Saul Levi Morteira
Encyclopedia
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
("de Alemania natural"). When in 1616 Morteira escorted the body of the physician Elijah Montalto from France to Amsterdam, the Sephardic congregation Beth Jaacob in Amsterdam (House of Jacob) elected him hakam
in succession to Moses ben Aroyo.
Morteira was the founder of the congregational school Keter Torah, in the highest class of which he taught Talmud
and Jewish philosophy
. He had also to preach three times a month, and received an annual remuneration of 600 guilders and 100 baskets of turf. Among his most distinguished pupils were Baruch Spinoza
, Moses Zacuto and Abraham Cohen Pimentel
. Morteira and Isaac da Fonseca Aboab
(Manasseh ben Israel was at that time in England) were the members of the mahamad, the political arm of the community, which pronounced July 27, 1656 the decree of excommunication ("cherem
") against Spinoza.
Some of Morteira's pupils published Gibeat Shaul (Amsterdam, 1645), a collection of fifty sermons on the Pentateuch, selected from 500 derashot written by Morteira. Morteira wrote in Spanish Tractado de la Verdad de la Ley (translated into Hebrew by Isaac Gomez de Gosa under the title Torat Moshch, in 66 chapters), apologetics of Judaism
and attacks against Christianity
. This work (excerpts from which are given in Jacques Basnage, Histoire de la Religion des Juifs) and other writings of Morteira, on immortality, revelation, etc., are still in manuscript.
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
descent.
In a Spanish poem Daniel Levi de Barrios speaks of him as being a native of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
("de Alemania natural"). When in 1616 Morteira escorted the body of the physician Elijah Montalto from France to Amsterdam, the Sephardic congregation Beth Jaacob in Amsterdam (House of Jacob) elected him hakam
Hakham
Hakham is a term from Judaism, meaning a wise or skillful man; it often refers to someone who is a great Torah scholar. The word is generally used to designate a cultured and learned person: "He who says a wise thing is called a wise man ["hakham"], even if he be not a Jew"...
in succession to Moses ben Aroyo.
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
and Jewish philosophy
Jewish philosophy
Jewish philosophy , includes all philosophy carried out by Jews, or, in relation to the religion of Judaism. Jewish philosophy, until modern Enlightenment and Emancipation, was pre-occupied with attempts to reconcile coherent new ideas into the tradition of Rabbinic Judaism; thus organizing...
. He had also to preach three times a month, and received an annual remuneration of 600 guilders and 100 baskets of turf. Among his most distinguished pupils were 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...
, Moses Zacuto and Abraham Cohen Pimentel
Abraham Cohen Pimentel
Abraham Cohen Pimentel was an rabbi of Amsterdam. He was a student of Saul Levi Morteira, and he also served as hakham of the synagogue in Hamburg and was initially a signator to a letter of approbation for Sabbatai Zevi. He was the author of the Minchat Kohen, published in 1668.-References:...
. Morteira and Isaac da Fonseca Aboab
Isaac Aboab da Fonseca
Isaac Aboab da Fonseca was a rabbi, scholar, kabbalist and writer. In 1656, he was one of several elders within the Portuguese-Israelite community in the Netherlands who excommunicated Baruch Spinoza for the statements this philosopher made concerning the nature of God.Isaac Aboab da Fonseca was...
(Manasseh ben Israel was at that time in England) were the members of the mahamad, the political arm of the community, which pronounced July 27, 1656 the decree of excommunication ("cherem
Cherem
Cherem , is the highest ecclesiastical censure in the Jewish community. It is the total exclusion of a person from the Jewish community. It is a form of shunning, and is similar to excommunication in the Catholic Church...
") against Spinoza.
Some of Morteira's pupils published Gibeat Shaul (Amsterdam, 1645), a collection of fifty sermons on the Pentateuch, selected from 500 derashot written by Morteira. Morteira wrote in Spanish Tractado de la Verdad de la Ley (translated into Hebrew by Isaac Gomez de Gosa under the title Torat Moshch, in 66 chapters), apologetics of Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
and attacks against Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. This work (excerpts from which are given in Jacques Basnage, Histoire de la Religion des Juifs) and other writings of Morteira, on immortality, revelation, etc., are still in manuscript.
Jewish Encyclopedia bibliography
- Auerbach, BertholdBerthold AuerbachBerthold Auerbach was a German-Jewish poet and author. He was the founder of the German “tendency novel,” in which fiction is used as a means of influencing public opinion on social, political, moral, and religious questions.-Biography:Moses Baruch Auerbach was born in Nordstetten in the Kingdom...
, Spinozas Werke, vol. i, pp. xxiv. et seq., Stuttgart, 1871; - Azulai, C.J.D.Chaim 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, ii.17, Warsaw, 1876; - Isaac Benjacob, Oẓar ha-Sefarim, p. 93;
- Freudenthal, JacobJacob FreudenthalJacob Freudenthal was a German philosopher.Freudenthal received his education at the universities of Breslau and Göttingen, and at the rabbinical seminary of Breslau...
, Die Lebensgeschichte Spinozas, pp. 4-11, 113-114, et passim, Leipzig, 1899; - —, Spinoza, Sein Leben, 1904, i;
- Fürst, JuliusJulius FürstJulius Fürst , was a Jewish German orientalist.Fürst was a distinguished scholar of Semitic languages and literature...
, Bibliotheca Judaica ii.391; - Grätz, Heinrich, Geschichte der Juden ix.503; x.9-11, 169, 175, ib. 1868;
- Kayserling, MeyerMeyer KayserlingMeyer Kayserling was a German rabbi and historian.-Life:He was educated at Halberstadt, Nikolsburg , Prague, Würzburg, and Berlin. He devoted himself to history and philosophy...
, Geschichte der Juden in Portugal, pp. 275, 310, ib. 1867 (available here); - Steinschneider, MoritzMoritz 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...
, Catalogus Librorum Hebræorum in Bibliotheca Bodleiana cols. 2508-2509; - Wolf, Johann ChristophJohann Christoph WolfJohann Christoph Wolf was a German Christian Hebraist, polyhistor, and collector of books....
, Bibliotheca Hebræa.