Gabriel Esperanssa, also spelled Esperanza or Esperança, was a 17th-century rabbi at

Safed Safed (known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as Tzfat; Sephardi Hebrew, Sephardic Hebrew & Modern Hebrew: צְפַת ''Tsfat'', Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation, Ashkenazi Hebrew: ''Tzfas'', Biblical Hebrew: ''Ṣǝp̄aṯ''; ar, صفد, ''Ṣafad''), i ...

. He was originally from

Salonika Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area, and the capital of the geographic region of ...

, where he was a disciple of Daniel Estrumsa. He apparently assumed the name of a woman called Esperanssa (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

for "hope"), who adopted and educated him as an orphan.

Kaufmann Kohler Kaufmann Kohler (May 10, 1843 – January 28, 1926) was a German-born Jewish American biblical scholar and critic, theologian, Reform rabbi, and contributing editor to numerous articles of ''The Jewish Encyclopedia'' (1906). Life and work Kaufm ...

& Lazarus Grünhut
Gabriel Esperanssa
''1901–1906 Jewish Encyclopedia'', Jewish Encyclopedia bibliography: Chaim Azulai, ''Shem HaGedolim'', s.v.; Conforte, Ḳore HaDorot, end.K. He was an exceptional Talmudic scholar and had studied together with

David Conforte David Conforte (c. 1618 – c. 1685) () was a Hebrew literary historian born in Salonica, author of the literary chronicle known by the title ''Ḳore ha-Dorot.'' Biography Conforte came of a family of scholars. His early instructors were rabbis H ...

in Salonica. He later became acquainted with Jonathan Galante, (father of

Moses Galante Moses Galante (died 1806) was chief rabbi of Damascus during the late 18th century and early 19th century. He succeeded his father, Mordecai Galante, who was chief rabbi until his death in 1781. Moses Galante was also a noted scholar and the auth ...

of Jerusalem), in Safed. Esperanssa was contentious and dogmatic and engaged in a disputation with the Egyptian rabbi Mordecai ben Judah HaLevi. Esperanssa was at the helm of the re-establishment of the Jewish community of Safed a few years after the 1660 massacre. He served on the Safed rabbinate in 1677 and may have officiated as the chief rabbi of Safed at the time. He was one of the four people chosen by the

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...

rabbinate to investigate the prophetic claims of

Nathan of Gaza Nathan of Gaza ( he, נתן העזתי; 1643–1680) or Nathan Benjamin ben Elisha Hayyim haLevi Ashkenazi or Ghazzati) was a theologian and author born in Jerusalem. After his marriage in 1663 he moved to Gaza, where he became famous as a prophe ...

. He left several works, but only the ''collectanea'' to the

Pentateuch The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the sa ...

have been published. A few of his ''responsa'' have survived in citations.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Esperanssa, Gabriel Rabbis in Safed 17th-century rabbis from the Ottoman Empire Rabbis in Ottoman Galilee Rabbis from Thessaloniki Sephardi rabbis Sephardi Jews in Ottoman Palestine Bible commentators