Obadiah ben Jacob Sforno
Obadiah ben Jacob Sforno | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1470/1475 |
| Died | c. 1550 |
| Philosophical work | |
| Era | Medieval philosophy |
| Region | Jewish philosophy |
Notable students | Johann Reuchlin |
Ovadia ben Jacob Sforno[a] (Hebrew: עובדיה ספורנו; c. 1470/1475 – c. 1550) was an Italian rabbi, biblical commentator, philosopher, and physician. A member of the Sforno family, he was born in Cesena between 1470 and 1475 and died in Bologna in 1549 or 1550.[1][2][3][4]
Biography
[edit]After acquiring a thorough knowledge of Hebrew, Rabbinic literature, mathematics, and philosophy in his native town, he went to Rome to study medicine. There, his learning won him a prominent place among scholars; when Johann Reuchlin was in Rome during 1498–1500 and desired to perfect his knowledge of Hebrew literature, Cardinal Domenico Grimani advised him to apply to study with Sforno. During the two years Reuchlin was in Rome, Sforno taught him Hebrew.[5]
Equally high was Sforno's reputation as a casuist. Meir ben Isaac Katzenellenbogen consulted him on legal questions,[6] and Joseph Colon invoked his authority.[7] At the request of Israel ben Jehiel Ashkenazi, the then-chief rabbi of Rome,[8] Sforno issued a decision in 1519 on the case of Donina, daughter of Samuel Sarfati, the renowned physician of Pope Leo X. In about 1525, Sforno left Rome and led a wandering life for a while. From several letters of the period addressed to his brother, Hananeel, who lived in Bologna, it seems Sforno was in poor circumstances. Finally, he settled in Bologna, where he founded a yeshiva, which he conducted until his death.
Works
[edit]Sforno was a prolific writer, primarily focused on Jewish biblical exegesis. His exegetical work demonstrates a commitment to the literal meaning of the text and a consistent avoidance of mystical interpretations. He was recognized for his discernment in selecting interpretations from earlier exegetes, including Rashi, Abraham ibn Ezra, the Rashbam, and Nachmanides, while frequently offering original insights that reflected his extensive philological expertise. His works include commentaries on the Torah (1567); Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes, with the latter dedicated to Henry II of France; the Psalms (1586); Mishpaṭ Ẓedeḳ (מִשְׁפַּט צֶדֶק, 'Just Judgment') on the Book of Job (1589); and on the books of Jonah, Habakkuk, and Zechariah, published in 1724 alongside David ibn Hin's Likkute Shoshannim (לִקּוּטֵי שׁוֹשַׁנִּים, 'Collected Roses'). He also authored Kavanot ha-Torah (כַּוָּנוֹת הַתּוֹרָה, 'Intentions [of] the Torah'), which serves as a preface to his Torah commentary; it was published in 1567 posthumously.
Sforno also contributed to religious philosophy. In his work Or Ammim (אוֹר עַמִּים, 'Light [of] Nations'), published in Bologna in 1537, he sought to refute Aristotle's theories regarding the eternity of matter, divine omniscience, and the universality of the soul, as well as other Aristotelian positions he considered incompatible with religious doctrine. In the introduction, Sforno notes that he was motivated to write this treatise because even Maimonides had asserted the correctness of Aristotle's theories concerning the sublunary world. Sforno translated Or Ammim into Latin and sent it to Henry II of France. The Latin edition was published in 1548.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Weiss, Moshe (30 October 2004). A Brief History of the Jewish People. Jason Aronson, Inc. p. 124. ISBN 978-0742544024.
Included Rabbi Elijah Delmedigo (c. 1460–1497); Rabbi Elia Levita [or Elijah Levita] (1468–1549); and Rabbi Obadiah Sforno (1470–1550), who wrote an important commentary on the Bible and was the teacher of the German Hebraist and humanist, Johannes Reuchlin.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ The JPS Bible Commentary: Ecclesiastes – Page xxiv 2004 "Sforno (Obadiah b.Jacob Sforno), c.1470±c.1550. Kitvey Rabbi Ovadiah Seforno.Ed. Zeev Gotlieb, Jerusalem, 1987."
- ^ Blackwell Dictionary of Judaica Sforno, Obadiah ben Jacob (c. 1470-c. 1550)
- ^ Heller, Marvin J. (2022), "Sforno, R. Obadiah ben Jacob", in Sgarbi, Marco (ed.), Encyclopedia of Renaissance Philosophy, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 2993–2995, doi:10.1007/978-3-319-14169-5_833, ISBN 978-3-319-14169-5, retrieved 2024-09-07
- ^ van Bekkum, Wout Jac. (2003-01-01), Gersh, Stephen; Roest, Bert (eds.), "Jewish Intellectual Culture in Renaissance Context", Medieval and Renaissance Humanism, BRILL, pp. 227–241, doi:10.1163/9789047402619_012, ISBN 978-90-474-0261-9, retrieved 2025-05-08
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link) - ^ Responsa, p. 97, § 48
- ^ Responsa, p. 96, No. 192, Sudilkov, 1834
- ^ Veltri, Giuseppe; Coppola, Giada; Dunklau, Florian (2025-01-01). Obadiah Sforno: Light of the Nations: Or ʿAmmim / Lumen Gentium. BRILL. p. 1. doi:10.1163/9789004689725_002. ISBN 978-90-04-68972-5.
Bibliography
[edit]- Saverio Campanini, Un intellettuale ebreo del Rinascimento. 'Ovadyah Sforno e i suoi rapporti con i cristiani, in M.G. Muzzarelli (ed.), Verso l'epilogo di una convivenza. Gli ebrei a Bologna nel XVI secolo, La Giuntina, Firenze 1996, pp. 98–128.
- Saverio Campanini, ‘Ovadyah Sforno un banchiere filosofo ed esegeta, in M. Mengozzi (ed.), Cesena ebraica. Un percorso fra carte e codici, Biblioteca Malatestiana, Cesena 2019, pp. 103–118.
External links
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