'היזהרו בצבועים' – צביעות דתית בפרוזה המחורזת העברית בספרד בימי הביניים

היספאניה יודאיקה – כתב עת לחקר תולדות יהודי ספרד ופורטוגל ותרבותם, עורכים יום טוב עסיס ורחל איבנייס-ספרבר (האוניברסיטה העברית), חוברת 6 (תשס"ט), עמ' ט-נא. Literature written in the Middle Ages, both in Hebrew and in the European languages, is replete with sharp, biting social criticism and has a satirical attitude toward official figures and office holders in the community. Their behavior is portrayed as worthless and unfit to serve as an example to others. One of the social phenomena that medieval writers sought to uproot and correct is religious hypocrisy or false pretence. The wide distribution of such works in the Middle Ages can be considered a reflection of a bleak social reality. In this essay we examine the variations of religious hypocrisy and its presentation in medieval Hebrew literary works, whose main character is the religious hypocrite. Religious false pretence also engaged researchers beyond the literary arena, and this essay is based on a wide variety of theories found in the writings of philosophers, sociologists and psychologists.