Elijah Ben Jacob

Rabbi and cabalist of Ulianov, Galicia; lived in the eighteenth century. He was a contemporary of Jonathan Eybeschütz, and sided with him in his quarrel with R. Jacob Emden. Elijah, obliged to flee, took a long voyage and passed through Italy and Turkey. Toward the end of his life he settled at Amsterdam. He was the author of "Birkat Eliyahu," novellæ on several treatises of the Talmud (Wandsbeck, 1728). At the end of this book there are some passages in defense of the customs of the Ashkenazic Jews. It was prefaced and published by Moses Ḥagis.

Bibliography:

  * Nepi-Ghirondi, Toledot Gedole Yisrael, p. 11;
  * Steinschneider, Cat. Bodl. col. 930;
  * Fuenn, Keneset Yisrael, p. 112;
  * Walden, Shem ha-Gedolim he-Ḥadash, i. 22.



L. G. M. Sel.