Aaron Berechiah ben Moses ben Nehemiah of Modena (1549-1639) was an Italian kabbalist. He is the author of ''Ma'avar Yabboḳ'', the primary source text for Jewish burial practices.

Biography

Aaron Berachiah was a pupil of Rabbi Hillel of Modena (surnamed Ḥasid we-Ḳaddosh, that is, "The Pious and Holy") and of the Italian Kabbalist Rabbi Menahem Azariah of Fano. He was a nephew of Rabbi Yehuda Aryeh de Modena and a student of Rabbi

Israel Sarug Israel Sarug Ashkenazi (Hebrew: ר׳ ישראל סרוג אשכנזי , also סרוק ''Saruk'' or ''Srugo'', known also as רי״ס ''the Ris'' and מהר״י סרוג ''Mahari Sarug,'' 1590–1610) was a pupil of Isaac Luria who devoted himself ...

who was a student of the Safed Kabbalist

Isaac Luria Isaac ben Solomon Ashkenazi Luria (; #FINE_2003, Fine 2003, p24/ref>July 25, 1572), commonly known in Jewish religious circles as Ha'ari, Ha'ari Hakadosh or Arizal, was a leading rabbi and Jewish mysticism, Jewish mystic in the community of Saf ...

. His brother-in-law was Rabbi Yosef Yedidya Krami, the author of ''Kanaf Renanim''.

Persecution by the Church

He was arrested and imprisoned in 1636 for possessing forbidden books, namely, those singled out for censorship, expurgation or confiscation because of passages putatively critical of Christians. In his defense, he stated:

Books

His first work was the siddur ''Ashmoret haBoḳer'' (1624), containing liturgy compiled for ''Mei're HaShachar'' (a Lurianic early morning prayer group he founded), and therefore also published under this name. His most well known work, ''Ma'avar Yabbok'' ("Crossing the Yabbok", 1626) was written at the request of the

Chevra kadisha The term ''chevra kadisha'' () gained its modern sense of "burial society" in the nineteenth century. It is an organization of Jewish men and women who see to it that the bodies of deceased Jews are prepared for burial according to Jewish tra ...

(burial society) of Mantua. In the first chapter, Siftei Tzedek, he compiled liturgy to accompany the work of caring for the dead, prayers to be offered for those who are sick, and rules and instructions for their care. He explains the importance of caring for the sick and the dying, and offers detailed confessional liturgy (vidu'i) not only for the end of life, but for the merit and well-being of the soul. His detailed kabbalistic teachings are in the following chapters, which are focused on in-depth study rather than the skilled work of the Chevra Kadisha. To avert possible criticism for failing to discuss these themes philosophically, he makes use of the statement of

Isaac Arama Isaac ben Moses Arama ( 1420 – 1494) was a Spanish rabbi and author. He was at first principal of a rabbinical academy at Zamora (probably his birthplace); then he received a call as rabbi and preacher from the community at Tarragona, and later ...

: "Reason must surrender some of its rights to the divine revelations which are superior to it." This text was translated into Yiddish by a Jewish woman, Ellus bas Mordecai of

Slutsk Slutsk is a town in Minsk Region, in central Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Slutsk District, and is located on the Sluch (Belarus), Sluch River south of the capital Minsk. As of 2025, it has a population of 59,450. Geography ...

(Belarus).Emily Taitz, Sondra Henry, Cheryl Tallan. The JPS Guide to Jewish Women: 600 B.C.E.to 1900 C.E. f Jewish Publication Society. His other works include: * ''Me'il Ẓedaḳah'' (The Cloak of Righteousness), on worship and study, published at

Mantua Mantua ( ; ; Lombard language, Lombard and ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Italian region of Lombardy, and capital of the Province of Mantua, eponymous province. In 2016, Mantua was designated as the "Italian Capital of Culture". In 2 ...

in 1767, together with ''Bigde Ḳodesh'' (Garments of Holiness), on the same subject. * ''Bigde Ḳodesh'' (Garments of Holiness), on worship and study * ''Ḥibbur beḲabbalah'', a work on the Cabala, consisting of four volumes: ** ''Shemen Mishḥat Ḳodesh'' (The Oil of Holy Anointment), on the principles of the Cabala according to Moses Cordovero and Isaac Luria ** ''Shemen Zait Zak'' (The Pure Oil of the Olive), public addresses on the same subject ** ''Shetil Poreaḥ'' (The Blossoming Plant), on the mysterious meaning of prayers and ceremonies ** ''Imre Shefer'' (Words of Beauty), and miscellaneous matter; this whole work was seen in manuscript by Azulai at Modena, and is found in parts in some libraries. * ''Magen Aharon'' (Shield of Aaron), containing a compendium of Luria's works. This fertile writer is said to have been, like Joseph Caro, in constant communion with a spirit called the Maggid. * A commentary on ''Tiḳḳune ha-Zohar''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aaron Berechiah ben Moses ben Nehemiah of Modena 1639 deaths 17th-century Italian Jews Italian religious writers Authors of Kabbalistic works 1549 births