Moses ben Mordecai Zacuto
Encyclopedia
Moses ben Mordecai Zacuto (ca. 1625–1 October 1697), also known as the Ramaz, was a kabalistic writer and poet. It is generally supposed that his birthplace was Amsterdam
, although, like the Amsterdam rabbi Saul Levi Morteira
, he probably lived in Venice
, the residence of a brother named Nehemiah. He was a pupil of Morteira, on whose death he composed a long elegy (edited by Kaufmann in R. E. J. xxxvii. 115 et seq.), and he was also a fellow student of Baruch Spinoza
.
or Poland
, as is clear from the letter of recommendation which he gave at Venice in 1672 to the delegates who had come to Italy
to collect money for the oppressed Polish communities. It was his intention to make a pilgrimage to Palestine
, but on the way he was persuaded to remain as rabbi in Venice, where he stayed, with the exception of a short residence in Padua
, from 1645 until the summer of 1673. He was then called to Mantua
at a fixed salary of 300 ducats, and remained there until his death, twenty-four years later. His epitaph is given by Wolf (Bibl. Hebr. iv. 1200) and by Landshuth (Ammude ha-'Abodah, p. 215).
; and this remained the chief occupation of his life. He established a seminary for the study of the Cabala, and his favorite pupils, Benjamin ha-Kohen and Abraham Rovigo
, often visited him for months at a time at Venice or Mantua, to investigate cabalistic mysteries. He composed forty-seven liturgical poems, chiefly cabalistic, enumerated by Landshuth (l.c. pp. 216 et seq.). Some of them have been printed in the festal hymns Hen Ḳol Ḥadash, edited by Moses Ottolenghi (Amsterdam, 1712), and others have been incorporated in different prayer-books.
He also wrote penitential poems (Tiḳḳun Shobabim, Venice, 1712; Leghorn, 1740) for the service on the evening before the day of New Moon, as well as prayers for Hosha'na Rabbah and similar occasions, all in the spirit of the Cabala. Zacuto was, moreover, the author of a poem containing a thousand words, each beginning with the letter "א" (Elef Alpin; printed with a commentary at the end of the Iggerot ha-ReMeZ, pp. 43 et seq.), a long poem, Tofteh 'Aruk, or L'Inferno Figurato (Venice, 1715, 1744), in which he depicts the punishments of hell, and the oldest dramatic poem in the Hebrew language
, which A. Berliner first edited under the title Yesod 'Olam (Berlin, 1874).
Other published works of Zacuto's are:
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, although, like the Amsterdam rabbi Saul Levi Morteira
Saul Levi Morteira
Saul Levi Morteira was a Dutch rabbi of Portuguese descent.In a Spanish poem Daniel Levi de Barrios speaks of him as being a native of Germany...
, he probably lived in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, the residence of a brother named Nehemiah. He was a pupil of Morteira, on whose death he composed a long elegy (edited by Kaufmann in R. E. J. xxxvii. 115 et seq.), and he was also a fellow student of Baruch Spinoza
Baruch Spinoza
Baruch de Spinoza and later Benedict de Spinoza was a Dutch Jewish philosopher. Revealing considerable scientific aptitude, the breadth and importance of Spinoza's work was not fully realized until years after his death...
.
Travels
He was inclined to mysticism from his youth, and at one time fasted forty days that he might forget the Latin which he had learned, since, in his opinion, it could not be reconciled with cabalistic truths. To continue his Talmudic studies he went from Amsterdam to PosenPoznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
or Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, as is clear from the letter of recommendation which he gave at Venice in 1672 to the delegates who had come to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
to collect money for the oppressed Polish communities. It was his intention to make a pilgrimage to Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
, but on the way he was persuaded to remain as rabbi in Venice, where he stayed, with the exception of a short residence in Padua
Padua
Padua is a city and comune in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area, having...
, from 1645 until the summer of 1673. He was then called to Mantua
Mantua
Mantua is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy and capital of the province of the same name. Mantua's historic power and influence under the Gonzaga family, made it one of the main artistic, cultural and notably musical hubs of Northern Italy and the country as a whole...
at a fixed salary of 300 ducats, and remained there until his death, twenty-four years later. His epitaph is given by Wolf (Bibl. Hebr. iv. 1200) and by Landshuth (Ammude ha-'Abodah, p. 215).
Mystical pursuits
Zacuto applied himself with great diligence to the study of the Cabala under Ḥayyim Vital's pupil Benjamin ha-Levi, who had come to Italy from SafedSafed
Safed , is a city in the Northern District of Israel. Located at an elevation of , Safed is the highest city in the Galilee and of Israel. Due to its high elevation, Safed experiences warm summers and cold, often snowy, winters...
; and this remained the chief occupation of his life. He established a seminary for the study of the Cabala, and his favorite pupils, Benjamin ha-Kohen and Abraham Rovigo
Abraham Rovigo
Abraham Rovigo Abraham Rovigo Abraham Rovigo (born ca. 1650 in Modena, died 1713 in Mantua was a Jewish scholar, rabbi and kabbalist. He studied in Venice under the chair of Moses Zacuto and devoted himself to study the Kabbalah. He was one of the main supporters of the moderate wings of Sabbatai...
