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The Rebinding of Isaac: a Story of Survival and Revival

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The Rebinding of Isaac: a Story of Survival and Revival The Rebinding of Isaac: A Story of Survival and Revival Isser and Rae Price Library of Judaica George A. Smathers Libraries University of Florida JANUARY 2017 In Memory of Jack Price 24th of Tevet 5777 The Rebinding of Isaac: A Story of Survival and Revival The Binding of Isaac The Spanish rabbi, philosopher and teacher, Isaac ben Moses Arama (c. 1420–1494) delivered many sermons on the principles of Judaism, providing great comfort to the Jewish community of Aragon, particularly during a period of increased pogroms and mass conversions. These sermons were later bound up into his opus magnum: Akedat Yitzhak (The Binding of Isaac) the title of which plays on the idea of a collectanea, as well as recalling the supreme sacrifice of Abraham in Genesis 22. Arama’s sermons covered a broad range of topics, including more philosophical discussions about the nature of the soul and the concept of free will. His unique style of sermonizing blended the moralistic didacticism of the Ashkenazi rabbinic academies with the philosophical proclivities of Provençal and Spanish Jewish scholars. 3 In his introduction, Arama explained that such an a Christian: one of the first and most prominent printers approach provided an urgently needed counterweight of Hebrew books, Daniel Bomberg. to the persuasive methods of those Christian preachers who “expound the doctrines of their faith as well as the words of the Bible in a philosophic and scholarly manner.” He advised that other rabbis adopt similar tactics in explaining and defending Judaism. The Binding of Isaac consists of 105 sermons based on verses from the Pentateuch, with each sermon divided into two parts: the derishah (investigation) and the perishah (exposition). Both parts discuss and explicate a difficulty presented in the selected passage of scripture; and both reach a harmonious resolution at the sermon’s close. Arama’s The Binding of Isaac exercised a major influence on Jewish preaching in subsequent centuries, and today it is regarded as a classic work on Jewish homiletics. In 1492, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain issued an edict forcing Jews to leave the country. Arama was among those banished from his homeland. He died in Naples that same year. A first edition of The Binding of Isaac was printed in Venice half a century after Arama’s death. Ironically, perhaps, the printing was undertaken by 4 Daniel Bomberg and the Flowering of Christian Hebraism Daniel Bomberg (c. 1483-1549) was born in Antwerp to Bible in its original language. Today the name Bomberg a family of merchants. He was well educated and even is synonymous with superior quality in Hebrew layout received schooling in Hebrew. After being sent to Venice and type. Overall, the Bomberg Press printed 200 Hebrew to assist with the family business, Bomberg established books, many appearing in print for the first time. Bomberg his own printing company and, most likely under employed numerous Jewish scholars and printers, and the influence of Felix Pratensis, an Augustinian Friar he even acquired for them a special dispensation from and convert from Judaism, he began printing Hebrew wearing the discriminatory conical-shaped “Jewish” hat. books. One of his first publications was the Mikra’ot It was one of Bomberg’s Jewish printers, Israel (Cornelius) Gedolot, a rabbinic Bible that included biblical text, Adelkind, who was responsible for producing the Venetian translations and commentaries. The final production edition of Arama’s The Binding of Isaac in 1546. was criticized by Jewish audiences for its errors and for Pratensis’ involvement. Nevertheless, it drew praise for its innovative use of verse and chapter numbers, and it laid the groundwork for Bomberg’s major undertaking, the Babylonian Talmud, which became the Textus Receptus (standard work) for subsequent editions of the Talmud. The reputation of the Venetian press drew in authors and customers from around the world, and its Hebrew books were purchased by Jews and non-Jews alike. Indeed, this period was marked by a rise in Christian Hebraism as scholars endeavored to engage more deeply with the Self-Censorship as Preservation Despite its achievements, the Venetian press operated during difficult times, facing intense persecution. Jews were prevented from owning printing firms and occasionally from assisting in the printing process altogether. Hebrew books were subject to censorship, and their production was even banned for several years at a time. Yet, thanks to his positive relationship with the Vatican, Daniel Bomberg’s work went largely uncensored for a certain period. His productions of the Mikra’ot Gedolot and the Babylonian Talmud both received approval from Pope Leo X. By the mid-16th century, however, Hebrew printing was viewed with mounting suspicion and by the end of his career, Bomberg was releasing editions of the Talmud with covers backdated to the time prior to this more restrictive