LOANS, ELIJAH BEN MOSES ASHKENAZI or LOANZ ():

By: Kaufmann Kohler, Isaac Broydé

German rabbi and cabalist; born at Frankfort-on-the-Main 1555; died at Worms July, 1636. He belonged to the Rashi family, and on his mother's side was the grandson of Johanan Luria, and on his father's of Joselmann of Rosheim. After having studied in his native city under the direction of Jacob Ginzburg and Akiba Frankfort, Loans went to Cracow, where he attended the lectures of Menahem Mendel. While there he prepared for publication the "Darke Mosheh" of Moses Isserles. At the beginning of the seventeenth century Loans was called to the rabbinate of Fulda, which he left in 1612, occupying sucessively the rabbinates of Hanau, Friedberg (1620), and Worms (1630), in which last-named city he remained until his death.

Loans was a diligent student of cabala, and for this reason was surnamed "Ba'al Shem." Besides his great learning he possessed many accomplishments, such as music and calligraphy; and all kinds of legends circulated regarding his personality. He was the author of the following works: "Rinnat Dodim" (Basel, 1600), a commentary on Canticles; "Miklol Yofi" (Amsterdam, 1695), a commentary on Ecclesiastes; "Wikkuaḥ Yayin 'im ha-Mayim" (ib. 1757), a poem with a commentary; "Ma'agle Ẓedeḳ" (Neubauer, "Cat. Bodl. Hebr. MSS." No. 1832), a commentary on Baḥya's "Ḥobot ha-Lebabot"; "Ẓofnat Pa'aneaḥ" (ib. No. 1830), a commentary on the "Tiḳḳune Zohar"; a commentary on Genesis Rabbah (ib. No. 149); "Adderet Eliyahu" (ib. 1829), a commentary on the Zohar.

Loans also edited the "'Ammude Shelomoh" of Solomon Luria on the "Semag" (Basel, 1599), and the "Sha'are Dura" of Isaac ben Meïr of Dueren, to which he wrote a preface (ib. 1600).

K. I. Br.