The Roots of the Pinto Family

The Pintos of Spain

 The ancestry of this illustrious family, which produced generations of great Torah scholars, righteous and devout men, who possessed true fear of Hashem, can be traced back to Rav Sharira Gaon, who lived in the times of the Gaonim and was the Rosh Yeshiva of Pumpedita and the Rosh Hagolah of Ariel. He returned the glory of Torah to its former magnificence, reestablishing its grandeur among Am Yisrael. Family members, who in that period achieved the title “Gaon,” were dispersed in many Jewish communities. However, they established their main residence in the city of Pinto, in Spain. It is a small village on the outskirts of the capital city of Madrid. There they established their residence, and there they secured deep family ties. We do not know what merit the city possessed that its name identifies the illustrious Pinto family for posterity. The generations of leaders, great Torah scholars, righteous and courageous tzaddikim and holy chassidim, who possessed true fear of Hashem, all stem from the leaders of the ancient Jewish kehillah in the city of Pinto in Spain. 

The Expulsion from Spain

At the end of a long period of time in Spain, which is referred to in history as the Golden Age of Spanish Jewry, years in which Jews were allowed to practice their Torah lifestyle without opposition, the Jewish people began to be assaulted by suffering and evil decrees, in spiritual matters as well as material ones. Their situation became intolerable, and only got worse as time passed. There was not even a ray of light on the distant horizon.

The final blow to the Jews in Spain occurred in 1492 (5252). However, the Spanish kings began to persecute the Jews approximately one hundred years earlier. The Jews were forced to attend the sermons of the Christian priests and wear specific articles of clothing, as well as keep other strange edicts, whose objective was to force them to abandon their religion. Almost all of the Jews withstood the challenges, just as they had done for hundreds of years, and did not alter their beliefs. They bravely clung to their Jewish attire, proudly representing G-d’s people.

Ultimately, in 1492 (5252), the era of Spanish Jewry came to an abrupt end when the royal edict was publicly announced, signed and sealed by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, may their bones rot. They declared: In our best judgment, and according to the opinion of priests, nobles, and other wise people of our courts… we agree to order an expulsion of all Jewish men, women, and children, of every age which they may be, who live and reside and are found in our kingdom and under our rule, including their sons, daughters, maids, servants, and family members who are Jewish, old and young, from whichever age they may be, and they should not dare to return to live in the places in which they once lived, not through immigration, nor in any other manner. If we discover any Jew residing in our kingdom, or should one enter in any manner, he will be punished by death; his possessions will be confiscated and used for the benefit of the kingdom. For the violation of being present in the country, punishment will be meted out without a court hearing, without a judge’s ruling, and without prior warning.

Rabbeinu Don Yitzchak Abarbanel, one of the advisors of the King of Spain at the time, describes how he attempted to avert the decree. In his introduction to his commentary on sefer Melachim he writes: When I was in the courtyards of the King’s palace, I was tormented by what I heard, and my throat went dry. I spoke to the king twice, three times. I personally beseeched him, “Your Majesty, the King, save us! Why would you do this to your subjects? We have many businesses, gold and silver which we can contribute to your coffers…” However, the king turned a deaf ear to my pleas and would not answer my cries; similarly, the queen, who aided him in his wickedness. According to the edict, Jews were given a three-month period to execute the order. The king, in his good graces, “allowed” the Jews to sell their possessions. He promised to protect them and their belongings during this time. However, this part of the order was neglected, whereas the section prohibiting them to take gold, silver, and currency was strictly enforced. In other words, the Jews were allowed to sell their goods, but not in exchange for these three things. Consequently, they obtained little money or goods in exchange for their possessions. Their gentile neighbors knew that they were required to sell their belongings quickly, and they took advantage of the opportunity to exploit and rob them. When the Jews in Spain realized that their fate was sealed, they packed the belongings that they were allowed to take and left the country, men, women, and children. Many prominent people abandoned all their wealth and possessions, and in due time left the country, never to return. There were those who feared losing their money and therefore preferred to pretend that they had converted, while continuing to observe the Torah in secret. However, the Inquisition began to supervise all their actions and ultimately brought doom upon them. Thus, the devastation of the Expulsion, which resulted in persecution and torturous murder, was felt by all the Jews in Spain. 

