The Jewish Eye
The Maharam Of Padua - A Bitter Battle, The Banning Of The Talmud, And The Advent Of Haskamos
Rav
Meir Katzenelenbogen was born in Prague in 5242/1482. He was a Talmid
of Rav Yaakov Pollack in Poland and a close friend of his successor Rav
Shalom Shachna the father in law of the Rema, before heading off to
Italy where he became a talmid of Rav Yehuda Mintz, otherwise known as
the Mahari Mintz. He was taken as a son in law by Rav Avrohom Mintz
the son and successor of his father the Mahari.
After the
petira of Rav Avrohom, Rav Meir became Rov of Padua and Venice, but his
name and Psak reached far and wide all the way back to his roots in
Eastern Europe where he was held to be one of the Gedolei HaDor by the
younger Gedolim of his time including the Maharshal and the Rema who
was a cousin of Rav Meir, and with whom he maintained halachic
correspondence as well as quoting him in Shulchan Aruch. He also
corresponded with Rav Ovadia Sforno and the Maharam Alshakar among
others. The Maharashdam writes (EH 64) "All the words of the Rav
HaMufla Maharam Padua z"l are Divrei Elokim Chaim... There is no doubt
that you cannot argue with him, Ki Mi Yavo Acharei HaMelech?"
One
of the landmark events of the Maharam's life was a dispute that broke
out between two non-Jewish seforim publishers. In 1550 Aloiso
Bragadini printed a new version of the Rambam's Mishneh Torah. it
included Hagahos from Rav Meir who was also his partner in this
venture. A competing printing house headed by Marco Guistiniani
printed a competing edition that very same year including Rav Meir's
hagahos although he did not reveal Rav Meir to be the author and downplayed their importance and scholarship value.
Rav Meir turned to the Rema for a
psak on the matter and the Rema ruled in favor of Rav Meir and placed a
Cheirem on the Guistiniani Edition until all the Bragadini copies were sold and
the stipulations of the psak were upheld. Guistiniani then turned to
the church, and in 1553 as a result of this, a law was issued banning the
printing or possession of the talmud, based on supposed slanderous
remarks made against Christianity.
A year later in 1554 a
landmark takana was enacted by the Rabbonim including Rav Meir
forbidding the publication of any sefer without prior haskama from the
gedolim.
The Katzenelenbogen traces its roots back through
Rashi to Dovid HaMelech. It is said that the vast majority of
descendants from Eastern European Jewry can trace their roots back to
this illustrious family. The Maharam Padua was niftar 10 Shevat
5325/1565 and is buried in the cemetery in Padua where his matzeiva
still exists. Yehi Zichro Boruch!
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