Et HaZamirעת הזמיר
1707
A collection of kabbalistic poems (Venice, 1707).
B
Benjamin HaKohen Vitale
Benjamin HaKohen Vitale
1651 CE–1730 CE · Acharonim · Mantua
Italian kabbalist (1651–1730), a leading disciple of R. Moshe Zacuto and one of the foremost exponents of Lurianic Kabbalah in Italy. Rabbi of Alessandria and then Reggio Emilia; author of Gevul Binyamin and Et HaZamir. Father-in-law and predecessor of R. Yeshayahu Bassan, the Ramchal's teacher. Like his close friend R. Avraham Rovigo, he was drawn to the moderate Sabbatean current of his day, engaging with both Lurianic and Sabbatean strands of Kabbalah.
Life journeyclick any stop, or use ←/→Trace on the orchard map →
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Stop 1 of 31670–1681Studying
MantuaמנטובהItaly
What they did here
Among the leading disciples of R. Moshe Zacuto (the RaMaZ) in Mantua, mastering Lurianic Kabbalah.
About Mantua
# Mantua Nestled on the banks of the Mincio River in northern Italy, Mantua was a jewel of Renaissance culture under the rule of the Gonzaga family, whose enlightened patronage transformed the city into a beacon of art and learning. The city's position amid the marshlands and lakes of the Po Valley gave it a melancholic beauty and, paradoxically, protection from invaders—those very waters that made travel arduous also made conquest difficult. The Jewish community of Mantua, though small in absolute numbers, wielded outsized influence in the cultural and intellectual life of the city; scholars, physicians, and merchants who had fled persecution elsewhere established themselves here, creating a vibrant center of Hebrew learning that would become celebrated across Europe. By the sixteenth century, Mantua had become a place where Jewish printers produced some of the most beautiful Hebrew books of the age, their works treasured by collectors and scholars alike. The community worshipped in multiple synagogues tucked within the densely built quarters near the Palazzo Ducale, and the city's relative tolerance—rooted in the Gonzagas' pragmatic appreciation of Jewish commercial acumen and cultural contribution—made Mantua a refuge and a refuge where Jewish intellectual life could flourish amid the splendor of Renaissance Italy.
In Mantua at the same time
In the same place & time
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Sages whose lives overlapped with Benjamin HaKohen Vitale’s in the same cities, drawn from their recorded journeys.
In the same tradition
The world in their lifetime
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Thinkers and teachers of other traditions whose lives overlapped with Benjamin HaKohen Vitale’s — a glimpse of the wider world they lived in. Drawn purely from recorded birth and death years.
Christian world
Buddhist world
Islamic world
Hindu world
Works(3)
Allon Bakhutאלון בכות
1712
A kabbalistic commentary on the book of Lamentations (Venice, 1712).
Gevul Binyaminגבול בנימין
1727
A collection of sermons by R. Benjamin HaKohen Vitale, published in Amsterdam in 1727.