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The most famous example of speeches given in a synagogue were those
given by King James I, Ramon de Penyafort and Friar Paul on the
Saturday following the end of the famous Barcelona disputation of
1263.[31] This disputation took place in front of the King
and prelates and was between a convert to Christianity, Friar Paul,
and the then leader of the Jewish community Rabbi Moses b. Nahman
(more often referred to as Nahmanides).[32] As to the events of
the disputation themselves, we have two, more often than not,
conflicting accounts. One Latin account by Friar Paul, and the
other, much longer and more detailed in Hebrew, by
Nahmanides.[33] Both participants wished to show that they came
out ahead in the debate, and while scholars still dispute the different
claims of both accounts, it is clear that as far as the Jews were
concerned, it was not a pleasant affair.
Nahmanides tells us towards the end of his account, that `it was the
wish of the king and the preaching monks to come to the synagogue on the
Sabbath... and it was when they were there on the coming Sabbath
that I answered the king well as it is fitting after he preached at
length saying that Jesus was the Messiah.' After Nahmanides
answered the King, Ramon de Penyafort got up and preached about the
Trinity, and again Nahmanides replied and then Friar Paul made some
remarks before being told to stop by his companions. We are then told
`...and our master the King stood up and they all descended from
before the ark and departed'.[34]
It is clear that this was no ordinary preaching visit to a synagogue.
It came at the end of a long and hard fought debate, at the start of
which Nahmanides had to ask the King to be allowed to speak and answer
the Christian accusations freely and without fear of recrimination.
This grant of freedom of speech clearly carried over to the synagogue,
as Nahmanides allowed himself to answer all three speakers with
confidence.[35] This was not the norm as the letters regarding
preaching in the archives of the Kings of Aragon testify. The Jews
were not encouraged, and would normally have been afraid, to reply.
In many cases they would not normally have had a person of
Nahmanides' learning and stature to rebut the friars'
claims.[36] What is regrettably missing in Nahmanides' account
is the question: when on the Sabbath did the preaching take place and
if it was during a service, at what point in the proceedings?
The focal point of synagogues in Spain was the Tebah - a
raised platform in the centre of the synagogue from where the Torah
scrolls were read, and sermons were given.[37] For example, the
preacher whose sermon is reported in Shem Tob Falaquera's Iggeret
ha-Musar was `seated above the people' from whence he
castigated the audience.[38] Sermons, if delivered during the
Sabbath morning service, were generally given after the Torah and
Haftarah readings, prior to the scroll being returned to the Heichal
(`Ark'). Sometimes, sermons were preached later on the Sabbath
day before the afternoon service.[39] There are many collections
of sermons extant from this period. Rabbenu Bahya, the student of
Solomon ibn Adret, published some of his sermons in a collection
called Kad ha-Kemah (`A Jug of Flour'). Joshua
ibn Shueib and Jacob Sakili, both disciples of Adret, also
collected together their sermons for each week of the year and for
special occasions.[40] Jacob Anatoli, not directly connected
with Spain, but of considerable interest both as the
son-in-law of Samuel ibn Tibbon, translator
of Maimonides, and as a physician and translator in the court of
Frederick II of Hohenstaufen, wrote Malmad
ha-Talmidim (`Incentive to the Students'). Of
course Nahmanides himself often preached and a number of his sermons
are extant.[41]
Many of the derashot or sermons, like Llull's Christian-oriented
ones, concentrated on moral and ethical issues and exhorted the
community to keep a high standard of Jewish practice and life. These
sermons generally began with the preacher asking permission from the
audience to speak. This custom, with its origins in the time of the
Mishnah, was supposed to be a foil against arrogance. However, by
the thirteenth century, sermons would normally begin with a verse from
Ketubim (`Writings'), most generally from the Book of
Proverbs.[42] This might be followed by a quote from the biblical
portion of the week and a suitable introduction, and would then
generally deal with current issues or with exposition and commentary on
the biblical portion of the week. The preacher would often take the
opportunity to call for the people to repent of their evil ways and
chastise them, and frequently the main thrust of the sermon would
revolve around the fear of God, humility, piety and sanctity. The
sermon would commonly end with a short prayer expressing the hope of the
immanent arrival of the Messiah. Like the Christian preachers, the
Jewish sermonisers would often make use of the mashal (`analogies or
exempla'). As M. Sapperstein points out, it would be used `for
clear and vivid expression of theological concepts otherwise difficult
to understand'.[43] Some Rabbis suggested, as in the manner of
the Christian preachers, `that the mochihim (`rebuking
preachers') should speak in the streets of the city and the
marketplace and in all places where people gather in order to make their
words heard by the public'.[44]
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