Born: 1479
Spain
Died: 1573
Safed
Religion: Judaism
Semicha: Joseph Saragossi

Around 1479, the Radbaz was born in Spain. When his family was expelled from Spain, along with all other Spanish Jews, he was thirteen years old. His parents made their home in Safed, Mamluk Sultanate, where he attended school under Joseph Saragossi's guidance.

He departed the Land of Israel at the age of 31 or 32 for unclear reasons, moving to Wattasinid Fez, where he joined the beth din, the rabbinical court headed over by the nagid Isaac Sholal.

The Radbaz relocated to Cairo in 1517 after the Turkish government abolished the position of nagid. He was given the title of Chief Rabbi of Egypt, or Hakham Bashi, which he held for forty years. For his enormous benevolence, moral rectitude, and depth of knowledge, he was held in the highest regard. The Radbaz was a successful trader with contacts abroad who was independently wealthy. He established and maintained a yeshiva that drew many notable students, including Isaac Luria and Bezalel Ashkenazi.

When he turned 90, the Radbaz gave up his position as chief rabbi and distributed the majority of his wealth to the needy, with a focus on Torah scholars. Later, he relocated to Jerusalem. Due of the onerous taxes the Ottoman Empire levied on Jews, he did not stay there for very long, though. He made Safed, the Safad Sanjak's capital, his home. There, he actively participated in the rabbinical court headed over by Joseph Karo, who held him in high regard. He continued to learn and write during the final 20 years of his life, which he spent in tranquility.

At the age of 94, The Radbaz passed away in Safed in 1573.

Born: 1474

Died: April 3, 1546

Castilian Spain's Maqueda, close to Toledo, is where Berab was born. Later, he was taught by Isaac Aboab. He fled to Fez following the expulsion of Jews from Spain. Even though he was only a young man of eighteen, the 5,000-family-strong Jewish community of Fez picked him to be their rabbi. He next traveled to Tlemçen, which was at the time the capital of the Barbary states. Even though he was only a young man of eighteen, the 5,000-family Jewish community there chose him to be their rabbi. The following remarks from Abraham Gavison provide evidence of the high regard in which he was held there: "Do not claim that Israel's candle of the Law is extinguished. Jacob Berab has returned to live with us once more!"

The length of Berab's stay in Algeria is unknown, however he was previously in Jerusalem prior to 1522. However, the social and economic conditions there were so deplorable that he did not stay long and instead traveled to Egypt with his students. Berab moved to Safed, which at the time had the largest Jewish community in Ottoman Syria, a few years after becoming a rabbi in Cairo in 1533. A few years after that, he appears to have firmly established there. There, Berab had the audacious thought that would later make him famous: the creation of a central Jewish spiritual power.

Born: 1480

Died: 1545

From 1525 until his passing in 1545, Levi ibn Habib (c. 1480–c. 1545), commonly known by the initials HaRaLBaCh, served as Jerusalem's Chief Rabbi.

When he was approximately seventeen, under King Manuel of Portugal, he was forced to submit to baptism, but at the first chance, he fled to Salonica, where he could safely follow the dictates of his conscience. He left for Jerusalem in 1523 but soon came back to Salonica. He made Jerusalem his permanent home in 1525, and thanks to his education, he was appointed chief rabbi. There he met Jacob Berab, who he frequently disagreed with about issues of rabbinical law.

When Berab took over as Safed's head rabbi and reinstated the traditional process of ordaining rabbis, a heated argument erupted between these two rabbis. For a while, they engaged in a sour and heated argument during which Berab brought up Ibn Habib's conversion to Christianity. The latter openly acknowledged the truth, but he emphasized that he was still a young man at the time, that his forced conversion to Christianity had lasted for only a short period, and that he had seized the first chance to leave and return to his fathers' religion. The habit of ordaining people again soon after Berab's passing was primarily because to this disagreement.

