a nation in flux #15

the 15th century

Leadership

• The Maharil - Rav Yaakov Molin
• Mahari Weil
• Rav Yisrael Isserlin - The Terumas HaDeshen
• Mahari Bruna
• Rav Avigdor Karr

Italy

• The Renaissance was an anti-Church movement
• City States vied with each other and Jews were valued assests

Leaders of Italy

• Rav Ovadya Seforno
• Rav Yosef Colenge
• Rav Ovadya Bartenura

Banking

• Florence Banking License 1437
• The Medici Family favored the Jews
• Lorenzo the Magnificent

Problems in ITaly

• Jews were less committed to Judaism
• Christians were jealous of Jewish success
• 1480's expulsions begin

Spanish Jewry

• Many had converted or fled since 1391
• 1413 Disputation in Tortosa - 16 months and 69 sessions
• Rav Yosef Albo, Sefer Ikkarim 3 Principles of Jewish Faith
• Unity of God, Reward and Punishment and Divinity of Torah

Conversions

• Christians worked hard to convert Jews, but forced
• 1420's Rav Yitzchak Conponton permitted teshuva
• Books were published detailing how Christians could identify hidden Jews
• Conversos were suspected by the public

Conversos

• Christian intollenrance enraged the Popes
• Toledo 1449: Law is passed barring Conversos from Public office. Pope Nikolas V excommunicated the author
• Jews, for the first time, became a race.
• 1590s - The Jesuits were formed to be pure blooded

The Christian World

• Black Death, papal corruption and heresy rocked Christianity
• 1415: Jan Hus burned at the Stake
• 1421: Joan of Arc
• 1453: Constantinople fell to the Muslims
• Jews left for Israel

The Expulsion

• 1469: One United Spain - Ferdinand and Isabella are married
• 1483: Torquemada is appointed as Chief Inquisitor - against the will of the Popes
• Auto-de-Fe: 13000 Jews were publicly punished
• 1492: Grenada fell
• 1492: 4 months to convert or leave

Abarbanel

• Don Yitzchak was the leader of Lisbon
• 1484: He was hired by Ferdinand and Isabella to finance the war against the muslims
• He lead his people - 200000 Jews out of Spain.
• Died in Venice in 1508

Where did they go?

• 100000 to Portugal
• Some to Italy by ship
• Many to Turkey -Rav Yosef Karo
• Some went West...

The Printing Press

• 1474: Gutenberg Chumash
• Soncino Family Talmud
• Book burning ended
• Censorship began