Biur Zeh Yatza Rishona...

PROVENCAL, MOSES.

Meir ben Ephraim

Mantua

1566

FIRST EDITION

Vinograd, Mantua 111

This rare volume deals with the infamous Tamari-Venturozzo divorce scandal. The controversy, which hinged on matters of Jewish law, roused the Jewish public throughout Italy and was fueled by the argumentative spirit of the Renaissance in Christian Italy. In 1560, Samuel ben Moses of Perugia, known as Ventura or Venturozzo, betrothed Tamar, the daughter of Joseph ben Moses Ha’cohen Tamari, the chief physician of Venice and a powerful man, well connected to the Venetian government. As was then customary in Venice, the marriage vow was made at the time of betrothal. Three months later, after a quarrel had broke out between Venturozzo and his future father-in-law, the younger man left Venice. Venturozzo spent four years pursued by Tamari who insisted that he divorce his daughter. After extensive legal deliberations, Venturozzo returned to Venice and divorced his betrothed. However, he later claimed the divorce had been extracted under duress and was thus invalid. Tamari accused Venturozzo of mercenary motives and moreover, contended that to cast an aspersion on a divorce after it had been granted did not render it invalid. The ensuing controversy embroiled most of the Italian rabbis as well as several rabbis from Turkey and the Eastern countries including the Mabit and the Alshich. Tamari’s supporters were led by the rabbis of Venice and Venturozzo’s party by Moses Provencal. In due course, almost all the prominent Italian Rabbis became embroiled. Tamari used his political influence to have Venturozzo outlawed. Venturozzo had the Duke of Florence and the Duke of Mantua intercede on his behalf. The city governments and even the Cardinals of Ferrara and Bologna became involved. This pamphlet contains the argument set forth by Moses Provencal and his pupil Pinchas Eliah Melli of Mantua - these views were opposed by the vast majority of the Italian Rabbinate. For a detailed discussion of the background of the Tamari-Venturozzo divorce scandal, see S. Simonson, The Scandal of the Tamari-Venturozzo Divorce, in: Tarbiz, Vol. 28 (1959) pp. 375-392 and in History of the Jews in the Duchy of Mantua, (1965), pp. 501-504. See also, E. Kupfer, Further Clarifications Concerning the Scandal, in: Tarbiz, Vol. 38 (1969) pp. 54-60 and Y. Yudlov, Bibliographical Notes on the Tamari-Venturozzo Affair, in Alei Sefer, Vol. 2 (1979) pp. 105-120 (See especially p. 114 n. 31 concerning this pamphlet)