principal sources for the interpretation of the Talmud. In addition to the many tosafot he composed, he also authored a commentary on two of the Mishnaic orders, Zeraim and Tohorot. He frequently refers therein to the Jerusalem Talmud, to which he devoted more attention than any of his predecessors or contemporaries, and to the older compilations Tosefta, Mechilta, Sifra, and Sifre, and he tries to reconcile the discrepancies between them and the Mishnah. He refers to Nathan ben Jehiel, to Rashi, to Rabbi Isaac ben Melchizedek of Siponto, and other authorities, but never mentions Rambam's commentary, which he probably did not know. According to Jacob ben Aksai, Rabbi Samson also wrote commentaries on Shekalim, Eduyot, Middot, and Dinnim, but none are extant. He also wrote a commentary on the Sifra; for this, besides other older works, he utilized the commentary of Abraham ben David of Posquières (Rabad), which he quotes under the designation "Hachmei Lunel" or "Hachmei Provence", without mentioning the author's name. Rabbi Meïr Abulafia speaks of Rabbi Samson's father, Abraham, as a pious, saintly, and noble man. Rabbi Samson's brother, Isaac of Dampierre (Riba), also known as Isaac the Younger to distinguish him from his teacher Isaac the Elder (Isaac ben Samuel), whom he succeeded as principal of the school of Dampierre, is also one of the prominent tosafists. He wrote some liturgical poems (piyutim) and a commentary on the Pentateuch. He died about 1210, and Rabbi Samson attended his funeral. Both brothers are frequently mentioned in works such as Or Zarua, The Mordechai, Orchot Chaim, SeMaG, Semak (authored by a student of the Rash), Kol Bo, Sha'are Dura, Haggahot Maimuniyyot, Terumat HaDeshen and similar works, and by Asher ben Jehiel and Meir of Rothenburg. References 12th-century French rabbis 13th-century French rabbis Commentaries on the Mishnah Rabbis in Jerusalem French Tosafists Jews in the Land of Israel Exponents of Jewish law Authors of books on Jewish law