Two Leaves of a Letter Draft by Rabbi Yosef Fiammetta, Rabbi of Ancona – To Rabbi Shlomo Ayllon, Sephardi Rabbi of ...

Two Leaves of a Letter Draft by Rabbi Yosef Fiammetta, Rabbi of Ancona – To Rabbi Shlomo Ayllon, Sephardi Rabbi of Amsterdam – 18th Century – Polemic Letter Against the Sabbatian Nechemia Chayyun
Two leaves (3 pages) in autographic script, part of a letter draft by R. Yosef Fiammetta Rabbi of Ancona, to the Sephardi rabbi of Amsterdam R. Shlomo Ayllon. [Ancona, Shevat 1714].
Section of a polemic letter against the Sabbatian Nechemia Chayyun and his books. Autographic writing in Italian script, with interlinear corrections and additions. Unsigned.
Background to the letter: In 1713, the Sabbatian Nechemia Chayyun published in Berlin an early Sabbatian work named Meheimanuta D'Kala, with two commentaries he composed, Oz L'Elohim and Beit Kodesh HaKodashim, around it. In this book, he tries to bring so-called proofs from the words of the Zohar and the Ari for Sabbatian principles. Several approbations from leading rabbis, forged by Chayyun himself, were printed at the beginning of the book. Amongst them was an approbation by R. Yosef Fiammetta of Ancona. At the end of that year, Chayyun came to Amsterdam to disseminate his Sabbatian beliefs and writings. The leaders of the Ashkenazi community in Amsterdam, Chacham Tzvi and R. Moshe Chagiz, immediately realizing that the views propagated in his books are invalid, banned his books and expelled him from the synagogue. In contrast, the Sephardi-Portuguese Beit Din in Amsterdam, headed by R. Shlomo Ayllon, legitimized him and his writings. This aroused a huge controversy in Amsterdam and other countries, including Italy. Books and booklets around this polemic were printed, for and against Nechemia Chayyun and his writings. In this letter draft, R.Yosef Fiammetta relates to R. Shlomo Ayllon about Chayyun and the development of the controversy, as well as expressing his sharp opposition to Chayyun's views. The letter was printed in its entirety, based on a copying, in the Sefunot journal (10, pp. 573-588), yet the section here, which as mentioned is a draft handwritten by the author, contains several variations.
Chacham Yosef Fiammetta (known also by the surname Lehava – the translation of the Italian surname to Hebrew; 1655?-1721) was the rabbi of Ancona and a leading Torah scholar and kabbalist in Italy. He composed the Or Boker book of prayers (Venice, 1709). He is mentioned many times in the works of the Chida, who calls him "the holy kabbalist", and quotes his Torah thoughts (for instance, in Responsa Chaim Shaal, Part 2, section 11: "and we have heard that the holy R. Yosef Fiammetta instated the recital of Hallel in his community, following their salvation from danger…"). R. Yosef was the teacher and father-in-law of R. Shimshon Morpurgo, author of Shemesh Tzedaka, who succeeded him as rabbi of Ancona after his passing. He left behind manuscript books of responsa and sermons.
[1] folded leaf, [3] written pages. 20.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains and wear. Tears and holes affecting text. Folding marks.