tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12600498.post4519651424746900592..comments2024-01-21T02:58:08.208-05:00Comments on On the Main Line: An American and British rabbi discuss* the Spanish origins of the Zoharic term Esnoga in 1857.Mississippi Fred MacDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02734864605700159687noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12600498.post-21887819420153480872010-11-30T18:21:48.083-05:002010-11-30T18:21:48.083-05:00>Why do you doubt even for a moment that De Sol...>Why do you doubt even for a moment that De Sola was very, very familiar indeed with R. Jacob Emden's work, especially the criticism directed against the Zohar, for which he was notoriously famous throughout the Jewish world<br /><br />Because he doesn't reference it, professes no knowledge of the Zohar or even that Esh Noga is in it. My guess is that Mitpachas Sefarim became a lot more famous after it was reprinted. <br /><br />However, thank you for your insightful comment. I didn't mean to impugn de Sola in any way, if that's what you thought I was getting at. I know full well that he was very learned indeed.S.http://onthemainline.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12600498.post-23524161384754423922010-11-30T17:31:53.294-05:002010-11-30T17:31:53.294-05:00Why do you doubt even for a moment that De Sola wa...Why do you doubt even for a moment that De Sola was very, very familiar indeed with R. Jacob <br />Emden's work, especially the criticism directed against the Zohar, for which he was notoriously famous throughout the Jewish world! Even if De Sola himself was not so familiar with the Zohar, of course he knew the European polemic against it; in fact, the Zohar was probably deliberately left out of De Sola's education because of this very polemic against its authenticity! Illoway was one of the more learned congregants here at Congregation Shearith Israel (Spanish & Portuguese) and Bnai Jeshurun, which was at that time Orthodox. All of the Anglo Spanish & Portuguese as well as Ashkenazi congregations in coastal Western Europe and America were in close contact with each other. R. Jacob Emden's critique of the Zohar followed upon his father's work combatting lingering Sabbateanism, often by trying to find ways of excising kabbalah. R. Emden's father, the Haham Tzvi, had been prominent in both London and Amsterdam. De Sola's family was from Amsterdam, and there were prominent connections at that time with other European Sephardic congregations, as well, such as the Italian community of Livorno, from which Philadelphia Spanish & Portuguese later recruited a prominent leader, Sabato Morais, and Padua, a prominent university town, was probably very much "in the loop," as well. Many of these interconnected Spanish & Portuguese congregations, such as ours, tried to excise kabbalistic influences from the time of Shabbattai Tzvi on, and since that time, at least, we here in New York do not say the Zohar's Brikh Shmeh, for example. <br />Ira Rohde, Hazan, Cong. Shearith Israel (Spanish & Portuguese), New YorkIra Rohdenoreply@blogger.com