Composing Arugat ha-Bosem: How Piyyut Commentary Became Associated with Ḥasidei Ashkenaz

Abstract Based on Ivan Marcus’s concept of “open book” and considerations medieval Ashkenazic concepts authorship, the present article inquires into circumstances surrounding production Sefer Arugat ha-Bosem , a collection piyyut commentaries written or compiled by thirteenth-century scholar Abraham b. Azriel. Unlike all other commentators, ben Azriel inscribed his name commentary claims to supersede previous commentaries, asserting authorship authority. two different versions preserved in MS Vatican 301 Merzbacher 95 (Frankfurt fol. 16), already 1939 Ephraim E. Urbach suggested that might have more than one edition commentaries. The reevaluation considers recent scholarship genre” as well new research commentary. To facilitate comparison with definition book,” this also explores arrangement rearrangement small blocks texts within work.