Title: הַמְחַבֵּר‎ HaMechaber
מָרַן Maran
Born: Joseph ben Ephraim Karo, 1488, Toledo, Kingdom of Toledo, Crown of Castile
Died: March 24, 1575
Safed, Damascus Eyalet, Ottoman Empire
Religion: Judaism
Buried: Safed, Israel

The final significant code of Jewish law, the Beit Yosef, and its widely used equivalent, the Shulchan Arukh, were written by Joseph ben Ephraim Karo, often known as Yosef Caro or Qaro (Hebrew: ; 1488 - March 24, 1575, 13 Nisan 5335 A.M.). To this reason, he is frequently referred to as Maran (Aramaic:, "Our Master") and HaMechaber (Hebrew:, "The Author").

In 1488, Joseph Karo was born in Toledo. He fled Spain with his family when he was four years old as a result of the Alhambra Decree, and they eventually settled in the Kingdom of Portugal. Following the Jews' expulsion from Portugal in 1497, the Ottomans extended an invitation to them to live in their realm. After a brief stay in Morocco, Karo moved with his parents to Nikopolis, which was then an Ottoman-ruled city. His father, an accomplished Talmudist himself, gave him his first lessons in Nikopol. He initially wed the daughter of Isaac Saba, then, after she passed away, the daughter of Hayyim Albalag, both of whom were renowned Talmudists.

In Adrianople, Karo settled between 1520 and 1522. After spending time in Salonica (1533) and Istanbul while traveling there, he eventually made his home in the city of Safed, Ottoman Galilee, where he landed about 1535. Joseph Karo finished composing the first order of the Shulhan Arukh, Orach Chaim, in 1555 while living in the village of Biriyya close to Safed.

Born: 1525
Died: 1610

In Cairo, Egypt, Yaakov de Castro (1525–1610), also known as Yaakov Costaro (Hebrew: ), was a rabbinic scholar, judge, and representative of Jewish law. He was an Egyptian Jew descended from Jews who fled Portugal during the Portuguese Inquisition and eventually settled there. He was a pupil of the revered Radbaz (Rabbi David ben Solomon ibn Abi Zimra), who is regarded as the last Chief Rabbi of Egypt to have authority over the entire Jewish population in Egypt, primarily Musta'arabi Jews, after the nagid's position was abolished and whose halachic decisions were followed all over the country. He was Abraham de Castro's nephew, not his son, who served as the Ottoman Sultan of Cairo's mint master.

In his early years, he received instruction from Rabbi Levi ibn Habib in Jerusalem. Later, in Egypt, Rabbi Yaakov de Castro presided as a judge in Cairo's Old Egypt rabbinic court. He traveled to Safed, Israel, in 1570, where he was a distinguished guest at the home of Rabbi Joseph Karo, who held him in high regard. In his account of the visit, he claims to have observed Rabbi Joseph Karo practicing in accordance with the initial viewpoint he advances in one of the subjects covered in his fundamental book, the Shulhan Arukh.

Ohalei Yaakov, a collection of Questions & Answers, and Erekh Leem, a commentary on the Shulhan Arukh are just two of his published works. Along with other manuscripts that were either unpublished or no longer exist, he also wrote a commentary on the Tractate Betzah (Yom ov), which was published posthumously under the name Toldot Yaakov (Jerusalem 1865), a book titled "Hilkot Nazirut," and several other works on Talmudic topics that were published by Jacob Hagis in his "Halakot Ketanot" in Venice, 1704. Jewish communities in far-off locations, including Yemen and Thessaloniki, sent the Rabbi some inquiries. A key source for information about the Jewish community in Egypt during those times is Rabbi Castro's Responsa.

Born: 1520
Died: 1592

Rabbi and talmudist Bezalel ben Abraham Ashkenazi (Hebrew: ) resided in 16th-century Ottoman Israel and is known for his work on the Talmud. He lived from roughly 1520 until 1592. He is primarily known for writing the Talmud commentary Shitah Mekubetzet. He writes with great clarity and occasionally suggests changes to the Talmud's language. Rabbi Isaac Luria, a well-known Kabbalist, was his most significant pupil.

One of the most prominent Oriental Talmudists and rabbis of his time was Ashkenazi. He most likely was born in Palestine. [Reference needed] His life was spent primarily in Egypt, where he studied Talmud under David ben Solomon ibn Abi Zimra and Israel de Curial. He was descended from a family of German academics. Ashkenazi was one of the most respected figures in the Orient at the period of his masters, and he counted men like Isaac Luria and Solomon Adeni among his students.

