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Rabbi Jonah ben Abraham Gerondi ( he, יוֹנָה בֶּן־אַבְרָהָם גִירוֹנְדִי ''Yōnāh bēn-ʾAvrāhām Gīrōndī'', "Jonah son of Abraham the
Girona Girona (officially and in Catalan , Spanish: ''Gerona'' ) is a city in northern Catalonia, Spain, at the confluence of the Ter, Onyar, Galligants, and Güell rivers. The city had an official population of 103,369 in 2020. Girona is the capit ...
n"; died 1264), also known as Jonah of Girona and Rabbeinu Yonah (), was a Catalan rabbi and moralist, cousin of
Nahmanides Moses ben Nachman ( he, מֹשֶׁה בֶּן־נָחְמָן ''Mōše ben-Nāḥmān'', "Moses son of Nachman"; 1194–1270), commonly known as Nachmanides (; el, Ναχμανίδης ''Nakhmanídēs''), and also referred to by the acronym Ra ...
. He is most famous for his ethical work ''The Gates of Repentance'' ( he, שערי תשובה).


Biography

Much of what is known about his life comes from a responsum by Solomon ben Simon Duran, one of his descendants. Jonah Gerondi came from
Girona Girona (officially and in Catalan , Spanish: ''Gerona'' ) is a city in northern Catalonia, Spain, at the confluence of the Ter, Onyar, Galligants, and Güell rivers. The city had an official population of 103,369 in 2020. Girona is the capit ...
, in
Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the north ...
(present-day
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...
). He was the most prominent pupil of Solomon ben Abraham of Montpellier, the leader of the opponents of
Maimonides Musa ibn Maimon (1138–1204), commonly known as Maimonides (); la, Moses Maimonides and also referred to by the acronym Rambam ( he, רמב״ם), was a Sephardic Jewish philosopher who became one of the most prolific and influential Torah s ...
' philosophical works, and was one of the signers of the ban proclaimed in 1233 against ''
The Guide for the Perplexed ''The Guide for the Perplexed'' ( ar, دلالة الحائرين, Dalālat al-ḥā'irīn, ; he, מורה נבוכים, Moreh Nevukhim) is a work of Jewish theology by Maimonides. It seeks to reconcile Aristotelianism with Rabbinical Jewish th ...
'' and the ''Sefer ha-Madda''. According to his pupil, Hillel ben Samuel, Gerondi was the instigator of the public burning of Maimonides' writings by order of the authorities at
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
in 1233, and the indignation which this aroused among all classes of Jews was mainly directed against him. Subsequently (not forty days afterward, as a tradition has it, but in 1242) when twenty-four wagon-loads of
Talmud The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the center ...
s were burned at the same place where the philosophical writings of Maimonides had been destroyed, Gerondi saw the folly and danger of appealing to
Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι� ...
ecclesiastical authorities on questions of
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""T ...
doctrine, and publicly admitted in the synagogue of
Montpellier Montpellier (, , ; oc, Montpelhièr ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the department of Hérault. In 2018, 290,053 people ...
that he had been wrong in all his acts against the works and fame of Maimonides. As an act of repentance he vowed to travel to Israel and prostrate himself on Maimonides' grave and implore his pardon in the presence of ten men for seven consecutive days. He left
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
with that intention, but was detained, first in
Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
and later in Toledo. He remained in Toledo, and became one of the great
Talmud The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the center ...
ical teachers of his time. In all his lectures he made a point of quoting from Maimonides, always mentioning his name with great reverence. Gerondi's sudden death from a rare disease was considered by many as a penalty for not having carried out the plan of his journey to the grave of Maimonides. However, some believe this was only a myth created by the followers of Maimonides. He died in Toledo in the
Kingdom of Castile The Kingdom of Castile (; es, Reino de Castilla, la, Regnum Castellae) was a large and powerful state on the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages. Its name comes from the host of castles constructed in the region. It began in the 9th cent ...
in November 1263. The text of his tombstone was later transcribed by
Samuel David Luzzatto Samuel David Luzzatto ( he, שמואל דוד לוצאטו, ; 22 August 1800 – 30 September 1865), also known by the Hebrew acronym Shadal (), was an Italian Jewish scholar, poet, and a member of the Wissenschaft des Judentums movement. Early ...
, with the month and possibly the day of his death being readable.


