Pachad Itzchaq – the Fear of Isaac

The rabbinical encyclopedia entitled Pachad Yitzchaq, the Fear of Isaac, is the best known and most comprehensive work delving into the field of Hebraic Law. It is the foremost work by Isaac Lampronti, doctor and philosopher, born in Ferrara on February 3, 1679 and passed away here in 1756.

The encyclopedia is arranged alphabetically and each entry includes references to all those canons, rites, laws, institutions and Talmudic maxims that delve into themes of Jewish law.

In part, the Pachad Yitzchaq owes its importance to Lampronti’s decision to include direct references to all authors whose interpretations are reported in this encyclopedic work, thus enabling scholars to reconstruct Italian rabbinical production of the times.