Ashkenazi's standing in Egypt was so high that he was able to abolish the nagid's dignity, which had been upheld for ages but had over time turned into an arbitrary aristocratic privilege. When a disagreement arose in Jerusalem in 1587 over whether or not scholars who were not involved in business should contribute to the taxes paid by the Jewish community to the pasha and to what extent, Ashkenazi and several other rabbis took the position that Jewish scholars, who were typically driven to immigrate to Palestine out of pure love and were barely able to support themselves, should be exempt from all taxes.

The same year, Ashkenazi himself left for Palestine and established in Jerusalem, where both the Sephardim and the Ashkenazim acknowledged him as their leader. In spite of the dire circumstances in Jerusalem at the time, Ashkenazi's influence was largely responsible for keeping the city's congregations intact. Even though the majority of German Jews were intellectuals and did not generally acknowledge the Sephardim's authority, they nonetheless submitted to Ashkenazi rule.

In order for the Sephardim, who were on the edge of going hungry, to continue living in Jerusalem under the ruthless exploitation of the Turkish pashas, they had to pay one-sixth of the money that was received from Europe for their support to the Jews' tax (see Halukka). This peaceful agreement between the Ashkenazim and the Sephardim was only possible because of Ashkenazi's personal influence, as the Ashkenazim soon broke their word after his passing.

Born: 1522
Died: 1570

Moses ben Jacob Cordovero (Hebrew: Moshe Kordovero; 1522-1570) was the head of a mystical school in 16th-century Safed, Ottoman Syria, and a key figure in the historical development of the Kabbalah. He is referred to as the Ramak, which is Hebrew.

Following the development of Kabbalah in the Middle Ages, which was centered on the Zohar, attempts were made to provide its theology a comprehensive logical framework, such as those made by Meir ibn Gabbai. Moshe Cordovero created the first complete synthesis of the past several schools of Kabbalistic interpretation, influenced by the earlier accomplishment of Jewish philosophy in articulating a logical examination of Jewish ideas. Cordoverian Kabbalah used the conceptual framework of evolving cause and effect from the Infinite to the Finite in systematizing Kabbalah, the approach to philosophical style discourse he held most effective in describing a process that reflects sequential logic and coherence. Cordoverian Kabbalah was a mystic who was inspired by the opaque imagery of the Zohar. His encyclopedic writings played a crucial role in the evolution of the Kabbalah.

Immediately after him at Safed, Isaac Luria developed a successor system of kabbalistic theology, recasting earlier kabbalistic ideas in light of new supra-rational teachings. Although Lurianism replaced the Cordoverian system and eventually took over Judaism, Cordoverian writings were nevertheless studied by Lurianism's adherents in accordance with their beliefs. Whereas Cordovero portrayed the pre-Rectification World, Lurianism described the "World" of Rectification to them. After being driven out of Spain, medieval rationalism's social influence on Judaism had decreased, but both expressions of Safed's mystical Renaissance in the 16th century provided Kabbalah a position of intellectual significance to rival it.

Born: 1543, Ẕefat, Israel
Died: May 6, 1620, Damascus [now in Syria]

Rabbi Hayyim ben Joseph Vital, who was born on October 23, 1542 (by the Julian calendar), and died on April 23, 1620, in Damascus, was Isaac Luria's most important follower. He captured a lot of his master's teachings on tape. His writings gained popularity after his passing and had a "strong impact on diverse circles throughout the Jewish world."

One of Judaism's greatest Kabbalists, around 1570, Vital joined Isaac ben Solomon Luria's school of Kabbalah in Safed, Palestine. After Luria passed away in 1572, Vital claimed to be the only interpreter of the Lurian school. He rose to prominence as the head of Palestinian Jewish Kabbalism and held positions as rabbi and head of a yeshiva in Jerusalem (1577–85). His most important work was the "Tree of Life," or Etz Ayyim, a thorough explanation of Lurian Kabbala that also appeared in modified editions by rivals that he rejected. Under the pen name Shive R. Ayyim Vital, his son Samuel published stories of Vital's dreams and visions after his death.

