This volume chronicles the life of Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto, one of the greatest and most controversial of kabbalistic thinkers. Best known for his work Mesillat Yesharim-a treatise on the path man must follow to attain religious and ethical perfection-Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto, also known as the Ramchal, was a kabbalist, Hebrew poet, accomplished linguist, and leader of a group of religious thinkers who were primarily interested in the problems of redemption and messianism. Born in Padua, Italy, in 1707, Luzzatto was regarded as a genius from childhood, thoroughly knowledgeable in Bible, Talmud, Midrash, halakhic literature, and classical languages and literature. He also possessed an extensive knowledge of contemporary Italian culture. In 1727, while immersed in kabbalistic speculations, Luzzatto claimed to have heard the voice of a maggid-a divine power inclined to reveal heavenly secrets to human beings. Henceforth, the revelations of the maggid served to comprise future kabbalistic writings, only a few of which survived and were published. When word of Luzzatto's teachings reached the leading rabbis of Italy, a vehement controversy followed and he was coerced into giving up his kabbalistic writings and refraining from teaching Kabbalah altogether. Eventually, Luzzatto was forced to leave Italy. He lived in Amsterdam for a number of years, writing on many subjects but never openly teaching Kabbalah. In 1743 Luzzatto moved to Eretz Yisrael and lived there until 1746, when he and his family fell victim to a plague in Acco.

About the Author
Rabbi Yirmeyahu Bindman was born in Coventry, England, and received a degree in physics from London University in 1971. He is the author of Lord George Gordon, a dramatized biography of the eighteenth-century English convert to Judaism, and The Seven Colors of the Rainbow, an exposition of the Noachide Law. He moved to Israel in 1979 and now lives in Jerusalem with his wife and children.


Book Information
ISBN 9781568212937
Author Yirmeyahu Bindman
Format Hardback
Page Count 200
Imprint Jason Aronson Inc. Publishers
Publisher Jason Aronson Inc. Publishers
Weight(grams) 390g
Dimensions(mm) 142mm * 214mm * 24mm