ASTROLOGY, KABBALAH AN MAGIC IN ALFONSO
DE LA TORRE' S VISIÓN DELEYTABL!l:
HISPANO-JEWISH CONTEXTS*
As ología, Cábala y Magia en la Visión Deley able de Al onso
de la To e: T as ondo hispano-judío.
LUIS MANuEL GIRÓN NEGRÓN
Ha a d Uni e si y
BIBLID [0544-408X. (1999)48; pp. 133-162]
Resumen: Visión Deley able, un a ado de iloso ía esc i o po el bachille Al onso de la
To e, cons i uye el es imonio más impo an e de la in luencia del acionalismo
maimonidiano en la España del siglo XV. Es e a ículo analiza el as ondo hispano-judío
en el in en o de De la To e po concilia as ología, magia y Cábala con la iloso ía eligiosa
de Maimónides.
Abs ac : Visión Deley able, a ea ise on philosophy w i en by Al onso de la To e, o e s
he mos impo an wi ness o he a e o Maimonidean a ionalism in 15 h cen u y Ch is ian
Spain. This pape analizes he Hispano-Jewish con ex s o a e ealing aspec o Visión
Deley able's inse ion in he medie al A is o elian adi ion: De la To e's e o s o
econcile as ology, magic and Kabbalah wi h he Maimonidean ame o his eligious
philosophy.
Palab as cla e: Al onso de la To e. As ología. Magia. Cábala. España. Siglo XV.
Key Wo ds: Al onso de la To e. As ology. Magic. Kabbalah. Spain. 15 h cen u y.
Be ween 143 O and 1461, an obscu e igu e el ose o he cou o J ohn II o
A agon penned an in oduc o y philosophy ex book in Spanish en i led Visión
Deley able de la Filosojia y las A es Libe ales, Me ajisica y Filosojia
*. This essay ep esen s a e ised e sion o a lec u e deli e ed a he s session o he
Howa d Gilman In ema ional Colloquium "The Spanish-Jewish Cul u al In e ac ion" a
Ha a d Uni e si y (Decembe 3 d, 1995). Tha lec u e used, in um, wo smalle
subsec ions o ou doc o al disse a ion (Gi ón Neg ón 1 997) .
MEAH, sección Heb eo 48 (1999) 133-162
134 LlJ1S M. GIRÓ
N NEGRÓN
Mo al. The au ho , Al onso de la To e, had been eques ed o w i e his
ea ise by he p io o Na a a Juan de Beamon e, who se ed he Na a an
c own p ince don Ca los de Viana. The cu icula scope o Al onso de la
To e's p ime , in he encyclopedic adi ion o he Isido ian ecopila io, is
qui e ambi ious. Wi h supe b pedagogical skill and li e a y inesse, De la
To e wea es an elabo a e allego ical ale abou he In ellec 's joumey up he
moun ain o philosophical knowledge. This ic ional scheme ac s as a oil o
lucid and li ely disquisi ions on a wide ange o s aple philosophical p oblems
om he Medie al epe oi e: he exis ence o God and he di ine a ibu es,
e emi y o he wo ld s c ea ion ex-nihilo, P o idence, mi acles and he
heodicy, he immo ali y o he soul, he na u e o p ophecy, he possibili y
o me aphysical knowledge, e hics, humandes iny, he scope o eason and he
con empla i e ideal. Dispa a e sou ces om he G eek, Islamic, Jewish, and
Ch is ian philosophical adi ions a e une enly in e wo en in De la To e' s
eclec ic exposi ion o his eligious Wel anschauung. He leams logic om al
Ghazali. His libe al a s cu ículum is mos ly d awn om S . Isido e. His
philosophical e hics a e om A is o le, wi h a sma e ing o Aquinas and
pseudo-Senecan ma e ials. To p o e he soul's immo ali y he eso s o
Albe Magnus. His philosophical heology ollows Maimonides' Guide and
e e ences o Kabbalah a e disce nible h oughou 1. As he explains i : " ... non
me mo e á más la e dad dicha po boca de c is iano, que de judío o mo o o
gen il, sy e dades sean odas, nin nega é menos la alsya dicha po boca de
uno que po boca de o o" (" he u h coming ou om he mou h o a
Ch is ian will pe suade me no mo e han ha o a Jew o a Moo o a Gen ile,
i hey all be u hs, no will I nega e he alsehood o one mo e han he o he "
[VD p. 146]?, The au ho o Visión, acco ding o he p oem, had se ou o
l. The pionee ing s udies on Visión Deley able's sou ces a e wo essays by J. P.
Wicke sham C aw o d (1913a, 1913b). Fo a ulle ea men o Visión's sou ces, see Luis
M Gi ón Neg ón ( 1997).
2. All ci a ions o Visión Deley able ( om now onwa ds VD) will be om Ga cía
López's edi ion (1991 ). Di ec quo a ions om b will be iden i ied by page numbe .
Speci ic sec ions will be iden i ied by e e ence o he book and chap e numbe s ( e.g. VD
ME'AH, sección Heb eo 48 (1999) 133-162
ASTROLOGY, KABBALAH AND MAGIC IN A. DE LA TORRE 135
dispel con en ional e o s, disclose uni e sal u hs and elucida e by
demons a i e means he philosophical pe plexi ies o his Na a an add essee.
He o e ed a he same ime a mys ico-in ellec ualis heo y o human
pe ec ibili y ancho ed in Maimonides' p ophe ology and his philosophical
concep ion o imi a io Dei. De la To e's pedagogical e o s, albei synop ic
and encyclopedic, a e me wi h unexpec ed bu eno mous popula success.
No wi hs anding he au a o clandes ini y wi h which he au ho en elops his
wo k, a ex book p esumably commissioned o he p i a e ins uc ion o a
Ch is ian a is oc a , Visión Deley able becomes a Spanish "bes -selle " wi hin
a couple o decades. I s ex an manusc ip s, nume ous ep in ings and ea ly
ansla ions ind an a id eade ship in Hispano-Ch is ian (and e en so ne
Jewish) ci cles and pa icula ly among he con e sos, ci cula ing widely in
Spain, I aly and he Ne he lands h oughou he 15 h, 16 h and 17 h
cen u ies3.
Al onso de la To e's Visión Deley able o e s he mos impo an wi ness
o he Hispano-Ch is ian a e o Maimonidean a ionalism in he 15 h cen u y.
A li e a y gem in i s own igh , i was also -un il ecen ly- a neglec ed so u ce
in he schola ly li e a u e whose s udy could ill impo an lacunae in ou
knowledge o Al onso de la To e's Spain and he a ie y o Hispano
Ch is ian and Hispano-Jewish esponses o he philosophical adi ion.
In his pape , I will examine he Hispano-Jewish con ex s o a e ealing
aspec o Visión Deley able 's inse ion in he medie al A is o elian adi ion:
1,20 e e s o chap e 20, book 1). All ansla ions a e mine.
