RABBI JOSEPH COLON (1420-1480)

Italy in the 15th century is usually thought of as the home of the Renais sance, as the country where, under the stimulus of the newly discovered literature of ancient Hellas, men once more indulged in the spirit of free inquiry and pursued with ardour every branch of knowledge. As one historian says: 'The minds and souls of men were infected with the ferment of the Renaissance and Humanism, which brought fresh activity in all fields of human endeavour, unexampled artistic productivity and a full reawaken ing of science through the new knowledge of the Greek language and litera ture."1 Some of the most celebrated Italian Jews of this period, such as Messer Leon and Elijah Delmedigo, are known to have participated actively in this movement. Italy also had a long and great tradition of Jewish learning and Talmudic studies. In the early period of the Middle Ages the saying2 "Out of Bari goeth forth the law and the word of God from Otranto,"3 was much more than a rhetorical flourish. The ha-Anavim family, Judah and Zede kiah ben Abraham, the author, of "Shibbole ha-Leket", and Moses of Bari are but a few of the great names that kept alive the study of Rabbinics in Italy. It was in Italy that several important Midrashim originated, among them the Midrash S hoher Tob, Tanhuma, Yelamdenu and, according to some, Pesikta Rabbati and Tanna de be Elijahu/ In the 15th century, Italy was a center for Talmudic study of almost equal rank with France and Germany. The Rabbinic academy at Padua was second to none, and many Italian Rabbis, including those who were also eminent as humanists, were among the leading authorities of their time. In this galaxy of scholars, a distinguished place was occupied by Joseph Colon. Although he was neither born nor educated in Italy, Colon spent most of his active life in that country and is always reckoned among the Italian rabbis. He was perhaps more instrumental than any of his contemporaries in keep ing alive the study and practice of Talmudic Judaism in Italy in the second half of the 15th century. He also enriched Hebrew literature with a notable collection of responso, which, besides being a valuable contribution to Jewish law, throws much light on the conditions of Jewish life in Italy and other countries during the period in which they were written. Considering Colon's reputation as an authority on Jewish law, singularly little attention has been paid to him by historians. Joseph Colon belonged to the Trabot family.6 Trabot is derived from Tr?voux in Burgundy, in the French district of Lain. The exact date when Jews settled in Tr?voux cannot