With the expulsion from Spain, many Jews settled in the city of Fez in Morocco. They and their descendants contributed greatly to the local creations in future generations in the fields of halakhah, piyyut and historiography. This book examines their activities in the field of Jewish thought, by focusing on the character and literary enterprise of R. Shaul Serero, a descendant of deportees from Spain who served in the rabbinate of Fez in the first half of the 17th century.
The chapters of the book are devoted to clarifying R. Shaul's conception of the issues discussed in Jewish thought in the Middle Ages and in the early modern period. For example, the study of his commentary on the book of Proverbs shows his conception in relation to non-Jewish wisdoms. Similarly, an in-depth study of his sermons for Shabbat Teshuvah and Shabbat Hagadol illuminates his conception in relation to the issues of redemption (including the Judeo-Christian controversy), prophecy and Teshuvah. The study of his sermons for circumcision and weddings and the obituaries he wrote, indicates his perception of the reasons for the mitzvot, Providence and astrology and the purpose of man.
Examining R. Shaul's views on the issues mentioned shows that he choose to adopt the moderate versions of the three main schools that were formed in Spain: the philosophical, the astrological, and the Kabbalistic. This conclusion is a first and significant step in the examination of Jewish thought that was formed in the Spanish diaspora in North Africa as a whole.
Dr. Michal Ohana specializes in the study of Jewish thought in North Africa from the 16th century to the 20th century.
Danacode: 110-20322 ISBN: 978-965-226-606-4 Language: Hebrew Pages: 290 Weight: 600 gr Dimensions: 17X24 cm Publication Date: 08/2021 Publisher: Bar-Ilan University Press
Contents
Preface 11
Introduction 15
a. Historical and Cultural Context 15
b. R. Shaul Serero 27
c. Methodology 39
Chapter One - First Works: Commentary on Proverbs (Hanokh la-Na‘ar), and the Controversy over the Study of Secular Disciplines 49
a. Introduction 49
b. Parable versus Lesson; Revelation versus Concealment 51
c. Torah and Philosophical Study 54
d. Summary 66
Chapter Two – Cycle of the Jewish Year: Sermons for Shabbat Teshuvah 67
a. Introduction 67
b. Repentance as Kindness and Judgment: Scholastic Discussion and a Dualistic Solution 72
c. Physical Illness, Spiritual Illness, and Their Respective Treatments 76
d. Sermons for Shabbat Teshuvah as Ethical Literature 80
e. Kabbalistic Themes 86
f. Summary 91
Chapter Three – Cycle of the Jewish Year: Sermons for Shabbat Ha-Gadol 92
a. Introduction 92
b. Reinforcing Faith in the Redemption 99
c. Miracles of the Exodus, Miracles of the Future Redemption, and Creation 106
d. Summary 130
Chapter Four – The Cycle of Life: Sermons for Circumcision and the Rationales of the Commandments 131
a. Introduction 131
b. The Dual Purpose of the Commandments 133
c. Segula versus the Value of Fulfilling God’s Will 137
d. Circumcision and the Secret of Unity 141
e. Epilogue: The Commandment of Circumcision and the Immortality of the Body 144
f. Summary 147
Chapter Five – The Cycle of Life: Wedding Sermons, Divine Providence, and Astrology 148
a. Introduction 148
b. Finding One’s Partner as a Case Study: Human Effort, Astrological Determinism, and Divine Providence 151
c. Summary 164
Chapter Six – The Cycle of Life: Eulogies and Human Perfection 165
a. Introduction 165
b. Eulogies for Men: Observing Commandments with Proper Intention 169
c. Eulogies for Women: Faith and Observing Commandments with Proper Intention 173
d. Summary 179
Chapter Seven – Beyond Time: Meta-History and Kabbalah 180
a. Introduction 180
b. The Sin of Adam 180
c. Giving Strength to the Sacred and Subduing the Husks of Evil 184
d. “The Acts of the Patriarchs Prefigure the Fates of Their Offspring” 196
e. The Chosenness of Israel 207
f. Summary 210
Chapter Eight – Between Worlds: Jewish-Christian Polemics 212
a. Introduction 212
b. The Jewish Community in Fez and the Portuguese Captives 214
c. The Nature of Jewish Exile as Evidence of Divine Providence 217
d. The Reliability of Jewish Tradition vis-à-vis that of Christianity 221
e. Denying the Messianism of Jesus 225
f. Summary 227
Chapter Nine: Reading Between the Lines: Prophecy 228
a. Introduction 228
b. Prophecy: A Natural and Supernatural Phenomenon 228
c. The Possibility of Prophecy 231
d. Confirming the Authenticity of a Prophet’s Message 233
e. Summary 236
Summary and Conclusion 237
Bibliography 241
Indexes 264
Dr. Michal Ohana specializes in the study of Jewish thought in North Africa from the 16th century to the 20th century.