Hillel of Verona
Encyclopedia
Hillel ben Samuel was an Italian physician, philosopher, and Talmudist. He was the grandson of the Talmudic scholar Eliezer ben Samuel of Verona
.
, where he studied the Talmud and natural sciences, his teacher in the study of the former being Yonah Gerondi
, distinguished for his piety and rabbinical scholarship. Hillel, witnessing Gerondi's sincere repentance for his behavior in the Maimonides
controversy at Montpellier
, himself began to study Maimonides' religio-philosophical works, of which he became one of the most enthusiastic admirers. He studied medicine at Montpellier, and practised successively at Rome
, where he formed a friendship with the papal physician in ordinary, Maestro Isaac Gajo; at Capua
(1260-1271), where, having attained fame as physician and philosopher, he lectured on philosophy, among his hearers being Abraham Abulafia
; and at Ferrara
, where he had relatives.
In his old age he retired to Forlì
. In fact, he is also named Hillel of Forlì. Hearing there of Solomon Petit
's appearance in Italy with anti-Maimonidean designs, he immediately addressed a letter to Maestro Gajo, vividly describing the disastrous consequences of the first condemnation of Maimonides' works at Montpellier, and imploring him not to join the movement against Maimonides. In order to convince his friend more fully of the absolute groundlessness of the attacks upon the master, Hillel volunteered, with a somewhat exuberant self-complacency, to explain satisfactorily those passages of the Moreh which gave offense. And in order to quiet once and forever the constantly recurring dissensions, Hillel formulated a somewhat fantastic plan, which reveals at the same time his love of justice and his sincere regret that the sorrows of his people were increased by these discords. The plan was as follows: A council, composed of the most eminent rabbi
s of the East, should convene at Alexandria
, and, after listening to the opponents of Maimonides and examining their objections, should give a decision to be accepted by all Jews. It should furthermore depend upon this decision whether Maimonides' works should be burned or should be preserved for further study. Hillel was firmly convinced that the verdict could not be other than favorable to Maimonides.
in their most orthodox interpretation. He even pledged himself to implicit belief in the miraculous stories of the Bible
and the Talmud
, incurring thereby the censure of the more logical thinker Seraiah ben Isaac (Oẓar Neḥmad, ii.124 et seq.). In his chief work, Tagmule ha-Nefesh (Lyck, 1874), which reviews the philosophical literature, then in vogue, of the Greeks
and Arabs, Jews
and Christians, Hillel makes constant reference to the Bible and to Talmudic works, advancing his own opinion only when these latter are silent on the subject under consideration.
Hillel's works, in addition to the Tagmule ha-Nefesh, include: a commentary to Maimonides' 25 Propositions (Haḳdamot), printed together with the Tagmule ha-Nefesh; a revision of the Liber de Causis
, short extracts of which are given in Halberstam's edition of Tagmule ha-Nefesh; Sefer ha-Darbon, on the Haggadah; a philosophical explanation of Canticles
, quoted in Tagmule ha-Nefesh; Chirurgia Burni ex Latina in Hebræam Translata (De Rossi MS. No. 1281); and two letters to Maestro Gajo, printed in Ḥemdah Genuzah (1856), pp. 17-22, and in Ṭa'am Zeḳenim, p. 70.
Eliezer ben Samuel of Verona
Eliezer ben Samuel of Verona was an Italian Jewish tosafist.He was a disciple of Rabbi Isaac the elder, of Dampierre, and grandfather of the philosopher and physician Hillel of Forli. He had sanctioned the second marriage of a young woman whose husband had probably, though not certainly, perished...
.
Life
He spent his youth at BarcelonaBarcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, where he studied the Talmud and natural sciences, his teacher in the study of the former being Yonah Gerondi
Yonah Gerondi
Yonah ben Abraham Gerondi , also known as Rabbenu Yonah and Yonah of Gerona, was a Catalan rabbi and moralist, cousin of Nahmanides. He is most famous for his ethical work The Gates of Repentance .- Biography :...
, distinguished for his piety and rabbinical scholarship. Hillel, witnessing Gerondi's sincere repentance for his behavior in the Maimonides
Maimonides
Moses ben-Maimon, called Maimonides and also known as Mūsā ibn Maymūn in Arabic, or Rambam , was a preeminent medieval Jewish philosopher and one of the greatest Torah scholars and physicians of the Middle Ages...
controversy at Montpellier
Montpellier
-Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council....
, himself began to study Maimonides' religio-philosophical works, of which he became one of the most enthusiastic admirers. He studied medicine at Montpellier, and practised successively at Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, where he formed a friendship with the papal physician in ordinary, Maestro Isaac Gajo; at Capua
Capua
Capua is a city and comune in the province of Caserta, Campania, southern Italy, situated 25 km north of Naples, on the northeastern edge of the Campanian plain. Ancient Capua was situated where Santa Maria Capua Vetere is now...
(1260-1271), where, having attained fame as physician and philosopher, he lectured on philosophy, among his hearers being Abraham Abulafia
Abraham Abulafia
Abraham ben Samuel Abulafia , the founder of the school of "Prophetic Kabbalah", was born in Zaragoza, Spain, in 1240, and died sometime after 1291, in Comino, Maltese archipelago.-Early life and travels:...
