About Isaac ben Jacob ha-Lavan
Born 1120. Isaac ben Jacob ha-Lavan was a rabbi.
Rabbi Isaac ben Jacob or Yitzhak ben Yaakov, nicknamed "ha-Lavan" or "the white" was a 12th-century rabbi of Bohemia. He was a Tosafist and liturgical poet who flourished at Prague in the late 12th century.
He was the brother of the renowned traveler Petachiah of Regensburg. He was among the earliest of the tosafists ("ba'ale tosafot yeshanim"), a contemporary of Rabbi Eleazar of Metz, and a pupil of Rabbenu Tam. According to Recanati, Isaac directed the yeshivah of Ratisbon. He also lived at Worms for a time.
Isaac is mentioned frequently in the Tosafot, and Isaac ben Moses, in his Or Zarua, No. 739, quotes Isaac ben Jacob's commentary on Ketubot, a manuscript of which exists in the Munich Library (No. 317). He is also mentioned in a commentary to the Pentateuch written in the first half of the 13th century. There is a piyyuá¹ signed "Isaac b. Jacob," whom Zunz supposes to be Isaac ben Jacob ha-Lavan.
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
Frequently asked questions
Who was Isaac ben Jacob ha-Lavan?
Bohemian rabbi, Tosafist
When was Isaac ben Jacob ha-Lavan born?
Isaac ben Jacob ha-Lavan was born in 1120 in Prague, Regensburg.
What was Isaac ben Jacob ha-Lavan's occupation?
Isaac ben Jacob ha-Lavan was a rabbi.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Isaac ben Jacob ha-Lavan
· DBpedia: Isaac ben Jacob ha-Lavan
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Isaac ben Jacob ha-Lavan. https://biography.guide/isaac-ben-jacob-ha-lavan/
MLA: "Isaac ben Jacob ha-Lavan." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/isaac-ben-jacob-ha-lavan/.
Chicago: "Isaac ben Jacob ha-Lavan." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/isaac-ben-jacob-ha-lavan/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:01 UTC