Conduct of Life

The major work of Rabbi Moses Almosnino (1515-1580), Conduct of Life, remains to this day an essential reference in classical Judeo-Spanish literature, now finally available in English in its first translation. First published in Ladino in 1564 as "Sefer Hanhagat ha-chayim," and in 1729 as "Regimiento de la vida," this three-volume edition is part of the prestigious collection Veritas è terra orietur.

The work aims to disseminate the timeless teachings of ethics, in the words of the author: “In all that has been said, my intention is only to make you understand how the one who follows the path of virtue and customs of practicing good and pure knowledge since childhood lives a happy and fulfilled life” (I, ch. 2).

The third volume deals with justice (III, ch. 1-3) and friendship (III, ch. 4-8 and 13), love (III, ch. 9), the five intellectual virtues: understanding, science, wisdom, prudence, and art (III, ch. 10-11), and the learning of sciences as a path to virtue (III, ch. 12). This work presents itself as a pedagogical endeavor, intended to provide advice for leading a virtuous life.

R. Moses Ben Barukh Almosnino (c. 1515-1580) was a major figure in Classical Judaism. He settled in the Ottoman Empire, and possessed extensive knowledge of both Jewish and secular subjects and was known for his Responsa and exegeses. He also took an interest in various scientific fields, translating and commenting on works by Aristotle and other scholars. R. Moses Almosnino wrote on topics such as ethics, including commentaries on the Nicomachean Ethics and Pirkei Avot. He also authored “Extremos y grandezas de Constantinopla,” a historical work in Judeo-Spanish. His original work “Regimiento de la vida,” (Conduct of Life) a treatise on ethics, was published during his lifetime in 1564 and remains a reference in classical Judeo-Spanish literature.