3. The e a e i een manusc ip s and ou p in ed edi ions o he Visión da ing om he
15 h cen u y: he la e include incunabula om Bu gos (1485), Tolosa (1489, 1494), and
a Ca alonian ansla ion om Ba celona (1484). De la To e's Visión gained e en g ea e
ci cula ion du ing he 16 h and 17 h cen u ies -Se illa (1526, 1528, 1538), Fe a a (1554),
Venice ( 15 56), F ank u ( 1626 ), Ams e dam ( 1663 )-especially among J ewish and con e so
ci cles in I aly and he Ne he lands. Fo a de ailed desc ip ion o he ex an manusc ip s and
p in ed edi ions, see Ga cía López's in oduc ion o his c i ica! edi ion. Fo supplemen a y
ma e ials on Visión' s ci cula ion and edi o ial a e, see Concepción Salinas Espinosa ( 1997:
176-183), and Gi ón Neg ón (1997: 212-218).
MEAH, sección Heb eo 48 (1999) 133-162
136 LUIS M. GIRÓN NEGRÓN
De la To e' s idiosync a ic e o s o econcile as ology, magic and Kabbalah
wi h he Maimonidean ame o his eligious philosophy.
I
Maimonides s ands ou among medie al Jewish philosophe s in his
unequi ocal ejec ion o as ology and magic (Le ne 1968; Lange mann
1991). In his celeb a ed epis les o he J ewish communi ies o Y emen (Halkin
1952) and.Mon pellie (Ma x 1926), he adduces Sc ip u al p oo ex s and
philosophical a gumen s o condemn all heo ies on he as al p ede e mina ion
and p edic abili y o human e en s as idola ous and non-scien i ic. In MN
(Mo eh Nebukhim) 2,24, he e en aligns himsel wi h A e oes and al-Bi uji
and hei excep ional epudia ion o P olemaic as onomy as a ue
ep esen a ion o he a angemen and mo ions o he hea enly sphe es (S<�:b a
1984; G uenwald 1991 ). Though acknowledging he physical in luence o he
sphe es on he subluna wo ld, he ca ego ically ejec s he as ologe s' claims
as illegi ima e. Sympa he ic magic, such as alismanic medicine and he quasi
magical use o eligious objec s, does no a e any be e in Rambam's eyes.
The discussion on Sabean belie s in MN 3,29 -pa o a b oade a gumen
agains idola y and his p e ace o he Guide's excu sus on he a 'ame ham
mi z o -likewise singles ou o explici condemna ion he u'n gamu o as o
magical p ac ices documen ed in his Naba ean sou ce (Twe sky 1980: 479-
484).
Al onso de la To e's o he wise ai h ul exposi ion o Mo eh Nebukhim
placidly igno es, on he o he hand, Rambam's empha ic epudia ion o
as ological and magical belie s. On he con a y, De la To e seems qui e
eage o sugges obliquely ha as ology (and e en so ne Kabbalis ic magic)
is a demons a i e science ully compa ible wi h his philosophical heology4.
Le us conside he ollowing examples om di e en sec ions o Visión.
4. In he ecen book, Salinas Espinosa duly no es De la To e's depa u e om
Maimonides on his e ealing poin (1997: 58-9). Howe e , she igno es he la e medie al
Hispano-Jewish con ex o his disc epancy and he ole ha De la To e asc ibes o
as ological belie s o be examined below.
MEAH, sección Heb eo 48 (1999) 133-162
AS1ROLOGY, KABBALAH AND MAGIC IN A DE LA TORRE 137
In his ini ial exposi ion o he libe al a s, a sec ion o he wise indeb ed o
Isido e's E ymologies, Al onso de la To e dis ega ds bo h he Isido ian
dis inc ion be ween as onomy and Gudicia y) as ology and he la e 's
concomi an ejec ion5. Ins ead, he insinua es in he i le o his sec ion ha
as ology, he allego ical maiden o he 7 h mansion gua ding he liminal
h eshold o he cas le o T u h, is a ull b anch o na u al philosophy whose
sec e s can be disclosed h ough demons a i e easoning. Visión' s chap e on
logic also adduces "as ología po la mayo pa e," along wi h me aphysics
and na u al philosophy, o exempli y a ield o knowledge based on
p oposi ions ha a e necessa ily ué. De la To e u he seems o espond
o A icenna' s posi ion on he impe ec ion o as ological knowledge om he
10 h book o al-Shi a ': al-'Ilahiyya as summa ized by al-Ghazzali in he
Maqasid', obliquely suppo ing A icenna' s as al ein e p e a ion o lslamic
p edes ina ism, while dec ying he A icennian c i ique o as ological
knowledge as non-demons a i e specula ion.
5. E ym 3,27 (De di e en ia As onomiae e As ologiae). The as onomy/as ology
di ide, mos ly dis ega ded in medie al Spanish science om Al onso X' s ime onwa ds, m ay
ha e ound i s ea lies o mula ion in Isido e (Pines 1914: 343-9). ·
6. "Es as p opusy ;iones ya dichas, e ;ep as las amosas, que consis en en la opinión syn
p ue a, odas cabsan conclusyón e dade a de ne ;cesydad, e lo con a io se ía men i oso e
ynposible. E dés as usan la geumé ica, a ismé yca, e la músyca e la as ología po la mayo
pa e, e la iloso ía na u al e la me a isyca" (VD p. 120).
7. C . A icenna's classical (and in luen ial) o mula ion o his apología p o as ología
( al-Shi a ': al-Ilahiyya , eds. Mohammad Yousse Moussa, Suleiman Dunya and Sa'id
Zayed, 2 ols. [Cai o, 1960] 2: 439-440). Al-Ghazzali's summa y o A icenna's posi ion in
he La in ansla ion -pa o a b oade discussion on he knowledge o pa icula s- uns as
ollows: Sen en ia quin a es quod deus al issimus si cu sci gene a e species, simili e sci
possibilia qua con ingun , quam is nos nesciamus illa, sicu possibile ín e ím dum sci u
es se possibile, non po es sci i an con inga , e! non con inga .... Quoníam igi u es ipse
sciens o dinaciones causa um, e occasionum, p o ec o es eciam sciens ípsa causa a unde
as ologus qui comp ehendi aliquas causa um essendi aliquid, e non omnes, non mi um
si iudice esse aliquid oppinando; possibile es enim u id quod sci , con ínga ínpedí i ne
ia , quía in eo quod dixi non comp ehende omnes causas; hoc au em non po es esse, nisi
p op e emocionem eo um que accidun " (Muckle 1933:70).
