Nissim Gerondi and the final blaze of the Catalan Talmudic school

Abstract

In 1354, following the Black Death, representatives of the Jewish communities of Catalonia, Valencia, Majorca and Aragon met with the intention of creating a central body to coordinate common political and fiscal management. Despite royal support, the undertaking encountered internal resistance and was only partially implemented. Nissim ben Ruben of Girona (also known as the Ran), a young Catalan scholar, played a fundamental role in drawing up the protocol for the assembly and mentaries on the work of the Rif, reflects a profound intellectual influence transcending Catalan borders. With many communities calling upon him to resolve legal disputes or review judgements, Nissim became a de facto supreme judge, a role sometimes recognized by the royal authorities, in a prelude to the institutionalization of a rabbinic authority within the Catalan Crown. After Nissim’s death (in 1375), Hasdai Crescas in Zaragoza appears to have taken over as the judicial authority, recognized by the communities and the Crown alike. However, the persecutions of 1391 put an end to this Catalan Talmudic tradition, whose last representatives, such as the Rivash, opted for exile or conversion. Through exploration of the path of the Ran and his disciples, this article analyses relations between rabbinic authority, community justice and Christian power in the 14^th century.