Tossafot Yom Tov — Commentaire sur la Mishna

The Tossafot Yom Tov is a systematic commentary on the Mishna that became, with the commentary of Bartenura, the standard accompaniment to every printed Mishnaic edition. Rabbi Yom-Tov Lipmann Heller, rabbi of Prague and then Cracow, clarifies obscure passages, resolves apparent contradictions, and adds halakhic precision drawn from the Talmud and decisors. The work reflects the remarkable erudition of its author, who mastered both exact sciences and philosophy. Imprisoned in 1629 by imperial authorities in Vienna under false accusations, Heller recorded this ordeal in his autobiography Megillat Eiva, a poignant document on the condition of Jews in Central Europe in the 17th century.