Azaria Piccio ( vec, Azarìa Piccio; he, עזריה בן אפרים פיגו, translit=Azarya ben Efrayim Figu; 1579–6 February 1647) was a

Venetian Venetian often means from or related to: * Venice, a city in Italy * Veneto, a region of Italy * Republic of Venice (697–1797), a historical nation in that area Venetian and the like may also refer to: * Venetian language, a Romance language s ...

Talmudist, '' sofer'' (scribe) and ''darshan'' ( preacher) who served in the Jewish communities of

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

and

Pisa Pisa ( , or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the cit ...

Biography

Piccio was born in

in 1579. Originally destined for a medical career,Bloch, A. P. (1987). ''One a day: An anthology of Jewish historical anniversaries for every day of the year''. Jersey City: KTAV. Piccio left

medical school A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, or part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS, M ...

and devoted himself to the study of the Talmud.Ruderman, D. B. (1992)
Jewish preaching and the language of science: The sermons of Azariah Figo
In D. B. Ruderman (Ed.), ''Preachers of the Italian ghetto''. Berkeley: University of California. Referring to this episode in his life, Piccio wrote the nowadays oft-quoted passage, “I abandoned my girlfriend,” referring to his medical studies and general preoccupation with the secular world, “and went to my true love.” As a rabbi, Piccio became known for his oratory skills. His sermons were skilfully laced with scientific—particularly medical—references, and were composed according to classical models.Shulvass, M. A. (1973). ''The Jews in the world of the Renaissance''. Leiden: Brill. His sermons in Hebrew are noted for their erudite but direct style. He was especially close to his mentor Leon of Modena,Ruderman, D. B. & Idel, M. (2001). ''Jewish thought and scientific discovery in early Modern Europe''. Detroît: Wayne State University Press. with whom he shared an openness toward the

modern Modern may refer to: History * Modern history ** Early Modern period ** Late Modern period *** 18th century *** 19th century *** 20th century ** Contemporary history * Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century Phil ...

world. David B. Ruderman wrote that, “while iccioargues for the insufficiency of the

sciences Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...

, he clearly does not dismiss their validity altogether.” Piccio had two sons, Lazzaro and Efrem, who together wrote a commentary on Yeruẖam ben Meshullam’s ''Toldot Adam veH̱avva''. Piccio outlived both, who had perished during the

1629–31 Italian plague Sixteen or 16 may refer to: *16 (number), the natural number following 15 and preceding 17 *one of the years 16 BC, AD 16, 1916, 2016 Films * '' Pathinaaru'' or ''Sixteen'', a 2010 Tamil film * ''Sixteen'' (1943 film), a 1943 Argentine film di ...

. Piccio died in Rovigo on 6 February 1647 and was buried there. He is today considered as having been “one of the last great talmudists produced by Italian Jewry”.

Publications

Piccio was the author of ''Iggerot uteshuvot'' (“Letters and Responsa”), published within Issacar Eilenburg's ''Be’er sheva'' (Venice, 1614). As

rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as '' semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form o ...

in Pisa, he wrote ''Giddulei Terumah'' (1643), a commentary on

Shmu’el haSardi Samuel ben Isaac Ha-Sardi (Hebrew: שמואל בן יצחק סרדי) was a Spanish rabbi who flourished in the first half of the 13th century. In his youth he attended the school of Rabbi Nathan ben Meir of Trinquetaille, Provence, and later he r ...

's ''Sefer Haterumot''. A compilation of 75

Sabbath In Abrahamic religions, the Sabbath () or Shabbat (from Hebrew ) is a day set aside for rest and worship. According to the Book of Exodus, the Sabbath is a day of rest on the seventh day, commanded by God to be kept as a holy day of rest, as G ...

and

holiday A holiday is a day set aside by custom or by law on which normal activities, especially business or work including school, are suspended or reduced. Generally, holidays are intended to allow individuals to celebrate or commemorate an event or tra ...

sermons that he delivered in Venice was published under the title ''Binah Le’ittim'' (1647–1648), a work which remains popular to this day, particularly among Mizraẖi Jews.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Piccio, Azaria

Azaria Azaria ( he, עֲזַרְיָה), or Azarya is a moshav in central Israel. Located in the Shephelah around five kilometres south-east of Ramle, it falls under the jurisdiction of Gezer Regional Council. In it had a population of . Etymology ...

Venetian Jews 1579 births 1647 deaths Jewish scribes (soferim) 16th-century Republic of Venice rabbis 17th-century Republic of Venice rabbis Italian Orthodox rabbis 16th-century Venetian writers 17th-century Venetian writers Jewish Italian writers 16th-century Sephardi Jews 17th-century Sephardi Jews