Hasdai Crescas

Chasdaj Crescas ( Chasdai Creskas, Don Hasdai Crescas, * 1340, † 1410 in Zaragoza ) was a Spanish- Jewish scholar and philosopher of religion.

Life and work

Crescas was a member ( familiaris ) of the Aragonese royal court, and thus holders of high offices of state, rabbis and leaders of the Jews of Aragon. He has written, among others a refutation of the fundamental doctrines of the Christians ( bittul iqqre ha - notzrim ). She treated the Trinity, divine sonship, incarnation, original sin, lifting of the Torah, Ethnicity, baptism and Messiahship of Jesus and the virgin birth.

Crescas was a critic of the Jewish Aristotelianism of influence on Jewish mysticism, Pico della Mirandola and on Giordano Bruno. Its importance to Spinoza, in particular its determinism stressed Manuel Joël, who has made himself is worthy of the history of philosophy appreciation of Crescas.

The main work is or adonai ( " Light of God " ), the last great work of Jewish philosophy of the Middle Ages. Crescas had desired, this may replace the More Nebukhim. A planned sequel of Crescas halachic or adonai, which should be the counterpart to Rambam's Mishneh Torah, Crescas could not realize.

Literature (selection )

• Wininger I, pp. 607-608.
• Jewish Encyclopedia, I, Sp 1449-1450.
• Manuel Joël: Don Hasdai Creskas ' religious-philosophical teachings (Breslau 1866).