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Joseph Karo

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Joseph ben Ephraim Karo , also spelled Yosef Caro , or Qaro ( Hebrew : יוסף קארו ; 1488 – March 24, 1575, 13 Nisan 5335 A.M. ), was a prominent Sephardic Jewish rabbi renowned as the author of the last great codification of Jewish law , the Beit Yosef , and its popular analogue, the Shulhan Arukh . Karo is regarded as the preeminent halakhic authority of his time, and is often referred to by the honorific titles HaMechaber ( Hebrew : הַמְחַבֵּר , lit.   'the author') and Maran ( Jewish Babylonian Aramaic : מָרַן , lit.   'our master').

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71-734: Joseph Karo was born in Toledo , Spain, in 1488. In 1492, aged four, he was expelled from Spain with his family as a result of the Alhambra Decree and subsequently settled in the Kingdom of Portugal . Following his father's death, Karo's uncle Isaac, an author of biblical commentary, adopted him. After the expulsion of the Jews from Portugal in 1497, the Ottomans invited the Jews to settle within their empire . Karo went with his parents, after

142-561: A battle near the city in 193 BCE against a confederation of Celtic tribes, defeating them and capturing a king called Hilermus. At that time, Toletum was a city of the Carpetani tribe in the region of Carpetania . It was incorporated into the Roman Empire as a civitas stipendiaria , (a tributary city of non-citizens) and later a municipium . With this status, city officials obtained Roman citizenship for public service, and

213-414: A brief move to Morocco, to Nikopolis , then a city under Ottoman rule. In Nikopol, he received his first instruction from his father, who was himself an eminent Talmudist . He was married twice, firstly to Isaac Saba's daughter, and, then after her death, to the daughter of Hayyim Albalag, both of these men being well-known Talmudists. Between 1520 and 1522 Karo settled at Adrianople . He later settled in

284-690: A detour from their advance towards Madrid (which gave the Republicans time to build up the defenses in Madrid and receive early foreign support) and lifted the siege of the Alcázar in late September 1936. The two months of resistance of the garrisoned rebel military would become a core symbol of the mythology built around the Francoist regime and its ideology. In October 1940, Heinrich Himmler , leading Nazi and Chief of German Police, visited Spain on

355-486: A dramatic testimonial, Rabbi Shlomo Alkabetz testified that in Salonica, Karo had become one of the rare individuals who merited to be instructed by a maggid —a private angelic teacher who revealed to him many kabbalistic teachings. The maggid exhorted Karo to sanctify and purify himself, and he revealed to him events that would take place in the future. In Shaarei Kedusha , Rabbi Chaim Vital explains that visitation by

426-666: A few minutes every day, a shaft of light shines through, from which this feature of the cathedral derives its name. The Mozarabic Chapel in the Toledo Cathedral still uses the Mozarabic Rite and music. Two notable bridges secured access to Toledo across the Tagus, the Alcántara bridge and the later built San Martín bridge . The Monasterio de San Juan de los Reyes is a Franciscan monastery , built 1477–1504, in

497-509: A great tradition in the manufacturing of swords and knives and a significant production of razor blades, medical devices and electrical products. ( The Toledo Blade , the American newspaper in Toledo's Ohio namesake city, is named in honor of the sword-making tradition.) Soap and toothpaste industries, flour milling, glass and ceramics have also been important. The manufacture of swords in

568-502: A la magra . In addition, there are local versions of dishes from the nearby capital of Spain, Madrid, as is the case of the cocido toledano . Two of the city's most famous food products are Manchego cheese and marzipan , which has a Protected Geographical Indication ( mazapán de Toledo ). Mishna Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include

639-528: A maggid is a form of Divine Inspiration ( ruach hakodesh ). The teachings of the maggid are recorded in his published work titled Maggid Meisharim , although Rabbi Chaim Joseph David Azulai notes that only about one fiftieth of the manuscript was ever published, (see Works). However, in numerous places in Maggid Meisharim it is stated that, "I am the Mishna that speaks in your mouth," indicating that

