Who is "Oker Harim" in Rashi Amud Bais in Lishna Acharina
SAMSON LONNER, Brooklyn
It may be that this is "Rabeinu Yitzchak ben Rabbi Moshe Oker Harim" who is mentioned in the Sefer "The decrees of 1096 by Rabbi Shlomo ben Shimon", page 31. It is related there how he was murdered Al Kidush Hash-m by the Crusaders.
Rashi died in 1105, which was only 9 years after this Rabbi referred to as "Oker Harim" was murdered, so it is very feasible that he was a teacher of Rashi, which is why Rashi refers to what he heard from the mouth of "Oker Harim".
1) The book that I cited above is printed in גזרות אשכנז וצרפת by Avraham Meir Haberman.
2) I also found in מאמרים - אבן שכתוב עליה - תארי הנפטרים על מצבות ביה"ע בווירצבורג by Avraham Reiner (this is available in Otzar HaChochmah), bottom of page 131, that he refers to this martyr as רבינו יצחק בר משה עוקר הרים ממגנצא. We learn, according to this, that Rabeinu Yitzchak ben Rabbi Moshe Oker Harim was from Magentza (Mainz).
Dovid Bloom
Thank you very much for your response.
I find it to be particularly interesting because my father a"h was born in Mainz.
In the Kinnos of Tisha B'Av it refers to the tragedy of those who were taken "Al Kiddush Hash-m" from Magentza and Vermaiza as great as the loss of our Bais HaMikdash !!!
May Hash-m have mercy on Klal Yisrael especially in our times.
Kol Tuv.
Shimshon Lonner