MEAH, sección Heb eo 48 (1999) 133-162

138 LUIS M. GIRÓ
N NEGRÓN
Like Ab aham ba Hiyya in his Epis le on As ology, Al onso de la To e
also adduces he as ological expe ise o Ab aham, a well known Rabbinic
adi ion (Tose ., Kiddushin 5,17) ha Isido e himsel quo es om Fla ius
Josephus (E ym 3,25), o dis inguish be ween judicia y as ology as a alid
science p ac iced by he Pa ia ch and he illici as ology o he Chaldeans
o bidden by he Law8. This a gumen , echoed in he Lib o de as ología
asc ibed o En ique de Villena (Cá ed a 1983: 120), enables him o coun e
he Isido ian and A icennian in ec i es agains as ological specula ion.
Ab aham's as ological knowledge also p o ides ano he un-Maimonidean
p oo ex o a quin essen ially Maimonidean eaching. De la To e men ions
i o he i s ime o illus a e he necessi y o in ellec ual pe ec ion in he
a ainmen o p ophecy. Subsequen ly, he e en upholds as ological di ina ion
as a lici o m o magical ac i i y ("E el de ina en las es ellas lí9i o es, si es
a buen yn ... "-VD p. 206). Su eh a indica ion o as ological p ac ice, wi h
he au ho i a i e suppo o Ab aham's example, hus becomes implici ly
linked bo h o Maimonides' explana ion o he p ophe ic abili y o o esee he
u u e as an in ellec ual s eng hening o a na u al acul y o di ina ion (MN
2,38) and o Kabbalis ic magic (see below).
De la To e' s de ense o as ology as a demons a i e science bu esses
he mode a e concep ion o as al de e minism insinua ed in his elabo a e
e iew o Maimonides' discussion on P o idence om MN 3, 17-18.
This illumina ing sec ion (VD 1,24-25) dese es a close look.
Maimonides p e aces his philosophical analysis o di ine P o idence as
"consequen upon he in ellec " ('J.:J'Dil 1nN. n.:J'DD)) wi h a synop ic
e iew o ou e oneous opinions: he Epicu ean ( ha all e en s a e
con ingen ), he Alexand ian-A is o elian ( ha P o idence only ex ends o he
8. VD 1,28 (p. 203-204) & 2,22 (p. 338). The s o y o Ab aham as an as onome and a
na u al philosophe was also known in Medie al Spain h ough Al onso X's Gene al
Es o ia, whose edi o s ollowed he La in e sion o Josephus' An iqui ies (F ake 1996).
See al so Julio Samsó' s in oduc ion o Cá ed a' s edi ion o T a ado de As ología a ibuido
a En ique de Villena (1983: 42-43).
MEAH, sección Heb eo 48 ( 1999) 133-162
ASTROLOGY, KABBALAH AND MAGIC IN A DE LA TORRE 139
sphe e o he moon), he Asha i e (absolu e de e minism) and he Mu azili e
( ha di ine jus ice ex ends o all c ea u es, human o no )9.
De la To e also begins his discussion on P o idence wi h a c i ical
e alua ion o ou e oneous concep ions, h ee o which a e om
Maimonides' lis : he Epicu ean, he Asha i e and he A is o elian. The
Mu azili e excu sus, hough, is omi ed and ins ead, De la To e indulges in
an ex ensi e discussion o as ological de e minism ( he posi ion o hose who
"niegan la P o idencia de Dios encomendando odas las cosas a los
ados"-VD pp. 177-179). His exhaus i e andcolo ul analysis o his posi ion,
a e i able ca alogue o popula as ological belie s, ends wi h a summa y
ei e a ion o Maimonides' a gumen agains Asha i e de e minism: ha hei
belie is un enable because i makes all hings necessa y and denies ee will,
nega ing he Biblical and a ional ounda ions o mo al ac ion10•
De la To e does make an impo an concession o he will's powe o
o e come he ados, especially in he second pa o Visión
11. As al in luences
9. Fo a nuanced analysis o Maimonides' mul i ace ed discussion on P o idence
h oughou he Guide (3,17-18; 3,22-23; and 3,51 ), see Ra el (1987: 25-71 ).
10. The accoun o as ology ha p e aces De la To e's epudia ion o his opinion is
pa icula ly elling. His claim ha as ology o igina es among he Chaldeans and he
Egyp ians, ollowed by he Romans, echoes Isido e's accoun o he his o y o as onomy
(E ym 3,25). Ye , unlike Isido e, De la To e also p o es o be be e acquain ed wi h he
basic p emises o judicia y as ology: "E es a gen e ha echo lib os en que oman los
nas ;:imien os de los eynos o de las se as o c edulidades e dizen quán o ha de du a ; e
anbién izie on lib os donde consyde an las na i idades de los omnes e dizen, segun su
opinión, que és e nas ;:ió en al plane a, e en al sygno, e en al conjun ;:ión, en al opusy ;:ión,
en al as ;:enden e, e en al declina ;:ión, e be i á an o, e se á al cosa o al, a á al a e o al
o i ;:io o al en u a, e aqués os son llamados gene á icos. E ay, en e los sob edichos
ma emá icos, o os lib os de las elec ;:iones de los ac os olun a ios po do so igen" (VD p.
178).
11. "E ;:ie o es que los sygnos e cos ela ;:iones e plane as han pode ío, como ú dizes,
pa a dispone la ma e ia .... Enpe o aques as pasyones non pueden cos eñi nin o ;:a el
ánima del omne, ca la i ud co po al no puede syno sob e o o cue po, e al omne inca
libe ad de aze lo que quie e" (VD p. 292). C . ST p.l, q.l l5, a.4 o he Thomis ic
o mula ion o his idea(" .. .piu es hominum sequun u passiones, quae sun mo us sensi i i
appe i us, ad quas coope a i possun co po a caeles ia: pauci au em sun sapien es, qui
MEAH, sección Heb eo 48 (1999) 133-162
140 LUIS M. GIRÓN NEGRÓN
do no ully de e mine human ac ion. Y e his explici epudia ion o
as ological de e minism is pa ially comp omised by he ensuing exposi ion
o his own iews on di ine P o idence. Lea ing Maimonides' in ellec ualis
concep ion o indi idual P o idence in MN 3,18 aside o he momen ,
Al onso de la To e p oceeds wi h an eclec ic explica ion o na u al
P o idence and he ema e coe iciency o di ine will in wo ld e en s, pa ly
based on Rambam' s analysis o di ine causali y in MN 2, 48 and leading o a
mode a e indica ion o he as ological ados12. His posi ion: ha P o iden ial
ca e o e he o ali y o e en s in he subluna wo ld as dec eed by God in he
Eliadean illo empo e is e ec ed g os so modo h ough he join media ion o
chance, human will and -De la To e's a ian on Rambam's lis o causes
he s a s ("la i ud de las es ellas"). The o ali y o e en s in he subluna
wo ld can no be s ic ly educed ei he o di ine p edes ina ion, blind o une,
as al in luence o olun a y ac ions, bu a he o a combina ion o di e en
causes all o which can be e aced back, howe e media ed, o he di ine will
(VD pp. 180-188). Na u a in pa icula - he ados which a e he "ligamien o
de cabsas" also e ec ed by he ci cula mo ion o he hea enly sphe es
s ands as he sole P o iden ial media o be ween he di ine C ea o and he
huiusmodi passionibus esis an . E ideo as! ologi u in plu ibus e a possun p aedice e,
e maxime in communi. Non au em in speciali: quia nihil p ohibe aliquem homínem pe
libe um a bi íum passionibus esis e e").
