▁the ▁Kar ait es , ▁to ▁which ▁his ▁comment ary ▁on ▁the ▁Pent ate uch ▁refers ▁with ▁evident ▁pride , ▁as ▁having ▁v ind ic ated ▁the ▁cause ▁of ▁rabb in ical ▁the ology . ▁While ▁in ▁Rome ▁he ▁was ▁admitted ▁to ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁Pope ▁Martin ▁V , ▁who ▁was ▁surrounded ▁by ▁his ▁card inals . ▁Martin ▁V ▁was ▁kindly ▁dis posed ▁toward ▁the ▁Jews , ▁and ▁often ▁discussed ▁religious ▁questions ▁with ▁them ▁in ▁a ▁friendly ▁manner . ▁On ▁this ▁occasion ▁he ▁prop ounded ▁to ▁A aron ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁very ▁pointed ▁questions ▁concerning ▁Bib lic al ▁and ▁Tal m ud ical ▁pass ages . ▁Among ▁other ▁things ▁he ▁asked ▁if ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁cher ub im ▁in ▁the ▁Holy ▁of ▁Hol ies ▁was ▁not ▁rather ▁ant agon istic ▁to ▁the ▁Second ▁Command ment , ▁which ▁prohib its ▁id ol at ry . ▁A aron ▁in ▁his ▁comment ary ▁refers ▁several ▁times ▁to ▁this ▁discussion ▁and ▁to ▁the ▁answers ▁he ▁gave . ▁ ▁W riter ▁Com ing ▁often ▁in ▁contact ▁with ▁learned ▁Christians , ▁A aron ▁had ▁many ▁occasions ▁to ▁defend ▁J uda ism ▁against ▁the ▁po lem ics ▁of ▁the ▁Church , ▁on ▁the ▁one ▁hand , ▁and ▁the ▁attacks ▁of ▁the ▁Kar ait es ▁on ▁the ▁other . ▁It ▁was ▁this ▁un ce asing ▁conflict ▁that ▁induced ▁him ▁to ▁write ▁a ▁book , ▁called ▁" Ma ṭ ṭ eh ▁Ah aron " ▁( The ▁Staff ▁of ▁A aron ), ▁in ▁defense ▁of ▁the ▁Law ▁and ▁tradition . ▁Ke en