710-531: A major tourist destination, attracting visitors from around the world who come to see historic landmarks, such as the Toledo Cathedral, the Alcázar, and the many synagogues and mosques that reflect its diverse cultural past. Toledo hosts numerous cultural events and festivals, such as Semana Santa (Holy Week) processions and the Corpus Christi festival, which draw large crowds and celebrate Castilian Spanish religious and cultural traditions. Toledo has

781-399: A martyr's death sanctifying God's Name like Rabbi Shlomo Molcho had merited, did not transpire for an unspecified reason. His reputation during the last thirty years of his life was greater than that of almost any other rabbi since Maimonides . The Italian Azariah dei Rossi , though his views differed widely from Karo's, collected money among the rich Italian Jews for the purpose of having

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852-493: A new building on the outskirts of the city. This was the beginning of several phases of expansion. Its importance was such that it eventually developed into a city within the city of Toledo. In the 20th century, the production of knives and swords for the army was reduced to cavalry weapons only, and, after the Spanish Civil War, to the supply of swords to the officers and NCOs of the various military units. Following

923-720: A position which had been held by the Socialists since 2007. The old city is located on a mountaintop with a 150-degree view, surrounded on three sides by a bend in the Tagus River , and contains many historical sites, including the Alcázar , the cathedral (the primate church of Spain), and the Zocodover, a central market place. From the 4th century to the 16th century, about thirty synods were held at Toledo. The earliest, directed against Priscillian , assembled in 400. At

994-559: A remarkable combination of Gothic-Spanish-Flemish style with Mudéjar ornamentation. Toledo was home to El Greco for the latter part of his life, and is the subject of some of his most famous paintings, including The Burial of the Count of Orgaz , exhibited in the Church of Santo Tomé. When Philip II moved the royal court from Toledo to Madrid in 1561, the old city went into a slow decline from which it never recovered. Toledo has been

1065-533: A traditional sword-making, steel-working centre since about 500 BCE, and came to the attention of Rome when used by Hannibal in the Punic Wars . Soon, it became a standard source of weaponry for Roman legions . Toledo steel was famed for its very high quality alloy , whereas Damascene steel , a competitor from the Middle Ages on, was also famed for a specific metal-working technique. Today there

1136-437: A typical cold semi-arid climate (Köppen: BSk ). Winters are cool, while summers are hot and dry. Precipitation is low and mainly concentrated in the period between mid-autumn and mid-spring. The highest temperature ever recorded in Toledo was 44.2 °C (111.6 °F) on 13 August 2021; the lowest was −13.4 °C (7.9 °F) on 12 January 2021. The metal-working industry has historically been Toledo's economic base, with

1207-433: A work of Karo's printed; and Moses Isserles compelled the recognition of one of Karo's decisions at Kraków , although he had questions on the ruling. When some members of the community of Carpentras , France , believed themselves to have been unjustly treated by the majority in a matter relating to taxes, they appealed to Karo, whose letter was sufficient to restore to them their rights (Rev. Etudes Juives 18:133–136). In

1278-574: Is a city and municipality of Spain , the capital of the province of Toledo and the de jure seat of the government and parliament of the autonomous community of Castilla–La Mancha . Toledo is primarily located on the right (north) bank of the Tagus in central Iberia , nestled in a bend of the river. It is known as the "City of the Three Cultures" for the cultural influences of Christians , Muslims , and Jews throughout its history. It

1349-826: Is a mystical diary in which Karo during a period of fifty years recorded the nocturnal visits of an angelic being, his heavenly mentor, the personified Mishna (the authoritative collection of Jewish Oral Law). His visitor spurred him to acts of righteousness and even asceticism, exhorted him to study the Kabbala, and reproved him for moral laxities. He is buried in Old Cemetery of Safed . Other notable rabbis also buried in Old Cemetery of Safed: Toledo, Spain Toledo ( UK : / t ɒ ˈ l eɪ d oʊ / tol- AY -doh ; Spanish: [toˈleðo] )