12. O cou se, Al onso de la To e is no ejec ing he e he Maimonidean ideal o human
pe ec ion h ough knowledge ha unde gi ds he in ellec ualis concep ion o indi idual
P o idence inMN3,18. On he con a y, in ellec ual pe ec ionism lies a he co e o Visión
Deley able's allego ized umina ions. E en De la To e's s o y o he lepe who is mo ed o
concei e a de o ned child by an as al powe in he same chap e (pp. 186-187) can be
cons ued as a pa able on ou in ellec ual ailu e o esis he s ong, bu non-coe ci i e
in luence o he s a s and plane s. His pi o a! accoun s o he soul's immo ali y,
Maimonidean p ophe o!ogy and he human pe ec ions will ancho him wi h equal g a i y
in Rambam's in ellec ualis heo y o indi idual P o idence. Bu s ill, De la To e's
consis ence wi h Maimonidean in ellec ualism does no answe ou p esen ques ion. His
delibe a e omission o Rambam' s hesis in MN 3,18 in a chap e on P o idence p e aced by
he Guide's excu sus in 3,17 equi es e!ucida ion.
MEAH, sección Heb eo 48 { 1999) 133-162
ASTROLOGY, KABBALAH AND MAGIC IN A DE LA TORRE 141
subluna o de 13. The " ados" a e he s ewa ds o C ea ion ("mayo domos de
la C eación" o use a Ce an ine epi he o "na u e" ha Ba aillon d�ems
aceable o De la To e [1950]). They a e like ai h ul baili s paying � he
wo ke s o execu e oyal o de s and ake ca e o he king's a ai s in he
· la e 's absence (a cosmological si nile deeply e niniscen o Shem To ben
Joseph ben Shem To 's analogy o he media ion o di ine causali y in his
commen a y oMN2,48). This na u alis concep ion o P o idence is u he
de eloped in VD 1,30; 1,34 and 2,1214, whe e he causal conca ena ion o
as o-hea enly in luxes is ully iden i ied wi h he o de o na u e, subsuming
key a eas o human beha iou unde he P o iden ial paJe o a mode a e
empe amen al de e minism which is as ally-based.
Despi e Maimonides' enchan opposi ion, De la To e's a emp o
econcile he o me ' s na u al philosophy wi h his as ological no ions is no
wi hou impo an p eceden s in he Jewish philosophical adi ion (Ba kai
1987). The gene al belie in he in luence o s a s on human ac ions in he
subluna wo ld had al eady been espoused wi h a ying deg ees o ese a ion
by so ne o he leading p e- Maimonidean igu es in medie al Jewish hough :
nó only Ab aham ibn Ez a and Ab aham ba Hiyya, whose heo ies and
p ac ice o as ology a e well known and in luen ial15, bu al so he likes o
13. G een has sugges i ely no ed he scholas ic oo s o N a u e as media o be ween God
and C ea ion ciphe ed by he idea o na u a na u ans (1964: 2/76-92). He men ions De la
To e in his con ex (1964: 2/81-2) and also documen s an in e es ing p eceden in De
Lille's An iclaudianus (1964: 2/78). I is impo an , hough, o no e wo hings: l. The
inadmissibili y o mi acles in De la To e's na u alism se s him a a dis ance om his
scho1as ic adi ion; 2. The ac ual e ms na u a na u anslna u a na u a a do no appea in
Visión, which p obably was a delibe a e omission. ,
14. VD 1,34 is also Visión's sou ce o Solomon ibn Ve ga's impo an ci a ion o De la
To e on P o idence (1947: 160). Ibn Ve ga's ci a ion om Al onso de la To e appea s in
VD p. 242.
15. Fo a gene al o e iew o Jewish as ology and as onomy, see Ba kai (1987) and
Alexande Al mann's and A hu Been's espec i e a icles on as ology and as onomy o
he Encyclopedia Judaica. Ba Hiyya, one o he i s o expound P olemaic as onomy in
Heb ew, adduces Talmudic p oo ex s o de end as ology as a p edíc i e science - he
highes achie emen o which as onomy can aspi e. He only se s Is ael apa om he
MEAH, sección Heb eo 48 (1999) 133-162
148 LUIS M. GIRÓ N NEGRÓN
unexplained)28• In oking a s o y ha may be aced o Ped o Comes o 's
Es o ias scholas icas, e en Moses is desc ibed as an accomplished
p ac i ione o alismanic magic, an anecdo e ha bu esses Maimonides'
belie in in ellec ual pe ec ion as a necessa y equi emen o a would-be
p ophee9.
A one le el, De la To e's scan y allusions o gema ia and Kabbalis ic
he meneu ics be ays he udimen a y na u e o his acquain ance wi h classical
Kabbalis ic sou ces. Any 15 h cen u y Ch is ian heologian could ha e
ga he ed as much, o example, om he polemical w i ings o Hispano
Ch is ian and con e so apologis s: Ped o Al onso, Ramon Ma ín, Abne de
Bu gos, Pablo de San a Ma ía, Ped o de la Caballe ía and Je ónimo de San a
Fe (e en hough Visión has absolu ely no aces o he polemical use o Jewish
Kabbalah o indica e Ch is ian doc ine associa ed wi h hese au ho s, no o
men ion he la e Ch is ian Kabbalah o Pico della Mi andola [Sec e 1957;
1964: 8-23])30. The alismanic usage o di ine names can e en be aced o he
Medie al sou ces o He me ic magic in Muslim and Ch is ian Spain. The e
a e, o example, wo no able allusions o He mes T ismegis us in Visión, one
28. "E ida en o as pied as admi ables i udes que esc;ebían de los luga es e de las
yn luenc;ias de las es ellas, e ma a illó se el En endimien o quando i do que las pied as que
es a an mucho iempo ue a de los luga es que ue on engend adas cómo pe dían la i ud.
E ida ma a illosos sec e os en el escul u a de las pied as, e alabó a Dios que ge lo a ía
no i icado" (VD p. 240).
29. "E piensan que Muysén e a un ydio a e e a el más sabio onme que a ía en Egip o,
an o que sabía en la escul u a de las ymágines más que onme del mundo a la sazón, ca él
izo dos anillos en el signo de géminis quando casó con la e iopesa, el uno de amo e el o o
de ol idanc;a" (VD pp. 203-4 ). This s o y, which De la To e will epea in VD 2,22, is e old
in ulle de ail in Villena's T a ado de as ología, 121.
