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Luzzatto, Simone

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(Heb. Simcha), a noted rabbis who flourished at Venice about 1590, exerted no small influence on the Italian Jews of the 16th century. He was an associate of Leo da Modena (q.v.), and aided the latter greatly by his superior abilities. He died in 1663. He wrote Via della Fede, in which he teaches that the prophecies of Daniel refer rather to a by-gone age than to a future Messiah. This peculiar view has given rise to the belief that he accepted Jesus as the Messiah (see Wolf, Bibl. Jud. 3:1128). His most valuable work, however, is his Discorso circa il stato degli Hebrei (Venice, 1638), in which he ably defends Judaism and the Jews. The excesses of the Cabalists he deplored, and stoutly opposed all relation with them. See Gratz, Geschichte der Juden, 10:162 sq. (J.H.W.)