| ‘A Day-away’ Events: An Earthly Dreamer: R. Moshe Chayim Luzzatto And The Vibrant Italian Jewish Experience
The notes and strength of beautiful music carried us as we began our journey to eighteenth century Padua. The Italian ghetto came alive as we heard about a small group of students, with R. Moshe Chayim Luzzatto at their head, who devoted their study to the Redemption of Israel.
We then grappled with some of the basic ideas of Kabbalah, as we studied under the guidance of Professor Daniel Matt. This great scholar opened up the gates to the spiritual world in which the Ramchal lived, and helped us understand his unique perspective on his purpose in this world.
The musical notes then carried us to another sphere, of earthly and mystical unions. Our ears were treated to the sounds of the Chazzan and his choir, whose beautiful voices portrayed the uniqueness of an Italian Jewish wedding ceremony. Our eyes were flooded with the wealth of beauty as we sat in the synagogue where such weddings still take place.
Yet we hadn’t left our young mystical dreamer. As he was signing the technical Ketubah, his thoughts and intentions were elsewhere. We could hear his understanding of the true meaning of his wedding: not just a union between man and wife, but a union between Israel and God on high mystical spheres.
After the bride and groom where blessed by their parents and Rabbi, their friends blessed them. We were treated to the words of a poem, written by Luzzatto on the occasion of his friends' wedding.
We continued to rejoice with the bride and groom, as to the sound of the lute, we tasted the delicacies of the Italian kitchen. The piazza was bursting with colors and smells, which we savored as we ate.
But the peace was disrupted, as Yekutiel Gordon, Luzzatto's student entered and told us of the state of affairs. He appealed to us to come hear the positions and perspectives of Luzzatto's allies and adversaries. Perhaps, he suggested, we would be objective and our impressions could help resolve the conflict.
And so we met with the lovely Zipporah, who spoke of her husband with great love and awe, while Rabbi Abuhav of Venice felt so strongly that this man is a danger to the entire nation. Luzzatto's own teacher described their special relationship, and his attempt at bringing peace. Yekutiel spoke with the admiration of a close student, while Rivka revealed to us her opinion as a bystander.
The strains of music brought out the tragedy of our dear Luzzatto, and yet they also brought hope, as they spoke of a new page of his life, in Amsterdam.
We returned with renewed strength to reflect on the Ramchal's ethical teachings. Rabbi Daniel Landes, Pardes’s director, lead us through the discussion of Paths – our paths and his, and how they connect.
From across the centuries, we connected with the Ramchal in an unbelievable, tangible way as we “re-dedicated†Luzzatto’s Paduan Aron Kodesh here in Jerusalem, to the sound of his original song of praise.
We wandered through the "gates" of the many editions of Luzzatto’s works, following the aroma of the delicacies awaiting us inside. We were greeted with an abundance of Italian dishes and colorful carnival masks. The rich sounds of Baroque instruments filled our ears.
The Arcadia Baroque Ensemble treated us to an overwhelming performance of Italian music. We then heard some personal reflections on Luzzatto’s life, and witnessed how he has touched the lives of many to this day. The harmonious voices of the Zamir Chorale filled the room with the sounds of contemporary Jewish Italian musical praise. We joined in with our own words of praise, beginning with Birkat HaMazon to the tune of one of Salamone de'Rossi's compositions.
We left with a deepened understanding of this unique earthly dreamer, his complex life and times, and his fascinating legacy.
This “A Day Away†was produced as a fundraising event for the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem.
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