Born: 1508
Died: 1593
Safed, Ottoman Empire
Religion: Judaism

The Alshich Hakadosh (the Holy), also known as Moshe Alshich, was a well-known rabbi, preacher, and biblical commentator in the latter years of the sixteenth century. His Hebrew name is, also spelled Alshech. He lived from 1508 to 1593.

The Alshich, the son of Hayyim Alshich, was born in the Ottoman Empire in 1508. Later, he relocated to Safed, where he enrolled as Rabbi Joseph Caro's student. Rabbi Yom Tov Tzahalon and Rabbi Hayim Vital were among his pupils. 1593 saw his passing in Safed.

Throughout Jewish history, only a select few rabbis were given the title "Hakadosh." The Shelah HaKadosh, the Ari HaKadosh, and the Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh, each of whom had a unique personality in their own period, were present alongside the Alshich. There have been many hypotheses as to why the Alshich were given the "Hakadosh" moniker.

Due in great part to their potent appeal as realistic exhortations to ethical behavior, his homiletical commentaries on the Torah and the Prophets are very well known and are still studied today.

Born: unknown
Died: March 21, 1697

Amsterdam's Rabbi Abraham Cohen Pimentel passed away on March 21, 1697. He was a Saul Levi Morteira disciple and held the position of hakham for the Hamburg synagogue. He also first signed a letter of approval for Sabbatai Zevi. In 1668, he wrote the Minchat Kohen, which was published.

Born: 1610
Died: 1683

As a rabbi in the 17th century, Solomon Nissim Algazi served in Jerusalem and Smyrna. He died somewhere before 1683. He wrote frequently on all rabbinical literary issues, but his handling of Talmudic hermeneutics and methodology set him apart.

Despite not being scientific in the modern sense, his attempts to explain Talmudic aggadot show that he was nevertheless a better Talmudist than the majority of his contemporaries. His Talmudic approach, Yabin Shemu'ah (He Will Elucidate the Message), written as a commentary to Yeshu'ah Ha-Halikot Levi's 'Olam, is his finest work (Venice, 1639; Leghorn, 1792). Halikot Eli (The Ways of My God; Smyrna, 1663) and Gufe Halakot are two further works he produced on Talmudic technique (Principles of Halakah; Smyrna, 1675). Algazi was the author of:

• Ahabat 'Olam (Everlasting Love), a series of homilies (Constantinople, 1642; Dyhernfurth, 1693)
• Hamon Rabbah (The Great Multitude), an index of the Biblical passages quoted in Midrash Rabbah (Constantinople, 1644)
• Zehab Sebah (The Gold of the Hoary Head), on Talmudic Haggadot, (Constantinople, 1683)
• Leḥem Setarim (Secret Bread), Talmudic novellæ (Venice, 1664)
• Me'ullefet Sappirim (Overlaid with Sapphires), selections from the Zohar (Smyrna, 1665; Amsterdam, 1703)
• Raẓuf Ahabah (Inlaid with Love), or Apirion Shelomoh (Solomon's Palanquin), notes on the Tosafot to the haggadic passages in the Talmud (Smyrna, 1659; Amsterdam, 1710)
• Ta'awah la-'Enayim (A Delight to the Eyes), notes on the Talmudic Haggadot (Salonica, 1655; Sulzbach, 1687)

Born: unknown
Died: August 9, 1732

He was Moses ibn Habib's grandson and a student; his family was banished to Spain. He revised numerous significant works. The publication of his grandfather's writings was the first result of his literary endeavors. He moved to Constantinople from Safed, where he appeared to be living, in order to accomplish this. While working on his grandfather's projects, he established (1714) close ties with Judah Rosanes, the chief rabbi of Constantinople (also known as Mishneh LaMelech, the title of his most significant work), who was at the time recognized as the highest authority in the Orient. Rosanes gave him the position of Culi Dayan, which coupled with his employment as a teacher guaranteed him a comfortable living. The work Shammot ba-Aretz of Culi's grandpa was published in 1727, as a collection of remarks on several Talmudic passages.

His commentary on the Torah, named Me'am Loez, which was written in Salonika, is his most significant contribution. The Jews of the East highly value this work, which is a very extensive encyclopedic commentary in Ladino that covers every aspect of Jewish life. Its content was drawn from early rabbinic literature, the Midrash, and the Talmud. However, before he passed away, Rabbi Culi was only able to complete his works on Genesis and the first two-thirds of Exodus. Due to the Me'am Loez's enormous popularity, the remaining volumes were finished by other well-known rabbis in Turkey who took over the project.

