Mysticism and asceticism in Italian rabbinic literature of the thirteenth century

Abstract

Several recent studies have shed new light on the halakhic writings of Italian rabbinic scholars of the thirteenth century such as Isaiah di Trani the Elder (RiD) and Zedekiah b. Abraham ha-Rafe min ha- 'Anavim, author of the halakhic compendium Shibbolei ha-Leqet. These studies have focused primarily on the literary styles of the halakhic works and on the sources and methods that were utilized. An important underlying issue is the relationship between Italian rabbinic scholarship during this period, and the leading centers of Talmudic and rabbinic studies in Ashkenaz and Provence. 1