2016.4- The University of Tokyo Graduate school of Humanities and Sociology Study of Religions, Doctoral course 2019.4-8 University of Bologna School of Arts, Humanities, and Cultural Heritage Department of History and Cultures, Visiting PhD candidate 2019.8-2021.7 Hebrew University Rothberg International School Visiting Research Fellow Supervisors: Hiroshi Ichikawa
Simone Luzzatto’s Scepticism in the Context of Early Modern Thought, 2024
This chapter analyses Simone Luzzatto’s view of Jewish ritual by comparing the arguments he put f... more This chapter analyses Simone Luzzatto’s view of Jewish ritual by comparing the arguments he put forth in the fourteenth consideration of his Discourse with those of Francis Bacon and Michel de Montaigne. Luzzatto emphasises the social and practical dimension of rituals in human society and the great antiquity of the rituals preserved by the Jews over the centuries. Like Bacon in his Essays, Luzzatto considers rituals to be the primary bond between human beings. He stresses that Jewish ritual has remained unchanged since antiquity based on its practice, whereas the moral behaviour of citizens changes according to circumstances. While his reliance on the old religion has similarities with Michel de Montaigne, Luzzatto considers change more negatively, as it undermines the original purity of religion. His perception of change may have been influenced by the dissemination of new theories in anthropological studies. Luzzatto proposes the historical constancy of Jewish ritual not only as empirical evidence of political security and its social contribution to peace, but also as a clue leading to the best judgement for civil behaviour to foster social harmony.
I've written about ghettos built in Germany and Italy in Medieval and Early Modern period in 5th ... more I've written about ghettos built in Germany and Italy in Medieval and Early Modern period in 5th chapter.
See the link in which page shows some abstracts of the book.
With the development of morality among citizens in early-modern Italy, an anti-Jewish stereotype ... more With the development of morality among citizens in early-modern Italy, an anti-Jewish stereotype of Jews as greedy and immoral emerged. It was based on arguments of differentiation between Christians and Jews. Simone Luzzatto, a seventeenth-century Venetian rabbi, attempted to refute this idea as well as preserve his own culture and identity. Chapters thirteen and fourteen of his work “Discorso” distinguish between two aspects of Judaism, specific rituals and universal morality. The rituals, according to Luzzatto, are observed only by Jews on their free will, while all humans should share the morality assertively. This understanding appears to be similar to modern concepts of religion. However, Luzzatto also stressed that individuals in society are first connected through rituals, whereas relationships with gentiles are formed outside of this ritual context, through morality. This illustrates an idea of society that is completely different from its modern counterpart. In formulating his ideas, Luzzatto aimed to describe Judaism in a way that was suitable for the Venetian government policy. The Jewish community, on the one hand, contributed to the Venetian order with its moral doctrine in a similar manner as the Christian confraternities did. On the other hand, they had the specific ritual precepts equivalent to the customs of minority groups of foreigners that were recognized as a “natione.”
Jewish Self-Recognition in early modern Italy : A case study on Leone Modena’s Antobiography
Duri... more Jewish Self-Recognition in early modern Italy : A case study on Leone Modena’s Antobiography During early modern period, the Jews in Italy became collectively mentioned in conducts (condotta) for settlement in Italian City-States, as well as in books written for Christians by Jews themselves, such as Historia dei riti Hebraici (L. Modena). On the other hand, the Jews in Italy varied considerably in customs, rites, and social status. How did they socially identify themselves within these multiple categories? This paper focuses on Leone Modena's identities in daily lives in the Venice ghetto, depicted in his autobiography. First, a general view on jewish settlement and regulation of them shows that condotta, which regulated the Jews under each city’s policy, invaded effects of halakhah or rabbinic judgement. A study on Modena's perspective on community in his autobiography demonstrates that he tended to recognize Jewish communities as homogeneous groups within each city, rather than as universal Jews or divided groups on customs. He formed self-identity as a part of the Venetian Jewish community, and pursued righteousness of communal rites and studies. His view was probably influenced by condotta, developed by negotiating with the Venetian city-state as a representative of the community and controlling communal people generally. The definition of condotta “Natione,” which originally occurred within international trades in Europe and was used by foreign merchant groups as a juridical personality, controlled its members and conformed a distinctive uniformity. It can be said that control under condotta developed a Jewish conceptual uniformity, and led Leone to search for righteousness, in other words “Jewishness”.
