Menahem Lonzano
Encyclopedia
Menahem ben Judah ben Menahem de Lonzano was a rabbi
, Masoretic
scholar, lexicographer, and poet
. He died after 1608 in Jerusalem. His nativity is unknown, but it has been supposed that he was born in Italy
. According to Jellinek
, who identified Lonzano with Longano, a seaport of Messenia
, his home was Greece
; it may, however, have been Longono, a port of Tuscany
near Livorno
. In early childhood, Lonzano lost both his father and mother, and throughout his entire life he was haunted by poverty, care, and sickness (Shete Yadot, p. 81a).
, where he enjoyed the hospitality of a certain Solomon (Ṭobah Tokaḥat, pp. 140, 148).
There also he met Samuel de Medina
, whom he calls "teacher," and under whom he studied for some time (Conforte
, Ḳore ha-Dorot, p. 44a). From Constantinople he returned to Jerusalem: he was compelled to travel continually to earn his bread. In old age, again driven by poverty, he returned to Italy, having spent altogether about forty years of his life in Jerusalem. Though paralyzed in both feet and with the sight of one eye entirely lost, he preached twice in an Italian synagogue
and gave the community cause to marvel at his unusual knowledge of midrashic literature. A fund was raised by the congregation to support him and to enable him to return to Jerusalem, and a petition was sent to a wealthy man asking him for a generous contribution. This letter (Mortara, No. 12) has been published by David Kaufmann (J.Q.R. viii.525 et seq.). Lonzano died in the outskirts of Jerusalem and was buried there (comp. Shibḥe Yerushalayim, p. 3a; Ḥibbat Yerushalayim, p. 42b; Luncz, Jerusalem, i.115).
Lonzano had three children; a son, Adonikam, died at an early age. He was the father-in-law of the historian David Conforte
(Ḳore ha-Dorot, l.c.); Lonzano of Florence (1716), author of a responsum mentioned in Shemesh Ẓedaḳah (i., No. 15, p. 27a), may be one of his descendants (Landshuth,' Ammude ha-'Abodah, p. 184).
' Abodat Miḳdash, a poetical description of the daily sacrifice in the Temple (comp. Steinschneider, Cat. Bodl. col. 1728).
He wrote commentaries to most of his poems; this was, indeed, often necessary on account of the obscurity of his verses, especially where they are cabalistic in content and employ the cabalistic terminology. He generally indicates the meters of the piyyuṭim, many of which were set to Arabic melodies because these, the author thought, were better adapted, on account of their melancholy, to arouse feelings of devotion and humility (Shete Yadot, p. 65b); or, as he says further on in the same work (p. 142a), because they sound more solemn than any others. He is well aware of the fact that high authorities objected to the use of foreign melodies for religious hymns, but he does not share their view, although he objects most strongly to the practise of imitating the sound of foreign words by means of Hebrew assonants. He condemns, for instance, Shem Nora, imitating the title of the Italian song "Seniora"; and he felt compelled to declare solemnly before God and Israel that he used foreign terms only to praise the Lord and not for profane or frivolous purposes (ib. p. 122a).
From the point of view of literary history the passage in Shete Yadot (p. 137b) in which he names those payyeṭanim he preferred is valuable. He considers a good religious poem one that would cheer and gladden him while it would also make him weep; that would break the haughtiness of his heart and inspire him with love for God (comp. Sachs, Die Religiöse Poesie der Juden in Spanien, p. 257). Although his own poems display little taste or beauty, the cabalists were fond of quoting them, and some of his piyyuṭim became part of the Sephardic Maḥzor
(comp. Maḥzor Sefarad for Shalosh Regalim, ed. Vienna, 1836, pp. 21–22; Reubens, Catalogue Ḥesheḳ Shelomoh, p. 83, No. 573, Amsterdam, 1857; Landshuth,' Ammude ha-'Abodah, p. 181).
Lonzano called his chief work Shete Yadot (= "Two Hands"; Venice, 1618), taking the title from Ex. xxvi.17; and, keeping to the same figure, he divided these two "hands" into five "fingers" (eẓba'ot) each. The five fingers of the first part, called Yad 'Ani ("Hand of the Poor"; comp. Ezek.
xvi.49), are severally entitled Or Torah, Ma'arik,' Abodat Miḳdash, Derek Ḥayyim, and Ṭobah Tokaḥat.
