Va-Yakam Eduth Be-Yaakov [Halachic polemic against Benjamin Mussaphia’s pamphlet Le'eynei Kol Yisrael concerning a ruling on an inheritance action]

SASPORTAS, JACOB.

Uri Phoebus ben Aaron Halevi

Amsterdam

1672

FIRST EDITION. With scattered marginal notes possibly in the hand of Sasportas or one of his supporters

Vinograd, Amsterdam 398; Ginzei Yisrael 1699; Fuks 326 (not in the Rosenthaliana Library)

Halachic polemic against Benjamin Mussaphia’s pamphlet "Le'eynei Kol Yisrael" concerning a ruling on an inheritance action. The suit, brought by Mussaphia’s daughter was set aside on the grounds that the witnesses, as beneficiaries themselves, were invalid. Jacob Sasportas was one of the witnesses Va-Yakam Eduth Be-Yaakov reproduces Mussaphia’s pamphlet on ff.14-20, with Sasportas' devastating, caustic critique alongside each paragraph. For example, on f.16-17 Mussaphia states “I will prove via a clear, straightforward path ... the purpose of this document...” to which Sasportas retorts “this path is filled with thorns and briars...[Mussaphia's] words are devoid of all logic." Mussaphia gained broad attention among scholarly circles for both his linguistic works (in Hebrew), and his scientific, medical writings (which he wrote in Latin under the name Dionysius). However, he garnered a strong measure of disrepute for his support of Shabbetai Tzvi. Therefore it is hardly surprising that Sasportas, the most vociferous critic of the Shabbateans, went on the attack in defence of his own actions. Fuks writes of the anomaly that among all the books the printer Uri Phoebus produced, this work is the only one that earnestly states it was issued with permission from the Governors of the Ma'amad. - Most likely, since this vitriolic pamphlet was directed against one of the more important rabbinic leaders of Amsterdam, Uri Phoebus did not wish to become a target of hostility from Mussaphia's (ex-Sabbathian) colleagues. On Mussaphia’s involvement in the Shabbatian Movement see: G. Scholem, Sabbatai Sevi, The Mystical Messiah (1973) p.541