Rabbi David Pardo, (1718-1790) was a famous Sephardic Rabbi, a prolific author and a poet. He was born in Venice, Italy. At a young age he went to Sarajevo where he studied under Rabbi Abraham David Papo. Eventually R. Pardo was appointed rabbi of Sarajevo. In 1776 he traveled to Eretz Israel, settling in Jerusalem, where he served as head of the Yeshiba Chesed leAbraham uBinyan Shelomo. Rabbi Pardo was regarded in his time as Jerusalem’s greatest Rabbi.

Many of his works deal mainly with Tannaitic Rabbinic literature, and are an original commentary–not necessarily dependent on the Amoraitic interpretations.

His first famous work was Shoshannim le-David , an independent commentary on the Mishna.

He also wrote Chasde David a commentary on the Tosefta, which is considered one of the most important commentary on the Tosefta.

And Sifre deBeRab  which he commenced in 1786 and was published by his son Abraham after his death. This work is considered the most important commentary on the Sifre.

He also wrote Mikhtam le-David a book where he records his numerous halakhic decisions and responsa.

Maskil le-David a commentary on Rashi’s Biblical commentary.

LaMnatzeach leDavid, a book on those Talmudic passages where alternative explanations are given.

Mizmor le-David notes on the Perot Ginnosar of Rabbi Chizekiyah da Silva.

Rabbi Pardo’s liturgical poems and prayers are included in the Sephardic daily and festival prayer books.

He died in Yerushalaim.

Of his sons, R. Jacob Pardo became chief Rabbi of Ragusa.  A second son, Isaac, was the Rabbi of Sarajevo, while a third, Abraham, who married Lebana, the daughter of Rabbi Chayim Yosef David Azulai (Chida), became head of the Yeshiba Chesed leAbraham uBinyan Shelomo after his father-in-law’s death.

Rabbi Pardo’s disciples included Shabbetai ben Abraham Ventura, Rabbi David Pinto, and Rabbi Abraham Penso.

Last week we explained that there are 39 categories of melakhotor creative activities, which we are not allowed to perform on Shabbat. One of them is called: hab’ara, which mean to light a fire.  We also explained that lighting fire was singled out in the Tora, unlike the other 38 melakhot, and we offered one explanation for this (see here)

Before we analyze the similarities and differences between fire and electricity, and in order to better understand them, I must explain first how the exceptional nature of fire vis-a-vis the rest of the melkahot was viewed and interpreted.

In the time of the haskala (European illuminism, 19th century) many reformers argued that the reason the Tora did not authorize to light a fire was because in Mosaic times lighting a fire constituted an exhausting work: fire was started with stones, and it was a lengthy and exhausting process. That is why it was forbidden. And this is why, the first reformers reasoned, it should be permitted today, when we can obtain fire with a simple match.

Jewish tradition, however, never identified melakhot with prohibitions associated necessarily with physical effort. On the contrary: if you live in the 12th floor of an apartment building, you should walk up the stairs. It is the creative nature of the act what might define it as a melakha, not the physical effort that it demands.

This idea, applied to our case, could be illustrated by rabbi Sa’adia Gaon’s (882-942) explanation of the pasuq “Do not light a fire in your houses on the day of Shabbat” (Shemot 35:3). He translated this pasuq: “Do not even light a fire on Shabbat… “even” because, hab’ara–which in Biblical Hebrew means “lighting a fire from a previous fire” not from stones–is the easiest conceivable melakha, i.e., the epitome of an effortless and a minimal creative activity. The Tora singled out hab’ara to convey that even an effortless but minimally creative act is still forbidden on Shabbat.

(to be continued…)

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Rabbi Reggio studied Tora under his father, and secular studies in the local gymnasium. At the age of fourteen the prodigious student had such mastery of the Hebrew language that he wrote a metrical poem on the death of Rabbi Moshe Chefetz z”l (the author of “Melekhet Machashebet”).

Rabbi Reggio also learned French, German, Latin, Semitic Languages and excelled in Mathematics.  Rabbi Reggio was appointed by the emperor as professor of belles-lettres, geography, and history, and chancellor of the lycée of Gorizia.

Because of the influence of the European illuminism (haskala) an imperial decree was issued in 1822 that no community might appoint a Rabbi who had not graduated in philosophy. As a reaction, Rabbi Reggio published at Venice an appeal in Italian for the establishment of a Rabbinical Seminary, arguing that just as the Emperor did not desire Rabbis devoid of philosophical training, neither did the Jews desire Rabbis who had had no appropriate rabbinical education.

This appeal resulted in the establishment of the famous Rabbinical College in Padua, for which Rabbi Reggio, its founder, drew up the statutes and the educational program.

Among other books he published:

Click here to download and read “Torat Elokim” (original edition, from Hebrewbooks.org)

Click here to download and read “HaTora vehaPilosophia” (original edition, from Hebrewbooks.org)

There are 39 categories of forbidden activities in Shabbat. They are called melakhot. Melakhot are not necessarily hard work (see here), but (most of them) creative activities or modifications in nature.