The second part of the Shete Yadot, called Yad ha-Melek, and also divided into five "fingers," is a collection of old midrashic works, some of which appeared here for the first time; others afforded more complete and correct texts than any previously known. Lonzano himself, on account of lack of money, could print only: (1) Haggadat Bereshit; of the remaining four "fingers" of the Yad ha-Melek, (2) Midrash Agur was published, according to Benjacob (Oẓar ha-Sefarim, p. 299), in 1626, at Safed or Kefar 'Ain Zeitun; but Steinschneider (Cat. Bodl., col. 1778) denies that it ever appeared in print. The other three "fingers" exist only in manuscript: (3) Tanna debe Eliyahu; (4) Abot de-Rabbi Natan, Masseket Derek Ereẓ, Otiyyot de R. Akiba; (5) Sefer ha-Tashlumin, containing the remaining portions of Genesis Rabbah, and supplements to Midrash Yelammedenu, Sifra
, Sifre
, and Tanḥuma
.
Lonzano wrote also:' Adi Zahab, glosses to the Lebush of Mordecai Jaffe (see Azulai
, Shem ha-Gedolim, ii.106); Imre Emet, notes on Hayyim Vital's Cabala
;' Omer Man, commentary on Idra Zuṭa, a part of the Zohar
, published with a refutation by Naphtali ben David (Amsterdam, 1729); and lexicographical observations on the Talmud Yerushalmi (published by S. Buber in Ha-Asif, ii.320 et seq.).
on account of blasphemous illustrations and expressions in his' Olat Ḥodesh, disputes with Abraham Monson concerning Vital
's Cabala, with Solomon Norzi concerning the Masorah
, and with others. It can easily be understood that in his single-minded devotion to the truth, "to which all owe the highest regard" (Shete Yadot, p. 81b), Lonzano made many personal enemies. In only one respect does he seem to have been in harmony with the spirit of the time, and that was in his love for the Cabala
and his hostility toward philosophy.
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...
, Masoretic
Masoretic Text
The Masoretic Text is the authoritative Hebrew text of the Jewish Bible and is regarded as Judaism's official version of the Tanakh. While the Masoretic Text defines the books of the Jewish canon, it also defines the precise letter-text of these biblical books, with their vocalization and...
scholar, lexicographer, and poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
. He died after 1608 in Jerusalem. His nativity is unknown, but it has been supposed that he was born in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. According to Jellinek
Adolf Jellinek
----Adolf Jellinek |Drslavice]], nearby Uherské Hradiště, Moravia - December 28, 1893, Vienna) was an Austrian rabbi and scholar...
, who identified Lonzano with Longano, a seaport of Messenia
Messenia
Messenia is a regional unit in the southwestern part of the Peloponnese region, one of 13 regions into which Greece has been divided by the Kallikratis plan, implemented 1 January 2011...
, his home was Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
; it may, however, have been Longono, a port of Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
near Livorno
Livorno
Livorno , traditionally Leghorn , is a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of approximately 160,000 residents in 2009.- History :...
. In early childhood, Lonzano lost both his father and mother, and throughout his entire life he was haunted by poverty, care, and sickness (Shete Yadot, p. 81a).
Life
In his youth he went to Jerusalem and married there, but in consequence of the treachery of one of his friends, Gedaliah Cordovero, he was compelled to leave the city; he went to ConstantinopleConstantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
, where he enjoyed the hospitality of a certain Solomon (Ṭobah Tokaḥat, pp. 140, 148).
There also he met Samuel de Medina
Samuel de Medina
Rabbi Samuel ben Moses de Medina , was a Talmudist and author; born 1505; died October 12, 1589, at Salonica. He was principal of the Talmudic college of that city, which produced a great number of prominent scholars during the 16th and 17th centuries...
, whom he calls "teacher," and under whom he studied for some time (Conforte
David Conforte
David Conforte was a Hebrew literary historian born in Salonica, author of the literary chronicle known by the title Ḳore ha-Dorot.-Biography:...
