Type: Commentary

M'lekhet Sh'lomo

Title

The phrase is taken from 2 Chronicles 8:16: "the work of Solomon."

Dates

1567-1624

Author

Rabbi Solomon ben Joshua 'Adeni. He was a disciple of Rabbi Bezalel Ashkenazi, author of the "Shittah Mequbesset," an important anthology of medieval commentaries and variant readings from rare manuscripts.

Place

He was born in Aden, Yemen, but moved as a child to the Holy Land. He spent most of his life in Hebron, under conditions of abject poverty.

Description

The M'lekhet Sh'lomo displays astounding erudition in the works of previous commentators, including several that existed only in unpublished manuscripts. The author compares and analyzes the various interpretations of the Mishnah with that of Rabbi Obadiah of Bertinoro. Occasionally he presents important information based on the realia of Israel, including the Arabic versions of flora and fauna mentioned in the Mishnah. He also provides valuable records about the traditions of oral pronunciation of the Mishnah.

The M'lekhet Sh'lomo was first printed in the Vilna-Romm editions of the Mishnah. In some orders it is included on the same page as the Mishnah, while in others it was printed separately at the end of the volume.