ADRET (perhaps Adrat; erroneous Addéret) Shelomoh ben Abraham. - Jewish decisor, b. around 1235 in Barcelona, d. in 1310. He studied under distinguished masters, among them Nahmanides. Around 1280 he was appointed "Rab d'España".
Since Raymond Martini (v.) in the Capistrum Iudaeorum of 1267 and in the Pugio fidei adversus mauros et iudaeos of 1281 (Basel 1540) had taken up again the accusations upheld by the convert Pablo Christiani against Nahmanides, especially that the Jews had knowingly falsified the biblical passages concerning Jesus Christ, A. maintains that the text is preserved integrally and that the Titir soferim (cancellation of individual letters by the work of the Scribes) does not constitute a tampering with the text.
In A.'s time a new struggle against philosophy began at Montpellier, especially against that of Maimonides (1135-1204). Although a personal admirer of Maimonides and a friend of his family, and no enemy of philosophy, A. had to declare that such study was to be condemned for its destructive effects on religion, since moreover the spread of skepticism could increase hatred against the Jews. Reluctantly, in 1305 he forbade under threat of excommunication the study of philosophy for a period of 25 years and for men under the age of 25, because they were not yet thoroughly grounded in biblical studies. He likewise condemned the new cabalistic current of Abraham Abulafia (v. CABALA).
He was one of the first after Rabbenu Hananel to practice the criticism of Talmudic texts. By the thousands he sent responsa to those who questioned him by letter, treating therein with clarity biblical and Talmudic subjects and matters of religious practice. The principle that the law of the State is law is referred by him to provisions concerning the security of the State and not to religious life.
Bibliography3 works
Eugenio Zolli