Leaving with Pride

At that time, the Pinto family, just like the other Jews who were loyal to the ways of their fathers, decided to leave their high positions, their professions, and all their wealth and emigrate to nearby countries. They emigrated to Morocco, Syria, Portugal, Turkey, Holland, and other European countries. The date for the Expulsion was set for the seventh of Av, close to the ninth of Av, the day upon which the Beit Hamikdash was destroyed. This is a period designated for suffering and persecution. During these days of Bein Hametzarim, everyone experienced the throes of exile all over again. The longing for Mashiach was palpable. Rabbeinu Abarbanel eloquently describes the exile of the Jews:

They trudged without any strength, three hundred thousand people, myself among them, young and old, women and children, on the same day, from the entire land of the Spanish Kingdom, wandering to wherever they could go. The leaders led the procession, and Hashem was at its head… Alas, much suffering and darkness overcame them; anguish, hunger, epidemics… very few survived… all were dying and lost, may Hashem’s Name be blessed. Another testimony of the expulsion is recorded by the Chassid Ya’avetz in his sefer Ohr Hachaim, as follows: During the expulsion of Spain, there were close to three hundred thousand families forced into exile via the island of Sicily. We were trampled on and humiliated, many were killed by sword, many died of hunger and thirst, in deprivation and nakedness. People of high stature and prominence were reduced to misery; wealthy and honorable people were begging for bread, not having a crumb to eat. Who can describe all the hardships and suffering that we endured in the years beginning in 1492 up until now?

Exile to Portugal

Many of those exiled from Spain, a group of approximately 130,000 people, preferred not to wander too far from their home country and found temporary shelter in the neighboring country of Portugal. They thought that this choice had great merit, since in Portugal they would be able to continue living publicly as Jews, while the change in lifestyle would be minimized, because the language was similar to Spanish and the culture was almost identical.

Although this shelter came with a heavy price, since each person was required to pay exorbitant taxes, the Jews thought that in this way they would be able to live in peace. However, this was not the will of Hashem, and they were persecuted in Portugal as well. Officially, they were allowed to remain in the country for eight months. However, all those who were not able to pay the taxes, which became more inflated with each passing day, were forced once again to pick up their wandering staffs and move on to other countries and continents. Some unfortunate people were forced to become slaves in order to spare their lives.

In those treacherous days of persecution and wandering, when many assembled at the gates of Portugal in a state of hunger and starvation, fatigued and trodden, an epidemic broke out, striking many of the exiles. The Portuguese government ordered all the exiled Jews to leave their country on special boats that they provided. Many of the exiles followed these orders and boarded the boats, sailing to an unknown destination. The government’s intent was to use the exiled people as slaves in the various colonies that they had captured at that time. However, because the inhabitants of the colonies feared being infected by the epidemic, they refused to let the boats dock on their land, and the ships were left to wander at sea, rocking in the waves for many weeks. In addition, the devastated people remaining on board were treated harshly by the crew, being humiliated and forced to stay in the bottom of the ship. All their possessions were confiscated, and their wives and children were sold as slaves. Those who survived the treacherous journey eventually arrived in Morocco. 

Portugal – The Second Expulsion

The refugees who remained in Portugal were accorded cruel and difficult conditions by the king, Juan. Whoever could not afford to pay the heavy taxes was sold as a slave to Portuguese noblemen, and the abduction of women and children became routine. The lives of the Jews turned into an endless nightmare. During the day they wished it was night, and at night they wished it was day.

The Jews of Portugal enjoyed a short respite from their troubles after King Juan died. His heir, King Manuel I, was crowned as king, and he freed all the exiled people from slavery. The Spanish Inquisitors, who constantly attempted to dig their nails into neighboring Portugal, were met with the opposition of the king.

This lasted only until 1497 (5257). At that time, King Manuel unleashed his cruelty against the Jews when he married Princess Isabella of Spain, who, like her mother, the Queen of Spain, wickedly aspired to free Portugal from Jews. King Manuel conceded to her wishes.

At first, he ordered the expulsion of all the Jews. On the thirtieth of Kislev, 1497 (5257), he proclaimed that all the Jews had ten months in which to leave Portugal. Soon after, he began to decree many harsh laws upon the Jews. Children were forcibly abducted from their families (in the beginning, children only until the age of fourteen, and afterward until the age of twenty) and were ordered to be baptized. Their parents faced a painful dilemma. If they left the country, they would never see their children again; if they wished to be united with their children and remain in Portugal, they faced baptism. The heartrending scene of children being torn from their parents’ hands was repeated routinely all over the country. Young children were forcefully removed from their mother’s arms, and young toddlers were ripped away from their fathers, who sobbed bitterly, calling after their children “Shema Yisrael,” so that they should remain imbued with belief in Hashem.

King Manuel conducted himself in this cruel manner because he knew that the economy of his country was dependent on the wisdom of the Jews. He did not want them to leave, only to abandon their faith. However, he was not successful. When he saw that the Jews were proceeding with their plans to flee Portugal, he realized that nothing could stop them, not even abducting their children. He thus devised a devious plot, which would force all Jews to become baptized. However, he did not publicize his intent. Instead, he promised the Jews that if they would assemble at the port of Lisbon, he would provide them with ships to sail to whichever country they chose. Upon their arrival at the port, they were forced to convert to Christianity and become baptized. Those who refused were imprisoned and systematically tortured, undergoing unbearable suffering and humiliation. Few survived (only a few thousand out of over one hundred thousand Jews who remained in Portugal at that time), and they were exiled without any provisions. The majority of the Jews were caught and forcefully baptized. They had no choice but to live as Marranos.

