DOCSLIB.ORG

Me'ora'ot Tsvi and the Construction of Sabbatianism in the Nineteenth

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Me'ora'ot Tsvi and the Construction of Sabbatianism in the Nineteenth Chapter 2 Me’ora’ot Tsvi and the Construction of Sabbatianism in the Nineteenth Century Jonatan Meir I In 1814, a book called The Tale of Dreams: The End of Wonders (Sipur halomot kets ha-pla’ot, also called Me’ora’ot tsvi) was published in the town of Kopys. A year later, it was printed there again, this time with corrections, additions and far-reaching changes.1 The publisher, R. Israel Jaffe, was affiliated with Habad Hasidism, and towards the end of 1814 he printed the first edition of Shivhei ha-Besht (In Praise of the Baʻal Shem Tov). At first glance, Me’ora’ot tsvi seems unexceptional. In nineteenth-century Jewish Eastern Europe, many popular pamphlets of this sort spread wondrous tales, versions of historical events and hagiographic accounts of various holy men. But this book had a sensational topic: the Sabbatian movement. According to its title page, it con- tained the story of Sabbatai Tsvi, based on the writings of Moshe Hagiz, Jacob Sasportas, and Tsvi Hirsch Ashkenazi, the Hakham Tsvi. The title page of the first edition reads: The Tale of Dreams: The End of Wonders which was taken directly from the books of the sages of the earlier generations. These include: the letter of Rabbi Jacob Sasportas who lived in the time of the false messiah Sabbatai Tsvi (may his name be blotted out); the book of the great Hakham Tsvi 1 Sipur halomot kets ha-pla’ot (Kopys: Israel Jaffe, [5] 574 [1814]) (54 pages); Sipur halomot kets ha-pla’ot (Kopys: n.p., [5] 575 [1815]) (63 pages). Some scholars mistakenly wrote that the book was first printed in Lemberg, 1804, but this is a later edition printed in 1834. The title page was forged due to the censor. See Shmuel Viener, Kehilat moshe, i (Petersburg: Russian Academy of Sciences, 1893–1902), 381, who convincingly determined the date of publication to be 1834; Avraham Yaari, “Beit dfusah shel ha-rabanit yehudit rozanes be-lvov,” Kiryat sefer 17 (1940): 97, 108; idem, Mehkarei sefer: perakim be-toldot ha-sefer ha-ivri (Jerusalem: Mosad ha-Rav Kook, 1958), 267; Yitshak Yudlov, Sefer ginzei yisra’el (Jerusalem: Bet ha-sefarim ha- leʼumi veha-universitaʼi, 1985), 205, #1277; Gershom Scholem, Sabbatai Sevi: The Mystical Mes- siah (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1976), 757; and see in what follows, notes 17 and 43. © koninklijke brill nv, leiden, ���� | doi:10.1163/9789004431973_004 <UN> Me’ora’ot tsvi and the Construction of Sabbatianism 31 (may he continue to live); and the book of Rabbi Moshe Hagiz; and from others who were from the time. Also, small selections from the many writings of the sages of the generation in Asia, who were there in the days of this Sabbatai, who sent their letters to the sages of that generation in Europe. They chased after that broken deer [tsvi], and these [writings] were hidden in their chambers. We have now brought them to press to arouse and to strengthen the hearts of our nation, the children of Israel, so that they not stray at all from our commandments and laws and our Torah, and not heed the false words which oppose our holy Torah…2 However, the book was much more than a simple anti-Sabbatian anthology. Its contents and its literary style clearly indicate that its anonymous author had other sources at his disposal. While a negative attitude toward Sabbatianism characterizes the book, the author displays a deep understanding of the mes- sianic phenomenon and the secret of its phenomenal success. Moreover, the book’s plot is complex and detailed. Sabbatai Tsvi is portrayed as a powerful magician, and Nathan of Gaza is shown as a legitimate prophet who fell into the traps of the Sitra Ahra, the demonic “other side.” The book also features detailed descriptions of dreams, magical practices (including summoning de- mons and black magic), public prophecies and sexual incidents. It surveys the events which led to the spread of Sabbatianism and quotes widely from Sab- batian epistles. It includes long stories about Raphael Joseph, Sabbatai Tsvi’s wife Sarah (who receives a particularly detailed description), Abraham ha- Yakhini, Samuel Primo, Abraham Miguel Cardozo, Daniel Bonfice, Sabbatai Tsvi’s son Ishmael, Joseph Filosof, Jacob Querido, and others. It also includes extensive descriptions of various non-believers, including long monologues by the anti-Sabbatian Jerusalem rabbi – and teacher of Nathan of Gaza – Jacob Hagiz. The text integrates folktales about Joseph Della Reina, the Ten Lost Tribes and the Sambatyon River, Maimonides, the Queen of Sheba, and the Golem. The story ends with the tragic and chilling deaths of Nathan of Gaza, Sabbatai Tsvi, and Abraham Miguel Cardozo, and other details about Sabba- tianism from around the turn of the eighteenth century. Although the book reworks well-known anti-Sabbatian texts (particularly those by Sasportas), it appears that the author’s sources were more varied and that they even included Sabbatian manuscripts. The work includes many short notes by a person referred to as “Maʻarvi” (“Westerner”). Throughout, it brings odd anthropological and geographical facts (in the spirit of Orientalism) regarding rituals from Asia, Africa, and America which, in the author’s opinion, 2 Sipur halomot kets ha-pla’ot, (Kopys, 1814), title page. <UN>.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • SHABBETAI TZVI the Biggest Hoax in Jewish History Nathan the Prophet and Tzvi the Messiah
    1 SHABBETAI TZVI The Biggest Hoax in Jewish History While faith in the coming of the messiah is a linchpin of Judaism, Jews have traditionally taken a patient, quiet approach to their messianic beliefs. Since the devastation wreaked by false messiah Bar Kochba and his rebellion against the Romans, and the centuries of persecution caused by another messianic movement — Christianity — Jews have been understandably suspicious about anyone’s claim to be God’s anointed. The rabbis of the Talmud went so far as to introduce specific prohibitions against messianic agitation, instituting the “three oaths” which prohibited any attempt to “force the end” by bringing the messiah before his allotted time (Babylonian Talmud. Yet in the mid-17th century, belief in the false messiah Shabbetai Tzvi spread like wildfire throughout the Jewish world, sweeping up entire communities and creating a crisis of faith unprecedented in Jewish history. Shabbetai Tzvi was said to be born on the 9th of Av in 1626, to a wealthy family of merchants in Smyrna (now Izmir, Turkey). He received a thorough Talmudic education and, still in his teens, was ordained as a hakham — a member of the rabbinic elite. However, Shabbetai Tzvi was interested less in Talmud than in Jewish mysticism. Starting in his late teens he studied kabbalah, attracting a group of followers whom he initiated into the secrets of the mystical tradition. Shabbetai Tzvi battled with what might now be diagnosed as severe bipolar disorder. He understood his condition in religious terms, experiencing his manic phases as moments of “illumination” and his times of depression as periods of “fall,” when God’s face was hidden from him.
    [Show full text]
  • OPRP 9 Flawed Messiah by Michael Eldridge Published: August 2010
    FLAWED MESSIAH THE STORY OF SABBATAI SEVI AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE TODAY By Michael Eldridge 2 For inside Front Cover – Note on Transliteration Several different systems are used for transliterating Hebrew letters. In some cases, as with Gershom Scholem’s books, different systems have been used in the same author’s works according to the preference of the particular publisher involved. In this publication the following system, which assumes Sephardic pronunciation, is used: Aleph ’ Beth b v in soft form (after vowels and vocal shewa) Gimel g in both hard and soft forms Daleth d in both hard and soft forms He h Waw w Zayin z Heth ch Teth t Yod y Kaph k in both hard and soft forms Lamed l Mem m Nun n Samech s Ayin ‘ Pe p ph in soft form (after vowels and vocal shewa) Sade ts Qoph q Resh r Sin s Shin sh Taw t th in soft form (after vowels and vocal shewa) However, exception is made for words where another transliteration has become more or less standard; thus the form ‘Kabbalah’ is used, not ‘Qabbalah’; ‘Hasidim’ not ‘Chasidim’. Using the above system, the name of the main subject of this paper should strictly be ‘Shabbathai Tsevi’, but he is more commonly known as ‘Sabbatai Sevi’ or some close variant; so this form of his name is used throughout. 3 The Jewish Messiah who made world news In February 1669 the English diarist, John Evelyn, presented King Charles the Second with a copy of his The History of Three Late Famous Impostors, and when the King learned of the contents, ‘he told me of other like cheates.’1 The larger portion of this short publication tells the story of Sabbatai Sevi, whose messiahship was announced to the world in May 1665.