17th Annual Conference of the European Association for the Study of Religions (20190629), 2019
In early decades of the 17th century, the Jewish community in Venice was often suspected that the... more In early decades of the 17th century, the Jewish community in Venice was often suspected that their own laws might violate the Republican authority, making their "state in state," because they had their own laws and committees, regulating their members not only in the religious field but on civic matters, under the severe punishments, without permissions of the Republic. As a response to these doubts, Fulgenzio Micanzio concluded in his report that their communal system and laws were not threats for the Republic, after censoring their communal rules. It seems that Micanzio treated all of the Jewish legal systems as totally religious; answering the problem that Jews owned there committee without Republican permission, Micanzio called this system "rites" and emphasized that these rituals concerned only with the torah, not civil or criminal matters, despite some Republican officer problematized that Jewish "rites" could refer to both rituals in synagogues and legal operations. In addition, Micanzio shut the communal control in the spiritual field, clearly dividing from the temporal field, prohibiting to violate this border each other. According to him, the Jewish autonomy didn't have any power on temporal world, because it was based on the punishment of ex-communication, which worked only spiritually and had no effect on whom didn't have faith of Judaism. Furthermore, he claimed that the Republic must not interfere in this "rites," the Jewish autonomy, just as it couldn't interfere in the laws of Christian confraternities or churches. Conversely, the Jewish community as well as the Christian ones couldn't violate the boundary into the temporal, Republican matters. Thus, Micanzio theorized that the Jewish community was legally same as Christian confraternities, equipping only spiritual rituals of communal systems, throwing it out of the temporal society, modifying it more religious than political.
Simone Luzzatto’s Scepticism in the Context of Early Modern Thought, 2024
This chapter analyses Simone Luzzatto’s view of Jewish ritual by comparing the arguments he put f... more This chapter analyses Simone Luzzatto’s view of Jewish ritual by comparing the arguments he put forth in the fourteenth consideration of his Discourse with those of Francis Bacon and Michel de Montaigne. Luzzatto emphasises the social and practical dimension of rituals in human society and the great antiquity of the rituals preserved by the Jews over the centuries. Like Bacon in his Essays, Luzzatto considers rituals to be the primary bond between human beings. He stresses that Jewish ritual has remained unchanged since antiquity based on its practice, whereas the moral behaviour of citizens changes according to circumstances. While his reliance on the old religion has similarities with Michel de Montaigne, Luzzatto considers change more negatively, as it undermines the original purity of religion. His perception of change may have been influenced by the dissemination of new theories in anthropological studies. Luzzatto proposes the historical constancy of Jewish ritual not only as empirical evidence of political security and its social contribution to peace, but also as a clue leading to the best judgement for civil behaviour to foster social harmony.
I've written about ghettos built in Germany and Italy in Medieval and Early Modern period in 5th ... more I've written about ghettos built in Germany and Italy in Medieval and Early Modern period in 5th chapter.
See the link in which page shows some abstracts of the book.
With the development of morality among citizens in early-modern Italy, an anti-Jewish stereotype ... more With the development of morality among citizens in early-modern Italy, an anti-Jewish stereotype of Jews as greedy and immoral emerged. It was based on arguments of differentiation between Christians and Jews. Simone Luzzatto, a seventeenth-century Venetian rabbi, attempted to refute this idea as well as preserve his own culture and identity. Chapters thirteen and fourteen of his work “Discorso” distinguish between two aspects of Judaism, specific rituals and universal morality. The rituals, according to Luzzatto, are observed only by Jews on their free will, while all humans should share the morality assertively. This understanding appears to be similar to modern concepts of religion. However, Luzzatto also stressed that individuals in society are first connected through rituals, whereas relationships with gentiles are formed outside of this ritual context, through morality. This illustrates an idea of society that is completely different from its modern counterpart. In formulating his ideas, Luzzatto aimed to describe Judaism in a way that was suitable for the Venetian government policy. The Jewish community, on the one hand, contributed to the Venetian order with its moral doctrine in a similar manner as the Christian confraternities did. On the other hand, they had the specific ritual precepts equivalent to the customs of minority groups of foreigners that were recognized as a “natione.”
Jewish Self-Recognition in early modern Italy : A case study on Leone Modena’s Antobiography
Duri... more Jewish Self-Recognition in early modern Italy : A case study on Leone Modena’s Antobiography During early modern period, the Jews in Italy became collectively mentioned in conducts (condotta) for settlement in Italian City-States, as well as in books written for Christians by Jews themselves, such as Historia dei riti Hebraici (L. Modena). On the other hand, the Jews in Italy varied considerably in customs, rites, and social status. How did they socially identify themselves within these multiple categories? This paper focuses on Leone Modena's identities in daily lives in the Venice ghetto, depicted in his autobiography. First, a general view on jewish settlement and regulation of them shows that condotta, which regulated the Jews under each city’s policy, invaded effects of halakhah or rabbinic judgement. A study on Modena's perspective on community in his autobiography demonstrates that he tended to recognize Jewish communities as homogeneous groups within each city, rather than as universal Jews or divided groups on customs. He formed self-identity as a part of the Venetian Jewish community, and pursued righteousness of communal rites and studies. His view was probably influenced by condotta, developed by negotiating with the Venetian city-state as a representative of the community and controlling communal people generally. The definition of condotta “Natione,” which originally occurred within international trades in Europe and was used by foreign merchant groups as a juridical personality, controlled its members and conformed a distinctive uniformity. It can be said that control under condotta developed a Jewish conceptual uniformity, and led Leone to search for righteousness, in other words “Jewishness”.
