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Famed for his classic Torah commentary, Nachmanides was the first to legitimize the use of Kabbalah in Torah commentary. Though he had philosophical differences with his predecessor Maimonides, he was one of his greatest defenders. And because he lived during the Christian re-conquest of Spain, he was the first of many Torah scholars forced into staged debate with the Church. The famous story of his victory makes for one of the most exciting episodes in Jewish history.

• what the Christian re-conquest of Spain meant for the Jews
• the intensified controversy over Maimonides after his death
• Nachmanides' mystical commentary on the Bible
• Moshe de Leon's Zohar
• the famed Disputation at Barcelona
• Pablo Christiani - the danger of a converted Jew
• King James of Aragon's surprising reaction

For even greater detail on the life of Nachmanides, please see our two-lecture series, "Rabbi Moses ben Nachman."