Isaac Uziel
Encyclopedia
Isaac ben Abraham Uziel (d. April 1, 1622, Amsterdam
) (Hebrew: יצחק בן אברהם עזיאל) was a Spanish physician and poet born at Fez
. At one time he held the position of rabbi at Oran
, but late in life he left that city to settle in Amsterdam
, where he opened a Talmudical school
which counted among its pupils Manasseh ben Israel. Dissatisfied with the laxity in religious matters which he noticed among many members of the Sephardic community, Uziel delivered a series of lectures which led to the foundation of a new congregation under the name of "Neveh Shalom." In 1610, at the death of Judah Vega
, the first rabbi of the new congregation, Uziel was called to the rabbinate.
Uziel was the author of a Hebrew grammar, Ma'aneh Lashon, edited by his pupil Isaac Nehemiah at Amsterdam in 1627 (2d ed. 1710). He left also in manuscript many Hebrew and Spanish
poems (Libros Poeticos en Declaracion de Todos los Equivocos de las Sagradas Letras); these are highly praised by De Barrios, who represents the author as a great poet, an able musician, and a distinguished mathematician. Joseph Serrano dedicated a poem to Uziel; it is inserted in the Temime Derek.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
) (Hebrew: יצחק בן אברהם עזיאל) was a Spanish physician and poet born at Fez
Fes, Morocco
Fes or Fez is the second largest city of Morocco, after Casablanca, with a population of approximately 1 million . It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region....
. At one time he held the position of rabbi at Oran
Oran
Oran is a major city on the northwestern Mediterranean coast of Algeria, and the second largest city of the country.It is the capital of the Oran Province . The city has a population of 759,645 , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second largest...
, but late in life he left that city to settle in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, where he opened a Talmudical school
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
which counted among its pupils Manasseh ben Israel. Dissatisfied with the laxity in religious matters which he noticed among many members of the Sephardic community, Uziel delivered a series of lectures which led to the foundation of a new congregation under the name of "Neveh Shalom." In 1610, at the death of Judah Vega
Judah Vega
Judah Vega was the first rabbi of the second synagogue of Amsterdam, Neveh Shalom, which was established in 1608. After a short time he resigned his office, and in 1610 went to Constantinople, where he is said to have written a work entitled Jazania , which treated of the life of the Jewish...
, the first rabbi of the new congregation, Uziel was called to the rabbinate.
Uziel was the author of a Hebrew grammar, Ma'aneh Lashon, edited by his pupil Isaac Nehemiah at Amsterdam in 1627 (2d ed. 1710). He left also in manuscript many Hebrew and Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
poems (Libros Poeticos en Declaracion de Todos los Equivocos de las Sagradas Letras); these are highly praised by De Barrios, who represents the author as a great poet, an able musician, and a distinguished mathematician. Joseph Serrano dedicated a poem to Uziel; it is inserted in the Temime Derek.
Jewish Encyclopedia bibliography
- Koenen, Geschiedenis der Joden in Nederland, pp. 144, 428;
- Adolf JellinekAdolf Jellinek----Adolf Jellinek |Drslavice]], nearby Uherské Hradiště, Moravia - December 28, 1893, Vienna) was an Austrian rabbi and scholar...
, in Orient, Lit. viii. 264, 276; - Meyer KayserlingMeyer KayserlingMeyer Kayserling was a German rabbi and historian.-Life:He was educated at Halberstadt, Nikolsburg , Prague, Würzburg, and Berlin. He devoted himself to history and philosophy...
, Geschichte der Juden in Portugal, p. 285; - idem, Bibl. Esp.-Port.-Jud. p. 107;
- 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...
, Cat. Bodl. s.v.; - Fuenn, Keneset Yisrael, p. 646.