The Rabbi, The King, and The Apostate: The Debate that Shook Medieval Spain

No tourist visiting Barcelona skips the awe-inspiring 'Cathedral of Eulalia.' This towering Gothic structure, with its 28 chapels, spires, and intricate decorations, leaves a formidable impression. Today, the archbishop stationed there is merely a religious representative, but in the past, those at the helm of the Christian hierarchy wielded life-or-death power, with their words setting destinies.

Imagine closing your eyes and envisioning this cathedral 761 years ago, on July 20, 1263, in the Hebrew year of 5023, month of Tammuz. Picture throngs of Christians pouring into the grand hall of the cathedral, their eyes gleaming despite the oppressive Spanish summer heat. They gathered for an extraordinary spectacle. In the grand hall stood King James himself, King of Aragon. To his left, the bald-headed local apostate, Fra Paloma, and to his right, Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman (Ramban), a preeminent leader of Spain's Jewish community and one of the greatest Jewish scholars of all time. These two were about to engage in a debate on which religion held the truth, Judaism or Christianity, presided over by none other than the king himself.

Of course, if the debate had been truly fair and open, where each side could freely express its positions without fear, there would have been no point in setting up Ramban against this foolish apostate, who abandoned the Jewish people not due to brilliance or 'knowledge' of the Torah... The genius of the ages would have made 'mincemeat' out of him in the first round. But in Christian Spain, there was no true fair debate. Ramban was warned by priests not to offend or question Christianity, as that would be against the law and an offense against religion punishable by death. So how could one genuinely debate Christianity's correctness when its opponent isn't allowed to say anything against it? The Christians had their solutions...

Initially, Ramban declared that without the ability to speak freely, the debate was pointless, knowing well the punishment that awaited him and the Jews of Barcelona. The king intervened, assuring safety for him and the Jewish people. The church leaders reacted with outrage but also feared the king. Ramban knew his position was extremely limited. He wasn't allowed to bring forward his arguments, only to respond to the apostate's claims.

Fra Paloma insisted that even the sages of the Talmud believed in the messiahship of Jesus, trying to prove it from various Midrashim... a claim that seems ridiculous to us, yet Ramban had to tackle it with utmost seriousness at the time. Ramban attempted to challenge the laughable Christian doctrine of the Trinity, arguing that their messiah was both human and the Creator himself. The Christian responded, 'The Trinity is so deep that even the angels and heavenly princes do not understand it.' To this, Ramban replied with a half-smile, 'Clearly, no one believes in something they do not comprehend...'

Even though the entire debate was skewed in favor of Christianity, and Ramban was only permitted to speak briefly and indirectly, any intelligent observer could discern who emerged victoriously. True to his word, the king allowed Ramban to go free, but the Christians would not relent. They obtained a papal order to put Ramban on trial for contempt of Christianity. Ramban decided to leave Spain and immigrate to the Land of Israel.

In Israel, Ramban continued his study and research, adding significantly to his Torah commentary. He examined the location of Rachel's Tomb, uncovered ancient shekels, and studied the laws of the half-shekel, among other subjects. Ramban revitalized the Jewish community in Jerusalem, which was desolate at the time. He established a synagogue that still exists today in the Jewish Quarter, known as the Ramban Synagogue. He succeeded in expanding and enhancing Torah scholarship in the Holy Land, where he was ultimately laid to rest.