30. This is an impo an poin ha Salinas Espinosa ails o unde sco e in he a emp
o connec De la To e wi h he Ch is ian Kabbalah o he Medie al Spanish and 16 h
cen u y I alian schools (1997: 49-55): he e is no Kabbalis ic co obo a ion o Ch is ian
heological and c eedal doc ines in Visión, he de ining ea u e o Ch is ian Kabbalah. De
la To e's posi i e app aisal o he "mecubalim" could also ha e made him, on he o he
hand, an easy a ge o c i icism in Spanish an i-Jewish polemics -c . Alonso de la Espina's
an agains he Jewish "sec " o he "mecubalim" in his Fo ali iumjidei (ca. 1458).
MEAH, sección Heb eo 48 ( 1999) 133-162

ASTROLOGY, KABBALAH AND MAGIC IN A DE LA TORRE 149
o which Salinas Espinosa sugges i ely connec s o he La inAsclepius31. The
au ho o Pica ix himsel asc ibes such a iew o A is o le32, al hough De la
To e's imp ecise allusion o a medico- alismanic p esc ip ion aises so ne
ques ions abou he ull ex en o his p ac ica! knowledge o his magical
adi ion33. On he o he hand, he e a e se e a! magical ea ises o enonnous
di usion in 15 h cen u y Spain (Cla icula Salomonis, Libe de Raziel),
which also p o ide an immedia e con ex o De la To e's belie in he
31. In VD 1,6 (p. 130), "T imigis o" is singled ou as an ancien expe on he sec e
i ue o he bs ("Ca sy los omnes bas asen a pe ec a men e me sabe sab ían la i ud de
odas las ye as del mundo, ca según a e nos allado en los lib os de los an iquísymos Acalo
e <;e9ina, T imigis o e So oas es, las ojas de las ye as odas son le as yndica i as de la
i ud de las ayzes de aquéllas"). La e , in VD 1,25 (p. 185), his palace me apho on he
wo kings o P o idence, De la To e no es how "e aques o dixo Hem1es que e a ymam1enes,
e e dad dixo, que an o quie e dezi como causas po las qua! es aze la p o iden9ia odo lo
que se ha de aze ." On he Asclepius' pa allel, see Salinas Espinosa ( 1997: 57).
32. Pica n·x, I- -37: "A is o eles dixi in suis lib is ymaginum: melius e alcius quod
habea ymagines ex 7 plane is p o eni , e du abilius es quando aspici o una. Vul enim
dice e p o ahendo spi i us e i u es celi in e a. E i e um dixi quod sun nomina
spi i uum que, quando quis ea in oca e ipsos ahe e olue i spi i us, quod descenda ... "
(Ping ee 1986: 23). In he Heb ew ansla ion, "nomina spi i uum" is ansla ed as "di ine
names" (Idel l995: 74).
33. In he quo a ion abo e, De la To e ad oca es he sympa he ic manipula ion o an
uniden i ied image sculp ed unde he sign o Sco pio o heal snak:e bi es. Pica ix only has
one alismanic ecipe in ol ing Sco pio o heal he s ing o a sco pion (no a snake bi e): see
I- -25. The elabo a e ecipe o e s p ecise ins uc ions on he ma e ials ("lapide de bezaha ,"
"annulo au eo"), p ope ime ("in ho a Lune, ipsa exis en e in 2 acie Sco pionis, ascenden e
Leone, Tau o el Aqua io") and equi ed s eps ( e.g. he consump ion o incense) o he
concoc ion o his healing amule . The Lib o de las o mas & ymagenes ( one o Al onso X' s
Iapida ian ea ises), on he o he hand, iden i y A ies and Sagi a ius as he only wo
cons ella ions ha ha e he i ue o heal, espec i ely, he " e ida de se pien o de qua!
quie animal ueninoso" (A ies) and he " e ida de animal oxicoso" (Sagi a ius). The
Iapida ian p esc ip ions in his Ii e a u e o he healing o snak:e bi es do no ma ch
Al onso's alismanic example ei he . Equally absen , inally, is ano he aspec o Sco pio's
cha ac e iza ion in he A abic, Heb ew and La in as omagical ea ises: i s associa ion wi h
geni al medicine (see Au igemma [1957]).
MEAR, sección Heb eo 48 ( 1999) 133-162
150 LUIS M. GIRÓN NEGRÓN
alismanic coe cibili y o spi i ual beings34. I may also be no ed ha he
A abic adi ion o alismanic magic media ed o Ch is ian Spain by he
cul u al e o s o Al onso X is s ill ali e among Spanish Muslims and
mo iscos un il he 16 h cen u y as e idenced in aljamiado li e a u e (Laba a
1981, 1993). Finally, he e is an impo an Hispano-Ch is ian wi ness in De
la To e's ime o he associa ion o Kabbalah wi h alismanic magic in
C escas' ci cle: he semi-scien i ic ea ises o En ique de Villena. In his
T a ado de aojamien o, Villena discussed he medicinal usage o Kabbalis ic
amule s which he had hea d a ibu ed o Nahmanides, R. Ashe o Toledo, R.
Yi zhaq Is aelí and e en om he lips o "maes o Azday C escas, que ue en
es e ienpo nues o" and " abi Za aya [Ze ahya Hale i], a que dezían En
Fe e , que ue en es e ienpo" (Villena 1917: 191, 193: c . al so Bae 1981:
2/753, n. 50). Villena's ama eu ish in e es s in Kabbalis ic magic we e
supe icial and his knowledge o i , second-hand. They ne e heless
con ibu ed o his exagge a ed epu a ion in Hispano-Ch is ian ci cles as an
expe in science and magic (e en Kabbalah), a epu a ion ha made him a
a ge o ecclesias ical censo ship, culmina ing, albei pos -mo em, wi h he
34. The Libe de Raziel, o example, a col!ec ion o magical adi ions pu po edly
augh o Adam's son by he angel Raziel, was, acco ding o ay Lope de Ba ien os, "más
mul iplicado en España que en las o as pa es del mundo" (Ba ien os !927: !2 1 ).
Ba ien os, who bu ned En ique de Vil!ena's copy along wi h he o he censo ed olumes
con isca ed om his lib a y, no ed how i abounded wi h magical incan a ions o coe ce "los
buenos ángeles pa a bien ace y a los malos pa a mal ob a " h ough know!edge o hei
names (!927: !!6-!22). So ne Hispanis s ha e w ongly asc ibed his magical wo k o he
!3 h cen u y Sa agossan Kabbalis Ab aham Abula ia (Russell !978: 250). Al hough
Abula ia -who used Raziel, his isopsephic name, o signi y his a ainmen o p ophecy- a! so
w o e a ea ise en i led Se e Raziel, ou magical wo k -M. Idel has no ed- has "no hing
o do wi h ecs a ic Kabbalah" (Hasidism 38 !, n. 55). S ill, ou Libe deRaziel was he objec
o se e al ansla ions (La in, Heb ew, English, F ench) ha ci cula ed widely among Jewish
and Ch is ian in el!ec uals in he Renaissance -c . Sec e ( !969) and Idel ( !983b: !93-4 ).