, Ḳore ha-Dorot, p. 44a). From Constantinople he returned to Jerusalem: he was compelled to travel continually to earn his bread. In old age, again driven by poverty, he returned to Italy, having spent altogether about forty years of his life in Jerusalem. Though paralyzed in both feet and with the sight of one eye entirely lost, he preached twice in an Italian synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
and gave the community cause to marvel at his unusual knowledge of midrashic literature. A fund was raised by the congregation to support him and to enable him to return to Jerusalem, and a petition was sent to a wealthy man asking him for a generous contribution. This letter (Mortara, No. 12) has been published by David Kaufmann (J.Q.R. viii.525 et seq.). Lonzano died in the outskirts of Jerusalem and was buried there (comp. Shibḥe Yerushalayim, p. 3a; Ḥibbat Yerushalayim, p. 42b; Luncz, Jerusalem, i.115).
Lonzano had three children; a son, Adonikam, died at an early age. He was the father-in-law of the historian David Conforte
David Conforte
David Conforte was a Hebrew literary historian born in Salonica, author of the literary chronicle known by the title Ḳore ha-Dorot.-Biography:...
(Ḳore ha-Dorot, l.c.); Lonzano of Florence (1716), author of a responsum mentioned in Shemesh Ẓedaḳah (i., No. 15, p. 27a), may be one of his descendants (Landshuth,
Works
Lonzano's first work, composed and printed in his youth, probably in Constantinople about 1572, contains Derek Ḥayyim, a moral poem of 315 verses; Pizmonim u-Baḳḳashot, hymns and prayers; andHe wrote commentaries to most of his poems; this was, indeed, often necessary on account of the obscurity of his verses, especially where they are cabalistic in content and employ the cabalistic terminology. He generally indicates the meters of the piyyuṭim, many of which were set to Arabic melodies because these, the author thought, were better adapted, on account of their melancholy, to arouse feelings of devotion and humility (Shete Yadot, p. 65b); or, as he says further on in the same work (p. 142a), because they sound more solemn than any others. He is well aware of the fact that high authorities objected to the use of foreign melodies for religious hymns, but he does not share their view, although he objects most strongly to the practise of imitating the sound of foreign words by means of Hebrew assonants. He condemns, for instance, Shem Nora, imitating the title of the Italian song "Seniora"; and he felt compelled to declare solemnly before God and Israel that he used foreign terms only to praise the Lord and not for profane or frivolous purposes (ib. p. 122a).
From the point of view of literary history the passage in Shete Yadot (p. 137b) in which he names those payyeṭanim he preferred is valuable. He considers a good religious poem one that would cheer and gladden him while it would also make him weep; that would break the haughtiness of his heart and inspire him with love for God (comp. Sachs, Die Religiöse Poesie der Juden in Spanien, p. 257). Although his own poems display little taste or beauty, the cabalists were fond of quoting them, and some of his piyyuṭim became part of the Sephardic Maḥzor
Mahzor
The mahzor is the prayer book used by Jews on the High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Many Jews also make use of specialized mahzorim on the three "pilgrimage festivals" of Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot...
(comp. Maḥzor Sefarad for Shalosh Regalim, ed. Vienna, 1836, pp. 21–22; Reubens, Catalogue Ḥesheḳ Shelomoh, p. 83, No. 573, Amsterdam, 1857; Landshuth,
Lonzano called his chief work Shete Yadot (= "Two Hands"; Venice, 1618), taking the title from Ex. xxvi.17; and, keeping to the same figure, he divided these two "hands" into five "fingers" (eẓba'ot) each. The five fingers of the first part, called Yad 'Ani ("Hand of the Poor"; comp. Ezek.
Book of Ezekiel
The Book of Ezekiel is the third of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, following the books of Isaiah and Jeremiah and preceding the Book of the Twelve....
xvi.49), are severally entitled Or Torah, Ma'arik,
List of works
- Or Torah, Masoretic studies, and emendations of the Masoretic text of the Pentateuch. For this he used old Pentateuchal manuscripts, from which he took much valuable material not found in other sources. He possessed some very valuable manuscript midrashim, among them some which even the author of the
' Aruk and of the Yalḳuṭ had never seen. To aid him in collecting his splendid library, his friends wrote to the communities of Jerusalem, AleppoAleppoAleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
, and DamascusDamascusDamascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
, and he obtained books from those cities. An illustration of Lonzano's scientific spirit is found in the passage in which he says: "I have made this correction on the strength of ten or more manuscripts, not one of which could be copied [now] for 100 ducatDucatThe ducat is a gold coin that was used as a trade coin throughout Europe before World War I. Its weight is 3.4909 grams of .986 gold, which is 0.1107 troy ounce, actual gold weight...
s, and some of which are more than five or six hundred years old, namely: the Massoret Seyag la-Torah of Meïr ben Todros ha-Levi Abulafia (a manuscript of the MasorahMasoretic TextThe Masoretic Text is the authoritative Hebrew text of the Jewish Bible and is regarded as Judaism's official version of the Tanakh. While the Masoretic Text defines the books of the Jewish canon, it also defines the precise letter-text of these biblical books, with their vocalization and...
