Biography
Rav Yehudah Najar (c. 5510/1750–c. 5595/1835), whose name appears in European book catalogues as Judah ben Jacob Najar, was a dayan, rosh mesivta and mefaresh in Tunis, and among the most prolific authors the Tunisian kehillah produced. Born in Tunis to Rav Yaakov, he learned under Rav Avraham Chayat and was a talmid-chaver of Rav Yosef Zarka and of Rav Yitzchak Lumbrozo. He married a daughter of Rav Yitzchak Taieb and sat as a member of Rav Yitzchak’s beit din. For a time the two of them kept a shop together; Rav Yehudah then sold his share and was supported by the wealthy Yeshua Nataf, and he gave shiurim in a yeshiva in the city. Among his talmidim was Rav Shlomo Shamama. He learned in nistar as well as nigleh, and carried on halachic correspondence with the Chida.
His sefarim were already being learned by the chachamim of Tunis while he lived, and he would take in their comments on what he had printed, at times retracting. Alongside his own writing he worked as a proofreader, helped bring many sefarim of others to press, and gave haskamot to many more. Rav Chaim Palagi calls him the mofet of the generation and elsewhere Yehudai Gaon, and Rav Chaim Binyamin Pontremoli writes of him as the famed rav.
His printed sefarim run across the range of Torah literature. Limmudei Hashem (Livorno 5547/1787) gathers some two hundred and forty sugyot of iyun and pilpul; it was reprinted in Lemberg in 5641/1881 and 5659/1899, again in photo-offset, and anew in 5781/2021. Alfei Yehudah (Livorno 5554/1794) is on masechet Shevuot, Shevut Yehudah (Livorno 5561/1801) on the Mechilta, and Moadei Hashem (Livorno 5568/1808) on the Semag, printed together with the commentaries of Rav Eliyahu Mizrachi, the Maharshal and Rav Yitzchak Stein. Simchat Yehudah and Chagei Yehudah (Pisa 5576/1816) are on the masechtot ketanot, and Ohalei Yehudah (Livorno 5583/1823) on the Sifri. A psak din of 5592/1832 carries his signature; he was niftar in Tunis at an advanced age. His son was Rav Yaakov, and he brings many chiddushim in his sefarim from his brother Rav Shmuel.
Where traditions differ. Sources differ on his years: the Jewish Encyclopedia places his passing in 1830, while Hebrew sources give his birth as about 5510/1750 and his passing as about 5595/1835.
הרב יהודה נאג'אר היה דיין, רב ופרשן בתוניס, מחבר ספרים.
Judah ben Jacob Najar was a Talmudic scholar, author, dayyan, nephew of Judah Cohen Tanugi, and member of the rabbinate in Tunis, where he died at an advanced age. He was the author of the following works:Limmude Adonai, containing 204 hermeneutic rules bearing on Talmudical subjects, together with some funeral orations Alfe Yehudah, commentary on Shavu'ot, with an appendix Shevut Yehudah, commentary on the Mekhilta, with text Mo'ade Adonai, commentary on parts of the SeMaG, published together with the commentaries of Elijah Mizraḥi, Solomon Luria, and Isaac Stein Simḥat Yehudah, commentary on Keritot, Soferim, Semaḥot, Kallah, Derekh eretz, and Avot de-Rabbi Natan Ḥayye Yehudah, commentary on Gerim, Avodim, and Kuttim Ohole Yehudah, commentary on Sifre, with text and some decisions.
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