Cla icula Salomonis, ano he amous book on magic om Ch is ian sou ces om he Middle
Ages, a!so ci cu!a ed widely in !5 h cen u y Spain ( c . Ba ien os [ !927: !22] and Tho ndike
[ !958: 2: 280]-see also Idel [ !983b: !94] on he Jewish ecep ion o i s Heb ew ansla ion
in he 16 h cen u y).
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ASTROLOGY, KABBALAH AND MAGIC IN A. DE LA TORRE 151
agic bu ning o his magni icen lib a y (Gascón Ve a 1979; To es Alcalá
1983). F om his angle, he also o e s a con empo a y Hispano-Ch is ian
p eceden o De la To e' s indica ion o Kabbalis ic magic.
All he p eceding examples illus a e popula no ions o magic and
Kabbalah, and hei ela ionship, in 15 h cen u y Ch is ian Spain. S ill,
Al onso de la To e's speci ic allusions o Kabbalis ic name magic and
alismanica in he con ex o Maimonidean philosophy may ha e mo e
immedia e and signi ican Hispano-Jewish esonances in his u bulen pe iod.
Fi s , he iden i ica ion o Maimonidean p ophe ology and he eso e ic
dimension o he Guide o he Kabbalis ic sec e o he di ine names goes back
o Ab aham Abula ia and he ecs a ic adi ion o in ellec ualis mys icism ha
he ushe s (ldel 1988a, 1988c)35. Linking as al magic o he combina ion o
Heb ew le e s, and pa icula ly o he concep ion o di ine names as
alismanic means o d aw downwa d he spi i ual in lux o he as al bodies,
also ha e impo an Medie al p eceden s among he Spanish Kabbalis s
in luenced by Abula ia (ldel l995: 156-160)36.
Likewise, he e we e impo an Kabbalis s among he Jewish suppo e s
o medico-as ological alismans in ea ly 14 h cen u y Ca alonia. This was he
case wi h he p eeminen successo o Nahmanides as leade o Ca alonian
Jew y, Saloman ibn Ad e . Albei a c i ic o Abula ian Kabbalah, Ibn Ad e
ollowed his eache Nahmanides on his seo e, espousing alismanic magic o
medica! pu poses as an e icacious mean o as al manipula ion (he had
p esumably allowed he p epa a ion o a alisman o Leo o cu e a kidney
35. Salinas Espinosa b ie ly no es he in eg a ion o Kabbalah and magic among
Abula ia' s ollowe s ( 1997: 55). Howe e , she is unawa e o Abula ia's ole as a Kabbalis ic
commen a o o Maimonides' Guide, which is mo e ele an o he la e Medie al a emp s
o econcile magico-Kabbalis ic ideas wi h Maimonidean philosophy.
36. This ype o Kabba!is ic magic is connec ed o an ancien Hellenis ic no ion o
spi i ual beings o o ces -TIVEU¡.. .IX1:1X in G eek, n1))n1l in Heb ew- ully de eloped in
A abic magical ea ises ha we e independen ly in luen ial on o he Jewish hinke s ( e.g.
Shem To ben Shem To 's Se e ha-Emuno ). On he his o y o his magical no ion, see
Shlomo Pi es ( 1988). Fo ano he ea ly Jewish p eceden o his linking o as o-magic and
le e -combina ion echniques, see Geo ges Vajda (1956).
MEAH, sección Heb eo 48 (1999) 133-162
152 LUIS M. GIRÓN NEGRÓN
disease). His de ense o alismanic medicine igu ed p ominen ly in a second
dispu e o e Maimonidean a ionalism in ol ing he Jew ies o Ca alonia and
P o ence, as lucidly explained by G egg S e n (1995) in his disse a ion on
Mei i.
Thi dly, as men ioned be o e, he e is an impo an ci cle o Jewish
Neopla onis s in he second hal o 14 h cen u y Cas ille - he Spanish leade s
o he "Ibn Ez a Renaissance"- ha de ended sympa he ic magic and
as ology, d awing connec ions o philosophy, and in so ne cases e en o
Kabbalah (Schwa z 1990/91). Ibn Ez a himsel had al eady in e p e ed a
numbe o passages om he To ah as sub le e e ences o alismanica (e.g.
his commen a y on Gen 31:19 on he alismanic na u e o he e a im ha
Rachel s eals om he a he ). In luenced by Joseph ibn Wakka , hese Jewish
hinke s (Samuel ibn Za za, Samuel F anco, Samuel ibn Mo o , Ez a Ga igno,
Shem To ibn Majo ) w o e majo supe commen a ies on lbn Ez a's
commen a y on he Pen a euch ha also con ained impo an discussions on
alismanic magic and as ology. Se ing up he exege e on a pa wi h
Maimonides, hey sha ed Ibn Wakka 's belie in he compa ibili y o
Maimonidean philosophy wi h lbn Ez a' s in e p e a ion o Sc ip u e37.
Mo e impo an ly, he e we e so ne 15 h cen u y de ende s o
Maimonidean hough ha explici ly adduced Ibn Wakka 's au ho i y in his
philosophical con ex . This is he case wi h Ab aham Shalom who quo es bo h
Wakka and Abula ia in an en husias ic de ense o p ac ical Kabbalah,
c edi ing, as does De la To e, he join e icacy o alismanic magic and he
eci a ion o di ine names o wield spi i ual powe s38. Indeed, mos 15 h
37. lbn Wakka acknow1edges lbn Ez a's "g ea e inclina ion" o as o1ogy as he on1y
hing ha sepa a es he exege e om Maimonides. C . he passage om he in oduc ion o
Ibn Wakka 's main wo k quo ed by Scho1em om a pa ia1 Heb ew ans1a ion (1943/4:
155). Howe e , g1ossing o e Maimonides' epudia ion o as ology, he p oceeds o a gue
o he la e 's ag eemen wi h phi1osophy and Kabba1ah -c . G. Vajda (1962: 115-297). On
Ibn Wakka and he ci cle o supe commen a o s ha ollowed him, see U ie1 Simon ( 1993).
On he in luence o hese . i ings in I alian Kabba1is ic magic, see Ide1 (1983b ).