    [Show full text]
  • Sabbatai Zevi Moved Upon the Waters Modes of Authority and the Development of the Donme Sects
    And the Spirit of Sabbatai Zevi Moved Upon the Waters Modes of Authority and the Development of the Donme Sects Paul Benjamin 4/15/2012 Benjamin 2 Abstract The conversion of the purported Jewish messiah Sabbatai Zevi to Islam in 1666 created a crisis among his followers. Many returned to mainstream Judaism; others remained secret Sabbateans. However, a small group in Salonika followed their master into apostasy, converting to Islam in imitation of Sabbatai Zevi. This group, known as the Donme, was very homogenous at the beginning; its members were few in number, knew each other well, and tended to be related to one another. However, shortly after the death of Sabbatai Zevi they split into three factions (a fourth, the Frankists, arose later in Europe), who differed greatly from each other in organization, ritual, and theology. This thesis examines two main distinctions between the groups that led to their divergent outcomes. First, I examine the differences in modes of authority between the groups. In order to do this, I conceptualize two models of authority, the mundane and the charismatic (loosely based on Bruce Lincoln and Max Weber’s theories of authority). The four groups are compared and contrasted based on the degree to which they rely on each of the modes of authority. I also examine the ways in which each group linked itself to Sabbatai Zevi and legitimated itself as the rightful successors to his legacy. In this case this thesis distinguishes among legitimacies conveyed by the body of the messiah, the soul of the messiah, and the ideas and teachings of the messiah.
    [Show full text]
  • Judaica Olomucensia
    Judaica Olomucensia 2015/1 Special Issue Jewish Printing Culture between Brno, Prague and Vienna in the Era of Modernization, 1750–1850 Editor-in-Chief Louise Hecht Editor Matej Grochal This issue was made possible by a grant from Palacký University, project no. IGA_FF_2014_078 Table of Content 4 Introduction Louise Hecht 11 The Lack of Sabbatian Literature: On the Censorship of Jewish Books and the True Nature of Sabbatianism in Moravia and Bohemia Miroslav Dyrčík 30 Christian Printers as Agents of Jewish Modernization? Hebrew Printing Houses in Prague, Brno and Vienna, 1780–1850 Louise Hecht 62 Eighteenth Century Yiddish Prints from Brünn/Brno as Documents of a Language Shift in Moravia Thomas Soxberger 90 Pressing Matters: Jewish vs. Christian Printing in Eighteenth Century Prague Dagmar Hudečková 110 Wolf Pascheles: The Family Treasure Box of Jewish Knowledge Kerstin Mayerhofer and Magdaléna Farnesi 136 Table of Images 2015/1 – 3 Introduction Louise Hecht Jewish Printing Culture between Brno, Prague and Vienna in the Era of Modernization, 1750–1850 The history of Jewish print and booklore has recently turned into a trendy research topic. Whereas the topic was practically non-existent two decades ago, at the last World Congress of Jewish Studies, the “Olympics” of Jewish scholarship, held in Jerusalem in August 2013, various panels were dedicated to this burgeoning field. Although the Jewish people are usually dubbed “the people of the book,” in traditional Jewish society authority is primarily based on oral transmission in the teacher-student dialog.1 Thus, the innovation and modernization process connected to print and subsequent changes in reading culture had for a long time been underrated.2 Just as in Christian society, the establishment of printing houses and the dissemination of books instigated far-reaching changes in all areas of Jewish intellectual life and finally led to the democratization of Jewish culture.3 In central Europe, the rise of publications in the Jewish vernacular, i.e.
