Joseph Saragossi
Encyclopedia
Joseph Saragossi was a Spanish-born Palestinian rabbi and kabbalist of the 15th and 16th centuries. He is credited with developing Safed
into an important Jewish and kabbalistic centre.
Although Saragossi was born in 15th-century Spain, it is possible that his family did not originate in the Spanish town of Saragossa, but rather Zaragoza (Syracuse) in Sicily
. He was banished with the rest of the Jewish community in 1492 and travelled through Sicily, Beirut
and Sidon
, finally settling in Safed, where he assumed the position of rabbi.
Possessing a mild character and a love of harmony, Saragossi not only gained the admiration of his community, but also of the Arab inhabitants of Safed, toward whom he is said to have displayed "a spirit of conciliation and great tolerance". At one time, Saragossi was on the point of leaving Safed, when the inhabitants persuaded him to remain, promising him an annual salary of 50 ducat
s, two-thirds of which sum was furnished by the Muslim
governor of the city. Combining Talmudic with kabbalistic knowledge, Saragossi contributed largely to the development of those branches of Jewish learning in Safed. His lectures on the kabbalah were attended by David ibn Abu Zimra
.
In accordance with his wish, Saragossi was buried adjacent to the tomb of Judah bar Ilai, the site where he experienced a revelation of the prophet Elijah. The object of a legend in which a salvation was wrought involving the procurement of white chickens, he was thereafter called the Tzaddik ha-Lavan (White Saint) or the Tzaddik ha-Tarnegolim (Cockrel Saint.) At the turn of the 19th-century, Saragossi's tomb at 'Ain Zaitun
was the object of a weekly pilgrimage from the morning after Passover (22nd Nisan
) until the 18th Iyyar.
Safed
Safed , is a city in the Northern District of Israel. Located at an elevation of , Safed is the highest city in the Galilee and of Israel. Due to its high elevation, Safed experiences warm summers and cold, often snowy, winters...
into an important Jewish and kabbalistic centre.
Although Saragossi was born in 15th-century Spain, it is possible that his family did not originate in the Spanish town of Saragossa, but rather Zaragoza (Syracuse) in Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
. He was banished with the rest of the Jewish community in 1492 and travelled through Sicily, Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
and Sidon
Sidon
Sidon or Saïda is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate of Lebanon, on the Mediterranean coast, about 40 km north of Tyre and 40 km south of the capital Beirut. In Genesis, Sidon is the son of Canaan the grandson of Noah...
, finally settling in Safed, where he assumed the position of rabbi.
Possessing a mild character and a love of harmony, Saragossi not only gained the admiration of his community, but also of the Arab inhabitants of Safed, toward whom he is said to have displayed "a spirit of conciliation and great tolerance". At one time, Saragossi was on the point of leaving Safed, when the inhabitants persuaded him to remain, promising him an annual salary of 50 ducat
Ducat
The ducat is a gold coin that was used as a trade coin throughout Europe before World War I. Its weight is 3.4909 grams of .986 gold, which is 0.1107 troy ounce, actual gold weight...
s, two-thirds of which sum was furnished by the Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
governor of the city. Combining Talmudic with kabbalistic knowledge, Saragossi contributed largely to the development of those branches of Jewish learning in Safed. His lectures on the kabbalah were attended by David ibn Abu Zimra
David ben Solomon ibn Abi Zimra
Rabbi David ben Solomon ibn Zimra , also called Radbaz after the initials of his name, Rabbi David iBn Zimra, was an early Acharon of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries who was a leading posek, rosh yeshiva, chief rabbi, and author of more than 3,000 responsa as well as several scholarly...
.
In accordance with his wish, Saragossi was buried adjacent to the tomb of Judah bar Ilai, the site where he experienced a revelation of the prophet Elijah. The object of a legend in which a salvation was wrought involving the procurement of white chickens, he was thereafter called the Tzaddik ha-Lavan (White Saint) or the Tzaddik ha-Tarnegolim (Cockrel Saint.) At the turn of the 19th-century, Saragossi's tomb at 'Ain Zaitun
Ein al-Zeitun
Ein al-Zeitun, also spelled Ein Zaytun, Ein ez-Zeitun, Ain al-Zaytun or Ain el-Zeitun, was a Palestinian Arab village, located north of Safad in the Upper Galilee. In 1945, the village had a population of 820 inhabitants and a total land area of 1,100 dunams. Ein al-Zeitun was entirely Muslim...
was the object of a weekly pilgrimage from the morning after Passover (22nd Nisan
Nisan
Nisan is the first month of the ecclesiastical year and the seventh month of the civil year, on the Hebrew calendar. The name of the month is Babylonian; in the Torah it is called the month of the Aviv, referring to the month in which barley was ripe. It is a spring month of 30 days...
) until the 18th Iyyar.