ITALIA JUDAICA. Atti del I Convegno internazionale. Bari 18-22 ...

The third and concluding part, a gem of compression, asserts that in any
event there is no human infalHbility. "Wisdom is greater than the wise man",
he dec1ares, and -' he need not specify the obvious - our goal is wisdorn.
The motto "perfection (perfect wisdom) is the sole prerogative of God" is
reminiscent of Nahmanides' peroration to his Milpamo! ha-Shem, a defense of
the great Alfasi against the strictures of Razah which in the final analysis
also contains some fresh criticism cf Alfasi. Awareness of fallibility invites
criticaI perspectives and independent efforts?7
3. In assessing the cultural contributions of medieval Italian Jewry general!y,
the historian concludes that ltaly, home of the oldest Jewish communities,
marks a slow but sustained beginning. Italian Jewish authors, to be eclipsed
in practically alI domains, are pioneers on the European scene: poetry -
Amittai, Shefatiah, Solomon ha-Bavli and perhaps, fol!owing Ezra Fleischer's
hypothesis, the first of ltalian payyelanim, Hedweta; science, philosophy and
mysticism - Abu Aharon, Shabbetai Donnolo (and important, diversified
contributions in the thirteenth century); history - Yosip.phon and A\Iima'az;
rabbinics - R. Meshul!am b. Qalonymos, R. Natan of Rome, the anonymous
Mishnah study and R. Isaac ben Malkizedeq. The historian may then turn
to the test of endurance te determine how much of this did the national
Jewish consciousness or universaI Jewish corpus of literature incorporate (e.g.
liturgical pieces in the prayer book; the remarkable bibliographical odyssey
of the 'Arukb, regular1y used and recurrently enlarged). When al! is said
and done, there is no individuality, no Italian innovation, no indigenous
development; there are contributions. This is especially salient in rabbinic
literature.
4. Isaiah Sonne was cognizant of this peculiarity and suggested that it be under­
stood in terms of challenge and response, i.e. that Italy, starting with the period
of the disintegration of the Roman Empire, was too heterogeneous and diffuse
to challenge Judaism and to elicit a new creative response. He says that
Italy added 'notes and glosses' to the achievements of other centers without
providing a distinctive achievement. It was and remained a receptacle to
outside infIuences, impuIses and impetuses. Implicit in his historiographicaI
27 This theme deserves study. There is a circular development: criticism is justified,
and, subsequently, the precedent cf criticism (e.g.) Rabad versus Maimonides or R. Tam
versus Rashi) validates the criticaI inclinations and practices cf later scho!ars. See, e.g., R.
HAYYIM Y. BACHRACH, I:Iawwot Ya'ir,. n. 9; R. AEmAHAM AZULAI, Ba'ale Erit 'Abraham,
introduction. Some reIy an the more pallid justification inherent in the Talmudic principie
cf derosh we-qabel sakhar - see, e.g., DAVID PROVENCAL (in describing his pIan for
study of Scripture and the best commentaries as part of his University curriculum), cited
in S. ASSAF, Mekorot le-Toledot ha-Hinnukh, Tel-Aviv 1930, II, p. 118. Rid does not rely
on this prerogative at alI.
398
scheme is the notion that only a powerfuI, puIsating environment can be a
stimulant or catalyst for Je\vish creativity and novel synthesis.28 Whatever
one may say about the validity of this cultural-intellectual characterization in
the fields of piyyut, philosophy, science, exegesis, 'and rnysticism, it seems
technicaIly appropriate for rabbinic literature but without imposing his meta­
historical mold on the facts. The chal!enge and response theory is dispensable.
Let the facts speak for themselves, unencumbered by debatable quasi-philos­
ophical rigidities. The title of this paper turns out to be rather precise.
ltalian Jewry did not create a school, is not identified with a specific develop­
ment, did not cultivate any one genre with _exclusive passion, but ltalian sages
did make contributions to rabbinic literature. It is for this reason that I tried
to show how Rid is 'representative of trends, problems, and achievements, and
no study of medievaI rabbinic Hterature may claim any measure of comprehens­
iveness without integrating his contributions, attitudes, and insights.
A. T eshusot ha-Rid, n. 61.
ApPENDIX
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28 L SONNE, Ha-Yahadut ha-'Italqit: Demutah U-Mekomah be-Toledot Am Yisra'e!,
Jerusalem 1961. Sonne's characterization remains perceptive even if one is not persuaded
by the theory.
399