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544 Barrientos

THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA

Barsimson

by R. Judah as being applicable chiefly him who dies without children (M. K. 27b) his

interpreted to



Estimate of Bar-

renness.

Law Iris

quiver is not full with those that shall represent him in the study-house or the Temple. But at times the ethical side

rose

superior

to the religious

view also among the doctors of the of the Talmudic age " A man's good deeds are

best posterity

"

(Tan.

vii.).

A

remarkable light is likewise thrown upon the usual conception of the supreme importance of a numerous progeny by the provision probably intended for certain obstetrical cases well known to modern surgery that while it is always forbidden for a man to partake of a defertilizing draught, such may sometimes be permitted to a woman (Tos. Yeb. viii. 4; see Levy," Neuhebr.Worterb." s.v. 1-lpJ». A passage in Shab. HOa etseq. gives the alleged ingredients of such a drink (J'HpJ? D13. "the cup of barren-

—

—

)

ness

").

Medieval Judaism, taking

its coloring from the superstitions of its surroundings, saw an additional source of sorrow in Barrenness, in the consequent impossibility of having the Kaddish recited by children for the repose of the souls of the parents upon their demise. See article Kaddish. For the legal aspects of Barrenness, see Marriage

Laws. F.

sr.

j.

de

S.

M.

BARRIENTOS, ISAAC:

Author; otherwise unknown, but certainly not the same as Daniel Levi de Barrios; is the author of "Theologia Natural Contra los Atheos, Epicureos, y Sectarios del Tiempo," The Hague, 1725. Bibliography: Kayserling, Biblioteca Espan.-Portuy.-Juci. p. 16.

M. K.

k.

BARRIOS, DANIEL

DE

LEVI

(MIGUEL)

Spanish poet and historian born 1625 at Montilla, Spain; died Feb., 1701, at Amsterdam. He was the son of a Marano, Simon de Barrios who also called himself Jacob Levi Caniso and



—

Sarah Valle. Caniso.

To

His grandfather was Abraham Levi escape the persecutions of the Inquisi-

and remained for a time at Marialva, and also in the vicinity of VillaFlor. Not feeling safe in Portugal, he went to AlMiguel, his son, went to Italy and dwelt for geria. a time at Nice, where his paternal aunt was married to the otherwise unknown Abraham de Torres. He then stayed for a longer time at Leghorn, where another sister of his father, wife of Isaac Cohen de tion,

Simon

fled to Portugal,

Sosa, prevailed upon him to declare himself publicly Soon after this he married Deborah Vaez, a Jew. a relative of his brother-in-law, Eliahu Vaez, from Algeria, and afterward determined to leave Europe. On July 20, 1660, he with 152 eorelig-

Emigrates to the West Indies.

and fellow-sufferers set sail for the West Indies. Soon after his arrival at Tobago his young wife died, and he returned to Europe. He went to iouists

Brussels and there entered the military service of Spain. De Barrios, who in the course of his long life had to undergo a hard struggle against fate, spent his

544

happiest j-ears at Brussels, where he came much in contact with Spanish and Portuguese knights, and where he was soon advanced to the rank of captain. Here he wrote his best poetical work his "Flor de Apolo " (see below) his dramas, and " Coro de las Musas, " in which he sang the praises of the reigning princes of Europe and of the then most flourishing cities, Madrid, Lisbon, Paris, London, Rome, Amsterdam, and others. Here also he planned his greatest poetical work, which was to deal with the Pentateuch, and which was to be divided into twelve parts, each part to be dedicated to a European ruler. He intended to call it the " Imperio de Dios " or " Harmonia del Mundo. " Several potentates had already sent the poet their likenesses, their genealogies, and their coats of arms, and had promised the means for the production of the work, when the board of wardens (" ma'amad ") and the rabbis of the Amsterdam community refused to give the necessary " approbation " for the publication of the work, through which, they held, the law of God might be profaned. In 1674 De Barrios left the Spanish service and removed to Amsterdam, where he joined the numerous followers of Shabbethai Zebi. He firmly believed that the Messiah would appear on the Jewish New Year of 5485. On the Passover preceding that holy day he suddenly became insane, fasted for four days, refused to take any nourishment, and

—

—

Becomes

in

consequence was so weakened that

was despaired of. Only the earnest remonstrances of the eminent Rabbi Jacob Sasportas, who had given him advice in regard to the compilation of his " Harmonia del Insane.

his life

Mundo," and who possessed his full confidence, prevailed with him and induced him to take food and thus by degrees to regain his strength. De Barrios remained in poor circumstances all his life. In order to earn bread for those nearest to him, he sang the praises of the rich Spanish-Portuguese Jews on sad and joyous occasions, or dedicated his minor works to them. His writings are frequently the only sources of information concerning the scholars, philanthropic institutions, and Jewish academies of his time, though the information given is not always reliable. He was buried in the cemetery of Amsterdam, next to his second wife, Abigail, daughter of Isaac de Pina, whom he had married in 1662, and

who died in 1686. He composed for "

himself the following epitaph:

Ya

Daniel y Abigail Levi ajuntarse bolvieron. Por un Amor en las Almas,

Por una losa en los cuerpos. Porque. tanto en la vida se quisieron Que aun despues de la muerte un vivir Xueron." (Daniel and Abigail

Levi have here become united again.

Love joined tbeir souls



A

stone now joins tbeir remains. So deeply they loved each other in lite That even after death they shall be one.)

De Barrios was the most fruitful poet and author among all the Spanish-Portuguese Jews of his time. Hardly a year passed that did not see the publication of one or more of his writings. His principal works are: "Flor de Apolo," containing romances, "dezi-