Rabbi Don Yitzḥak Abravanel

Don Yitzhak Abravanel was born in Lisbon in 1437 and became treasurer to King Afonso V of Portugal. Accused of taking part in the Braganza conspiracy, he fled in 1483 to Castile, where he managed finances for Ferdinand and Isabella. In 1492, with Abraham Senior, he pleaded with the monarchs to cancel the expulsion decree. When they refused, he chose exile over baptism. He went on to Naples, Corfu and Monopoli, and died in Venice in 1508.

Between journeys he wrote large commentaries on the Torah and Prophets, each section opening with a list of questions. They are full of political thought: he was wary of monarchy and compared the kings of Israel with the rulers he had served. His messianic trilogy, written for exiles in despair, predicted that redemption was near. He noted that the Spanish expulsion fell on the 9th of Av. His son Judah, known as Leone Ebreo, wrote the Renaissance classic Dialogues of Love.