Dunash ben Labrat

He is known for his philological commentary, Teshuvot Dunash, and for his liturgical poems D'ror Yiqra and D'vai Haser.

Their dispute turned into personal rivalry, which included many polemic compositions and exchanges of accusations to Hasdai ibn Shaprut.

Dunash's innovation came in drawing a parallel between the šəwâ (ə) and ḥāṭēp̄ (ĕ/ă/ŏ) and the Arabic short vowels (i/a/u), so as to create a new Hebrew meter.

[6] In the field of grammar, Dunash's major work was a book attacking Menahem ben Saruq and his Mahberet ("Notebook") for violating religious standards and opposing the teachings of the sages.

The students of Menahem ben Saruq responded with a scathing attack on Dunash, condemning him for using Arabic meter and grammar in studying the Hebrew language, as well as on issues of Jewish philosophy about which they were at odds.

Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra also wrote a response to Dunash's work, in defense of Saadia Gaon.

These challenges were met by Yehudi ben Sheshet, one of Dunash's students, who wrote a work in defense of his master that strongly opposed all of his detractors.

[7] The debates between Dunash and others were finally decided in the centuries after his death by Rabbeinu Tam, a grandson of Rashi, who attempted to judge between the two schools of thought, and by Rabbi Joseph Kimhi, father of the noted grammarian Rabbi David Kimhi (RaDaK), who supported Dunash's positions.

[8] Giving both verse and prose translations, it reads: הֲיִזכוׂר יֵעֲלַת הַחֵן יְדִידָהּ בְּיוׂם פֵּירוּד וּבִזְרוׂעָהּ יְחִידָהּ וְשָׂם חוׂתַם יְמִינוֹ עַל שְׂמׂאלָהּ וּבִזְרוׂעוׂ הֲלאׁ שָׂמָה צְמְידָהּ בְּיוֹם לָקַחָה לְזִכָּרוׂן רְדִידוׂ וְהוּא לָקֵח לְזִכָּרוׂן רְדִידָהּ הֲיִשָׁאֵר בְּכָל אֶרֶץ סְפָרַד וְלוּ לָקַח חֲצִי מַלְכוּת נְגִידָהּ[9] Ha-yizkor ya‘alat ha-ḥen yedidah be-yom perud u-vi-zero‘ah yeḥidah Ve-sam ḥotam yemino ‘al-semolah u-vi-zero‘o ha-lo’ samah ẓemidah Be-yom laqḥah le-zikaron redido ve-hu’ laqaḥ le-zikaron redidah Ha-yishsha’er behol ereẓ sefarad ve-lu laqaḥ ḥaẓi malhut negidah?

[13][14] This manuscript includes an incomplete reply from Dunash to his wife:[8] Were you seeking the day of my death when you wrote: "Have you betrayed and abandoned your vows?"