; and at Ferrara
Ferrara
Ferrara is a city and comune in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital city of the Province of Ferrara. It is situated 50 km north-northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream of the Po River, located 5 km north...
, where he had relatives.
In his old age he retired to Forlì
Forlì
Forlì is a comune and city in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, and is the capital of the province of Forlì-Cesena. The city is situated along the Via Emilia, to the right of the Montone river, and is an important agricultural centre...
. In fact, he is also named Hillel of Forlì. Hearing there of Solomon Petit
Solomon Petit
Solomon Petit was a 13th-century French Tosafist who settled in Acre, Palestine, where he gathered a following of mystics and instigated a new campaign against the philosophical writings of Maimonidies. When the Exilarch of Damascus, Yishai ben Chezkiah, learned of the renewed anti-Mainmonist...
's appearance in Italy with anti-Maimonidean designs, he immediately addressed a letter to Maestro Gajo, vividly describing the disastrous consequences of the first condemnation of Maimonides' works at Montpellier, and imploring him not to join the movement against Maimonides. In order to convince his friend more fully of the absolute groundlessness of the attacks upon the master, Hillel volunteered, with a somewhat exuberant self-complacency, to explain satisfactorily those passages of the Moreh which gave offense. And in order to quiet once and forever the constantly recurring dissensions, Hillel formulated a somewhat fantastic plan, which reveals at the same time his love of justice and his sincere regret that the sorrows of his people were increased by these discords. The plan was as follows: A council, composed of the most eminent rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
s of the East, should convene at Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
, and, after listening to the opponents of Maimonides and examining their objections, should give a decision to be accepted by all Jews. It should furthermore depend upon this decision whether Maimonides' works should be burned or should be preserved for further study. Hillel was firmly convinced that the verdict could not be other than favorable to Maimonides.
Works
Hillel, in spite of his wide philosophical knowledge, remained faithful to the teachings of JudaismJudaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
in their most orthodox interpretation. He even pledged himself to implicit belief in the miraculous stories of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
and the Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
, incurring thereby the censure of the more logical thinker Seraiah ben Isaac (Oẓar Neḥmad, ii.124 et seq.). In his chief work, Tagmule ha-Nefesh (Lyck, 1874), which reviews the philosophical literature, then in vogue, of the Greeks
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
and Arabs, Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
and Christians, Hillel makes constant reference to the Bible and to Talmudic works, advancing his own opinion only when these latter are silent on the subject under consideration.
Hillel's works, in addition to the Tagmule ha-Nefesh, include: a commentary to Maimonides' 25 Propositions (Haḳdamot), printed together with the Tagmule ha-Nefesh; a revision of the Liber de Causis
Liber de Causis
The Liber de Causis was a philosophical work attributed to Aristotle that became popular in the Middle Ages, first in Arabic and Islamic countries and later in the Latin West. The real authorship remains a mystery, but most of the content is taken from Proclus' Elements of Theology...
, short extracts of which are given in Halberstam's edition of Tagmule ha-Nefesh; Sefer ha-Darbon, on the Haggadah; a philosophical explanation of Canticles
Song of songs
Song of Songs, also known as the Song of Solomon, is a book of the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament. It may also refer to:In music:* Song of songs , the debut album by David and the Giants* A generic term for medleysPlays...
, quoted in Tagmule ha-Nefesh; Chirurgia Burni ex Latina in Hebræam Translata (De Rossi MS. No. 1281); and two letters to Maestro Gajo, printed in Ḥemdah Genuzah (1856), pp. 17-22, and in Ṭa'am Zeḳenim, p. 70.
Jewish Encyclopedia bibliography
- Marco MortaraMarco MortaraMarco Mortara Marco Mortara Marco Mortara (born at Viadana, 7 May 1815; died at Mantua, 2 February 1894 was an Italian rabbi and scholar.Having graduated from the rabbinical college of Padua in 1836, he was called as rabbi to Mantua in 1842, and occupied this position until his death...
, Indice, p. 21; - Edelmann, Ḥemdah Genuzah, Introduction, xxi;
- Monatsschrift, xxiv.563;
- Heinrich Grätz, Gesch. vii.162;
- Moritz SteinschneiderMoritz SteinschneiderMoritz Steinschneider was a Bohemian bibliographer and Orientalist. He received his early instruction in Hebrew from his father, Jacob Steinschneider , who was not only an expert Talmudist, but was also well versed in secular science...
, Letter to Halberstam, in Tagmule ha-Nefesh, p. 7; - idem, Hebr. Bibl. vi.110, xiii.7;
- idem, in Monatsschrift, xlii.120;
- Moritz GüdemannMoritz Güdemann- Life :He was educated at Breslau , and took his rabbinical diploma at the Jewish Theological Seminary of that city. In the latter year he was called to the rabbinate of Magdeburg; in 1866 he went to Vienna as preacher, where he became rabbi in 1868, and chief rabbi in 1890.- Works :Güdemann...
, Gesch. ii.563.