Books, Record Keeping, and a Rabbinical Career: Judah Mehler Reutlingen’s Self-Fashioning and Early Modern Ashkenazi Written Culture

Early modern European cultures witnessed increased use of written materials and techniques, expanding the “repertoire of roles in written cultures.” These transformations significantly influenced early modern Ashkenazi culture. This article examines early modern Ashkenazi written culture through the case of Judah Mehler Reutlingen (1609–1659), rabbi of the small community of Bingen, and two manuscript editions of his compilation of homilies, Shevut Yehudah —the first composed before his rabbinical appointment and the second during his established career. Comparison of Reutlingen’s two editions demonstrates how he used elements of written culture, including record-keeping practices along with official documents and correspondence, to reshape his rabbinic persona as his professional status changed. Reutlingen’s self-fashioning strategies illuminate broader trends in early modern Ashkenazi culture—from the cultural perception of authorship, linking ḥiddushim (new insights) to the author as a manifestation of his soul, to the institutionalization of the rabbinate, and the development of rabbinic careers. This study shows the profound significance of written culture to early modern Ashkenazi, particularly rabbinic, culture, demonstrating how it shaped various cultural dimensions and served multiple functions.