), the Ḳiryat Sefer of MeïriMeiriMeiri:* Rabbi Menachem Meiri , a famous Catalan rabbi, Talmudist, Maimondean* Elias Meiri, an Israeli pianist, husband of Timna Brauer* Yehudit Kafri , a 20th century Israeli poet, writer...
, the Eṭ Sofer of David ḲimḥiDavid KimhiDavid Kimhi , also known by the Hebrew acronym as the RaDaK , was a medieval rabbi, biblical commentator, philosopher, and grammarian. Born in Narbonne, Provence, he was the son of Rabbi Joseph Kimhi and the brother of Rabbi Moses Kimhi, both biblical commentators and grammarians...
, the Shemen Sason, and various others. Accordingly, if any one is in doubt as to the reading of any passage in the Bible, with God's help I will resolve his perplexity, especially if I am at home." Lonzano could not endure the thought that this scientific material was lying idle or that it might perish with him. He therefore determined to publish the book, even at an expense of a hundred ducats for printing, although he was well aware that he was acting cruelly toward his needy family in Jerusalem, to which he could send no money. The Or Torah was afterward published separately (Amsterdam, 1659; Hamburg, 1738; Berlin, 1745; Zolkiev, 1747; see Benjacob, Oẓar ha-Sefarim, p. 28). - Ma'arik, explanations in alphabetical order of foreign words in the TalmudTalmudThe 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....
, the Midrashim, and the ZoharZoharThe Zohar is the foundational work in the literature of Jewish mystical thought known as Kabbalah. It is a group of books including commentary on the mystical aspects of the Torah and scriptural interpretations as well as material on Mysticism, mythical cosmogony, and mystical psychology...
. His knowledge of Arabic and Greek, gained during his toilsome journeys, proved of great service in his philosophical investigations. In the introduction to this part he speaks, not without humor, of his new method of treating these loan-words and of the way he came to adopt it. Thus Lonzano actually reintroduced into lexicography the rational, scientific spirit of the old, classic Hebræo-Arabic philologists, despite the opposition of his contemporaries and against the authority of old, recognized teachers, including even the author of the' Aruk. The summary of the Ma'arik by Philippe d'Aquin, the author of the lexicon Ma'arik ha-Ma'areket (Paris, 1629), like the whole of the work Shete Yadot, is as valuable as it is rare. It has been published in modern times by A. JellinekAdolf Jellinek----Adolf Jellinek |Drslavice]], nearby Uherské Hradiště, Moravia - December 28, 1893, Vienna) was an Austrian rabbi and scholar...
(Leipzig, 1853), and is printed in the Lemberg edition of the' Aruk of Nathan ben JehielNathan ben JehielNathan ben Jehiel of Rome was a Jewish Italian lexicographer. He was born in Rome not later than 1035 to one of the most notable Roman families of Jewish scholars. Owing to an error propagated by Azulai, he has been regarded as a scion of the house of De Pomis...
of Rome under the title Arba'ah Sefarim Niftaḥim (1857). - The
' Abodat Miḳdash and - Derek Ḥayyim are reprints, with additions, from his first work, mentioned above; the
' Abodat Miḳdash was published also by Judah Perez in his collection Sha'are Raḥamim (1710), by Jacob EmdenJacob EmdenJacob Emden also known as Ya'avetz, , was a leading German rabbi and talmudist who championed Orthodox Judaism in the face of the growing influence of the Sabbatean movement...
(1767), by Azriel of Vilna (Fürth, 1726), and at Venice at the end of the sixteenth century. - Ṭobah Tokaḥat, didactic poems, written at the house of Solomon, his patron in Constantinople. These are largely borrowed from a collection of short moral proverbs, entitled Sefer Toẓe'ot Ḥayyim, by a certain Moses ben Nathanael ibn Solomon.
