Iosif Schor "Behor Schor"

 The name Behor Shor (firstling bullock) derives from the blessing applied to Joseph when Moses blessed the Children of Israel (Deut 33:17) ...

his firstling bullock, glorifies him
his horns are the horns of the wild-ox
with them shall he gore nations
all of them, unto the ends of the earth
they are the ten thousands of Ephriam
and the thousands of Manassah.
R'Josef studied with R'Jacob b'Meir (1100 - 1171) aka Rabbenu Tam, his brother R'Samuel b'Meir (1080 - 1158+) aka Rishbam (both noted tosafists and grandsons of Rashi) and Josef Caro. Despite the doubts of some scholars, the identity of R'Josef Behor Shor and tosafist R'Josef of Orleans is accepted. Gross (Berliner Magazin, i 93; idem, Gallia Judaica, p 34) showed that the explanations given in the Tosafot (Hul 112b; Yeb 25b, 36b) in the name of R'Josef b'Isaac, are quoted in the Sefer Mitzvot Katan (book on Jewish Precepts by R'Itshak of Korbel, 13th c) and in the 'Responsa' of R'Meir b'Baruch of Rothenburg (1220 - 1293, one of the last and greatest of the tosafists) as those of R"J Behor Shor.

R"J b'Isaac of Orleans is mentioned frequently in the tosafot. He was on very friendly terms with R'Jacob Tam, who held him in great esteem and referred to him in terms of high praise. Four of his halakic questions addressed to Rabbenu Tam are preserved in the 'Sefer HaYashar' (p 71a), while excerpts from others are quoted by earlier authorities. R'Abraham b'Josef of Orleans (mentioned several times in the tosafot) is assumed by most researchers to be his son.

Besides writing tosafot on the greater part of the Talmud, R"J wrote Biblical commentary marked by considerable acumen. In his exegesis, he uses literal interpretation (pshat) in the manner of Rashi, Jos Caro, and particularly R'Samuel b'Meir. He has small regard for grammar, and is not as extreme as R'Samuel b'Meir in his avoiding homiletic comments, adding these occasionally alongside the literal interpretation. He strongly opposes allegorization of the Commandments, neglect of which he vehemently assails, adopting a similar attitude regards the precepts of 'tefilin' and the 'mezuzah'. This did not, however, prevent him giving literal interpretation to some passages, which were contrary to accepted 'halakah', which he neither repudiates nor controverts. In many respects he pursued a new and original course, though in his efforts to produce novel interpretations his comments are at times strange and pilpulistic.

R"J dwells at length on biblical characters and investigates the motives for their actions. In many ways his exegesis is similar to those of the Spanish commentators as in his efforts to explain away anthropomorphic expressions, to defend actions of the patriarchs and reject calumnies against them, to regard miracles as almost natural phenomena and to give, to a greater extent than his French predecessors, a rational basis for the Commandments. He anticipates later Biblical criticism by assuming duplicate narratives in the Bible and by striving to give rational explanations to the miraculous stories.

R"J knew Latin, and was well aquainted with the Vulgate Bible and with Christian Biblical exegesis. In speech and writing he refuted christological interpretation of biblical passages (attacking appostates and Christians, against whom he argued a great deal). He rejected attempts to find biblical allusions to Christian dogma. He also rejected allegorical explanations that deny validity of the Commandments. "Although they have translated the Bible from the holy tongue to the vernacular, the Lord has given them neither the heart to understand, the eyes to see nor the ears to hear"!

Prior to WWII, his commentary on the Pentateuch, in manuscript form, were housed in the libraries of Leyden and Munich. The parts on Genesis & Exodus were published by Jellinek (Leipsic, 1855); parts of other books were published in the Berliner in 'Peletat Soferim' (1872) and excerpts from his commentary on Psalms were published in Revue des Etudes Juives (V 58, 1909, p 309-11). R'Joseph's commentary on the Pentateuch, was issued in its entirety by Joseph Gad (1956-60).

R"J was author of liturgical poems, piyyutim and Selihot: In his commentary on Genesis and Exodus, he adds a poem (style of Ibn Ezra) at the end of each weekly portion expressing his hopes and hopes of the Jewish people. He wrote piyutim (style of northern French and German paytanim) telling of the sorrows that afflicted his generation. Several of these were published by Habermann (Tarbiz, Vol 9, 1937-8).