, often visited him for months at a time at Venice or Mantua, to investigate cabalistic mysteries. He composed forty-seven liturgical poems, chiefly cabalistic, enumerated by Landshuth (l.c. pp. 216 et seq.). Some of them have been printed in the festal hymns Hen Ḳol Ḥadash, edited by Moses Ottolenghi (Amsterdam, 1712), and others have been incorporated in different prayer-books.
He also wrote penitential poems (Tiḳḳun Shobabim, Venice, 1712; Leghorn, 1740) for the service on the evening before the day of New Moon, as well as prayers for Hosha'na Rabbah and similar occasions, all in the spirit of the Cabala. Zacuto was, moreover, the author of a poem containing a thousand words, each beginning with the letter "א" (Elef Alpin; printed with a commentary at the end of the Iggerot ha-ReMeZ, pp. 43 et seq.), a long poem, Tofteh 'Aruk, or L'Inferno Figurato (Venice, 1715, 1744), in which he depicts the punishments of hell, and the oldest dramatic poem in the Hebrew language
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
, which A. Berliner first edited under the title Yesod 'Olam (Berlin, 1874).
Other published works of Zacuto's are:
- Shudda de-Dayyane, a guide for decisions on commercial law (Mantua, 1678; reprinted in Ha-Goren, iii. 181 et seq.)
- Ḳol ha-ReMeZ (published posthumously), a commentary on the MishnahMishnahThe Mishnah or Mishna is the first major written redaction of the Jewish oral traditions called the "Oral Torah". It is also the first major work of Rabbinic Judaism. It was redacted c...
(which he knew by heart), with elucidations of the commentaries of BertinoroBertinoroBertinoro is a town and comune in the province of Forlì-Cesena, Emilia-Romagna . It is located on hill, Mount Cesubeo, in Romagna, a few kilometers from the Via Emilia.-History:...
and others (Amsterdam, 1719) - A collection of responsa with the decisions of contemporaries (Venice, 1760)
- Iggerot ha-ReMeZ, containing letters of cabalistic content written by himself and others (Leghorn, 1780)
- He edited and emended also the ZoharZoharThe Zohar is the foundational work in the literature of Jewish mystical thought known as Kabbalah. It is a group of books including commentary on the mystical aspects of the Torah and scriptural interpretations as well as material on Mysticism, mythical cosmogony, and mystical psychology...
(Venice, 1663) and other writings. A considerable number of his works, such as a commentary on the Jerusalem TalmudJerusalem TalmudThe Jerusalem Talmud, talmud meaning "instruction", "learning", , is a collection of Rabbinic notes on the 2nd-century Mishnah which was compiled in the Land of Israel during the 4th-5th century. The voluminous text is also known as the Palestinian Talmud or Talmud de-Eretz Yisrael...
, homilies, and cabalistic writings, are still unpublished as of 1906.
Jewish Encyclopedia bibliography
- AzulaiChaim Joseph David AzulaiChaim Joseph David Azulai ben Isaac Zerachia , commonly known as the Chida , was a Jerusalem born rabbinical scholar, a noted bibliophile, and a pioneer in the publication of Jewish religious writings.- Biography :Azulai was born in Jerusalem, where he received his education...
, Shem ha-Gedolim, i. 153; - Daniel Levi De Barrios, Arbol de las Vidas, p. 78;
- DelitzschDelitzschDelitzsch is a large district and also an important regional center in Saxony. With over 26,300 inhabitants Delitzsch is the largest city in the northern district of Saxony...
, Zur Geschichte der Jüdischen Poesie, pp. 72 et seq., Ha-Goren, iii. 175 et seq.; - Heinrich Grätz, Gesch. ix. 201 et seq., x. 170;
- Graziadio Nepi-Mordecai GhirondiMordecai GhirondiMordecai Samuel ben Benzion Aryeh Ghirondi was an Italian Jewish author and chief rabbi of Padua....
, Toledot Gedole Yisrael, p. 225; - Moritz SteinschneiderMoritz SteinschneiderMoritz Steinschneider was a Bohemian bibliographer and Orientalist. He received his early instruction in Hebrew from his father, Jacob Steinschneider , who was not only an expert Talmudist, but was also well versed in secular science...
, Cat. Bodl. cols. 1989-1992; - ZunzZunzZunz, Zuntz is a Yiddish surname: , Belgian pharmacologist* Leopold Zunz , German Reform rabbi* Gerhard Jack Zunz , British civil engineer- Zuntz :* Nathan Zuntz , German physiologist...
, Literaturgesch. pp. 440 et seq.: - Julius FürstJulius FürstJulius Fürst , was a Jewish German orientalist.Fürst was a distinguished scholar of Semitic languages and literature...
, Bibl. Jud. iii. 201 et seq.; - Joseph ZednerJoseph ZednerJoseph Zedner was a German Jewish bibliographer and librarian.After completing his education, he acted as teacher in the Jewish school in Strelitz , where the lexicographer Daniel Sanders was his pupil. In 1832 he became a tutor in the family of the book-seller A...
, Cat. Hebr. Books Brit. Mus. pp. 588 et seq.