61. Heroes of the Golden Age of Spanish Jewry (Jewish History Lab)

A brief look at three major figures associated with the Golden Age of Spanish Jewry: Hasdai ibn Shaprut, Shmuel ha-Nagid, and Yehudah Ha-Levi. Also a look at the poetry of Qasmunah bint Isma'il, the only known female Jewish poet from the era.
Recommended viewing:
Who was Hasdai ibn Shaprut? • Who Was Hasdai ibn Sha...
Who was Shmuel ha-Nagid? • Who Was Shmuel ha-Nagi...
Who was Qasmunah? • Who Was Qasmunah? Jewi...
Who was Yehudah Ha-Levi? • Who Was Yehudah Ha-Lev...
Interested in studying more deeply with our Membership perks?
Join our learning community of students, researchers and colleagues: / @henryabramsonphd

[@jorgeespinoza3150]

Love the constant references to Asian food interwoven through the video series lol. Thank you Dr. Abramson, you are great and effective at presenting history!

[@javierramos1249]

You're a very valuable person in my book with all of your expertise, and offerings of your free lessons in your lectures to the public. I thank you very much.

[@luiscecilio8807]

another great lecture...thank you Prof.

[@sherrycoleman9686]

I do appreciate your lessons. I have been working in Zambia Africa for 31 years and we have no Jewish community at this time. Thank you for your hard work in bringing to life the holy Scriptures and intertwining historical background of events.this segment on poetry, etc., is just lovely.

[@moraemepasikhani9153]

Thank you for returning. This was so informative.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

My pleasure! Enjoy in good health.

[@SteveFirefly777]

Thanks for the lecture. And thanks for sharing the poem dedicated to people who feign intellectual capability, which was obviously composed with me in mind.

[@melodyh9720]

I loved hearing the poetry in the Hebrew language and English translation. Thank you for gifting us with these works that I probably never would have heard otherwise. I particularly enjoyed the one wrote about the books on a wall... Poetically written with a word or teaching of truth.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Thank you! My Sephardic pronunciation is far from perfect.

[@gregcollins7602]

This was a great lecture. I am now going to check up on the link in the description about Shmuel. Fascinating stuff.

[@MitzvosGolem1]

I used to race Cr 250 Honda expert class in the 1980s . Shalom

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Thank you!

[@luisfvillamizar8221]

Beautiful reading. Wouldnt mind hearing some more

[@yourthought2333]

Laughing and learning the whole time! Great class today 😁

[@Dovid2000]

Excellent lecture, as usual!

[@menachemsalomon]

Your discussion of the Poetry Battle raises in my mind the question of whether you've done a lecture (or are planning one) on the Ashkenazi liturgical poets (paytanim), R' Kalonymus, his sons R' Moshe and R' Meshulam (if I got the genealogy correct), and R' Shimon Hagadol.

[@MitzvosGolem1]

Dr Alvin Radkowsky designer of the US Navy and civilian nuclear power plants was a Frum Yidden studied at Bnai Brak Yeshiva Talmud and taught Shas there. A rare combo as you mentioned. Shalom

[@yourthought2333]

Wow! Such a contradictory life.🤔

[@MitzvosGolem1]

@@yourthought2333 Rabbi Samsom Hirsch encouraged this.

[@lindseyadams2841]

Shalom from Cincinnati! Thank you so much for sharing these teachings! I love Asian cuisine too💭😆

[@yourthought2333]

Lindsay Adams, so interesting to see Hebrew covers ALL languages.

[@lindseyadams2841]

@@yourthought2333 indeed! I do so look forward to the day I convert and take a real Hebrew name though😊Bezrat Hashem

[@Dovid2000]

8:44 "...you have to literally memorize which vowels go with each word." While it is true that Hebrew words are typically written without vowels, the assigned vowel arrangement for each word is not exactly memorized by heart by Hebrew speakers, but rather whenever one sees the Hebrew words written without their vowels, it is rather the phonetic sounds of each word and which are frequently heard in speech that is what immediately comes to mind, or recollected. There is, therefore, no rote-memory required for these vowels, but only a quick "flash-back" on how the word is traditionally pronounced. Once a person knows the correct pronunciation of the Hebrew words, from habitual hearing, the scribe writes out the vowel symbols for Hebrew words on behalf of those fellow Jews who may be unfamiliar with the language, or else to preserve the pronunciation so that in future generations the pronunciation will not be forgotten.

[@Dovid2000]

“He that toils and buys for himself books - but whose heart, instead of being on them, is void and empty, he is like unto a lame man who sculpted on the wall a hundred legs, but when he came to stand up, he could not stand up” - Shemuel HaNagid (Isma’el ibn Nagrella).

[@mikeklein9923]

Was there a scholarly work by Shmuel Hanagid or just the explanations of kohelt / /mishlei etc ...

[@zafirjoe18]

ספר מבוא התלמוד Printed in the Vilna shas as an introduction , in mesechet Brochot.

[@MitzvosGolem1]

Excellent Rabbi Berel Wein history lessons Orthodox Rabbi Golden Standard also.

[@zafirjoe18]

כי מאליסנה(Lucena)תצא תורה ודבר השם מקורדובה. Lucena was a walled city and completely Jewish . It was to Lucena that Rav Amrom Gaon wrote his famous Siddur , that forms the basis to the siddur as we know it.

[@Hambone3773]

Fist fights over poetry cracked me up.

[@zvi303]

I suspect that it has more to do with the religious aspect of Hebrew. Perhaps that is why Rashi on the Torah almost always quotes Menachem rather than Dunash. I believe both were "rabbi".

[@abdhaigardez5680]

Mr Abramson! Ihope U make avidio about the jews in central Asia,Afghanistan and Pakistan. Be happy!

[@PC-lu3zf]

He’s a fun thought literally everyone in Spain today has Jewish ancestors regardless of if it shows in the dna test as of you go back 1000 years pedigrees collapse we all should have a trillion ancestors walking earth then but obviously this is impossible so everyone shares ancestors that far back. Great video.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Thanks for the kind words, P C! Not just Spain: a lot of the population of Latin America has the same situation.

[@gregcollins7602]

I thought you was going to tell us Alan Hale (the skipper) was Sephardic. 😃

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

What, he wasn't?

[@gregcollins7602]

@@HenryAbramsonPhD lol. I don't know. 😲 reading the intro to your book now. Will read chapter one later today.

[@yourthought2333]

😂🤣

[@Markver1]

“Epic Poetry Battles of History!!!” I fixed your title for you. You’re welcome.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Ha!

[@Mr_Phire]

Shalom, Sir, You produce great content, I must admit. Please can you share any knowledge that you have of Hebrews please. I don’t think there is a good source of knowledge on this topic, and you appear to be a knowledgeable man.

[@zvi303]

A couple of exceptions. Rav Goren would be one.

[@Markver1]

אלביס המלך לְנַדְנֵד

[@Markver1]

ס.ס. דגיג

[@orosiaabadias5876]

Deben aprender español para leer a muchos poetas españoles que profesaban el judaísmo. Vea Alfonso X, Escuela de Traductores de Toledo.