    [Show full text]
  • Brill Nv, Leiden, 2018 | Doi:10.1163/9789004386198 002 2 Introduction: Poetic Mythology for a Broken World ∵
    Introduction: Poetic Mythology for a Broken World Hollow! It’s all hollow! A chasm! It’s cracking! Can you hear? There’s something – down there – that’s following us! Away! Away! Alban Berg, Wozzek (1923) … Why has the abyss remained in this world? … The reason is that each time the blessed Holy One works a great miracle, he sifts siftings from [it] … And from this raw material come into being creations that the blessed Name creates through his wonders. And this is the mystery of “the abysses were congealed in the heart of the sea” [Exodus 15:8]. Also the King Messiah has already sifted several times from it. Nathan of Gaza, Discourse on the Dragons (1666)1 … Come and see: among these evil species [demons], there are levels upon levels; the highest level of these are those suspended in the air … [In re- gards to] one who has only merited a life-force [nefesh], and this life-force wishes to receive tikun and receive a spirit [ruaḥ]: … something issues from this life force, and seeks, and does not seek, to rise – until it encoun- ters those [demons] suspended in the air and they tell him matters, some near, and some far. And by means of this rung, he goes and becomes con- nected to his dream, and acquires a spirit. Sefer Ha-Zohar2 מדוע נשאר התהום בעולם הזה?… הטעם הוא שבכל פעם שהקב"ה עושה נס גדול, בורר מסוד 1 הטהירו הזה בירורין, וגולם זה נתהוה ממנו יצירות שיוצר האל ית' ע"י נפלאותיו. וזה סוד הכתוב "קפאו תהומות בלב ים" ]שמות ט"ו:ח[.
    [Show full text]
  • Motivations for Radical Anti-Sabbatianism: the Case of Hakham Zevi Ashkenazi
    Motivations for Radical Anti-Sabbatianism: The Case of Hakham. Zevi. Ashkenazi Jacob J. Schacter One of the most significant and lasting contributions of Gershom Scholem to Jewish scholarship is his serious and objective treatment of the Sabbatian movement in all of its phases and complexity. In his mag- isterial two-volume history of Sabbatianism and in a number of impor- tant articles, Scholem broke important new ground in the study of this movement, presenting the history of its rise, heyday, and ongoing im- pact in dramatic and comprehensive detail.1 Scholem's wide-ranging studies elucidated many aspects of the Sabbatian phenomenon: the state of mind of mid-seventeenth century world Jewry which set the stage for the unprecedented spread of this messianic movement against a background of Jewish messianic activ- ism which, until that time, had been the province of only a select few; the actual story of the movement itself until the death of Nathan of Gaza in 1680; the backgrounds and personalities of the major protago- nists in this extraordinary drama; the various complex and conflicting kabbalistic teachings which gave meaning to the movement; the fea- tures which differentiated its `radical' from its more `moderate' fac- tions; the role of the movement in the history of Jewry in the eighteenth century and in setting the stage for Haskalah, Hasidut. and other devel- 1 See: G. Scholem, Shabbetai Zevi.. ve-ha-Tenu5ah ha-Shabbeta6it bi-Yemei Hayyav, Tel-Aviv 1957 (=Shabbetai Zevi..). English version, see: idem, Sabbatai Sevi: The Mystical Messiah, tr. R. J. Z. Werblowsky, Princeton 1973 (=Sabbatai Sevi.
    [Show full text]
  • Thursday, 12 July 2018
    Thursday, 12 July 2018 Excursion to archeological excavation of Stobi with its ancient synagogue and to the city of Bitola/Monastir, its Jewish quarter and cemetery, organized and sponsored by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ARHAM. The excursion will be followed by the Ceremony of Academic Committee Bestowing the Order Kavalyero del Ladino al nombre Eliezer Papo Haviva Pedaya FROM GAZA TO SKOPJE del Don Yitzhak Navon, the Fifth President of the State Jonatan Meir of Israel and the first Honorary President of the Moshe Nathan, the Prophet of Sabbatianism David Gaon Center for Ladino Culture at the Ben-Gurion Organizing Committee in History, Literature and Philosophy University of the Negev upon Eliezer Papo Dona Berta Romano Berta Romano for her important contribution in preservation of the Goran Sadikarijo July 10 – 12, 2018 Sephardic culture and Ladino language in the Republic of Macedonia; Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts Don Emilian Vilos (posthumously) and Dona Maria Geras Dochovska for the important role they have played in the project of restoration of the Jewish cemetery in Bitola/Monastir. The ceremony will be conducted by Don Erez Navon, the Master of the Order; Prof. Tamar Alexander, the Director J.R. Elyachar Center for Studies in Sephardic Heritage of the Israeli National Authority for Ladino Culture and Moshe David Gaon Center for Ladino Culture Mr. Dan Oryan, the Ambassador of the State of Israel to the Republic of Macedonia. 12:00:-12:30 Tuesday, 10 July 2018 Roy Caspi, Tel-Aviv University 08:30 – 09:15
