Azulai, Abraham ben Israel

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AZULAI, ABRAHAM BEN ISRAEL

AZULAI, ABRAHAM BEN ISRAEL (c. 1660–c. 1741), kabbalist. Azulai was born in Marrakesh. He was related to R. Abraham b. Mordecai *Azulai, and was the disciple of R. Isaac de-Levayah and a friend of R. Solomon Amar ii and R. Abraham ibn Musa. He lived for some time in Tetuan and in 1724 he was in Meknès, Morocco. R. Ḥayyim b. *Attar knew him and praised his erudition in Kabbalah. He told Ḥ.J.D. *Azulai that Abraham b. Israel used to write amulets for sick people, but without writing any of the names of God on them. There were many legends about him in Morocco. He wrote a commentary on the Zohar, extracts from which are quoted by his disciple R. Solomon *Buzaglo in Mikdash Melekh. Azulai also wrote annotations and corrections to R. Ḥayyim *Vital's Oẓerot Ḥayyim (Leghorn, 1854). His responsa are scattered in various manuscripts; one of them was published in the collection of responsa Mishpat u-Ẓedakah be-Ya'akov, by R. Jacob b. Ẓur (paragraph 161). His most notable disciples were R. Jacob Pinto and R. Isaiah ha-Kohen.

bibliography:

Azulai, s.v.Avraham Azulai; J. Ben-Naim, Malkhei Rabbanan (1931), 11a.