Me'ah Berachot 1687 Amsterdam - Life as a Spanish & Portuguese Jew in 17th century Amsterdam

While time machines are still beyond our grasp, books can at times serve as an alternative way to find yourself back in a different time and place. One such book, which I just procured for a customer, is Me'ah Berachot, Orden de bendiciones, a comprehensive prayerbook in Hebrew and Spanish printed in Amsterdam in 1687.

The Siddur was intended to be as comprehensive as possible, with prayers and rites for all occasions and holidays of Jewish life. The intended audience, was the Jewish Community of Amsterdam, composed mostly of former Marranos, who were recent emigrants from Spain and Portugal. The prayers and instructions were in Hebrew and Spanish throughout and the contents reflect what life would have been like for these Jews, living a new life, in a new land, and of whom many, had very little knowledge of Hebrew or Judaism.

Frontispiece of Me'ah Berachot, 1687 Amsterdam. Note the various scenes portraying Jews, all wearing hats, reflection common practice at the time

Among the more traditional prayers that would be familiar to any practicing Jew today, you can find several which have thankfully become obsolete. There appear in the book a special prayer to recite when you are purchasing a slave, and prayers at the circumcision ceremony of a new slave. Their fear and connection to those persecuted by the inquisition can be seen from the several prayers to be said for both males and females that were burned at the stake by the inquisition.

In the prayerbook, you can find the local recipe for Haroset used in the Haggadah Seder, as well as a full detailed order of purification of a dead body in preparation for burial. A prayer to recite when you see the pillar of salt which was the wife of the Biblical Lot is found in the book as well. For the benefit of the users, the measurements of the Amsterdam Mikvah were noted, as well as a calendar with future dates of Jewish Holidays, measurements for the separation of Hallah and the rules pertaining to deeming an animal non-kosher.

Prayer to be recited during the purchase of a slave

Blessing to be recited upon seeing the wife of Lot

Prayers for those burnt at the stake

Prayers for males at an Auto-da-fé

Prayers for females at an Auto-da-fé

Jewish Laws pertaining to the use of a restroom

Prayers for the preparation of body for burial

Laws of Terefot, which would render an animal unkosher