    [Show full text]
  • Sabbateans - Wikipedia
    Sabbateans - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabbateans Sabbateans The Sabbateans (or Sabbatians) were a variety of Jewish followers, disciples, and believers in Sabbatai Zevi (1626–1676), [1][2][3] a Sephardic Jewish rabbi and Kabbalist who was proclaimed to be the Jewish Messiah in 1666 by Nathan of Gaza.[1][2] Vast numbers of Jews in the Jewish diaspora accepted his claims, even after he outwardly became an apostate due to his forced conversion to Islam in the same year.[1][2][3] Sabbatai Zevi's followers, both during his proclaimed messiahship and after his forced conversion to Islam, are known as Sabbateans.[1][3] Part of the Sabbateans lived on until well into 21st-century Turkey as descendants of the Dönmeh.[1] Contents Sabbatai Zevi Conversion to Islam Sabbatean-related controversies in Jewish history The Emden-Eybeschutz controversy Sabbateans and early Hasidism Sabbateans and modern secularism Rabbis who opposed the Sabbateans See also References Further reading Sabbatai Zevi Sabbatai Zevi was a Sephardic ordained rabbi from Smyrna (now İzmir, Turkey).[4][5] A kabbalist of Romaniote origin,[6] Zevi, who was active throughout the Ottoman Empire, claimed to be the long- awaited Jewish Messiah. He was the founder of the Sabbatean movement, whose followers subsequently were to be known as Dönmeh "converts" or crypto-Jews.[7] Conversion to Islam In February 1666, upon arriving in Constantinople, Sabbatai was imprisoned on the order of the grand vizier Köprülüzade Fazıl Ahmed Pasha; in September of that same year, after being moved from different prisons around the capital to Adrianople (the imperial court's seat) for judgment on accusations of fomenting sedition, Sabbatai was given by the Grand Vizier, in the name of the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Mehmed IV, the choice of either facing death by some type of ordeal, or of converting to Islam.
    [Show full text]
  • Bulletin Du Centre De Recherche Français À Jérusalem
    Bulletin du Centre de recherche français à Jérusalem 20 | 2009 Varia The Printing of Yiddish Books in Frankfurt-on- the-Main (17th and 18th Centuries) L’impression de livres yiddish à Frankfort aux XVIIe et XVIIIe siècles Jean Baumgarten Electronic version URL: http://journals.openedition.org/bcrfj/6225 ISSN: 2075-5287 Publisher Centre de recherche français de Jérusalem Printed version Date of publication: 15 December 2009 Electronic reference Jean Baumgarten, « The Printing of Yiddish Books in Frankfurt-on-the-Main (17th and 18th Centuries) », Bulletin du Centre de recherche français à Jérusalem [Online], 20 | 2009, Online since 10 March 2010, connection on 19 April 2019. URL : http://journals.openedition.org/bcrfj/6225 This text was automatically generated on 19 April 2019. © Bulletin du Centre de recherche français à Jérusalem The Printing of Yiddish Books in Frankfurt-on-the-Main (17th and 18th Centuries) 1 The Printing of Yiddish Books in Frankfurt-on-the-Main (17th and 18th Centuries) L’impression de livres yiddish à Frankfort aux XVIIe et XVIIIe siècles Jean Baumgarten 1 In the 16th century, printed books1 were circulated mainly within the restricted circles of scholars, learned Jews and Hebrew-speaking Christians. The early 17th century saw a greatly increased production of Jewish books, and Yiddish books in particular, to satisfy an ever-growing demand, be it local or farther afield. Books now reached a wider circle of readers who had previously remained distant from the realm of book production2. This evolution was accompanied by the consolidation of a body of book professionals, needed to cater to the growing demand for more books.