38. Ne eh Shalom 5,4,64b-5. Sha1om a1so adduces he sympa he ic p ope ies (TII'J;) J)
o ce ain s ones and p1an s (O)nD::ml O)J.�nDJ.) - he scien i ic basis o he e1abo a e
MEAH, sección Heb eo 48 (1999) 133-162
ASTROLOGY, KABBALAH AND MAGIC IN A. DE LA TORRE 153
cen u y Hispano-Jewish philosophe s a i med he magical e iciency o he
di ine names as a ype o mi acle -E odi,Ma 'aseh E o d (p. 9); Albo, SJ 1,18;
C escas, OH 4,10 (c . also VD p. 340 on he no ion o p ophe s as mi;acle
wo ke s).
Fou hly, he e may ha e also been a ex ual basis in he Spanish
ansla ion o he Guide o De la To e's misguided pe cep ion o he
" undamen al consis ency be ween Maimonidean hough and wha he knew
as cabala'm. In he Spanish ansla ion o MN3,51, Maimonides' exegesis o
his palace me apho , Toledo w i es: "Sabe quelos a ones que son ue a dela
;;ibda , es odo aquel que non ien c een ;;ia de ley, njn iene es udio njn cosa
po ía de cabala" (Mos ado 357). Ano he passage igh below also eads:
"E los que llegan ala casa e andan ende edo , s os son los almudi as que
ienen en endimien os e dade os de pa es de cabala" (M os ado 357-8).
"Kabbalah" in he Heb ew e sions o hese passages should be ansla ed as
" adi ion." Howe e , a Spanish gloss on he i s passage no es how "cabala,
es cosa es ;;ebida ijo de pad e, e pad e de abuelo, as a Moysén." This gloss
on he Spanish heb aism do e ails an impo an Kabbalis ic idea: he o al
ansmission o he mys ical sec e s o he To ah in an unb oken chain om
eache o eache ha ha kens back o M oses and he Sinai ic e ela ion40. A
eade o his ex and i s gloss who knew li le o no Heb ew, such as De la
To e, could hus ha e ound "e idence" in he Spanish Mos ado o
conclude ha Maimonides accep ed he e aci y o he (mys ical) Kabbalah!
The hauma u gical e e ence o he Kabbalis ic coe cion o spi i s enjoys
likewise so ne signi ican p eceden s. In De la To e's angelological excu sus
lapida ían heo ies ha we ind in Al onso X' s as omagical !i e a u e- o jus i y he magical
e iciency o hese Kabbalis ic alismans -c . Da idson (1964: 11-13). On alismanic magic
in o he 15 h cen u y Hispano-Jewish sou ces, see also Elieze Gu wi h ( 1989).
39. This sh ewd obse a ion, and he accompanying e idence om he Spanish
Mos ado , o igina e in one o P o . Bema d Sep imus' ex ensi e commen s on an ea !ie
d a o ou hesis.
40. C . Nahmanides' Se mon on Ecclesias es (1964: l: 190). On his Kabbalis ic mo i ,
see also Moshe Idel (l983c).
MEAH, sección Heb eo 48 (1999) 133-162

154 LUIS M. G i.ÓN NEGRÓN
(VD 1,28), he e is, o example, an in iguing passage on he na u e o e il
spi i s which eads as ollows:
"E cómo algunos dixe on que e an engend ables e co up ibles, e que nas�ían
e que mo ían, mas pusye on la du a�ión de su ida se muy luenga po que e an
muy conjun os a la synpli�idad, ca dixe on que e a de la ma e ia del ay e e del
uego. E pusye on que a ían g an conos�imien o de las cosas na u ales po la
delgadeza de su espí i u e po la lige eza de la ma e ia. E izolos eni en
aques a opinión que eyan po espi ien�ia mágica qu'el umo de una ye a les
plazía, e és a en�endida luego enían ... E de la o a pa e eyan que e an
yn isibles ... e pa a es o o o en el mundo sec e os los qua! es no es lí�i o el abla
dellos" (VD 200).
This concep ion o e il spi i s as li ing admix u es o ai and i e, in isible
demons wi h sub le bodies suscep ible o decay and a ac ed o a oma ic
subs ances is ul ima ely aceable o he commen a y on Le 17:7 by ano he
majo Kabbalis : he Ge onese polyma h M oses ibn Nahman41. O cou se, his
Nahmanidean bo owing is inconsis en wi h Maimonides' demonology,
especially he Guide' s concep ion o S a an as he e il inclina ion (MN 3 ,22)
also quo ed by De la To e in he e y same chap e ! Bu De la To e's
depa u e om his Maimonidean sou ce could be poin ing, ye again, o he
plausible media ion o a con empo a y Jewish schola . A e all, Nahmanides'
demonology p o ed in luen ial among Hispano-Jewish philosophe s in he
15 h cen u y, including he a o emen ioned Joseph Albo (Se e ha-'Jqqa im
3,8) and he Ab aham Shalom (Ne eh Sh alom 2, 1,29a)42.
41. C . Nahmanides' commen a y on Le 17:7. The heo y o demons ske ched in Visión
ehashes he main elemen s in Nahmanides' concep ion o he Rabbinic 0)1' D ( hei
composi ion om ai and i e, hei in isibili y, hei sub leness, hei pe ishabili y, e en he
nec oman ic e e ence ). Salinas Espinosa ecen ly sugges ed ha his passage be connec ed
o he au ho 's magical iews on he Kabbalis ic manipula ion o Heb ew expounded
elsewhe e in Visión (1997: 51). Howe e , she was unawa e o i s Hispano-Jewish o igin in
Nahmanides' commen .
42. Finally, i may be no ed ha I ha e no loca ed as ye ano he Spanish sou ce om
he 15 h cen u y documen ing Nahmanides' demonology ( e.g. Moshe A agel' s gloss on Le
17:7 in he so-called Biblia de Alba -his explica ion on he Q)l)Y'lJ, which he ende s as
"diablos," does no con ain any e e ences o Ramban's accoun ).
MEAH, sección Heb eo 48 ( 1999) 133-162
ASTROLOGY, KABBALAH AND MAGIC lN A. DE LA TORRE 155
Finally, du ing he second hal o he 15 h cen u y, an impo an school o
Kabbalah ma 'asi lou ished in Spain be o e he Expulsion. This magico
Kabbalis ic adi ion also espouses he incan a o y use o he Heb ew
language and he di ine names, aided by alismans and o he magical de ices,
o b ing down as o-spi i ual o ces and manipula e hem in acco dance wi h
he Kabbalis 's in en ion. This adi ion is connec ed o a con empo a y
esu gence o Messianic e o and he main sou ce o i s s udy is Se e ha
Meshi , a wo k o pa amoun signi icance o he his o y o Kabbalah as
ecen ly es ablished by Moshe Idel in a se ies o essays (1981, 1983a, 1993).
