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Tarragona, and later from that of Traga in Aragon. He officiated finally in Calatayud as rabbi and head of the Talmudical academy. Upon the expulsion of the Jews in 1492, Arama settled in Naples, where he died. Arama is the author of " 'Akedat Yizhak " (Offering of Isaac), a lengthy philosophical commentary on the Pentateuch, homiletic in style. Prom this work he is frequently spoken of as the "Ba'al 'Akedah" (author of the " 'Akedah"). He also wrote a commentary upon the Pive Rolls, and a work called " Hazut

Kashah " (A Burdensome

upon the relation Yad Abshalom " (The Hand of Absalom), a commentary on Proverbs, Vision),

of philosophy to theology



also "

written in memory of his son-in-law, Absalom, who died shortly after his marriage. Arama was the very type of the Spanish-Jewish scholar of the second half of the fifteenth century. The study of the First of all he was a Talmudist. Talmud was of the utmost importance to him; so that he lamented deeply when his rabbinical pupils could not follow him from Zamora to Tarragona, because the latter community was unable to support them. In the next place, he was a philosopher. The study of philosophy was so universal in Spain at that period that no one could assume As Talmud- a public position who had not devoted himself to it. Arama had paid parist and ticular attention to Maimonides; but Phiindependent philosophical thought is losopher.

hardly to be found in his work. His remarks concerning the nature of the soul (" 'Akedah," chap, vi.) are noteworthy. After a detailed account of the various theories about the soul which had prevailed, he comes to the conclusion that the first germ of the soul, common to the whole human race, has its origin with and in the body. His theory that the soul is that of Alexander of Aphrodisias but Arama is is the " form " of the organic body able to adduce support for it from Talmud and Cabala. The third element in Arama's mental composition was Cabala as expounded in the Zohar, which he believed to have been written by Simon ben Yohai. He did not, however, occupy himself so much with the mystical side of Cabala as with its philosophy. His earliest work, the "Hazut Kashah," presenting in a certain sense an enunciation of Arama's re-

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ligious philosophy, includes also much that is interesting pertaining to the history of the Jews in Spain The aim of the work was prior to their expulsion. to furnish a rejoinder to the missionary sermons of

the Church, to which, under the laws then prevaHence his lent, the Jews were compelled to listen. polemic against the Christian dogma of Grace is the resume of an oral disputation between Arama and a In support of his attack upon Christian scholar. this Christian dogma, Arama adduces the doctrine of the freedom of the will as formulated by Aris-

and the consideration of God's transcendent justice, which would make Grace to consist of nothing but the exercise of the will of a despot. Betotle,

sides this instance of his polemics, his treatment of the Deluge contains several attacks upon Christian-

The greater portion of the work, however, is devoted to the confutation of that philosophy which refuses to recognize Jewish revelation, or recognizes ity.

Aram-Geshur Arama, Melr

THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA it

Por

only as identical with philosophy.

sive use of the allegorical

mode

his exten-

of interpretation, see

Allegory. Arama's chief work, which exercised great influence upon Jewish thought, and is still much read, is the " 'Akedat Yizhak." This is considered by many as the classical work upon Jewish homiletics. The form of the sermons contained therein was closely imitated by the Darshanim. The old sermon was either didactic among Germans, upon ritual matters; among Spanish and Provencal Jews, upon philosophy or else it was of an edifying, moralizing nature, such as the Haggadot. Arama's sermons in this work were the first attempt to unite both these tendencies. Though not artistic, he

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Sermons should not be reproached therefor, but Models for should rather he commended for havFuture ing established a model for generaPreachers, tions of darshanim and modern Jewish preachers. Beginning with a Biblical text, Arama constructs his sermon along the lines of some saying of the Haggadah, the connection of which with the text is expounded by means of a philosophic disquisition, popularly told, and interspersed with specifically rabbinical interpretations; each sermon thus satisfied the lovers of philosophy His commentary on the as well as of the Talmud. Five Scrolls partakes of the same philosophical and homiletic nature as the " 'Akedat Yizhak " it has not, however, received much attention at the hands

of moderns. Arama also attempted to write poetry, and is the author of a Bakkasliah (supplication), which, although of no poetic excellence, has a certain charm. Arama's writings enjoyed universal esteem immediately upon their appearance, to such an extent in-

deed that Isaac Abravanel, a younger contemporary of his, did not scruple to embody long passages in Arama himself, however, very often his own works. copied from Rabbi Abraham Bibago without mentioning him, as J. S. Del Medigo pointed out in his "Mazref la-Hokmah" (Crucible for Wisdom). Arama's works were likewise esteemed by the Christian world for in 1729 an academical dissertation by M. A. J. van der Hardt, of the University of Helmstedt, was published under the title " Dissertatio Rabbinica

de Usu Linguae in Akedat Ischak, " treating of section 62 of Arama's work, giving it in Hebrew with Latin translation. Havyim Jos. Pollak, in his edition ol the 'AkeLiteraturblatt des Ori1849, i. 2-7 Benjacob, Steinschneider, Cat. Bodl. s.v. 688; ents, Ozar ha-Sefarim, under the respective titles Van Straalen, (Suppl.), pp. 114, 125, 137; Winter and Cat. Brit. Wiinsche, Jlld. Lit. ii. 618-631 S. I. Fuenn, Kencset 1 Israel. Zunz, S. P., p. 528 M. L. Kohn, BiographicnHer647, 648 vnrragender Rahbiniselur Avturitiltcn, pp. i-M. id, -HI; Kaufmann, Die Sinne, Index, s.v.

Bibliography



dat Yizhak, Presburg,





iv.'



Mm.







1j.

ARAMA, MEIB, BEN ISAAC



Of.

Philosopher

and Biblical commentator born at Saragossa at the end of the fifteenth oentury; died about 1556 in His father was exiled from Spain in 1492 Salonica. and died in Naples. Melr Arama, who had gone thither with his father, remained there until the French army invaded Naples in 1495. He then went to Salonica and settled there, devoting himself

to literary pursuits.