period. In addition to increasing discriminatory measures against the Jews, including ghettoization and widespread expulsions, the Inquisition issued a set of indices listing banned books, including copies of the Bible in the vernacular and other religious works. All Hebrew books had to be handed over to a local office of the Inquisition, and anyone who tried to conceal them was severely punished. Furthermore, the cost of employing the censors had to be met by the Jewish community. Appointed revisors examined the books, and any prohibited volume was destroyed and its owner punished. Books with only minor amounts of objectionable content were expurgated or revised and afterwards returned to their owners, together with a certificate of censorship. Given their familiarity with the Hebrew language, Jewish apostates often assumed the role of expurgator. Even more surprising, however, is the evidence that Jewish assistants were also employed in these censorship activities. Many of these assistants preferred to remain anonymous, but one Jewish scholar, Isaac d’Arles, left his signature along with a note that he had “corrected” the text in the 1522 edition of Moses Coucy’s Sefer Mizvot Gadol. In a third edition of Arama’s The Binding of Isaac, published by Bragadin in 1565, the eminent rabbinic scholar David Provencal is mentioned in the title page and praised for his role as a “cleanser.” In dealing with the controversial passages, Provencal guided the printer to omit lines from the banned text. An omitted text rather than a blacked out text, and other similar, careful revisions made by the Jewish assistant expurgators, perhaps helped the printers placate their Jewish clientele. 8 Jewish Books as Survivors The Bomberg edition of The Binding of Isaac (Venice, The Canadian copy is in better condition than the one held 1546) is only found in five or six world libraries today. at Penn. On the same pages in chapter 70, a few paragraphs One of these copies is held in the Katz Center at the are blacked out rather than whole blocks of text. More University of Pennsylvania Libraries. Penn’s copy was damaging has been the subsequent corrosion and holes in expurgated and signed by the monk, Antonio Francesco the pages caused by the iron gall ink used to black out the Libraries.Enrique Penn’s in 1688, copy around was expurgated 142 years after and its signe publication.d by the monk, text.Antonio Recently, Francesco LAC undertook Enrique ain major restoration project 1688, Inaround this edition, 142 years entire after passages its publi are cation.blacked Inout, this like edition, the entirone passages their copy are of theblacked book, out,and alike conservator painstakingly whichwhich disputesdisputes the the Christianapplied view a gelatin-basedof an afterlife. adhesive The to all the sections of (,( שער ע ) the controversiacontroversiall 70th 70th chapterchapter erasureChristian of this passageview of an was afterlife. in accordance The erasure with of thisthe rulespassage for expurgationexpurgated and text, revision which togetherpreviously with the application of laid outwas in in the accordance Index Expurgatorius with the rules for for Hebrewexpurgation books and (Sefer haZikkuk)Berlin Tissue compiled (a thin, by non-visible, the convert, handmade restoration Dominico Irosolomitano, the mostrevision widely previously known laid censor out in of Hebrewpaper) books. helped reveal the text beneath. the Index Expurgatorius for Hebrew books (Sefer haZikkuk) compiled by the convert, Dominico Irosolomitano, the most widely known censor of Hebrew books. Another edition of The Binding of Isaac is held in the Jacob M. Lowy Collection at the Library and Archives (LAC) Canada. 9 Another edition of The Binding of Isaac is held in the Jacob M. Lowy Collection at the Library and Archives (LAC) Canada. The Canadian copy is less damaged than the one held at Penn. On the same pages in chapter 70, a few paragraphs are blacked out rather than whole blocks of text. More damaging has been the subsequent corrosion and holes in the pages caused by the iron gall ink used to black out the text. Recently, LAC undertook a major restoration project on their copy of the book, and a conservator painstakingly applied a gelatin-based adhesive to all the sections of expurgated text, which together with the application of Berlin Tissue helped reveal the text beneath. The Price Library’s copy of The Binding of Isaac is not a pristine copy of this work: its front and back sections are missing and there are damp stains, worm holes, and possible burn marks throughout. Yet, its chapter 70, unlike the other copies, has only certain words and phrases struck through, suggesting that the expurgator was familiar enough with the text to execute a more careful, less damaging, form of censorship. The Price Library’s copy of The Binding of Isaac is not light-brown ink, can be detected elsewhere in our book, a pristine copy of this work: its front and back sections in the margins and sometimes together with a manicule are missing, and there are damp stains, worm holes, and pointing at the text.
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