I s p ac i ione s, ollowing his desc ip ion (1988b: 269), a e pa icula ly
"in e es ed in demonology and he use o coe ci e incan a ions o summon
demons, angels, and e en God" in o de o has en Messianic imes. Albei a
la e wo k, Se o ha-Meshi p o ides in e es ing pa allels o so ne o he
a o emen ioned Kabbalis ic p ac ices bols e ed by De la To e, o ins ance
wi h i s magical p esc ip ions o he co ec eci a ion o he G ea N ame o
42 Ie e s, a Kabbalis ic me hod o clip he wings o he gua dian angels o
Ch is iani y and Islam and ushe he age o Redemp ion43, esona ing De la
To e's alismanic magic and he Kabbalis ic usage o one same po en name
in o de o cons ain p esumably malignan spi i s. Equally signi ican in
Visión Deley able ís he explici connec ion i d aws be ween p ophe ic
e ela ion and onomas ic Kabbalah. De la To e's sugges ion e okes he
pneuma ic unc ion o he eci a ion o di ines names as a sou ce o p ophecy
and e ela ion in Se o ha-Meshi .
O cou se, unlike De la To e, he Kabbalis ic ci cle o he Se e ha
Meshi iolen ly ejec s A is o elian physics and me aphysics as expounded
43. "By i ue o he pówe o he G ea Name o Fo y-Two Le e s, I adju e you e en
agains you will o ha e no he powe o ly o do any hing o o malee any u he
accusa ion agains he Is aeli e na ion han you ha e done un il now. I bind you and adju e
you ha you will ha e no mo e powe o accuse Is ael o all ime. Ra he , om his day
o wa d, you will de end he Is ae1i e na ion ... so shall you and Rabbi Joseph do, bo h o you
oge he ... and by his you will b eak he powe o Samae1 and has en he edemp ion in you
ime" (Ide1 1981: 86).
MEAH, sección Heb eo 48 (1999) 133-162
156 LUIS M. GIRÓN NEGRÓN
by Maimonides (Idel l993). This inconsis ency is also e ealing. De la To e's
selec i e bo owings om dispa a e sou ces do no always ag ee wi h his
philosophical heology. His p o ession o Nahmanides' demonology, as no ed
be a e, is conspicuously un-Maimonidean. His Kabbalis ic belie in he
magical powe o he Heb ew language is also incong uous wi h he
Maimonidean iews on i s con en ionali y p esen ed ea lie on in he chap e
on g amma 44. As he au ho ' s eclec icism demons a es so clea ly, un esol ed
con adic ions almos ine i ably ensue om inconsis en bo owings. S ill, i
he Kabbalis ic-magical syn hesis o Se e ha-Meshi e lec s ea lie
Kabbalis ic ends in 15 h cen u y Spain, hese could p o ide ye ano he
Hispano-Jewish con ex o he heme unde conside a ion: Al onso de la
To e's ehemen de ense o Kabbalis ic name magic and he concomi an
sugges ion ha he la e is a key o he "sec e s" o p ophecy which he
leamed om Maimonides.
III
A couple o b ie ema ks a e inally in a de .
Fi s , since he 18 h cen u y, mos o he Hispanicis s ha ha e paid
schola ly a en ion o Visión Deley able consis en ly iden i y i s au ho wi h
a na i e o he bishop ic o Bu gos who s udied a he Colegio Mayo de San
Ba olomé, deeming him an ine i able p oduc o Salamancan scholas icism45.
In ligh o ou p e ious excu sus and o o he easons we can no elabo a e
he e, we a e p one o accep , wi h so ne ese a ions, Ma cel Ba aillon's
hough ul sugges ion: ha , e en as a s uden o San Ba olomé, Al onso de
la To e's concep ion o philosophical leaming, his un-Maimonidean
dabblings in as ology, magic, and Kabbalah, and his implici inse ion in he
in a-Judaic deba e on he eso e ic meaning o Maimonides' Guide b ing him
44. See VD 1,3, pp. 111-2. De la To e's depa u e om his Isido ian sou ce in dealing
wi h Adam's ongue in he g amma ical lesson e lec s Maimonides' de ense o he
con en ionali y o all languages, and Heb ew in pa icula , in his exegesis o Gen 2:20 inMN
2,30 --c . Bema d Sep imus (1994).
45. On he p esen s a e o biog aphical knowledge abou De la To e, see Salinas
Espinosa (1997: 13-27) and Gi ón-Neg ón (1997: 15-25).
MEAH, sección Heb eo 48 (1999) 133-162
ASTROLOGY, KABBALAH AND MAGIC IN A. DE LA TORRE 157
close in ellec ually o he lea ned 15 h cen u y "aljamas" o Tudela and
Za agoza han o he scholas ic ci cles o Salamanca's uni e si y46.
Secondly, he e is a mo e pe sonal dimension o De la To e's �s o
magical belie s ha a his o ian o eligions could as well no e in he e.
Judicia y as ology, sympa he ic magic and onomas ic Kabbalah ep esen ed
e: icacious means o manipula e linguis ically he a de o C ea ion and
bene i om he na u al in lux o he hea enly ados. They o e ed ways o
mi iga e ou subluna ulne abili y in a wo ld suscep ible o he ca as ophic
whims o na u e and chance ha De la To e's cosmology so i idly
desc ibed47. Such a de ensi e esponse o cosmological ea s, which b ings o
mind he " e o o his o y" incisi ely e oked by Mi cea Eliade (1954: 146-
7)48, could no ha e eluded he a en ion o his 15 h cen u y Spanish eade s.
I aligned hem exis en ially.
46. See Gi ón Neg ón (1997) and Ba aillon (1950). Ba aillon, o cou se, denied he
iden i y o Al onso de la To e wi h he Salamancan bachelo on g ounds ha ha e p o en
inconc!usi e. We only claim ha e en i De la To e wen o San Ba olomé, which is he
mos likely bu no an absolu e ce ain y, his in ellec ual o ma ion has deepe oo s in 15 h
cen u y Hispano-Jewish lea ning han e e acknowledged.
47. "Magic is he science o hope because i cul i a es he human capaci y o ace he
u u e -and all o he o ms o unknown, hidden eali y. Magic a!lows hope o become a
dominan , conc e e o ce in s uc u ing he wo ld and es uc u ing ime and space; h ough
magic human hope allies i sel wi h he o ces ha o de he cosmos" (Law ence Sulli an
1987: xi). Fo an an h opological app aisal o he whole issue o language and magic, see:
S anley Tambiah, (1985) and Kenne h Bu ke (1969).
48. Mi cea Eliade makes a pe cep i e ema k abou he as ological dimensions o he
Medie al cyc!ical heo ies as an a a is ic exp ession o he my h o he e e na! e um ha
lends in elligibili y o ca as ophic e en s. His insigh could also shed ligh on he Spanish
ecep i i y o he allego ies o Fo une as a ciphe o chance and ados in 15 h cen u y
li e a u e.
MEAH, sección Heb eo 48 (1999) 133-162