- Joseph ben Hayyim Jabez
Joseph ben Hayyim Jabez (also "Yaavetz") (15th century-16th century) was a Spanish-Jewish theologian. He lived for a time in
Portugal , where he associated withJoseph Hayyun , who inspired him with that taste for mysticism which he subsequently displayed in his writings. When the Jews were banished from Spain Jabez settled atMantua ,Italy . There he met his compatriot, thekabbalist Judah Hayyat , whom he induced to write the commentary "Minḥat Yehudah" on the cabalistic work "Ma'areket Elahut."Jabez was an opponent of
philosophy . For him the truth of the Jewish religion is demonstrated by the miracles recorded in theBible . He criticizes the thirteen articles of faith ofMaimonides , the six ofHasdai Crescas , and the three of Albo. According to him, only the following three, alluded to in the verse "I am that I am" (Ex. iii. 14), are the fundamental principles ofJudaism :
# That God is one
# That He governs the world
# That in the end all mankind will believe in His unityThese dogmas are expounded by him in the following books:
* "Ḥasde Adonai" (Constantinople, 1533), an ethical work wherein the author demonstrates that the wise man is more grateful to God for his misfortunes than for worldly advantages
* "Ma'amar ha-Aḥdut" (Ferrara, 1554), on the unity of God
* "Perush 'al Masseket Abot" (ib. 1555), on the sayings of the Fathers, mentioned by the author of "Yesod ha-Emunah"
* "Or ha-Ḥayyim" (ib. 1555), against philosophy
* A commentary on thePsalms (Salonica, 1571)Jabez left also a great number of manuscript works, which, according to
Ghirondi , are still (as of 1906) in the possession of the author's descendants.Jewish Encyclopedia bibliography
*
David Conforte , Ḳore ha-Dorot, p. 30a;
*Azulai , Shem ha-Gedolim, ii. 4;
*Graziadio Nepi -Mordecai Ghirondi , "Toledot Gedole Yisrael", p. 158;
*Adolf Jellinek , in Orient, Lit. vii. 262;
*Moritz Steinschneider , Cat. Bodl. col. 1474;
*Hermann Vogelstein andPaul Rieger , "Geschichte der Juden in Rom", ii. 66.
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