Ba'al HaTurim

Notes on the Five Books of Moses
by Rabbi Ya'akov ben Asher, Ba'al HaTurim *

 Balaam said to Balak, "Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven oxen and seven rams for me here."  (Numbers 23:1)

Seven oxen and seven rams.  Job also did the same thing because it was the custom of Noah's children to offer sacrifices in sevens, corresponding to their Seven Commandments.

Rabbi Ya'akov * ben Asher

Born around 1275 ce.

He composed his Halachic code the Arba'ah Turim * in 1340 ce (Seder HaDorot).  Arba'ah Turim in Hebrew means "The Four Columns."  The Arba'ah Turim is also called the Tur Shulchan Aruch.*

Rabbi Ya'akov was the son of Rabbeinu * Asher ben Yehiel (1250-1327) who is known as the "Rosh," the third of the Three Pillars of Halachah – Jewish Law.  The earlier two pillars are:

Isaac Alfasi (1013-1103) - known as the "Rif," and
Maimonides (1135-1204) - known as the "Rambam," author of the Code – the Mishneh Torah.

Rabbeinu Asher left Germany for Christian Spain in 1301 shortly after the French monarch expelled all Jews from France in 1285.  At that time, France's Champagne county ceased to be a center of Jewish scholarship.

Died around 1349 ce.

Biographical Sources:

• The Jewish Time Line Encyclopedia, by Mattis Kantor
  (Northvale, NJ: Jason Aronson, 1992)
  
  
• Seder HaDorot

Pronunciation Notes and Translations:

Ya'akov - YAH kohv:  Jacob

Ba'al - BAH al:  author of

HaTurim - hah TOOR eem:  "the columns"

Ba'al HaTurim - author of the Turim;  Many Torah scholars are known by the title of what they wrote.

Arba'ah Turim - ar BAW aw TOOR eem:  the "Four Columns"

Shulchan Aruch - shool KHAHN ah ROOKH;  Code of Jewish Law;  literally "Set Table."

Rabbeinu - our Rabbi

Rif - RIFF

Rambam - RAHM bahm

Mishneh Torah - mish NEH toh RAH, MISH neh TOH rah