PEH449
Title
PEH449
Group ID
62
Hirsch Summary
Aron de Gavez inquires—following a dedication issue—of David ben Raphael Meldola: In Lisbon, there is a Marrano (a Jew who was forced to convert to Christianity) who comes from one of the oldest Jewish families in Portugal. He requests his Jewish business friends in Amsterdam to send him prayer books, Mahzorim (prayer books for the High Holy Days), the Hebrew Bible, a prayer shawl, and Tefillin, and he promises to pay very well for everything. However, if they do not fulfill his request, he will turn to his Christian business friends, even though this carries a greater risk of denunciation to the Inquisition. Is it permissible to fulfill the Marrano’s request?
In his response, David ben Raphael Meldola explains that Rabbi Jacob Bassan, now a scholar in Hamburg [Nr. 155], and Rabbi Moses Alvarez, a lecturer in Amsterdam, following the responses of Rabbi David ben Chaim Hacohen from Corfu (????"? ???? ?"? ??"?), had decided that Marranos who could emigrate from Spain and Portugal but did not do so for financial or other external reasons should be considered apostates (??????). Further, Rabbi Isaac ben Sheshet (???"? ???? ?") had an even broader opinion, considering them as complete non-Jews. Meldola essentially agrees with this view but emphasizes that one must take into account that many Marranos were arrested and burned by the Inquisition during emigration, so they might still be considered coerced (??????). He reports that Marranos mainly married among themselves and avoided those Marranos who had married non-Jews. One might even trust a Marrano who identifies himself as a Cohen. For these reasons, Marranos are generally accepted back into Judaism through the ceremony of circumcision without immersion (?????). Referring to Moses Alvarez and the book of Rabbi Immanuel Aboab, "Nomologia," Part II, Chapter 18, he explains that Marranos believed, based on a passage from the apocryphal letter of Jeremiah (Verse 6) and its inaccurate Latin translation—contrary to the Greek text—that external service to a foreign religion was not a sin. [Cf. Nr. 244.] Those who act under this mistaken assumption are considered Jews who grew up among non-Jews (????? ????? ???? ??????). He then recounts a case from the time of his great-great-grandfather Jacob Senior in Pisa, detailed in the book ??? ???? ??? ?"? ? ?"?. A Marrano lived in a city where Jews resided and intended to return completely to Judaism. However, he had not yet undergone circumcision because he believed he needed to return to Spain for financial matters. This Marrano asked if he could perform Torah service on a holiday. It was permitted for the Marrano to act as a complete Jew in every way except for wearing Tefillin.In contrast, Meldola argues that if Marranos were allowed to secretly observe all Jewish practices, they would not hurry to emigrate to a country with free religious practice. Therefore, due to the life-threatening risk for Marranos if their Jewish religious items were discovered by the Inquisition, he prohibits the transfer of these items and only recommends urging the man to move to a country where he can serve God freely.
In his response, David ben Raphael Meldola explains that Rabbi Jacob Bassan, now a scholar in Hamburg [Nr. 155], and Rabbi Moses Alvarez, a lecturer in Amsterdam, following the responses of Rabbi David ben Chaim Hacohen from Corfu (????"? ???? ?"? ??"?), had decided that Marranos who could emigrate from Spain and Portugal but did not do so for financial or other external reasons should be considered apostates (??????). Further, Rabbi Isaac ben Sheshet (???"? ???? ?") had an even broader opinion, considering them as complete non-Jews. Meldola essentially agrees with this view but emphasizes that one must take into account that many Marranos were arrested and burned by the Inquisition during emigration, so they might still be considered coerced (??????). He reports that Marranos mainly married among themselves and avoided those Marranos who had married non-Jews. One might even trust a Marrano who identifies himself as a Cohen. For these reasons, Marranos are generally accepted back into Judaism through the ceremony of circumcision without immersion (?????). Referring to Moses Alvarez and the book of Rabbi Immanuel Aboab, "Nomologia," Part II, Chapter 18, he explains that Marranos believed, based on a passage from the apocryphal letter of Jeremiah (Verse 6) and its inaccurate Latin translation—contrary to the Greek text—that external service to a foreign religion was not a sin. [Cf. Nr. 244.] Those who act under this mistaken assumption are considered Jews who grew up among non-Jews (????? ????? ???? ??????). He then recounts a case from the time of his great-great-grandfather Jacob Senior in Pisa, detailed in the book ??? ???? ??? ?"? ? ?"?. A Marrano lived in a city where Jews resided and intended to return completely to Judaism. However, he had not yet undergone circumcision because he believed he needed to return to Spain for financial matters. This Marrano asked if he could perform Torah service on a holiday. It was permitted for the Marrano to act as a complete Jew in every way except for wearing Tefillin.In contrast, Meldola argues that if Marranos were allowed to secretly observe all Jewish practices, they would not hurry to emigrate to a country with free religious practice. Therefore, due to the life-threatening risk for Marranos if their Jewish religious items were discovered by the Inquisition, he prohibits the transfer of these items and only recommends urging the man to move to a country where he can serve God freely.
Volume
5
Local
33
Written Date
1764-11-10
Published Date (est.)
1764-11-25
Rector Short Name
Salem
Rector
Salem, Salomo
Files
Collection
Citation
“PEH449,” Pri Ets Haim Amsterdam Responsa, accessed July 6, 2025, https://pehh.library.utoronto.ca/items/show/10158.