Works

Gerondi left many works, of which only a few have been preserved. The ''Hiddushim'' to Alfasi on '' Berakhot'' which are ascribed to "Rabbenu Yonah" were in reality written in Gerondi's name by one, if not several, of his pupils. The ''Ḥiddushim'' originally covered the entire work of Alfasi, but only the portion mentioned has been preserved. Gerondi wrote novellæ on the
Talmud The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the center ...
, which are often mentioned in the responsa and decisions of his pupil Solomon Aderet and of other great rabbis, and some of which are incorporated in the ''Shiṭṭah Mekubbeẓet'' of R. Bezalel Ashkenazi. Azulai had in his possession Gerondi's novellæ on the tractates ''
Baba Batra Bava Batra (also Baba Batra; Talmudic Aramaic: בָּבָא בַּתְרָא "The Last Gate") is the third of the three Talmudic tractates in the Talmud in the order Nezikin; it deals with a person's responsibilities and rights as the owner of p ...
'' and ''
Sanhedrin The Sanhedrin (Hebrew and Aramaic: סַנְהֶדְרִין; Greek: , ''synedrion'', 'sitting together,' hence 'assembly' or 'council') was an assembly of either 23 or 71 elders (known as "rabbis" after the destruction of the Second Temple), a ...
'', in manuscript. His novellæ on the first-named tractate have since been published under the name ''Aliyot de-Rabbenu Yonah'' while those on the last-named tractate form part of the collection of commentaries on the Talmud by ancient authors published by Abraham ben Eliezer ha-Levi under the title ''Sam Ḥayyim''. His commentary on ''
Pirkei Avot Pirkei Avot ( he, פִּרְקֵי אָבוֹת; also transliterated as ''Pirqei Avoth'' or ''Pirkei Avos'' or ''Pirke Aboth''), which translates to English as Chapters of the Fathers, is a compilation of the ethical teachings and maxims from ...
'' was first published by Simḥah Dolitzki of Byelostok (Berlin and Altona, 1848) and was translated into English for the first time by Rabbi David Sedley of TorahLab. The work ''Issur ve-Heter'' is wrongly attributed to Gerondi. A commentary by him on
Proverbs A proverb (from la, proverbium) is a simple and insightful, traditional saying that expresses a perceived truth based on common sense or experience. Proverbs are often metaphorical and use formulaic language. A proverbial phrase or a proverbia ...
, which is very highly praised (see
Bahya ben Asher Bahya ben Asher ibn Halawa (, 1255–1340) was a rabbi and scholar of Judaism, best known as a commentator on the Hebrew Bible. He is one of two scholars now referred to as Rabbeinu Behaye, the other being philosopher Bahya ibn Paquda. Biograp ...
's preface to his commentary on 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 ...
), exists in manuscript. Among other minor unpublished works known to be his are ''Megillat Sefarim,'' ''Hilkot Ḥanukkah'' and ''Hilkot Yom Kippur.'' But the fame of Gerondi chiefly rests on his moral and
ascetic Asceticism (; from the el, ἄσκησις, áskesis, exercise', 'training) is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from sensual pleasures, often for the purpose of pursuing spiritual goals. Ascetics may withdraw from the world for their p ...
works, which, it is surmised, he wrote to atone for his earlier attacks on Maimonides and to emphasize his repentance. His ''Iggeret ha-Teshuvah'' (Letter on Repentance), ''Sha'arei Teshuvah'' (Gates of Repentance), and ''Sefer ha-Yir'ah'' belong to the standard Jewish ethical works of the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
and are still popular among
Orthodox Jewish Orthodox Judaism is the collective term for the traditionalist and theologically conservative branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Written and Oral, as revealed by God to Moses ...
scholars. ''Sefer ha-Yir'ah'' was published as early as 1490, as an appendix to Yeshu'ah ben Joseph's ''Halikot 'Olam''. The ''Sha'arei Teshuvah'' first appeared in Fano (1505) with the ''Sefer ha-Yirah,'' while the ''Iggeret ha-Teshuvah'' was first published in Cracow (1586). All have been reprinted many times, separately and together, as well as numerous extracts from them; and they have been translated into Judæo-German and
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
. A part of the ''Iggeret ha-Teshuvah'' (sermon 3) first appeared, under the name ''Dat ha-Nashim,'' in Solomon Alami's ''Iggeret Musar''. For an estimate of Gerondi's ethical works and his partial indebtedness to the '' Sefer Hasidim'' see ''Zur Geschichte der Jüdisch-Ethischen Literatur des Mittelalters''. He is also supposed to be mentioned, under the name of "R. Jonah," five times in the ''
Tosafot The Tosafot, Tosafos or Tosfot ( he, תוספות) are medieval commentaries on the Talmud. They take the form of critical and explanatory glosses, printed, in almost all Talmud editions, on the outer margin and opposite Rashi's notes. The au ...
''.
Shabbat Shabbat (, , or ; he, שַׁבָּת, Šabbāṯ, , ) or the Sabbath (), also called Shabbos (, ) by Ashkenazim, is Judaism's day of rest on the seventh day of the week—i.e., Saturday. On this day, religious Jews remember the biblical stor ...
39b; Moed Kattan 19a, 23b; Nedarim 82b, 84a; see Zunz, ''Z. G.'' p. 52, Berlin, 1845.