Most of the Jews preferred the first option of leaving the country, despite their impoverished condition, because of their pride in remaining practicing Jews. However, this option was almost impossible to achieve, because, despite the king’s promise to procure ships for them, he did not. Ultimately, those Jews waiting to escape were ravished by hunger and were baptized against their will. 

The Testimony of Rav Avraham Saba

Among the great Torah scholars who fled to Portugal was Maran Rav Yosef Karo, zy”a, who was then very young.

The gaon and mekubal, the Chacham, Rabbi Avraham Saba, zy”a, author of the sefer Tzror Hamor on all five Chumashim, describes his experiences during the devastating expulsion (Introduction to Eshkol Hakofer):

During my sojourn in Portugal, after being evicted in the expulsion from Castile, I, Avraham Saba, the lowest among my peers, decided to write a commentary on the five Megillot, and I explained them. Then the wrath of Hashem descended upon His nation with the second expulsion from Portugal, and the king ordered the confiscation of all sefarim. I took all my sefarim to the city of Porto, and I placed myself in great danger to smuggle into Lisbon the commentary on the Torah that I had composed in the city of Portugal with a commentary on the five Megillot and a commentary on Masechet Avot with my manuscript Tzror Hakesef, which I had composed in my youth, dealing with the subject of dinim. When I arrived in Lisbon, Jewish people approached me and warned me that there was a rumor circulating around the camps that whoever would be found with a sefer in his possession, would be killed immediately. I quickly went to hide all my work under an olive tree, and I called the tree AllonBachut (A Weeping Oak Tree), since there I buried my treasures: the commentary on the Torah and the mitzvot, which are more precious than gold or money, since they served to comfort me for my two sons, who were close to my heart, but were taken against their will to be baptized, while I was thrown into prison and remained languishing there for close to six months.

De Pinto

Among the numerous people who left Spain during the expulsion and merited leaving Portugal spiritually unscathed, despite being tortured and impoverished because they did not want to convert and denounce their faith in Hashem, was the Pinto family.

Some of the members of the family went to Holland, and until today they appear in country records as the De Pinto family. There is even a large building standing, which is called the De Pinto Building. The most famous member of the dynasty was Rabbi Yitzchak De Pinto, who served as the community leader in Amsterdam. He recorded all the events and experiences of the family from the time they left Portugal until after they were established in Amsterdam. He finished writing this sefer in 1571 (5331); however, it was printed only approximately ninety years later.

There is a drawing in the book of their illustrious family tree describing the Pintos as one of the most prominent families of the kehillah. The family tree is designed as a palm tree, with the pasuk, “A righteous man will flourish like a date palm” inserted in the heading, as well as the Portuguese translation: “Justo como tamaral floressera.” Another reference to the family was discovered in the cemetery of Odekork in Amsterdam, where the tombstone of Rabbi Daniel Pinto was found. He died in 1681 (5441), nearly two hundred years after the family first arrived in Holland.

Other members of the Pinto family made their way to Portugal, including Rabbi Shlomo and Rabbi Yosef and their families. They finally settled in the city of Ancona, Italy. Upon their arrival, their fame spread quickly among the Jews, as well as the gentiles. They were renowned for their outstanding righteousness. However, their illustrious reputation was to their great disadvantage, since these rumors reached the ears of the wicked head viper, none other than the pope himself. He forced them to debate with his most senior clergy, who were well versed in their edicts. Ultimately, since the Pinto family won on every score, he ordered them to be burned at the stake unless they converted to Christianity.

These holy people would not defile their souls by casting doubt upon their faith. Rabbi Shlomo and his wife were burned at the stake, may Hashem avenge their death. Rabbi Yosef and his family managed to escape from Italy to Damascus, where they established a thriving Jewish community, including prosperous businesses.

Rabbi Yosef Pinto

Rabbi Yosef, who barely escaped from the valley of death, did not lose hope. Despite the fact that he was already in his mid seventies, he shouldered the responsibilities of his people. A new chapter in his life began; a chapter of Torah and greatness. He started a business and prospered greatly, becoming very wealthy.

His son describes him in the introduction to his sefer Kesef Mezukak in the following way: “Valiant and outstandingly brilliant, prominent and very exalted, more precious than silver coins, famous, noble, a leader, a dedicated man of valor, well-liked by all, wise, lofty and exalted, praised is his name.” Afterward, he adds, “He mustered all his strength, investing all his energy and resources, possessing G-dly wisdom.” Rabbi Yosef became one of the wealthiest people in Damascus. His charitable deeds increased in proportion to his wealth. He supported the poor and was known as one of the greatest supporters of Torah and Torah scholars in his generation. Rabbi Yosef Pinto also merited vast spiritual wealth, since in his old age, in 1565 (5325), a son was born to him, Rabbi Yoshiyahu, who illuminated the world with his Torah and anctity, publishing many important sefarim, from which countless Jews still draw wisdom.