THE RAMBAN

BIRTH

• Bonostruc de Porta
• Born in 1194 (decade before the death of the Rambam) in Gerona in Catalonia
• 100km N of Barcelona

CHILDHOOD

• Learned by Rav Yehuda ben Yakar and
• Learned Kabbalah from Rav Ezra, and from Rav Yitzchak Sagi Nahor as a teen
• Wrote his first commentaries on Nedarim and Bechoros at age 15

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• Began writing the Milchamos Hashem to defend the Rif against the Baal HaMaor
• After Rabbeinu Yonah's death, he became the Chief Rabbi of Catalonia

CHILDREN

• Rav Nachman, Rav Shlomo, Rav Yosef
• Daughter married Levi. Their son was the Ralbag
• Known as being gentle but firm.

THE WRITING OF THE RAMBAM

• Throughout the 13th century, a debate raged regarding the Rambam
• 1220, Rav Shlomo min HaHar (Montpelier) pronounces a cherem. Moreh N. and Sefer HaMada - owning or studying.
• Rabbeinu Yonah joined his rebbe in this cherem.
• Spanish Jews put Rav Shlomo in cherem

THE CHURCH - AND RESPONSE

• 1233 in Paris - The Rambam's books are burned in public.
• Ramban intervened and supported and criticized both sides.
• Called on both sides to tone down the rhetoric.
• Differentiated between French and Spanish Jewry
• French Jews should stay away from it, Spanish Jews should study it.
• In the short term, rejected.

LONG TERM EFFECTS

• The readiness of Spanish Jewry to convert resulted from this freedom of philosophical inquiry.
• Erev Shabbos Parshas Chukas 1242 in the same Paris square - 24 wagons of Talmud were burned by King Louis IX
• Rav Shlomo min HaHar had passed, but Rabbeinu Yonah decided to do Teshuva by traveling to the Rambam's kever in Tiveria.
• He was delayed by the community in Barcelona, then in Toledo.
• The loss of the Talmud ended the Tosfos in France.

RAMBAN'S WRITINGS

• Milchamos Hashem
• Hasagos on the Sefer Hamitzvos, defends the BaHag. (Rambam is defended by Rav Yitzchak deLion - megilas ester 150 years later). Mitzvos ShSheshchach haRav - 17+ and 17-
• The 4th mitzvah - yishuv EY

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MORE WRITINGS

• Peirush on the Talmud
• Iggeres HaRamban
• Drashos of the Ramban - Torah's HaShem Temima.
• Shaar HaGemul, Toras HaAdam, Sefer HaGeulah

AL HATORAH

• Completed in Israel at the end of his life.
• VaYishlach - The place of Rachel's death. Ramban writes that Menachem thought it's far, but now I can see that it's very close.
• The most comprehensive until his time - perhaps even since.
• Yitzchak's wells: Esek and Sitna - 1st 2 batei Mikdash, 3rd is rechovot.
• Bereshis: Only one creation - matter. Everything is formed from it.

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• Mishkan in Terumah: the Shechina of Sinai should rest permanently.
• Al Derech HaEmes - Kabbalah, or Sod. Sparing language, but never outright.

MACHLOKSIM

• Rambam held that miracles are few, and visions are dreams. Ramban disagrees sharply.
• Rarely says Ein mukdam
• Ramban at the end of Bo - miracles are for specific purposes. To prove that He is true. Many mitzvos remind us of this reality.

LAST DAYS

• 1263 - King James of Aragon orders Ramban to debate Catholic priests including Pablo Christiani - an apostate Jew.
• This is the disputation of Barcelona - Ramban demanded freedom of expression.
• In July of 1263, it ran for 4 sessions. Many attendees and noblemen.
• The apostate was supposed to prove that Jesus was the Messiah and use the Talmud to prove it.
• Ramban was unrestrained - and ridiculed Pablo. King James said of the Ramban: "I've never seen a man so wrong, argue so well." Awarded 300 gold coins.
• King James came to shul the next Shabbos and preach to the community to convert.

PROSECUTION

• Church claimed that they won. Ramban wrote the sefer havikuach to document the debate. This was not allowed and deemed as blasphemous.
• Ramban fled Catalonia to the south where he began the Peirush al HaTorah
• Sailed to Israel - arrived in Elul.

IN ISRAEL

• Shocked to find that only 2 Jews lived in Yerushalim, lived in poverty. They got a minyan from the neighboring towns on Shabbos.
• Ramban build a shul that survived until 1948, and rebuilt in 67

DEATH

• He lived in Acco, where the larger community was.
• Died on 11 Nisan, 1270, Age 76
• Unknown burial place.
• A legend an giant of Torah.