Meir (Ish Shalom) Friedmann (10 July 1831 inKraszna (Slovak:Kružná),district of Kashau (Košice Region),Kingdom of Hungary,Austrian Empire – 1908 inVienna,Austria-Hungary)[1] was an Austrian-HungarianJewish scholar. His editions of theMidrash are the standard texts. His chief editions were theSifre (1864), theMekhilta (1870),Pesiqta Rabbathi (1880). At the time of his death he was editing theSifra. Friedmann, while inspired with regard for tradition, dealt with the Rabbinic texts with modern scientific methods, and rendered conspicuous service to the critical investigation of the Midrash and to the history of early homilies.[2]
In 1844, at the age of 13, he entered theyeshiva atUngvar,Carpathian Ruthenia region (now part ofUkraine) where he was attracted toChasidism andKabbalah. At the age of sixteen, he was led by the "Bi'ur" ofMoses Mendelssohn to the study of theBible, and became deeply interested inHebrew poetry, especially inWessely's "Shire Tife'ret". At twenty, while living atMiskolc, where he earned his livelihood by givingTalmud instruction, he took up secular studies. In 1858 he entered theUniversity of Vienna. In 1864, when the Viennabet ha-midrash was founded, he was chosen as teacher of the Bible and Midrash. Later he was hired as aprofessor in theIsraelitisch-Theologische Lehranstalt.[1] Among his students there wasSolomon Schechter.
Friedmann has devoted himself chiefly to the editing of oldMidrashim, to which he has added critical notes and valuable introductions. These notes, written in classicalrabbinical style, are models of precision and are of great value.[1]
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Isidore Singer andIsaac Broydé (1901–1906)."Meir Friedmann". InSinger, Isidore; et al. (eds.).The Jewish Encyclopedia. New York: Funk & Wagnalls. RetrievedAugust 10, 2014.
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Friedmann, Meir".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 11 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 216.