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The possible relationship between Isaac Sacutto and the REMEZ

Isaac Sacutto is my (and Steve's) ancestor. Steve lists him as the grandson of the REMEZ, thereby linking us directly to the REMEZ. Though I would like to believe so too, I can't determine this with any certainty. Yet, as the following lines will point out, the articles I obtained lately do make Steve's assertion plausible.

Following, I will list the main differences between my interpretation and Steve's interpretation of the material available concerning Isaac, after which I will continue to explain why Melkman's research may after all make it plausible that Isaac is indeed a grandson of the REMEZ.

 

1. The identity of Isaac Sacutto and his date of birth

The data on Steve's site shows two Isaac Sacutto's, both mentioned as supposed grandchildren of the REMEZ. One Isaac is mentioned as a son of the REMEZ's son "Moses" (shown in the table below) and married to Anna Alfarin. The other Isaac, who was married to Rachel Falcao, is mentioned as a son of another son of the REMEZ called "Eliaser".

However, with the help of specialists of the Amsterdam Municipal Archives, I have been able to prove on basis of the data in the "Trouwen in Mokum" book of Ketubbah's (where the "second" Isaac is mentioned as "widower of Anna Alfarin") and on basis of their signatures (though spelled somewhat differently, proven to be identical handwriting), that these "two" Isaacs, are actually one and the same person, born 1653. Isaac married twice, first to Anna Alfarin who died and then 8 years later to Rachel Falcao.

The only discrepiancy is that in the registration registers of the Amsterdam Portuguese Community, at the time of the marriage to Anna Alfarin he is written in as "Isaac of Moses" and at the marriage to Rachel Falcao as "Isaac of Eliaser". This is no doubt where Steve found the names Moses and Eliaser who he assumes to be sons of the REMEZ. The specialists of the Amsterdam Minicipal Archives have established for certain that Isaac is one and the same person (as explained in the paragraph above) and therefore determined that one of the notations of the Portuguese Community is mistaken. This happened more often in those days because the name was entered on the Ketubbah in Hebrew. Since many grooms did not read Hebrew they would not even notice the mistake.

Since a daughter of Isaac was registered at the time of her marriage as "Reina of Isaac Moses", we assume with almost absolute cetainty that Isaac's father was indeed named Moses. Therefore "Eliaser" must have been the mistaken entry. One possible reason for this mistake may have been that as we know, at the time of his wedding to Rachel Falcao, Isaac had a five year old son Eliaser (from Anna Alfarin). When asked by the scribe: "Son of.....?", meaning his fathers name, he might have understood "Son...?" and answered with his son's name.

My definite conclusions:

• There was only one Isaac Sacutto
• He was born in 1653
• He married twice - first to Anna Alfarin and then to Rachel Falcao.
• His father was "Moshe"

 

2. Who was Moshe, the father of Isaac Sacutto

We have now established that Isaac is a son of Moshe. However, is this Moshe indeed the son or at all a descendant of the REMEZ?

At first sight this seems unlikely. The family of the Remez moved to Hamburg in the early 1620's when the REMEZ was just a boy of around 10 years old. Later he moved to Poland to study in Posen, returned to Hamburg and in 1647-1648 arrived in Venice, where he became a famous scholar. This does not make it obvious that his son or grandson should turn up in Holland.

However, I find that Melkman's article The Early Years of Rabbi Moshe Zacut does bring up information that might after all make it plausible that Moshe the father of Isaac Sacutto is a son of the REMEZ, as Steve assumes, even though Melkman himself does not come to that conclusion.

Melkman explains the confusion which led many researchers to believe that the REMEZ was born somwhere around 1625. (I strongly suggest reading the supplied link above to fully understand Melkman's research). He proves this confusion stems from the fact that in 1646 a student by the name Moshe Zacut studied in the Beit Midrash were the REMEZ is known to have studied. This, together with a mix-up between the name of the Beit Midrash and an organization (Etz Haim) that supplied allowances for the students, led researchers to believe this Moshe Zacut is actually the REMEZ, who therefore would have been born somewhere around 1625-1630.

Melkman (and before him Appelboim) very convincingly proves this could not have been. Therefore, this Moshe Zacut who studied in the Talmud Tora in Amsterdam in 1646-1651 obviously must have been another person. Assuming he commenced his studies in the Beit Midrash at age 14, as many did, he would have been 19 in 1651 and could easily have had a son at age 21 in the year 1653. Since it is extremely unlikely that there would be yet another Moshe Zacut of about the same age, this would almost certainly make this Moshe Zacut the father of Isaac that was born in 1653.

Now, here Melkman makes an interesting, but perhaps mistaken, assumption as to who this young Moshe Zacut might have been. He writes: "The young Moshe Zacut who received assistance from "Etz Haim", was apparently a grandson of Moshe Enrique Zacut, by another son. It is possible he was sent from Hamburg to study in the famous Beit Midrash in Amsterdam".

This is after Melkman has explained at length that the absence of Batei Midrash in Hamburg forced many prominent Jewish families there to sent their children off to renowned Batei Midrash in Amsterdam (and elsewhere).

Also, we know from letters that (at least) between 1642-1647 the REMEZ resided in Hamburg, was married and had children.

Therefore I dare make an assumption that I believe to be as least as plausible as Melkman's.

This "young Moshe Zacut", who Melkman says could be a much younger cousin of the REMEZ (from a different son of the REMEZ's grandfather), may just as well have been a son of the REMEZ!

After all, instead of assuming him to be the son of a totally unknown son of the REMEZ's grandfather, it is just as plausible that the REMEZ would have sent his own son from Hamburg to the renowned Beit Midrash in Amsterdam where he studied himself as a youngster. Melkman stated many Portuguese Jews in Hamburg did this, and certainly the REMEZ would have wanted his son to be educated in a high-standard Beit Midrash.

The dates would fit in well and the lineage would be as follows:

• REMEZ born 1612 in Amsterdam, moves to Hamburg
• Moshe his son born ca 1632 probably in Hamburg, sent to study in Amsterdam around 1646 and stayed there.
• Isaac, Moshe's son, born 1653 in Amsterdam.

Though in Ashkenazi circles it was unheard of to call a son by the name of his living father, in Sephardi circles this was not uncommon. Therefore it could well be that the REMEZ (Moshe ben Mordechai) called his son Moshe too.

From all above, I derive that Steve's assumption that Isaac Sacutto is a grandson of the REMEZ, though not actually proven, is plausible.

A comparison with Steve's data would give the following results

Steve Weiss' Data		Yossi's Reconstruction
Name	Birth - Death	Name	Birth - Death	Source
Rabbi Mozes ben Mordechai Zacuto ("REMEZ")	(ca 1620 - ca 1697)	Rabbi Mozes ben Mordechai Zacuto ("REMEZ")	(ca 1612 - 1697)	Melkman's 2nd article
Moses Zacuto	(ca 1640 - ?)	Moses Sacutto (maybe a son of REMEZ)	ca 1632	My assumptions from Melkman's 2nd article
Issac Zacutto	(ca 1664 - ?)	Isaac Sacutto	1653	"Jewish marriages in Mokum" (external link)
Eliaser Zacuto	(ca 1690 - ?)	Eliaser Sacutto	1689	"Jewish marriages in Mokum" (external link)