Simanim le-Oraita, another halakic composition by Culi, is still only available in manuscript form.

Born: Ḥayyim ben Jacob Pallache
January 28, 1788
Smyrna (İzmir)
Died: February 10, 1868 (aged 80) (Hebrew calendar 17 Shvat 5628)
Smyrna (İzmir)
Burial place: Bahri Baba Jewish cemetery, Izmir; relocated to Gürçeşme cemetery, 86-116 Gürçeşme Caddesi, Izmir
Other names alternative spellings: Haim Palacci, Ḥayyim Pallache, Hayim Palacci, Hayyim Palaggi, Chaim Palagi; also Palache, Falaji
Years active: 1813–1868 (death)
Era: Tanzimat period
Notable work:
Tokhahot Hayyim (Reproofs of Life)
Spouse(s): Esther Palacci
Children: Abraham, Yitzak/Isaac (Rahamim Nissim), Joseph
Parent(s): Jacob Pallache, Kali Kaden Hazen
Family: Pallache family
Awards: Mecidiye Order Third Class

Haim Palachi (Acronym: MaHaRHaF or HaVIF) was the chief rabbi of Smyrna (Zmir), a Jewish-Turkish city, and a writer in Hebrew and Ladino. He lived from January 28, 1788, until February 10, 1868. His titles included Gaon and Hakham Bashi. He is most likely a descendent of Samuel Pallache or his brother Joseph Pallache, a trader, diplomat, and pirate from early 17th-century Fez. Rabbi Joseph Palacci and grandrabbis Abraham and Isaac Palacci (Rahamim Nissim Palacci) were also raised by him. He belonged to the Pallache clan.

The Jewish calendar dates his death to Shevat 17, 5628.

Born: 1724
Jerusalem, Ottoman Empire
Died: 1 March 1806 (aged 81–82) Livorno, Etruria
Religion: Judaism
Children: Raphael Isaiah Azulai, Abraham Azulai

A pioneer in the dissemination of Jewish religious works, Haim Yosef David Azulai ben

Yitzhak Zerachia (1724–1 March 1806), often known as the Hida (the abbreviation of his name, חיד"א), was a Jerusalem-born Torah scholar.

According to others, his last name, Azulai, is an acronym for the biblical prohibition on who a Kohen may marry in Leviticus 21:7, which is based on his status as a Kohen.

Azulai was raised by some eminent local scholars in Jerusalem, where he was born. He was the great-great-grandson of Moroccan Rabbi Abraham Azulai and sprang from a distinguished rabbinic dynasty. He inherited the Yosef portion of his name from his mother's father, German scholar Rabbi Yosef Bialer.

He was chosen in 1755, on the basis of his scholarship, to represent the little Jewish community in the Land of Israel as an emissary (shaliach). He traveled widely around Europe, leaving an influence on every Jewish community he went to. 

He wed Rachel, his second wife, on October 28th, 1778 in Pisa; his first wife, Rachel, had passed away in 1773. He records this incident in his diary and adds the hope that he could be allowed to go back to the Land of Israel. This desire doesn't appear to have come true. In any case, he stayed in Leghorn (Livorno), working on the publication of his works, and passed on there in 1806—28 years later (Friday night, 11 Adar 5566, Shabbat Zachor). He had two sons, Abraham and Raphael Isaiah Azulai, from two previous marriages.

Born: March 29, 1719
Venice, Republic of Venice
Died: 1792; Jerusalem, Ottoman Empire
Religion: Judaism
Children: Isaac Pardo
Parents: Jacob Pardo (father)

A rabbi and liturgical poet from Italy, David Pardo spent some time in Jerusalem and Sarajevo in the 18th century. Among his other works are Maskil le-David (Venice, 1760), a super-commentary on Rashi on the Torah, and a commentary on the Sifra on Leviticus.

