It was intended, according to Bacher, to uphold Menahem b. Saruḳ's system against the teachings of Ḥayyuj and Ibn Janaḥ, introduced about that time (1143) into Italy by Abraham ibn Ezra.
The passage describes Bacher's effort to uphold Menahem b. Saruḳ's teachings against the influence of Ḥayyuj and Ibn Janaḥ, who had been brought to Italy by Abraham ibn Ezra in 1143.