Dubno, Salomo Ben-yoel

Dubno, Salomo Ben-Yoel, born October 12, 1738, at Dubno, Russia, is best known by his Masoretic labors on the Pentateuch, and by his efforts to advance poetic culture among his countrymen. The great reformation in Judaism and Hebrew literature, which had commenced under the leadership of Mendelssohn, attracted Dubno to Berlin, where he at one time lived and labored with the great Jewish reformer. At the age of 26 he edited Salomo ben-Moses's (also called Lemberger) work on the accents of Job, Proverbs, and the Psalms, which he published in 1765, under the title of שִעֲרֵי נַעַימָה, Portae Jucunditatis (2d ed. 1777). In 1768 he commenced, in Hebrew, a commentary on the Pentateuch, which Mendelssohn translated into German. Some misunderstanding having sprung up between himself and Mendelssohn, he discontinued this work, after having completed only בּרֵאשַּׁית בַּאוּר עִל סֵפֶר, Commentary on Genesis (Berlin 1781-83; Vienna, 1791, 1806, etc.). The remaining books were finished by Mendelssohn, with the aid of other learned men. SEE MENDELSSOHN. He wrote also סֹפרַים תַּקוּן, a Masoretic Commentary on Genesis and Exodus, printed with Mendelssohn's translation in 1831-33. He died in Amsterdam June 26, 1831. — Etheridge, Introduction to Hebrew Literature, pages 395, 421; Kitto, Cyclopaedia, 1:707.