"Let not the Rich Men Glory in his Riches" (Jeremiah 9:22) — Implied Social Criticism in the Commentary of Rabbi Israel Israeli to "Avot" / "אל יתהלל עשיר בעשרו" (ירמיהו ט:כב) — ביקורת חברתית סמויה בפירושו של ר' ישראל ישראלי לאבות

Rabbi Israel Israeli, one of the most important scholars in the Jewish community of Toledo at the turn of the 14th century, wrote a long commentary in Judaeo-Arabic on the Avot tractate, based partly on his sermons. The first part of this article deals with the sermon as a literary genre and the methodological problems of inquiring sermons. The second part is a brief characterization of the commentary. The third part — which is the centrepiece of this essay — presents a social criticism that derives from the commentary, especially against greed and the suitable use of money. R. Israel dealt at length with the unsuitable use of money in two contexts: when he interpreted Hillel's words "More property — more anxiety" (2, 7) and when he expounded to R. Shimon on "The borrower who does not repay" (2, 9). The article includes a brief discussion of R. Israel's attitude to charity as a worthy use of property. The appendix comprises an annotated translation of five sections of R. Israel's commentary. A critical reading of R. Israel's commentary adds a particular flavour to the wealth of detail discovered by Prof. Yom Tov Assis. The position of R. Israel, in essay form and in its original character (as a sermon), uncovers an additional arena of confrontation with the Jewish community in Toledo at the turn of the 14th century, its problems and challenges. Besides the judicial aspect (as reflected in Spanish archives and rabbinic responsa), R. Israel and his colleagues dealt with these problems and challenges in a pedagogic way as well. The power of the pedagogue is greater than that of the judge, because the latter deals only with facts whereas the educator aims to change the mental approach and fashion a different shape.