History

Ezra HaSofer (Ezra the Scribe) עזרא הסופר

Ezra the Scribe led a group of Jews from Bavel back to Jerusalem in Second Temple times and re-established Torah among the people.

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Ezra son of Seraya, a Kohen of Aharon's line, was 'a skilled scribe in the Torah of Moshe' (Ezra 7:1–6). With a letter from Artaxerxes king of Persia he led a group of Jews from Bavel to Jerusalem (chs. 7–8).

He fought intermarriage (chs. 9–10) and read the Torah publicly before the whole people (Nechemya 8). Chazal say Ezra would have been worthy for the Torah to be given through him had Moshe not preceded him (Sanhedrin 21b), and he is counted among the Men of the Great Assembly. The Gemara lists ten enactments of Ezra, including Torah reading on Mondays and Thursdays (Bava Kamma 82a).

Sources

  1. 1עזרא ז' (Ezra 7)
  2. 2עזרא ט'–י' (Ezra 9–10)
  3. 3נחמיה ח' (Nehemiah 8)
  4. 4סנהדרין כ"א ע"ב
  5. 5בבא קמא פ"ב ע"א
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Last reviewed: October 21, 2026. Spotted an error? Let us know.

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