jan 1, 1263 - רמב׳׳ן – ספר הוויכוח

Description:

1263 - ראשונים

The Disputation of Barcelona was a 4 day debate that sought to answer whether Judaism or Chrisitanity was the true faith. This debate was unique because King James of Aragon guaranteed free speech in the context of the argument which allowed for a true (and not staged) debate to occur. Apostate Jew Pablo Christiani and other clergy members defended Christianity and רמב׳׳ן defended Judaism. While free speech was permitted in the parameters of the debate, רמב׳׳ן recorded his part of the argument out of fear that the Church would alter it later and misconstrue his point. This document reflects a time of extreme religious turmoil for Jews all over Spain, and though this instance ended with surface-level peace and respect, רמב׳׳ן still fled Spain for Palestine due to both his family being threatened by the Church and his accurate premonition that future confrontations would lead to negative consequences for the Jewish community as a whole.

About רמב׳׳ן – רמב׳׳ן, or ר׳ משה בן נחמן, was a Spanish ראשון who lived from 1194 - 1270. His תורה background was unique because he had both אשכנז (from Provence, France) and ספרדי (from his hometown in Northern Christian Spain) influences in his learning. He is famously known for his defense of Judaism in the debate incited by the apostate Pablo Christiani. רמב׳׳ן also played a key role in reconciling the רמב׳׳ם’s works with the אשכנז community. He eventually emigrated to Israel and led a community there.

Added to timeline:

Date: