חנוך בן משה

Rabbeinu Chanoch ben Moshe (niftar 23 Tishrei 4775/1014 or 4785/1024) was the rosh yeshiva of Cordoba and the leader of Spanish Jewry at the turn of the eleventh century. Nearly all that is known of him comes from the Sefer HaKabbalah of Rav Avraham ibn Daud, who tells that as a child he was taken captive at sea together with his father, Rabbeinu Moshe ben Chanoch — of the famous “four captives” — and brought to Cordoba, where his father rose to head the yeshiva. Born in Italy, he married in Cordoba into a family of the city’s notables.

On his father’s passing he succeeded him at the head of the yeshiva, under the patronage of Chasdai ibn Shaprut, who stood close to the royal court. After Chasdai’s passing, Rav Yosef ibn Abitur, a talmid of his father born in Cordoba, contested the appointment; the machloket ended when Rabbeinu Chanoch placed him under niduy, and ibn Abitur wandered until he settled in Damascus. At the end of his days ibn Abitur made peace with Rabbeinu Chanoch — when the chance came to displace him, he set it aside and instead sent the men of Cordoba a letter of support. Rav Hai Gaon honored the niduy and refused to receive ibn Abitur. Teshuvot passed between Rabbeinu Chanoch and Rav Hai, and between him and Rav Shmuel ben Chofni; more of his letters and piskei halacha came to light from the Cairo Geniza.

To Rabbeinu Chanoch is attributed the takanah not to say tachanun on erev Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot. He differed with Rav Hai Gaon over the kos at a brit milah held on a fast day, holding that where no one present may drink it, the brachah on the wine is not said. Among his talmidim were Rav Shmuel HaNagid and Rav Yitzchak ben Reuven of Barcelona. On Simchat Torah, as he was called up as Chatan Torah, the wooden bimah of the Cordoba shul collapsed under the crush of the kahal; he was injured in the fall and was niftar some days later.