LAMPRONTI, ISACCO di SAMUELE. - Rabbi and physician, b. in Ferrara in 1679, d. there in 1756. He was a disciple of the rabbis Recanati and Sanguinetti of Ferrara and Provenzal of Lugo; he then studied medicine and philosophy at the University of Padua. After obtaining his degree in medicine he resumed his Jewish studies with the rabbis Briel, Segré and Cases of Mantua. From 1701 he settled in Ferrara, where he devoted himself to the practice of medicine, to teaching and to preaching. From
1718 he was a member of the rabbinical Academy of Ferrara. In 1737 he was appointed rabbi.
His principal work is the Talmudic encyclopedia Pahadh Jishāq ("Fear of Isaac"), which is the work of his entire life. For each headword he offers the Tannaitic sources with the relevant commentaries, adds the Gēmdra, and then passes on to the decisory commentaries and responsa. He takes extensive account of the responsa of his contemporaries and predecessors in Italy, sometimes making use of unpublished materials. He deals with both nomistic and narrative and historical questions. The exposition is not systematic, but it is nevertheless of great practical value. He began printing it at the age of 70 and was able to publish only vol. I; the continuation of the printing took place in various instalments. His other works of lesser importance were for the most part later incorporated into his major work.
Bibliography
Eugenio Zolli