References

Its bibliography: *
Moritz Steinschneider Moritz Steinschneider (30 March 1816, Prostějov, Moravia, Austrian Empire – 24 January 1907, Berlin) was a Moravian bibliographer and Orientalist. He received his early instruction in Hebrew from his father, Jacob Steinschneider ( 1782 ...
, Cat. Bodl. No. 5859; * Zevi Hirsch Edelmann, ''Hemdah Genuzah'', No. 6 (letters of R. Hillel of Verona), Königsberg, 1856; *
Heinrich Grätz Heinrich Graetz (; 31 October 1817 – 7 September 1891) was amongst the first historians to write a comprehensive history of the Jewish people from a Jewish perspective. Born Tzvi Hirsch Graetz to a butcher family in Xions (now Książ Wielkop ...
, Gesch. vol. vii., Index; *
Julius Fürst Julius Fürst (; 12 May 1805, Żerków, South Prussia – 9 February 1873, Leipzig), born Joseph Alsari, was a Jewish German orientalist and the son of noted maggid, teacher, and Hebrew grammarian Jacob Alsari. Fürst was a distinguished sch ...
, Bibl. Jud. i. 327–328; * David Conforte, Kore ha-Dorot, pp. 37–38, Berlin, 1845; * Azulai, Shem ha-Gedolim, ed. Benjacob, pp. 75–76; *
Gustav Karpeles Gustav Karpeles (11 November 1848 in Ivanovice na Hané, Margraviate of MoraviaFuenn Samuel Joseph Fuenn (; 15 October 1818 – 11 January 1891), also known as Rashi Fuenn () and Rashif (), was a Lithuanian Hebrew writer, scholar, printer, and editor. He was a leading figure of the eastern European Haskalah, and an early member ...
, Keneset Yisrael, pp. 448–449, Warsaw, 1886; * Heimann Joseph Michael, Or ha-Ḥayyim, No. 1038, Frankfort-on-the-Main, 1891


External links


''Shaarei Teshuvah'' ''Sefer HaYirah'' Vilna printCommentary on Proverbs''Sefer HaYirah'', ''Iggeret HaTeshuvah'', ''Sod HaTeshuvah'', ''Korban Taanis'', ''Derashat HaNashim''.HaTeshuva Free English Translation''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gerondi, Yonah 13th-century Catalan rabbis 1263 deaths Rabbis from Girona Year of birth unknown Writers of Musar literature Authors of books on Jewish law