[Avodah] Provence

[Micha Berger]

On Fri, Jun 01, 2012 at 12:18:08PM -0400, David Riceman wrote:
> This is thoroughly anachronistic.  Provencal Jewry viewed itself as  
> independent until its culture petered out in the aftermath of the  
> Albigensian crusade.  For the Raavad in particular see Rabbi Twersky's  
> biography, pp. 19-29, and see chapter 3 of Professor Ta Shma's biography  
> of R. Zerahia HaLevi.  IIRC Professor Katz wrote something similar about  
> the Meiri, but I don't have a copy available.

It struck me recently that the loss of a lasting Provencal Jewish
community might explain the loss of the Me'iri. Ashkenazim focused on
perpetuating their manuscripts, Sepharadim theirs, and poor R' Menchem
Meiri (the son of Narbonnim but actually lived in Catalan across the
Spanish border -- minhagic "Provence" straddles a political border)
left his imprint on a community that later assimilated into others.

...
> The claim about Spain is also outrageous.  Ramban, Rashba, the Ran, all  
> were Sephardic poskim who lived in Christian Spain and who defended  
> Sephardic traditions against Ashkenazic incursions.  Not only did the  
> cultures not merge in 300 years, but, numerically, we Ashkenazim were a  
> small minority compared to Spanish Jews.

As is evidenced by the lack of diversity in the Ashk gene pool. 40%
of Ashkenazim can be traced to just four women
<http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10827385>. (Based on mitochondrial DNA
studies, as only the egg provides mtDNA.)

It may make more sense when speaking of Sepharadi rishonim to deal with
the Andalusians (Rambam, IE) of the Golden Age and with Catalonians
separately. What do you think?

:-)BBii!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             A pious Jew is not one who worries about his fellow
micha at aishdas.org        man's soul and his own stomach; a pious Jew worries
http://www.aishdas.org   about his own soul and his fellow man's stomach.
Fax: (270) 514-1507                       - Rav Yisrael Salanter