The Preacher as Poseq : R. Azariah Figo as Halakhist - הקונגרס העולמי השבעה עשר למדעי היהדות י"ד - י"ח באב תשע"ז (6

Azariah Figo (or Picho,1579-1647) was a well-known rabbinic figure in early modern Italy (first in Pisa, and then in Venice). His reputation is primarily based upon his collection of sermons, Binah le-Ittim(Venice 1648). Based upon these very popular sermons,scholars (starting with Bettan) characterized Figo as a strident traditionalist and reactionary. This stance found especial expression in his opposition to the cultural openness which is usually seen as the hallmark of Italian Jewry in the Renaissance and Baroque eras. This characterization of Figo still dominates the way he is portrayed, despite an effort by David Ruderman to soften it. Remarkably, however, the evaluations of Figo’s intellectual stance have taken little (if any) note of the lion’s share of his intellectual output which was overwhelmingly devoted to Jewish Law, both in theory and practice. These find expression in his classic and authoritative commentary on R. Shmuel ha-Sardi’s thirteenth century code, Sefer Ha-Terumot, entitled Giddule Terumah (Venice 1643), alongside several responsa and court decisions (some still in manuscript). This paper will seek to (begin to) rectify this imbalance. It will present central themes in Figo’s halakhic oeuvre, especially as these relate to issues such as Traditionalism, Rabbinic Authority, Local Custom, and Gentile Practices. The aim is to see the degree to which his halakhic posture contrasts or complements his preaching activity.

The Preacher as Poseq: R. Azariah Figo as Halakhist