Jewish History - Lecture Notes

Final Exam Review - Lecture 18 Main Historical Figures: Rabbi Isaac Luria – Safed Kabbalah o Luria – “Everything you need to know about God as a Jew, is all involved with creation. At the beginning of time, everything was God. God also wanted to create, but there was no room to create. So, god did some ‘tzimtzum’ and compacted the world into a smaller entity. Then God expanded light into a series of organized vessels. But when the light expanded into God’s vessels, it was so powerful that the vessels shattered. Therefore, we now find ourselves in a world where we are matter/people surrounded by corruption and darkness, with little bits and pieces or glimmers of the ‘divine light’. Jews are the chosen people to seek out these sparks of light and ‘repair’ the creation.” Rabbi Joseph Caro – The Shulchan Aruch o Detailed legal code that provided the “final answer” that Gemarah did not o Till this day, this is the definitive authority that constitutes everyday Jewish law Shabbatai Zevi – false Messiah Created a frenzy of Jews who believed he was the messiah Main Historical Events:  Jews in Italy (1400-1600) – similar to life in Medieval Europe o Condotta – right to live in a city in exchange for economic purpose o Multicultural – native Italian jews, Expelled Ashkenazim, Expelled Sephardim, Levantine  Renaissance – proliferation of secular activity: music, poetry, philosophy…  Pope Paul IV – Cum Nimis Absurdam – Roman pope passed absurd laws against Jews  The Counter-reformation o Emergence of the Italian Ghetto:  Rome – 1555  Venice - 1516  Florence – 1570 Maps: Sephardi Migration after 1492: Spain  Italy + Ottoman Empire Ashkenazim from Europe… Part 2: Quiz Pope Paul IV’s Bull was… A. Cum numus absurdam B. Cum nimis absurdam C. Enacted restrictions against Jews in Rome D. Was an absurd poem E. Options B + C Answer: E