Yonah Landsofer

Rabbi Yonah ben Elijah Landsofer (1678-1712) was a Bohemian Talmudist based in Prague, where he spent nearly his entire, short life. Following his father and grandfather, he trained as a professional scribe of Torah scrolls, and the family calling gave rise to the name Landsofer, "country scribe." His scholarly work centered on the Masorah, the received body of rules governing the exact writing of Hebrew biblical texts, and he studied both Talmud and Kabbalah. His teacher Abraham Broda dispatched him to Vienna, together with Moses Hasid, to argue against followers of the Shabbatean movement. Among the writings that appeared under his name are Bnei Yonah, a detailed treatment of the laws of writing a Torah scroll; the responsa collection Me'il Tzedakah; and Kanfei Yonah, novellae on Jewish law. He also left an ethical will.