David ben Aryen Leib of Lida and his Migdal David : Accusations of Plagiarism in Eighteenth Century Amsterdam

Abstract

David ben Aryeh Leib of Lida (c. 1650-1696) was chief rabbi of several communities, among them the Ashkenaz community of Amsterdam, and the author of highly regarded books. His career was clouded, however, by charges of slander, Sabbatianism, and plagiarism. Although exonerated of the first two charges, the cloud of literary piracy has cast a continuing shadow over Lida's reputation. Two of Lida's works, Migdal David and Divrei David , are attributed to other writers. The article addresses the validity of those charges, finds that Lida himself alluded to the fact that he was not the author, and suggests that he expressed regret, albeit in an enigmatic manner, in a later work.