BERTINORO, 'OBBADHJAH

BERTINORO, 'OBBADHJAH. – Rabbinic writer, d. in Jerusalem between 1500 and 1510. In 1485 he left Città di Castello to settle in Jerusalem, where he became rabbi *honoris causa* and head of a Talmudic school which he founded. Widely circulated for the clarity of its exposition is his commentary on the *Mišnāḥ* (Latin translation in the edition by Surenhusius, Amsterdam 1698–1703), which is based mainly on those of Rašī and Maimonides. B. also dealt with ritualistic topics; he is likewise the author of liturgical compositions in poetic form. Three of his letters sent from Palestine contain interesting news about the Jews in Sicily, Rhodes, Egypt, and Palestine. These were printed and translated several times. Other didactic letters remain unpublished in the Casanatense Library in Rome.