Crescas, Ḥasdai ben Abraham
- Crescas, Ḥasdai ben Abraham
-
▪ Spanish philosopher
born 1340, Barcelona?
died 1410, Saragossa, Spain
Spanish philosopher, Talmudic scholar, and critic of the Aristotelian rationalist tradition in Jewish thought, who became crown rabbi of Aragon.
A merchant and Jewish communal leader in Barcelona (1367), Crescas became closely associated with the royal court of Aragon after the accession of John I (1387) and was accorded the title “member of the royal household.” Empowered by royal decree to exercise over the Jewish community juridical and executive jurisdiction enumerated by Jewish law, he settled in Saragossa as the crown's chief rabbi.
Crescas' first known work is a chronicle of the massacres of Jews (including his son) in Barcelona in 1391, written in the form of a letter to the Jewish community of Avignon (now in France). Motivated to reaffirm Jewish principles during severe persecution of the Jews in Spain, he wrote (1397–98) a treatise in “Refutation of the Principles of the Christians,” a critique of 10 principles of Christianity.
Crescas' closely reasoned critique of Aristotle and Jewish Aristotelian tradition, represented in particular by the 12th-century philosopher Maimonides (
Maimonides, Moses), is contained in his
Or Adonai (“The Light of the Lord”), completed in 1410. In the work, a commentary on various aspects of the Torah, he rejected traditional proofs for the existence of God, insisting that certainty in this matter rests only on the authority of the Bible in stating “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord” (
Deut. 6:4).
* * *
Universalium.
2010.
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Crescas, Hasdai ben Abraham — (c. 1340–1412) Jewish philosopher and theologian. Crescas was the first European thinker to oppose Aristotelian cosmology, arguing instead for an infinitely extended cosmos. He opposed the extreme rationalism of Maimonides, and his emphasis on… … Philosophy dictionary
Crescas, Hasdai ben Abraham — (c.1340 c.1412) Spanish rabbi and theologian. He was born in Barcelona and was active as a merchant and communal leader there. In 1367 he was imprisoned on a charge of desecrating the Host, but was later released. With the accession of John I… … Dictionary of Jewish Biography
CRESCAS (or Cresques), ḤASDAI BEN JUDAH — (c. 1340–winter 1410–11), Catalonian rabbi, philosopher, and statesman. Crescas was born into an old Barcelonan family of rabbis and merchants. He studied Talmud and philosophy there under Rabbi nissim b. reuben gerondi (c. 1310–1376) and… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
Hasdai Crescas — Hasdaï Crescas Pour les articles homonymes, voir Crescas (homonymie). Hasdaï Crescas (hébreu : חסדאי קרשקש) est un éminent philosophe et légaliste séfarade du XIVe siècle (Barcelone, env. 1340 1410 ou 1411). Biographie Hasdaï ben… … Wikipédia en Français
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JEDAIAH BEN ABRAHAM BEDERSI — (Ha Penini; probably born in the 1280s and died about 1340), poet and philosopher. Possibly a native of Béziers, Jedaiah is known to have spent time in Perpignan and Montpellier. Little is known of his personal history. He may have been a… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
Hasdaï Crescas — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Crescas (homonymie). Hasdaï Crescas (hébreu : חסדאי קרשקש) est un éminent philosophe et légaliste séfarade du XIVe siècle (Barcelone, env. 1340 1410 ou 1411). Biographie Hasdaï ben Abraham ben Hasdaï… … Wikipédia en Français
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Crescas — (Hebrew: קרשקש) is a Jewish family name. There have been a number of scholars and rabbis sharing that surname, including: Abiathar Crescas, a 15th century Jewish physician and astrologer, doctor to King John II of Aragon (1458–79) Astruc Don… … Wikipedia
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