Ḥayyim Shabbethai

Rabbi of Salonica; born about 1556; died 1647. After studying in the yeshibah of Salonica under Aaron Sason, Ḥayyim became a member of the bet din presided over by the latter. In 1607 he succeeded his former master as head of the yeshibah and as chief rabbi of Salonica; he officiated forty years, and during that time graduated a large number of Talmudic scholars and rabbis. Ḥayyim Shabbethai was the author of many responsa and decisions. Only four volumes of them have been published: one, under the title of "Teshubot R. Ḥayyim Shabbethai," contains responsa on the ritual laws of the Ṭur Eben ha-'Ezer, with a treatise on the laws of "'agunah" (Salonica, 1651); the other three volumes, published under the title "Torat Ḥayyim" (ib. 1713-22), contain responsa on the civil laws of the Ḥoshen Mishpaṭ. In addition to the above he wrote a number of homilies, unpublished, and novellæ to the whole Talmud. Of the latter only those on Ta'anit and on the commentary of R. Nissim to the last chapter of Yoma were published (ib. 1797).

Bibliography:

  * Conforte, Ḳore ha-Dorot, pp. 43a et. seq.;
  * Azulai, Shem ha-Gedolim;
  * Michael, Or ha-Ḥayyim. No. 902;
  * Steinschneider, Cat. Bodl. col. 833;
  * Fürst, Bibl. Jud. i. 158, 159.



K. M. Sel.