Mizra?i, David ben Shalom

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MIZRA?I, DAVID BEN SHALOM

MIZRA?I, DAVID BEN SHALOM (c. 1696–1771), one of the most prominent halakhah scholars in *Yemen. Mizra?i propagated Torah studies and headed the synagogue of the nagid Sar Shalom Ir?qi (al-Usta). When the need was felt for a commentary on the Shul?an Arukh adapted to the requirements of Yemenite Jewry and its customs, David Mizra?i undertook this task in his work Shetilei Zeitim (1886–91), on Ora? ?ayyim (1886–91; 1895). He explains the Shul?an Arukh with brevity and clarity, quoting the customs of Yemenite Jewry which are not mentioned by R. Moses *Isserles and the commentaries of the Shul?an Arukh. He retained all the notes of R. Moses Isserles that are in agreement with the Shul?an Arukh and omitted everything that was in contradiction to it, including customs. Mizra?i adopted the same style in his work Rashei Besamim (1895) on the Yoreh De'ah. His third work is Revid ha-Zahav (1955), responsa and novellas on the Shul?an Arukh and R. Moses Isserles (some of which were written by his son Yi?ya). This work is the first of its kind in the responsa literature of Yemenite Jewry.

[Yehuda Ratzaby]

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