One of the 39 melakhot is “lighting” a fire (hab’arat esh).   The special thing about “lighting” is that while none of the other forbiddenmelakhot was specified in the Tora, lighting a fire  was singled out in a special pasuq: lo teba’aru esh (Shemot 35:3) “Do not light a fire…on the day of Shabbat”.. The rabbis  reasoned that lighting was single out as an example of a melakha and they learned from it that each melakha is a prohibition in itself.

It could also be argued that perhaps fire was singled out as an example, because fire is nature’s most important agent of modification: metals are modified by fire, food is prepared with fire, cold is defeated with fire. And later on, with fire men produced machines moved by vapor and heat, which brought about the major sources of energy, which brought industrialization and the beginning of modern technology (Penine Halakha).

During Shabbat we elevate ourselves above the level of altering, modifying and improving the physical world. We rest from our working routine to modify, advance and improve our individual and family values and spiritual lives.

During Shabbat we are forbidden to light or ignite any fire. Regardless of its size or intensity. It could be a big fireplace or a small match.

Also, any way of producing a fire is forbidden: using a match, a lighter or even by solar heat through a magnifier glass, etc.

The Tora also forbids on Shabbat to transfer a fire from an existing fire or even to increase an already ignited flame by adding oil, wood, gas, etc.

(to be continued)

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Previously, we analyzed the Sixth principle of the Jewish faith which describes the nature of prophecy and the character of the prophets of Israel (see here ).

The Seventh principle is also about prophecy. But it discusses the particulars of one Prophet: Moshe Rabbenu, the greatest prophet, before and after him.

Our Rabbis explained that the level of prophecy of Moshe Rabbenu was higher than the level of all others.

All other prophets received their prophetic message by the means of a vision in a sort of trance, or in a dream.

Moshe Rabbenu, however, was able to receive God’s messagedirectly, while conscious and awake, not in a prophetic trance. This is what the Tora calls: panim el panim, literally: “face to face”, which means that Moshe Rabbenu could listen to God’s words in the same way that a man listens to another man. “in full possession of his faculties, not in visions and not by parables” ( R. Hayim Pereira Mendes)

The possibility of being conscious allowed Moshe Rabbenu to ‘talk back’ to God. Once, for example, Moshe even asked God a “personal” question. After the sin of the golden calf, an intense encounter took place between God and Moshe. Moshe prayed to HaShem to forgive the Jewish people. At one point, Moshe Rabbenu said to God: “Show me Your glory”. Our Chakhamim explained that Moshe was asking God a poignant question: “Why do You allow bad things to happen to good people?” Perhaps on behalf of all humankind, Moshe expressed to God the question that so often troubles the mind of many believers.

God’s answer to Moshe is a matter for a long analysis. But as it refers to our subject, God taught Moshe (and us) that the answer to that question was beyond man’s understanding (ki lo yrani ha-adam vachai), a living human being cannot perceive/understand God, i.e., there are matters which are even beyond Moshe’s understanding.  Moshe Rabbenu, the greatest prophet, was still a man, not a human-god.

WATCH

Rabbi Benedetto Frizzi (1756-1844) or Benzion Rafael haKohen Frizzi was a Rabbi and a prominent scientists and physician in Italy.

Due to his brilliant mind he was encouraged by his parents to  study Tora, Talmud and Hebrew Grammar at the school of rabbinic studies in Fiorenzuola. He completed his rabbinical training at Mantua, where he moved in 1769, at the rabbinical academy established by Rabbi Jacob Saraval. In Mantua he also completed his academic studies in Philosophy, Latin and Mathematics. Previously, he had studied engineering and he was qualified as an expert land surveyor at the age of 16. He also had a passion for the medical sciences. He enrolled at the faculty of Medicine at the University of Pavia and graduated in 1787.  In  1789, he accepted the invitation of the imperial government and moved to Trieste where he practiced medicine.  In 1816, in this city he founded a Jewish hospital where indigent patients were attended for free.

He wrote several books in Italian showing to Jews and gentiles the code of public health of the Pentateuch (= Tora).  For example: “Dissertation on medical policies in the Pentateuch in regard to cleaning of streets and houses, and priestly laws of agriculture” (Cremona 1790).   The precepts given in the Torah,  rabbi Frizzi said are a “True Health Code” applied to the spiritual and moral elevation of man.

One of his most important books was “petach ‘enayim” a scientific explanation of the Talmud’s  hagadot and halakhot, in seven volumes.  In this book, written in Hebrew, Rabbi Frizzi shows the vast and advance knowledge of our Rabbis. One thing I remember from his book is how he identifies the maziqin, which the Rabbis of the Talmud portrayed as “invisible damaging creatures”, with the newly discovered “bacterias”.

PETACH ‘ENAYIM

This unfortunately unknown book is accesible to all of us now, BH, thanks to Hebrewbooks.org

Click here to read or download the book.

His book was described as:

“Philosophical, mathematical and physical analysis of those subjects contained in the Talmud collected in a special book called Israelitici populi Oculus“.

Rabbi Frizzi’s credentials were presented in the 1880 edition.