אליקים בן משולם

Rabbeinu Elyakim ben Meshullam HaLevi (c. 4790/1030–c. 4860/1100), known in English sources as Eliakim ben Meshullam Halevi, was among the leading chachmei Ashkenaz of Rashi’s generation. His life ran between the three ShUM communities of Speyer, Worms and Mainz. He received his Torah from talmidim of Rabbeinu Gershom Meor HaGolah — Rav Yitzchak HaLevi Segal in Worms, and afterward Rav Yitzchak ben Yehudah in Mainz. These were Rashi’s rebbeim as well, and the Maharshal notes that the two of them were friends.

During his years in Mainz he belonged to the circle called the chachmei Magentza, who set in order the Torah of their rebbeim on the Gemara; the commentaries known today as the commentary of Rabbeinu Gershom on the Talmud came out of that work. At the end of his life he moved to Speyer, where he served as rav and rosh yeshiva and where he was niftar, and his place was taken by his son-in-law Rav Yitzchak ben Asher HaLevi, the Riva, the first of the Baalei HaTosafot in Ashkenaz. His birthplace is not known, but the matzeivot of two daughters who were niftar in his lifetime, Chana and Pritza, stand in the old cemetery of Worms, which indicates that he lived there until his old age.

Rav Elyakim wrote a commentary on four of the six sedarim of the Bavli, all but Zeraim and Taharot. Nearly all of it was lost, as happened to most of the Torah of that generation once Rashi’s commentary spread and proved the more usable; his commentary on Kodashim was still before Rabbeinu Betzalel Ashkenazi, who drew on it in the Shitah Mekubetzet, but of the rest only scattered pieces survive in the sefarim of other rishonim. His commentary on Yoma came through almost whole and was printed by Mekitzei Nirdamim in 5724/1964, and fragments of his commentary on Taanit were published in 5719/1959 by Mosad HaRav Kook under the title Seridim miPeirush HaRa. He also issued takanot brought in his name by the rishonim; rulings of his appear in Sefer HaPardes from Rashi’s beit midrash, and he composed a piyyut for a bris held in shul on Shabbat.