6 January 1663 Venice (1 results)
More imagesDiscorso circa il stato de gl'Hebrei : et in particolar dimoranti nell'inclita Città di Venetia / di Simone Luzzatto, rabbino Hebreo, et è un'appendice al trattato dell'openioni e dogmi de gl'Hebrei dall'uniersal non dissonanti, e de riti loro più principali [= Discourse on the State of the Jews and in particular]
Luzzatto, Simone (Simchah ben Itzaq)(c. 1582 Venice - 6 January 1663 Venice)
Language: Italian
Published by Appresso Gioanne Calleone, 1638
- Hardcover
- First Edition
Seller: Meir Turner, New York, NY, U.S.A.Meir Turner
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Add to basketHardcover. Condition: Very Good. 1st Edition. In Italian, with a few lines of Latin that Luzzatto translated from Hebrew biblical passages. 92 leaves. 202 x 140 mm. The book is dedicated to the Doge and his counsellors and it contains 18 considerations on Jewish life, praising the Jews' contributions to economic life and also to…uches on culture, religion and the struggle against anti-Semitism. Luzzatto presents secular arguments in favor of Christian tolerance towards Jews and points out that the presence of Jews is beneficial to the economy of the country. Together with Menasseh Ben Israel's similar plea for tolerance, this work was an important step in the evolution of Jewish-Christian relations. Jews are beginning to defend themselves not against traditional Christian intolerance and religious prejudices, but against a secular and economically motivated anti-Semitism. Luzzatto states that Venice can halt its political decline by offering the Jews a monopoly on overseas commercial activity. This plan would work because the Jews are "well-suited for trade" because trade and moneylending are the only occupations that Christians permit them to pursue. The Jews developed relationships with partners in the Eastern Mediterranean, and their talent could help the Venetian government recover its political importance as an intermediary between East and West. Luzzatto was the first to define the role of the Jews on the basis of their economic and social functions. He further pleads in defense of the Venetian Jews, arguing against collective punishment. He states that it's contrary to divine and human law to punish a community for a crime of an individual. The Discorso has been seen as an apologia for the Jewish community of Venice. Luzzatto may have been prompted to compose a plea for recognition of the status of the Jews of Venice because in 1636 a portion of merchandise stolen from the main shopping thoroughfare of Venice, the "Merceria," was found in the Ghetto. Since a number of Christian noblemen were involved in the matter, it became a major affair, with political repercussions. For a time, the Jews were in danger of being expelled from Venice, and a number of them were, in fact, banished. To uncover the truth and bring about a reconciliation between the Jews and the Venetian government, a committee of inquiry was appointed, including three delegates from the Ghetto: Shmuel Meldola of Verona, Simone Luzzatto, and Israel Conigliano, a close friend of the minister Ser Marco Giustiniano. Establishing a link between the composition of the Discorso and the scandal of 1636 is difficult because the treatise may have circulated in the community before its publication in 1638. It seems that the book was comprised of different parts, one of which was used as an apologia for the Jews in Venice. The Discorso was probably composed for the court proceedings. The manuscript consists of a section which serves as the core of the document and then several "appendices" which formed the "considerations" of the Discorso. Based on recently found manuscripts, it seems that the first version of the Discorso was written for a specific purpose, and later, when Luzzatto decided to publish it, he added the necessary rhetorical ornamenta, taking them from the classic tradition. Simone Luzzatto lived his entire life in Venice, served as rabbi for over fifty years. Together with Leone Modena, he was a spiritual guide of the Ghetto of Venice. He lived in relative wealth, starting to publish his responsa as a young man. In 1618 he collected, at the request of the Jewish community of Padua, a substantial sum of money to be sent to charity in Jerusalem and Thessaloniki, also contributing to the ransom of several Jews who were enslaved. In 1631 he was one of the founders (later director) of the Ashkenazi school. After the death of Modena in 1648 he became president of the assembly of the rabbis of the city, helping to favor the integration of the Jewish community within the Venetian society of the time.
