MENAHEM BEN PEREZ OF JOIGNY:

By: Solomon Schechter, M. Seligsohn

French tosafist and Biblical commentator of the twelfth century. Zadoc Kahn ("R. E. J." iii. 7) identifies him with Menahem the Saint mentioned in Tos. Ḥul. 11b; and he conjectures that Menahem was killed at Bray-sur-Seine in the massacre of 1190. Gross, however, thinks this assertion doubtful, and concludes that Menahem died about 1180. Menahem ben Perez took an active part in the synod which was assembled at Troyes under the direction of the two brothers R. Samuel b. Meïr and R. Jacob Tam.

As a tosafist, Menahem ben Perez is quoted in Tos. Ber. 39b, 40a; 'Er. 68a; B. M. 60a; Yoma 6a; Pes. 116a, and by later authorities. Asher b. Jehiel had before him Menahem's tosafot (Asheri, Yeb. 3a). As a Biblical commentator, he is quoted in the "Da'at Zeḳenim," p. 29a, and in the "Minḥat Yehudah," p. 33b. Menahem was the author of a work entitled "Massorah Gedolah" or "The Great Masorah" (still unpublished), in which he completed the work bearing the same title by R. Gershom Meor ha-Golah. Joseph the Zealous mentions Menahem's controversy with a priest ("R. E. J." l.c.).

S. S. M. Sel.