    [Show full text]
  • The Dönmeh: Sabbataist Legacy in the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Turkey
    Cultural Relations Quarterly Review Spring 2014 The Dönmeh: Sabbataist legacy in the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Turkey Ömer Bilal Almak – Csilla Morauszki András Lőrincz – Zuzana Balcová Abstract: The aim of the article is to introduce to the foundation and the history of the Sabbataist community in the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Turkey. The article is focusing on a relatively small number of Jewish descendants in the mid-17th century whose community could survive and their members managed to reach high societal and administrative positions by the late 19th century. The Dönmehs later played a key role in reform movements which led to a political transition in the 1920s. This paper analyses the relation of the Dönmeh’s identities and the community’s preferences regarding the form of government. Keywords: Ottoman Empire, Turkey, Tanzimat, Judaism, Dönmeh, Sabbataists Introduction The Jewish religion, Judaism, which is considered one of the oldest religions of human civilization, has been marked by several historical milestones during its existence. Some of them influenced Judaism positively and led to its theological enrichment, some of them, on the other side, had far reaching negative effects on the faith’s preservation. Sabbatai Sevi1 was one of those who contributed momentously to the evolution of Judaism and even nowadays, 1 The name of Sabbatai Sevi is spelled in various forms in different publications. Sabatay Sevi and Sabetay Sevi (in modern Turkish), Sabbatai Sevi (Cengiz Sisman), Sabbatai Tsevi (Pawel Maciejko), Sabbatai Zevi (in some English references) and – following more genuine way in pronunciation – Shabtai Tzvi (Marc Baer) or Shabtai Zvi (Dovid Rossoff).
    [Show full text]
  • Sabbatai Zevi: Testimonies to a Fallen Messiah'
    H-German Bell on Halperin, 'Sabbatai Zevi: Testimonies to a Fallen Messiah' Review published on Saturday, March 1, 2008 David J. Halperin. Sabbatai Zevi: Testimonies to a Fallen Messiah. Oxford: Littman Library of Jewish Civilization, 2007. 246 pp. $49.50 (cloth), ISBN 978-1-904113-25-6. Reviewed by Dean Phillip Bell (Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies) Published on H-German (March, 2008) Sources for the Study of an Early Modern "Messiah" This book is a follow up to David Halperin's edition of selected writings in translation of Abraham Miguel Cardozo (2001). It is a very welcome, fruitful addition to ongoing discussion of the enigmatic figure of Sabbatai Zevi and of early modern messianism. This volume contains a brief, but engaging and informative introduction that rehearses some of the main themes in the biography and scholarly discussion of Zevi. Readers are introduced to the outline of Zevi's life and intellectual environment, but also to the intense discussions of the "fallen messiah" after his conversion to Islam and death. While this book will not serve as a stand-alone introduction to the infamous messianic figure, David Halperin provides nicely translated, well-annotated, intriguing sources about Sabbatai Zevi by both followers and opponents. This very approachable book will be of great value to students and teachers. At the heart of the book are five "testimonies:" Baruch of Arezzo's "Memorial to the Children of Israel" (1680-1685); "The Letters of Joseph Halevi" (1666-67); "The Najara Chronicle" (for the year 1671); "The Biography of Abraham Cuenque" (ca. 1692); and "From the Reminiscences of Abraham Cardozo" (ca.
    [Show full text]
  • A Study of Moses H ˙ Ayyim Luzzatto's Letters As a Source Regarding The
    A Study of Moses Hayyim Luzzatto’s letters as a source regarding the dissemination˙ of the Shabbatean movement, between the second half of the 17th and the first half of the 18th century Natascia Danieli, Universita` Ca’ Foscari Venice After the Shabbatean storm had subsided,1 the struggle continued clandestinely, but there is insufficient information to allow for a clear account of this under- ground movement. It was only logical that it alarmed the rabbinic authorities, who considered the children of these sectarians as bastards and therefore no longer admissible to the fold. It is evident that quite a few of the most influen- tial moral preachers and authors were in fact secret Shabbateans, on the mod- erate and Hasidic wings. While all of these developments mainly took place in a twilight or underground atmosphere and received little general attention, from time to time the struggle would resurface. The most famous dispute in Europe was that of the opposition to Nehemiah Hiyya Hayon (ca. 1655 – ca. 1730), who ˙ ˙ was suspected of being Shabbatean. This storm is fundamental in order to reach an understanding of another dispute which took place in Italy and concerns the question of Moses Hayyim Luzzatto (Padua 1707 – Acre 1746). ˙ As a typical young Jew, born in the Italian peninsula during that period, Luzzatto studied both the Halakhah and secular literature, above all the poetry and the rhetoric; but this archetypal curriculum studiorum was further enriched by his application to the study of the Kabbalah. In 1727 he declared that he had seen a maggid who revealed divine secrets to him daily.
    [Show full text]