1420-458: Is a significant trade, and many shops offer all kinds of swords to their customers, whether historical or modern swords used in films, as well as armor from the medieval period and other times, which are also exported to other countries. Some of the local specialties include lamb roast or stew, cochifrito , alubias con perdiz (beans with partridge) and perdiz estofoda (partridge stew), carcamusa , migas , gachas manchegas , and tortilla

1491-507: Is the case of the unemployed with high school degrees or professional expertise. The largest group among the unemployed is those who have no qualifications (27.27%). Toledo has a 25-member City Council, elected by closed lists every four years. The 2023 election saw a pact between the 9 members of the People's Party and the 4 members of Vox , allowing Carlos Velázquez of the PP to become mayor,

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1562-584: The Ancien Régime , also owning large amounts of seigneurial land across most of the southern half of the Inner Plateau and some nearby territories. The mass arrival of deported unruly Moriscos from Granada ('moriscos nuevos') in Toledo and its lands (6,000 arrived to the city only, at least temporarily) in the wake of the Alpujarras rebellion posed a formidable logistic challenge, and

1633-595: The Central March of Al-Andalus. In 852, a new revolt broke out in Toledo. The Umayyad governor was held hostage in order to secure the return of Toledan hostages held in Córdoba. In reprisal for a prior attack by Toledans, emir Muhammad I sent an army to attack them, but was defeated. Toledo forged an alliance with King Ordoño I of Asturias. They fought together at the Battle of Guadacelete but lost. Later in 857,

1704-451: The Church of San Sebastián dating from before the expulsion, still maintained in good condition. Among Ladino -speaking Sephardi Jews , in their various diasporas, the family name Toledano is still prevalent, indicating ancestry from the city (the name is also attested among non-Jews in various Spanish-speaking countries ). In the 13th century, Toledo was a major cultural centre under

1775-519: The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toledo , multiple persecutions (633, 653, 693) and stake burnings of Jews (638) occurred; the Kingdom of Toledo followed up on this tradition with forced conversions and mass murder (1368, 1391, 1449, 1486–1490) and rioting and bloodbath against the Jews of Toledo (1212). A major popular revolt erupted in 1449, with elements of tax mutiny, anti-Jewish and anti- converso sentiment, and appeals to

1846-516: The 7th century, a series of further church councils—the so-called Councils of Toledo —attempted to reconcile differing theological views and enacted anti-Jewish laws. By the end of the 7th century, the bishop of Toledo was the leader of all other bishops in Hispania, a situation unusual in Europe. The city was also unmatched as a symbolic center of monarchy. When internal divisions developed under

1917-500: The 920 and 930s, until Caliph Abd-ar-Rahman III captured the city in 932 after an extensive siege. In the wake of the early 11th-century Fitna of al-Andalus , Toledo became the centre of an independent polity, the so-called Taifa of Toledo , under the rule of the Dhu l-Nunids . The population of Toledo at this time was about 28,000, including a Jewish population of 4,000. The Mozarab community had its own Christian bishop. The taifa

1988-591: The Christian conquest, the city's Mozarab community grew by immigration from the Muslim south. Toledo preserved its status as a cultural centre. A tag-team translation centre was established in which books in Arabic or Hebrew would be translated into Castilian by Muslim and Jewish scholars, and from Castilian into Latin by Castilian scholars, thus letting long-lost knowledge spread through Christian Europe again. Under

2059-506: The East, Karo's authority was, if possible, even greater. His name heads the decree of excommunication directed against Daud, Joseph Nasi 's agent; and it was Karo who commissioned Elisha Gallico to draw up a decree to be distributed among all Jews, ordering that Dei Rossi 's "Me'or 'Enayim" be burned. But, Karo dying before it was ready for him to sign, the decree was not promulgated, and the rabbis of Mantua contented themselves with forbidding

2130-579: The Oral Torah itself (of which the Mishna is the fundamental part) spoke within him. (However, these two explanations are not necessarily contradictory—in the merit of the Mishna Karo constantly reviewed, he was worthy of an angelic teacher). The Maggid promised him that he would have the merit of settling in the Land of Israel, and this promise was fulfilled. Another promise, that he would merit to die

