Yiẓḥaḳi, Abraham Ben David

Palestinian rabbi and anti-Shabbethaian; born in 1661; died at Jerusalem June 10, 1729; on his mother's side a grandson of Abraham Azulai. He was a pupil of Moses Galante, and was in his turn the teacher of Moses Ḥagiz. Yiẓḥaḳi was prominent in opposition to the followers of Shabbethai Ẓebi, and exhorted the rabbis of Smyrna to investigate the writings of Miguel Cardoso. He signed the letter of excommunication launched against Nehemiah Ḥayyun by the rabbinate of Jerusalem in 1708. Later, Yiẓḥaḳi was sent to Europe to collect contributions, and when at Constantinople he wrote a preface to Jacob Sason's "Bene Ya'aḳob." In 1711 he arrived at Leghorn, where he agitated strongly against Ḥayyun; and he did the same at Amsterdam in the following year, together with Ẓebi Ashkenazi. On his way back to Jerusalem in 1714 Yiẓḥaḳi passed through Constantinople, where he joined the other rabbis in the excommunication of Ḥayyun.

Of Yiẓḥaḳi's works, only the "Zera' Abraham," responsa on the four Ṭurim, was published (vol. i., on Oraḥ Ḥayyim and Yoreh De'ah, Smyrna, 1733; vol. ii., on Eben ha 'Ezer and Ḥoshen Mishpaṭ, Constantinople,1732). His other works are: "Iggeret Shibbuḳin" and "Ketobet Ḳa'aḳea'," both on Ḥayyun's heresies; a work on Maimonides' "Yad"; and novellæ on the Shulḥan 'Aruk.

Bibliography:

  * Fuenn, Keneset Yisrael, p. 30;
  * Grätz, Gesch. 3d ed., x. 311, 317, 320;
  * Fürst, Bibl. Jud. ii. 78;
  * Michael, Or ha-Ḥayyim, No. 81.



J. M. Sel.