Hillel ben Samuel

Hillel ben Samuel, born around 1220 and died around 1295 in Forlì, was an Italian physician, philosopher, and Talmudist. He was the grandson of Eliezer ben Samuel of Verona. Hillel spent his youth in Barcelona, where he studied the Talmud and natural sciences under Yonah Gerondi. He later studied medicine at Montpellier and practiced in Rome, Capua, and Ferrara. In Capua, he gained fame as a physician and philosopher, lecturing on philosophy to students including Abraham Abulafia. In his old age, he retired to Forlì, also known as Hillel of Forlì. He was a strong defender of Maimonides' works, writing a letter to Maestro Isaac Gajo urging him not to join the movement against Maimonides. Hillel volunteered to explain passages of Maimonides' "Moreh" that caused offense and proposed a council of rabbis in Alexandria to settle disputes regarding Maimonides' writings. Despite his philosophical knowledge, Hillel remained orthodox in his interpretation of Judaism and pledged implicit belief in biblical and Talmudic miracles. His major work is "Tagmule ha-Nefesh," which reviews Greek, Arab, Jewish, and Christian philosophical literature. Some consider him the "first Jewish Thomist" for translating parts of Thomas Aquinas's works into Hebrew and adopting his views on the immortality of the soul. Other works include a commentary on Maimonides' 25 Propositions, a revision of "Liber de Causis," "Sefer ha-Darbon," a philosophical explanation of "Canticles," and "Chirurgia Burni." He also wrote letters to Maestro Gajo.