On March 29, 1719, Pardo was born in Venice, and he passed away in Jerusalem in 1792. He was the progeny of the Rabbi of Venice, Jacob Pardo of Ragusa. Pardo departed for Ragusa from Venice after completing his studies. The following few years were spent in Sarajevo, where he dedicated his time to teaching. He traveled to Spalato, Dalmatia, from Sarajevo, where he was hired as a teacher at the yeshivah by Rabbi Abraham David Papo. Pardo was chosen as the city's top rabbi following the passing of Isaac Tzedakah, Papo's successor. Shabbethai Ventura, David Pinto, and Abraham Curiel were some of his followers. Shoshannim le-David, a commentary on the Mishnah, was Pardo's first publication when he started publishing in 1752 in Venice.

Born: 1579
Died: February 5th or 6th 1647

Azaria Piccio, also known by his Hebrew name Azarya ben Efrayim Figo, was a Venetian Talmudist, sofer, and darshan who served the Jewish communities of Venice and Pisa. He lived from 1579 to February 5 or 6, 1647.

Iggerot uteshuvot ("Letters and Responsa") by Piccio was included in Issacar Eilenburg's Be'er sheva (Venice, 1614). He wrote Giddulei Terumah (1643), a commentary on Shmu'el haSardi's Sefer Haterumot, while serving as a rabbi in Pisa. Binah Le'ittim (1647–1688), a collection of 75 sermons he delivered on holidays and the Sabbath in Venice, is still widely read today, especially among Mizra'i Jews.

Lazzaro and Efrem, the father's two sons, co-authored a commentary on Toldot Adam veHavva by Yeruam ben Meshullam. In the Italian plague of 1629–1631, both of Piccio's sons perished.

Piccio passed away there and was buried there on February 5 or 6, 1647. His reputation as "one of the last brilliant talmudists created by Italian Jewry" is well-deserved.

Born: Yaakov Rakkaḥ
1800
Tripoli
Died: 3 March 1891 (aged 90–91)
Tripoli
Religion: Judaism
Nationality: Libya
Parents: Rabbi Shlomo Rakkaḥ
Position: Rosh yeshiva

Jacob Rakka, also spelled Raccah (יעקב רקח), was a Sephardi Hakham in the 19th-century Jewish community of Tripoli, Libya (Hebrew: Yaakov Rakka) and lived from 1800 to 3 March 1891. He was a revered rosh yeshiva, a well-known posek (judge of Jewish law) for Sephardi Jews, and the author of about 40 sefarim, some of which were printed during his lifetime.

He was revered as a remarkable posek and Torah scholar (arbiter of Jewish law). His breadth of knowledge was exceptional, and his halakhic judgments sometimes drew upon the work of tens or even more poskim who came before him. The Siddur Od Avinu Hai (Hebrew: עוד יוסף חי), published by Machon Hai Hai, is based on his amendments to the nusach and rules of prayer for Sephardi Jews. His halakhic opinions are still used today.

Born: 1690
Died: July 24, 1768

Masud Hai Rakka, often spelled Raccah, was a Sephardi Hakham and shadar (rabbinical envoy) who served as the head of the Jewish community in Tripoli, Libya, in the 18th century. He was born in 1690 and died on July 24, 1768. He is credited with establishing the groundwork for the community's transformation into one of "sages, scribes, and kabbalists" and was one of Libya's foremost rabbis. He is the author of the four-volume Maaseh Rokea (Hebrew: ), a commentary on Maimonides' Mishneh Torah.

Mas'ud Hai Rakka, the son of Aharon Rakka, was born in Smyrna, Turkey. He married Isaac Rakkah's daughter, suggesting that he was maybe a Rakka family of Venice ancestor, according to the Encyclopaedia Judaica. He was taught by Rabbis Yitzhak Hacohen Rappaport and Hayyim Abulafia in his early years, becoming a notable Talmid Chacham. Together with Rabbi Rappaport, his mentor, he moved to Jerusalem.

Shadarim (rabbinical ambassadors) were sent by the Jerusalem community throughout the Jewish diaspora to raise money during hard financial times. To visit Jewish settlements in North Africa, Rakka was chosen. He left for Tunisia, Morocco, and Libya, and after reaching Tripoli, wrote to the people of Venice and Livorno before paying them both visits.

Rakka served the Libyan Jewish community for 20 years before passing away at the age of 78 on July 24, 1768 (10 Av 5528). His grave is in Tripoli.