Nachmanides: Rebuilding Jewish Life in Jerusalem

After the Sultan of Egypt, Al-Kamil, had given Jerusalem up to Frederick II, the Holy Roman Emperor of Europe, there was a tense and awkward relationship between the Christians and Muslims of Jerusalem. The two sides seemed to have such little in common that “on neither side was there any desire for coexistence and peace” (Armstrong 303). Unfortunately, this unstable relationship amongst religious groups was present among other groups like the Jews, and also far from Jerusalem. For example, Rabbi Moses ben Nachman, or Nachmanides was banished from Christian Spain in 1267 and forced him to make the aliyah all the way to Jerusalem. Unlike today, the Jews were an underrepresented group in Jerusalem.

After the treaty of Jaffa was signed in favor of the Christians,  “The Jews would have to leave the city, but the Muslims would retain the Haram.” (Armstrong 302). Muslims were at least able to keep what was most important to them, but the Jews were completely disregarded. When Nachmanides arrived in Jerusalem, he could only find two Jewish families in the area but despite this adversity, he led the charge and embarked on a journey to bring Jews to power once again in Jerusalem. 

The Kabbalistic mindset of Nachmanides helped him see through all the hardship and misfortune that the Jewish community was suffering from in Jerusalem. This mindset even helped him through his homelessness, allowing him to appreciate the opportunity to become familiar with the stones and streets of the city. In the beginning, most Jews were uneasy about the idea of Kabbalah and implementing it into their lives and beliefs but after a while they were able to do so helping them overcome adversities and to define the inner meaning of the Hebrew Bible. Through this way of thinking, Nachmanides was able to establish a synagogue, known as the Ramban Synagogue, which emerged as a focal point for Jewish life and prosperity in Jerusalem. The Jews did not have a strong presence in Jerusalem and were neglected and heavily subdued by the strong Crusade forces, but Kabbalah ideals helped the group reform and begin to take back what they deemed was theirs.

Photo Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nahmanides_painting.jpg

Works Cited

Ginzberg, Louis; Kohler, Kaufmann (1906). "Cabala". Jewish Encyclopedia. Kopelman Foundation. Archived from the original on 4 November 2011. Retrieved 23 October 2018.