Ibn Ya?ya, Joseph ben David
IBN YA?YA, JOSEPH BEN DAVID
IBN YA?YA, JOSEPH BEN DAVID (1494–1534), exegete and philosopher. Ibn Ya?ya was born in Florence, *Italy, his parents having fled to that country from *Portugal. The family finally settled in the city of Imola. He studied in the yeshivah of R. Judah *Mintz in Padua. Of his works only two have been preserved: (1) Perush ?amesh Megillot u-Ketuvim (Bologna, 1538); and (2) Torah Or, on eschatology (Bologna, 1538), the introduction to which contains interesting autobiographical details. Two other works, Derekh ?ayyim, commentary on talmudical sayings, and Ner Mi?vah on the commandments, which, according to Benjacob, were parts of his Torah Or, were accidentally consigned to the flames at the burning of the Talmud in Padua in 1554. Joseph had three sons, one of whom was Gedaliah ben Joseph *Ibn Ya?ya, the author of Shalshelet ha-Kabbalah. His request to his sons that he be buried in Ere? Israel was fulfilled ten years after his death, Joseph *Caro arranging for his burial in Safed.
bibliography:
Benjacob, O?ar, 116, no. 415; 404, no. 314; 465, no. 290; 644, no. 444; Graetz, Gesch, 9 (18913), 199.
[Hirsch Jacob Zimmels]