2201-517: The Toledans attacked Talavera but were again defeated. In 859, Muhammad I negotiated a truce with Toledo. The city became virtually independent for twenty years, though locked in conflict with neighboring cities. Cordobese authorities re-asserted control over Toledo in 873, after the successful Umayyad siege on the city, which forced defenders to submit. The Banu Qasi gained nominal control of Toledo until 920. A new period of unruliness followed in

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2272-867: The Visigothic nobles, Tariq bin Ziyad captured Toledo in 711 or 712 on behalf of the Umayyad Caliphate of Damascus as part of the Islamic conquest of the Iberian Peninsula . Tariq's superior, Governor Musa, disembarked in Cádiz and proceeded to Toledo, where he executed the Visigothic nobles, destroying much of the existing power structure. Following the Umayyad conquest, invaders were ethnically diverse, and available evidence suggests that in

2343-696: The area of Toledo (locally known as Ṭulayṭulah under Islamic rule), Berber settlement predominated over Arab . In 742, the Berbers in Al-Andalus rebelled against the Arab Umayyad governors. They took control of the north and unsuccessfully laid siege to the city. The city retained its importance as a literary and ecclesiastical centre well into the mid-8th century, as demonstrated by the Chronicle of 754 . During this period, several letters show of

2414-748: The arrival of rail. Following the July 1936 coup d'etat in Spain , the acting military commander in Toledo, José Moscardó , refused to provide weapons to Madrid and hid instead in the Alcázar with a garrison of about 1,000 rebels, food, ammunition and some hostages. After 21 July, they became subject to an unsuccessful siege by forces loyal to the Republic during the early stages of the Spanish Civil War . Leading rebel general (and soon-to-be " caudillo ") Francisco Franco and his Army of Africa took

2485-529: The attention and ruling of the Safed Beth Din. Its rulings were accepted as final and conclusive, and Karo's halachic decisions and clarifications were sought by sages from every corner of the diaspora. Rabbi Joseph Karo was also visited in Safed by the great Egyptian scholars of his day, Rabbi David ibn Abi Zimra and Rabbi Yaakov Castro . He came to be regarded as the leader of the entire generation. In

2556-571: The baptismal font. The council of 681 assured to the archbishop of Toledo the primacy of Spain. At Guadamur , very close to Toledo, the Treasure of Guarrazar was excavated in 1858, the best example of Visigothic art in Spain. As nearly one hundred early canons of Toledo found a place in the Decretum Gratiani , they exerted an important influence on the development of ecclesiastical law . The synod of 1565–1566 concerned itself with

2627-695: The city of Safed , Ottoman Galilee , where he arrived about 1535, having en route spent several years at Salonica (1533) and Istanbul . By 1555, Joseph Karo was already a resident of the village Biriyya near Safed, during which year he completed writing the first order of the Shulhan Arukh , Orach Chayim . For a short while he lived in Nikopol, but decided to make his way to the Land of Israel so that he could immerse himself in its sanctity and complete his written works. Passing through Salonica, he met

2698-461: The city of Toledo goes back to Roman times, but it was under Moorish rule and during the Reconquista that Toledo and its guild of swordsmiths played a key role. Between the 15th and 17th centuries, the Toledo sword-making industry enjoyed a great boom, to the point where Toledo steel came to be regarded as the best in Europe. Swords and daggers were made by individual craftsmen, although

2769-414: The city through the 3rd and 4th centuries. Church councils were held in Toledo in the years 400 and 527 to discuss the conflict with Priscillianism . In 546 (or possibly earlier), Visigoth rulers installed the capital of their kingdom in Toledo. King Theudis was in Toledo in 546, where he promulgated the only law of which records remain from the period, known from a single manuscript. Throughout

2840-452: The city. On 25 May 1085, Alfonso VI of León took Toledo and established direct personal control over the city from which he had been exacting tribute. Around that time, the city's demographics featured a heterogeneous composition, with Mozarabs, Muslims and Jews, to which incoming Christians from northern Iberia and Frankish elements were added. Initially, therefore, different fueros were simultaneously in force for each community. After

