The Expulsion from Spain: The Saddest Tisha B'Av of All Time

Tisha B'Av has always been a difficult day in Jewish history. Over time, however, more layers of sorrow have been added to it. Such was the case in 1492 when all Jews were expelled from Spain.

The expulsion of Jews from Spain, a significant event in the last millennium of Jewish history, appears in the diary of none other than Christopher Columbus. "In the same month in which their Majesties issued the edict that all Jews should be driven out of the kingdom and its territories, it was also commanded me to undertake with sufficient men my expedition of discovery to the Indies," thus begins Columbus's famous diary. The first voyage to the New World, where Jews would later establish large communities, began in the same month they were expelled from the land where they had recently enjoyed a Golden Age.

What led to the expulsion of the Jews, who were predominantly part of the Spanish elite and productive, contributing citizens? The man behind this project was Tomás de Torquemada, a Spanish priest who led the Spanish Inquisition.

The Inquisition was not originally a Spanish institution. It was founded in the 13th century by Pope Gregory IX to combat heresy among Christians themselves. For many years, most Inquisition trials revolved around minor matters of faith and typically ended with punishments like fines or pilgrimages. But in the 15th century, Torquemada established it as an independent institution in Spain, not accountable to the papacy, but to the state—and turned it into a genuinely fearsome institution.

Even in Spain, the Jews were not visibly under the authority of the Inquisition. But the "Marranos," or new Christians, were still subjected to it. The wave of conversions among Spanish Jews began after the pogroms of 1391, known in Jewish history as the "Edicts of 5151." During those riots, many Jews converted to save their lives. Afterward, the authorities did not allow those Jews to return to their faith. Over the next century, the number of apparent converts among Jews increased: some out of fear during pogroms, others willingly for a safer existence.

The Inquisition mercilessly investigated the new Christians, justifiably believing they secretly observed Jewish customs. Toward the end of the 15th century, however, Torquemada concluded that investigations were insufficient. He turned to the rulers of Spain, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, arguing that as long as observant Jews continued to live in Spain and were allowed to practice Judaism, the new Christians would remain adversely influenced by them. The conclusion? All Jews had to be expelled.

For some time, Ferdinand and Isabella resisted Torquemada's request to expel the Jews. But in January 1492, when the Spanish army captured the last Muslim stronghold in Granada, returning all of Spain to Christian control, the rulers changed their minds. With their most important project completed, the Jews appeared redundant to them. On March 30, the edict was issued: all Jews must convert to Christianity or leave Spain within four months.

The Jews, of course, tried to stave off the terrible decree. Don Isaac Abravanel, who had served as Spain's treasurer for the previous eight years, offered the monarchs a vast amount from his personal wealth to annul the decree. Legend has it that Torquemada caught wind of the negotiations and burst into the king's presence with a large cross, asking if the Christian monarchs were about to betray their faith like Judas Iscariot. Ferdinand and Isabella withdrew from the negotiation, leaving the decree intact.

The Jews not only had to leave Spain, but they also had to leave behind most of their possessions. They sold their real estate at ridiculous prices since the Christian inhabitants knew that by Tisha B'Av, they had to leave, whether they wanted to or not, and could not take their homes anyway. Additionally, they were forbidden from taking gold or silver.

Unfortunately, many exiles chose to go to the closest land: neighboring Portugal. But King Manuel of Portugal, heartless in a way that made Ferdinand and Isabella look compassionate by comparison, allowed the Jews to stay for six months. Afterward, desiring to marry the daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella, he agreed to their condition to expel the Jews. Unlike the Spanish monarchs, Manuel considered Jews indispensable. Consequently, he didn't allow them to leave but ordered them to convert or die. He also kidnapped hundreds of Jewish children, sending them to a remote African island. Tens of thousands of Jews who fled to Portugal to avoid conversion ended up becoming "Marranos" almost overnight.

Those who sailed to Genoa, Italy did not fare much better: a contemporary reported, "The sailors treated the Jews with cruelty, robbed them, and delivered some to pirates. Those who escaped and reached Genoa found ruthless people who robbed them and even snatched babies from their mothers' arms."

In North Africa, where many headed, there were generous Jewish communities that tried to aid the exiles. However, in many places, the ruling Muslims barred Jews from entering cities, leaving them to fend for themselves in harsh deserts, where hunger, thirst, and wild animals took their toll.

The fortunate were those who sailed all the way to Turkey. The Sultan of the time welcomed them with open arms and helped them settle in Turkey. Among the Jews were many artisans and craftsmen, and the Sultan needed weapons to effectively combat Christians. Until his death, the Sultan used to say: "How can one call Ferdinand of Spain a wise king? That same Ferdinand impoverished his country and enriched mine!"

And Don Isaac Abravanel, the wealthy treasurer who failed to stop the decree? He took with him from Spain the irreplaceable treasure of his Torah study. He moved to Italy, where he had to relocate several times, but dedicated those years to completing his commentary on the Bible.