Solomon Zalman ben Judah Loeb Ha-Kohen Hanau Hebrew was born in Hana, whence his surname, where his father served as cantor. Hanau taught at Frankfort, where, in 1708, he published Binyan Shelomo, a Hebrew grammar written in the form of casuistic criticism of earlier grammarians. Many took offense at Hanau’s criticism of early grammarians and the leaders of the Frankfort community demanded that he add to his work an apology to those whom he had “offended.” Hanau then moved to Hamburg, where he taught for a number of years and continued his linguistic research. He published several other grammatical works, such as Sha’arei Torah and Sha'arei Zimrah. His most famous work, however, is Zohar ha-Tevah (Berlin, 1733), published in at least 12 editions, and includes all his grammatical innovations. It influenced numerous grammarians of the Haskalah and the revival period of the Hebrew language and was the book which set Ben Yehuda (according to the latter's own statement) on the course which made him revive spoken Hebrew. Hanau answered the attacks of his adversaries in Kurei Akkavish (Fuerth, 1744). Other works by Hanau are extant in manuscript.

הסכמות: ר' דוד ישראל עטיאס ור' יצחק חיים ן' דנא בריטון, כז סיון ת"ץ; ר' משה פרנקפורט, אמשטרדם, קרח ת"ץ; ר' יודא מילר מבינגא, קליווא, חסיון ת"ץ; ר' שמואל הילמן, מנהיים, טו אלול תפ"ז.