2911-513: The civic community, eventually expanding from an urban revolt to anti-seigneurial riots in countryside settlements outside the city. During the persecution of the Jews in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, members of the local Jewish community produced texts on their long history in Toledo. After the crushing of the Revolt of the Comuneros , Charles V 's court was installed in Toledo, with

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2982-556: The closure of the factory in the 1980s, the building was renovated to house the campus of the Technological University of Castilla–La Mancha in Toledo. According to the Statistical Institute of Castilla–La Mancha, in 2007 the share of employment by sector was as follows: 86.5% of the population engaged in the services, 6.6% in construction, 5.4% in industry and 1.5% in agriculture and livestock. In

3053-491: The decade up to 2008, unemployment in absolute terms remained fairly stable in the city of Toledo, but in 2009 this figure increased significantly: nearly 62% higher than 2008, with the number of unemployed rising from 2,515 to 4,074 (figures at 31 March each year), according to the Junta de Comunidades de Castilla La Mancha. Of this 62%, one third of the increase took place in the first quarter. According to other statistics from

3124-517: The development of the neighborhoods of Palomarejos and Polígono ensued in the second half of the 20th century. In the 1980s, in the context of the creation of the autonomous communities in Spain, Toledo became the de facto capital of the autonomous community of Castilla–La Mancha , hosting the seat of the Cortes of Castilla–La Mancha (the regional legislature) and the presidency of the regional government (the executive). Toledo continues to be

3195-457: The entrance, alongside the doorpost of the gate, while my cogitations from foolishness were sorely gripped by fear. Now, that wise man the elder sat upon a chair, and with his mouth he did amplify the subject matter. By an utterance he would draw man away from his burthen caused by the vicissitudes of time, in drawing him nigh unto the faithful God. He would then clothe him, as it were, in sumptuous apparel fit for those who are free, by his recital of

3266-679: The exclusion of Toledo from the railway to the Portuguese border in the 1850s, the construction of a rail connection from Castillejo to Toledo promoted by the Marquis of Salamanca was approved in June 1856. The line was opened on 12 June 1858. Tourism fostered by the arrival of rail contributed to the development of the hospitality industry in the late 19th century. By the turn of the 20th century, Toledo's population stood at about 23,000. The neighborhood of Santa Bárbara came into existence after

3337-586: The execution of the decrees of the Council of Trent , and the last council held at Toledo, 1582–1583, was guided in detail by Philip II . Toledo had large communities of Muslims and Jews until they were expelled from Spain in 1492 (Jews) and 1502 ( Mudéjars ). Today's city contains the religious monuments the Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca , the Synagogue of El Tránsito , the Mosque of Cristo de la Luz and

3408-559: The forms of Roman law and politics were increasingly adopted. At approximately this time, a Roman circus , city walls, public baths , and a municipal water supply and storage system were constructed in Toletum. The Roman circus in Toledo was one of the largest in Hispania . The circus could hold up to 15,000 spectators. A fragmentary stone inscription records circus games paid for by a citizen of unknown name to celebrate his achieving

3479-539: The great kabbalist Joseph Taitazak . He continued his journey to the Holy Land via Egypt and eventually settled in Safed . At Safed he met Jacob Berab and was soon appointed a member of his rabbinical court. Berab exerted great influence upon him, and Karo became an enthusiastic supporter of Berab's plans for the reinstitution of semicha (rabbinical ordination) which had been in abeyance for over 11 centuries. Karo

3550-564: The guidance of Alfonso X , known as "El Sabio" ("the Wise") for his love of learning. The Toledo School of Translators , established under Archbishop Raymond of Toledo , continued to bring vast stores of knowledge to Europe by rendering great academic and philosophical works in Arabic into Latin. The Palacio de Galiana , built in the Mudéjar style, is one of the monuments remaining from that period. The Cathedral of Toledo ( Catedral de Toledo )

