Aboab, Jacob ben Samuel

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ABOAB, JACOB BEN SAMUEL

ABOAB, JACOB BEN SAMUEL (d. c. 1725), Venetian rabbi. He was the third son of Samuel Aboab, whom he succeeded as rabbi of Venice and whose biography he wrote (introduction to Samuel Aboab's responsa Devar Shemu'el (Venice, 1702)). He studied mathematics and astronomy and enjoyed a high repute for his extensive knowledge. Jacob's halakhic decisions are included in contemporary works. He corresponded with Christian scholars on biographical and bibliographical topics relating to Jewish literature. Among his correspondents were Christian Theophil Unger, a Silesian pastor, and the Frankfurt scholar Ludolf Hiob. An index to Yalkut Shimoni and a work on the ingredients of the incense of the sanctuary, both in manuscript, are ascribed to him. His responsum on the chanting of the Priestly Blessing is included in the collection Meẓiẓ u-Meliẓ (Venice, 1716), and a poem of his is appended to Kehunnat Avraham (Venice, 1719) by Abraham Cohen of Zante.

bibliography:

Zunz, Gesch, 245; S. Wiener, Kohelet Moshe, 2 (1897), 253ff.; Loewenstein, in: mgwj, 48 (1904), 679–80, 689–701.

[Yehoshua Horowitz]