paper. He died in captivity in 1293.
His works include more than a thousand responsa;
aside from the volumes published under his name, many
are found in the writings of his students and elsewhere,
such as in the responsa of Ibn Adret (She’elot u-teshu-
vot I, Nos. 829–78; possibly others there). In addition,
he composed tosafot (additional commentaries) on
several tractates; all of those on Yoma in standard edi-
tions of the Talmud are by him. He is known also to
have written commentaries on the Talmud (on Yevamot
was published in 1986), and his commentaries on the
mishnayot of Neg‘im and Ohalot have been published,
as well as fragments from commentaries on parts of the
order of T.ehorot. His customs (minhagiym), chiefl y on
religious matters and holidays, are found in S ̄e fer ha-
Tashbas. of his student Samson b. S.addoq; in a collection
by his student Moses Sheneur, published as ‘Al ha-kol
(Berditchev, 1908); in Moses “Parnas” of Rothenburg,
ha-Parnas (Vilna, 1865); and in a modern edition, S ̄e fer
minhagiym de-vei MaHaRaM, ed. S. Elfenbein (New
York, 1948). He also wrote some twenty eulogies and
religious poems that have survived.
See also Asher b. Yeh.iel; Ibn Adret, SolomonFurther Reading
Works by Meir b. Barukh
She’elot u-teshuvot (Cremona, 1557/8).
She’elot u-teshuvot (Prague, 1608; revised ed. by Moses Bloch,
Pressburg, 1895, Budapest, 1896).
She’elot u-teshuvot, ed. Raphael N. Rabbinovicz (Lvov, 1860).
S ̄efer sha‘arei teshuvot, ed. Moses Bloch (Berlin, 1891); accord-
ing to mss. (additional responsa were published by Y. Kahana
in Sinai [1943] and later, and as offprint in a limited edition
[Jerusalem, 1957]; also in Solomon Wertheimer, Ginzei
Yerushalayim, part 3 [Jerusalem, 1902], and by M. Hirschler
in Sinai 55 [1965]: 317–22).
Work on Meir b. Barukh
Urbach, Ephraim E. Ba‘aley ha-tosafot (Jerusalem, 1968), ch.
10.
Norman RothMEISTER ECKHART
(ca. 1260–1327/1328)
Dominican theologian, preacher, administrator, and
mystic. The title meister, a corruption of the Latin
magister (teacher) refers both to his having received
the highest academic degree then attainable and to his
professional duties at the University of Paris. He was
born in Thuringia, possibly in a village called Hoch-
heim, of which there are two, one near Erfurt and oneMEISTER ECKHART