3621-468: The invitation extended by Director General of Security José Finat y Escrivá de Romaní . The main purpose of the visit was to inspect the Spanish security forces, discuss Spanish-German police cooperation, and prepare for the planned meeting at Hendaye between Franco and Hitler. During his trip, Himmler visited the ruins of the Alcázar. By 1950, the population was around 40,243. Urban planning vis-à-vis

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3692-402: The later years of that century and ultimately disappearing by the turn of the 19th century. The Peninsular War affected the city in a very negative way. Over the course of the 19th century, Toledo underwent a progressive change from convent city to bureaucratic city. The city being quite impervious to external influence at the time, the bourgeoisie exerted a limited influence. Following

3763-407: The monarch choosing the city as his residence at least 15 times from 1525 on. Charles granted the city a coat of arms. From 1528 to 1561 the population increased from 31,930 to 56,270. In 1561, during the first years of his son Philip II 's reign, the royal court was set in Madrid . The archbishops of Toledo remained powerful brokers in the political and religious affairs of Spain for the rest of

3834-474: The municipality had a population of 83,226. The municipality has an area of 232.1 km (89.6 sq mi). The town was granted arms in the 16th century, which by special royal privilege were based on the coat of arms of the King of Spain . Toledo ( Latin : Toletum ) is described by the Roman historian Livy (ca. 59 BCE – 17 CE) as urbs parva, sed loco munita ("a small city, but fortified by location"). Roman general Marcus Fulvius Nobilior fought

3905-418: The primacy that the church of Toledo held. Under the Umayyad Emirate of Cordoba , Toledo was the centre of numerous insurrections against Cordobese government from 761 to 857. Girbib ibn-Abdallah, a poet from Toledo, wrote verses against the Umayyads, helping to inspire a revolt in the city against the new emir in 797. By the end of the 8th century, the Umayyads had made Toledo the administrative center of

3976-446: The province, through Upper Galilee, unto the city of Safed, the land of Canaan. … I then came into the city, and lo! Within her dwelt the Divine Presence, for within her there is a large community, frowardness being removed far from them, about fourteen thousand in number! In eighteen seats of learning they had come to study the Talmud. There, I saw the light of the Law, and the Jews had light. They surpassed all other communities. … Then it

4047-469: The reading of the work by Jews under twenty-five years of age. Several funeral orations delivered on that occasion have been preserved (Moses Albelda, Darash Mosheh ; Samuel Katzenellenbogen, Derashot ), as well as some elegies from Karo's passing. Karo's literary works are considered among the masterpieces of rabbinic literature . He published during his lifetime: After his death there appeared: The Maggid Meisharim (1646, Preacher of Righteousness )

4118-417: The same source, almost half the unemployed in the city of Toledo (1,970 persons) are among those whose education does not go beyond the compulsory secondary level. However, there are groups whose level of studies is such that they have not been registered as unemployed, including those who have completed class 1 professional training, or those with virtually nonexistent unemployment rates (less than 0.1%), which

4189-406: The sevirate, a kind of priesthood conferring high status. Games were held in the circus late into the 4th and early 5th centuries, an indication of active city life and ongoing patronage by wealthy elites. Toledo started to gain importance in late antiquity. There are indications that large private houses ( domus ) within the city walls were enlarged, while several large villas were built north of

4260-427: The sword-makers guild oversaw their quality. In the late 17th and early 18th century, production began to decline, prompting the creation of the Royal Arms Factory in 1761 by order of King Charles III . The Royal Factory brought together all the sword-makers' guilds of the city and was located in the former mint. In 1777, recognizing the need to expand the space, Charles commissioned the architect Sabatini to construct

4331-553: The synod of 589 the Visigothic king Reccared declared his conversion from Arianism to Catholicism ; the synod of 633 decreed uniformity of Catholic liturgy throughout the Visigothic Kingdom and took stringent measures against baptized Jews who had relapsed into their former faith. Other councils forbade circumcision, Jewish rites and observance of the Sabbath and festivals. Throughout the seventh century, Jews were flogged, executed, had their property confiscated, were subjected to ruinous taxes, forbidden to trade and, at times, dragged to