The second part of the Shete Yadot, called Yad ha-Melek, and also divided into five "fingers," is a collection of old midrashic works, some of which appeared here for the first time; others afforded more complete and correct texts than any previously known. Lonzano himself, on account of lack of money, could print only: (1) Haggadat Bereshit; of the remaining four "fingers" of the Yad ha-Melek, (2) Midrash Agur was published, according to Benjacob (Oẓar ha-Sefarim, p. 299), in 1626, at Safed or Kefar 'Ain Zeitun; but Steinschneider (Cat. Bodl., col. 1778) denies that it ever appeared in print. The other three "fingers" exist only in manuscript: (3) Tanna debe Eliyahu; (4) Abot de-Rabbi Natan, Masseket Derek Ereẓ, Otiyyot de R. Akiba; (5) Sefer ha-Tashlumin, containing the remaining portions of Genesis Rabbah, and supplements to Midrash Yelammedenu, Sifra
Sifra
Sifra is the Halakic midrash to Leviticus. It is frequently quoted in the Talmud, and the study of it followed that of the Mishnah, as appears from Tanḥuma, quoted in Or Zarua, i. 7b. Like Leviticus itself, the midrash is occasionally called "Torat Kohanim" , and in two passages also "Sifra debe...
, Sifre
Sifre
Sifre refers to either of two works of Midrash halakhah, or classical Jewish legal Biblical exegesis, based on the biblical books of Bamidbar and Devarim .- The Talmudic-Era Sifre :The title "Sifre debe Rab" is used by R. Hananeel on Sheb. 37b, Alfasi on Pes...
, and Tanḥuma
Tanhuma
Midrash Tanhuma is the name given to three different collections of Pentateuch haggadot; two are extant, while the third is known only through citations. These midrashim, although bearing the name of R. Tanḥuma, must not be regarded as having been written or edited by him...
.
Lonzano wrote also:
Chaim Joseph David Azulai
Chaim Joseph David Azulai ben Isaac Zerachia , commonly known as the Chida , was a Jerusalem born rabbinical scholar, a noted bibliophile, and a pioneer in the publication of Jewish religious writings.- Biography :Azulai was born in Jerusalem, where he received his education...
, Shem ha-Gedolim, ii.106); Imre Emet, notes on Hayyim Vital's Cabala
Kabbalah
Kabbalah/Kabala is a discipline and school of thought concerned with the esoteric aspect of Rabbinic Judaism. It was systematized in 11th-13th century Hachmei Provence and Spain, and again after the Expulsion from Spain, in 16th century Ottoman Palestine...
;
Zohar
The Zohar is the foundational work in the literature of Jewish mystical thought known as Kabbalah. It is a group of books including commentary on the mystical aspects of the Torah and scriptural interpretations as well as material on Mysticism, mythical cosmogony, and mystical psychology...
, published with a refutation by Naphtali ben David (Amsterdam, 1729); and lexicographical observations on the Talmud Yerushalmi (published by S. Buber in Ha-Asif, ii.320 et seq.).
Characterization
In spite of physical infirmities, Lonzano was an eager combatant, and not only defended his own conclusions with energy, but also aggressively attacked both his predecessors and his contemporaries. At the same time he always felt conscious that their worth was as far above his as the "heaven is above the earth" (Shete Yadot, p. 83). He assails the author of the midrashic commentary Mattenat Kehunnah, attacks Israel ben Moses NajaraIsrael ben Moses Najara
Israel ben Moses Najara was a Jewish liturgical poet, preacher, Biblical commentator, kabbalist, and rabbi of Gaza.- Biography :...
on account of blasphemous illustrations and expressions in his
Hayyim ben Joseph Vital
Hayyim ben Joseph Vital was a rabbi in Safed and the foremost disciple of Isaac Luria. He recorded much of his master's teachings...
's Cabala, with Solomon Norzi concerning the Masorah
Masoretic Text
The Masoretic Text is the authoritative Hebrew text of the Jewish Bible and is regarded as Judaism's official version of the Tanakh. While the Masoretic Text defines the books of the Jewish canon, it also defines the precise letter-text of these biblical books, with their vocalization and...
, and with others. It can easily be understood that in his single-minded devotion to the truth, "to which all owe the highest regard" (Shete Yadot, p. 81b), Lonzano made many personal enemies. In only one respect does he seem to have been in harmony with the spirit of the time, and that was in his love for the Cabala
Cabala
Cabala may refer to one of several systems of Mysticism:* Kabbalah, the religious mystical system of Judaism...
and his hostility toward philosophy.