Joseph Taitazak

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Joseph ben Solomon Ṭaiṭazaḳ (Hebrew: יוסף בן שלמה טאיטאצק) was a talmudic authority and kabalist who lived at Salonica in the 15th and 16th centuries. With his father and his brother he went in 1492 from Spain, his native land, to Salonica, where he became rabbi. He was considered one of the greatest Talmudists of his time, even Joseph Caro invoking his authority (Abḳat Rokel, § 56). Among Joseph's disciples were Isaac Adarbi and Samuel di Medina. Joseph was a fervent adherent of the Kabbalah, in which he was well versed, and led an ascetic life. Elijah de Vidas, in his Reshit Ḥokmah (Sha'ar ha-Ḳedushshah, ch. vii.), relates that, with the exception of Sabbath nights, Joseph for forty years never slept in a bed, but on a box, with his feet on the ground. With such a disposition to asceticism and mysticism it was but natural that Joseph should become enthralled by the Messianic vagaries of Solomon Molko, whom he supported while preaching at Salonica in 1529.

[edit] Works

Joseph's scientific activity lay chiefly in the field of Biblical exegesis. He was the author of the following works:

Ben Porot, a commentary on Ecclesiastes (Venice, 1599)
Leḥem Setarim, on the Book of Daniel and the Five Scrolls (ib. 1608), and on Psalms, Job, and Proverbs (Neubauer, Cat. Bodl. Hebr. MSS. Nos. 206, 2; 329; 969; 2270, 8; 3521)
A commentary on the Sayings of the Fathers
Responsa, some of which have been included in the writings of his contemporaries and pupils
Notes on casuistical matters
Commentaries on haggadic passages
A treatise on the astrolabe (Neubauer, l.c. Nos. 834, 7, 10; 2080, 3; 2254, 8).
According to Isaac Adarbi (Dibre Ribot, p. 64), Joseph was the author also of novellæ on Alfasi.