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4402-421: The uneasy preexisting system of social relations between the moros viejos ('old Moors') and the Old Christians was disrupted. By and large, Granadan new Moriscos were subject to xenophobic abuse and became stigmatised as bloodthirsty and sacrilegious. The city excelled in silk manufacturing during the early modern period. The silk industry reached a peak in the 16th century, entering a protracted decline in

4473-409: The verse: 'The Law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul'. He then deliberated on a certain matter by explicating its plain and esoteric sense. Before him were seated about two-hundred very admirable and distinguished pupils, sitting upon benches. When he had finished his words of wisdom, he gestured to a certain disciple opposite him to speak. … Now, when that wise man (i.e., Rabbi Joseph Karo) heard

4544-540: The walls of the ceiling, all the way down to its foundation – but, especially, the great luminary, even the wise man, Rabbi Joseph Karo, from whose seat of learning the wise men of Safed do not quit themselves, for in his heart the Talmud is stored, after he had sat down in learning for seven years, within a confined chamber. Now, aside from several branches of wisdom, within his heart are sealed, both, revelations and mysteries. I went one Sabbath to his seat of learning, to see his honourable and glorious magnanimity. I sat down by

4615-452: The wise man (i.e., Rabbi Joseph Karo). When Jacob Berab died, Karo was regarded as his successor, and together with Rabbi Moshe of Trani he headed the Rabbinical Court of Safed. In fact, by this time, the Rabbinical Court of Safed had become the central rabbinical court in all of Old Yishuv (southern Ottoman Syria ), and indeed of the diaspora as well. Thus there was not a single matter of national or global importance that did not come to

4686-431: The words of that disciple, he was astonished by his eloquence of speech who had given plausible arguments about the soul, and he then raised him up and exalted him above all the pupils that were with him. … I stayed there awhile, until the wise man (i.e., Rabbi Joseph Karo) had gestured to his pupils to stand up, and then gave order to each one to learn a Mishna . So they went their way, the pupils who were there gathered and

4757-421: Was built between 1226 and 1493 and modeled after Bourges Cathedral , though it also combines some characteristics of the Mudéjar style. It is remarkable for its incorporation of light and features a Baroque altar called El Transparente , several storeys high, with fantastic figures of stucco, paintings, bronze castings, and several colors of marble, a masterpiece of medieval mixed media by Narciso Tomé . For

4828-441: Was centered on the Tagus and bordered Sierra de Guadarrama , Guadalajara , Medinaceli , the Taifa of Valencia and the Mountains of Toledo . The taifa, however, fell into political disarray, owing to the economic draining caused by the parias (tributes) imposed by the Kingdom of León as well as territorial mutilations, and so a revolt erupted in 1079, which was followed by the Aftasid ruler of Badajoz taking control of

4899-500: Was one of the first he ordained and after Berab's death, Karo tried to perpetuate the scheme by ordaining his pupil Moshe Alshich , but he finally gave up his endeavors, convinced that he could not overcome the opposition to ordination. Karo also established a yeshiva where he taught Torah to over 200 students. A Yemenite Jewish traveler, Zechariah (Yaḥya) al-Dhahiri , visited Rabbi Karo's yeshiva in Safed, in circa 1567 CE and wrote of his impressions: I journeyed from Syria,

4970-430: Was that I knew my estimable worth, based on all my strength and ability, and lo! I had been deficient in several matters. Now, 'that which is lacking cannot be numbered'. I made myself inconspicuous in her midst, while my thoughts were languorous. Within the synagogues and midrashic study halls I had come to hear the expositors who expound upon a certain matter in several ways, seeing that they know every secret thing, from

5041-439: Was the capital, from 542 to 725 CE, of the Visigothic kingdom and was the venue for the Councils of Toledo . The city, seat of a powerful archdiocese for much of its history, has a Gothic Cathedral , and a long history in the production of bladed weapons , which are now common souvenirs of the city. Toledo was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986 for its extensive monumental and cultural heritage. As of 2015 ,

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