17th Annual Conference of the European Association for the Study of Religions (20190629), 2019
In early decades of the 17th century, the Jewish community in Venice was often suspected that the... more In early decades of the 17th century, the Jewish community in Venice was often suspected that their own laws might violate the Republican authority, making their "state in state," because they had their own laws and committees, regulating their members not only in the religious field but on civic matters, under the severe punishments, without permissions of the Republic. As a response to these doubts, Fulgenzio Micanzio concluded in his report that their communal system and laws were not threats for the Republic, after censoring their communal rules. It seems that Micanzio treated all of the Jewish legal systems as totally religious; answering the problem that Jews owned there committee without Republican permission, Micanzio called this system "rites" and emphasized that these rituals concerned only with the torah, not civil or criminal matters, despite some Republican officer problematized that Jewish "rites" could refer to both rituals in synagogues and legal operations. In addition, Micanzio shut the communal control in the spiritual field, clearly dividing from the temporal field, prohibiting to violate this border each other. According to him, the Jewish autonomy didn't have any power on temporal world, because it was based on the punishment of ex-communication, which worked only spiritually and had no effect on whom didn't have faith of Judaism. Furthermore, he claimed that the Republic must not interfere in this "rites," the Jewish autonomy, just as it couldn't interfere in the laws of Christian confraternities or churches. Conversely, the Jewish community as well as the Christian ones couldn't violate the boundary into the temporal, Republican matters. Thus, Micanzio theorized that the Jewish community was legally same as Christian confraternities, equipping only spiritual rituals of communal systems, throwing it out of the temporal society, modifying it more religious than political.
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Books by Mina Lee
See the link in which page shows some abstracts of the book.
Papers by Mina Lee
During early modern period, the Jews in Italy became collectively mentioned in conducts (condotta) for settlement in Italian City-States, as well as in books written for Christians by Jews themselves, such as Historia dei riti Hebraici (L. Modena). On the other hand, the Jews in Italy varied considerably in customs, rites, and social status. How did they socially identify themselves within these multiple categories? This paper focuses on Leone Modena's identities in daily lives in the Venice ghetto, depicted in his autobiography. First, a general view on jewish settlement and regulation of them shows that condotta, which regulated the Jews under each city’s policy, invaded effects of halakhah or rabbinic judgement. A study on Modena's perspective on community in his autobiography demonstrates that he tended to recognize Jewish communities as homogeneous groups within each city, rather than as universal Jews or divided groups on customs. He formed self-identity as a part of the Venetian Jewish community, and pursued righteousness of communal rites and studies. His view was probably influenced by condotta, developed by negotiating with the Venetian city-state as a representative of the community and controlling communal people generally. The definition of condotta “Natione,” which originally occurred within international trades in Europe and was used by foreign merchant groups as a juridical personality, controlled its members and conformed a distinctive uniformity. It can be said that control under condotta developed a Jewish conceptual uniformity, and led Leone to search for righteousness, in other words “Jewishness”.
Conference Presentations by Mina Lee
Lecture by Mina Lee
See the link in which page shows some abstracts of the book.
During early modern period, the Jews in Italy became collectively mentioned in conducts (condotta) for settlement in Italian City-States, as well as in books written for Christians by Jews themselves, such as Historia dei riti Hebraici (L. Modena). On the other hand, the Jews in Italy varied considerably in customs, rites, and social status. How did they socially identify themselves within these multiple categories? This paper focuses on Leone Modena's identities in daily lives in the Venice ghetto, depicted in his autobiography. First, a general view on jewish settlement and regulation of them shows that condotta, which regulated the Jews under each city’s policy, invaded effects of halakhah or rabbinic judgement. A study on Modena's perspective on community in his autobiography demonstrates that he tended to recognize Jewish communities as homogeneous groups within each city, rather than as universal Jews or divided groups on customs. He formed self-identity as a part of the Venetian Jewish community, and pursued righteousness of communal rites and studies. His view was probably influenced by condotta, developed by negotiating with the Venetian city-state as a representative of the community and controlling communal people generally. The definition of condotta “Natione,” which originally occurred within international trades in Europe and was used by foreign merchant groups as a juridical personality, controlled its members and conformed a distinctive uniformity. It can be said that control under condotta developed a Jewish conceptual uniformity, and led Leone to search for righteousness, in other words “Jewishness”.