a nation in flux #1

the 16th century

Invitations to return

• 3 months after the expulsion Jews were invited back
• 1504-1506: The expulsion from Portugal
• 1520's: Inquistion in Portugal

False Messiahs

• David HaReuveni (1490-1535) appears in Eqypt as the ambassador of the 10 lost tribes.
• Received diplomatic status from Portugal and began teaching and converting.

Diago Perez

• Returned to Judaism and became Shlomo Molcho
• Achieved significant acclaim as a Talmid Chacham
• Executed by Charles V in 1530

Turkey

• 1500: Rabbi Eliyahu Mizrachi
• Salonica: R' Yaakov ibn Habib: Ein Yaakov

ISRAEL

• 1516: Suleiman the Magnificent conquers Israel
• 1538: Walls of the Old City
• Yerushalayim and Tzfat are new centers
• Rav Ovadya Bartenura opened a yeshiva in JRSLM, another is opened in Tzfat

Tzfat

• 1524: Mahari Beirav opening of the Yeshiva
• Re-establishing the Sanhedrin to much contention

Rav Yosef Karo

• Left Toledo at the age of 4.
• 1546 became the Av Beis Din in Tzfat
• Summarized it into the Shulchan Aruch - Taking into account Rif, Rambam and Rosh
• Published in 1553

Rama

• 1571: The Mapa is published in the Cracow edition of the Shulchan Aruch

Kabbalah

• Rav Shlomo HaLevi Alkabetz
• Rav Moshe Kordobero

The Arizal

• Born in Yerushalayim, raised in Cairo. Studied under Radvaz and Rav Bezalel Ashkenzai
• Lived 1534-1572, only lived in Tzfat for 2 years
• Wrote almost nothing, recorded by Rav Chaim Vital

ITALY

• Venice 1516: The Original Ghetto is established
• 1520's Bomberg prints sefarim
• Seforno printing in Bologna
• Maharam Pauda hires Braggedini to print the Rambam. Justiniani copied the print. The Rama issued a Cherem
• Justiniani informed on the Rambam
• 1553 Sefarim are burned on RH by Paul IV.

Paul IV

• Died 4 years later in 1559, but Christians would be censoring sefarim for the next four centuries.
• 1554: Arresting conversos leads to international Jewish efforts
• 1553 Sefarim are burned on RH by Paul IV.

Poland

• Rama 1530-1572 becomes the Rav in Cracow.
• Maharshal (Shlomo Luria)
• Maharsha (Shlomo Eidels)

France

• 1525: Rav Yosef Yoselman secured Jewish safety from the peasants revolt.

Martin Luther

• 1517 Ninety-five Theses
• In 20 years he grew to severe anti-semitism.
• The Jews were blamed from Luther's apostacy

Maharal of Prague

• 1526-1609: Born in Pozen
• 1573 driven out of Prague
• Denounced adultery and lashon hara
• Prolific and mystical

Census

• World Jewish Population was less than 1 million