עולמו של רב שמואל בן חופני גאון: [מאמר ביקורת]

Rabbi Samuel ben Ḥofni Gaon (d. 1013), head of the Yeshiva of Sura in Babylonia, was a very prolific writer of halakhic and theological compositions, most of which are no longer extant. The present work presents Judaeo-Arabic editions of two books which had not previously been well known, The Book of Commandments, dealing with the classification of the commandments, and Ten Questions, answering ten diverse questions, apparently from one interlocutor. The editions are only partial, based as they are on fragmentary manuscripts, but they are accompanied by introductions, English translations and annotations. Additionally, the author presents a new biography of Rabbi Samuel; a list of his writings, based on Sklare's painstaking work in identifying Judaeo-Arabic manuscripts; and a comprehensive discussion of the Gaon's intellectual environment. Of special interest is the demonstration of the extent to which Samuel ben Ḥofni was influenced by the Islamic philosophical, theological and even legal context in which he flourished. Sklare's work points out how much research must still be conducted before a full account of the Geonic period can be given; it is a very valuable step in that direction.