BERTINORO, 'OBHADHJĀH

BERTINORO, 'OBHADHJĀH. – Rabbinic writer, d. in Jerusalem between 1500 and 1510. In 1485 he left Città di Castello to move to Jerusalem, where he became rabbi honoris causa and head of a Talmudic school founded by him. Widely disseminated for the clarity of its exposition, his commentary on the Mišnāh (Latin translation in the edition of Surenhusius, Amsterdam 1698–1703) is based principally on those of Rašī and Maimonides. B. also dealt with subjects of a ritual nature; he is likewise the author of liturgical compositions in poetic form. Three of his letters sent from Palestine contain interesting information concerning the Jews in Sicily, Rhodes, Egypt, and Palestine. They were printed and translated several times. Other letters of a didactic nature remain unpublished in the Casanatense Library of Rome.