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Mizraḥi, David ben Shalom

MIZRAḤI, DAVID BEN SHALOM (c. 1696–1771), one of the most prominent halakhah scholars in *Yemen. Mizraḥi propagated Torah studies and headed the synagogue of the nagid Sar Shalom Irāqi (al-Usta). When the need was felt for a commentary on the Shulḥan Arukh adapted to the requirements of Yemenite Jewry and its customs, David Mizraḥi undertook this task in his work Shetilei Zeitim (1886–91), on Oraḥ Ḥayyim (1886–91; 1895). He explains the Shulḥan Arukh with brevity and clarity, quoting the customs of Yemenite Jewry which are not mentioned by R. Moses *Isserles and the commentaries of the Shulḥan Arukh. He retained all the notes of R. Moses Isserles that are in agreement with the Shulḥan Arukh and omitted everything that was in contradiction to it, including customs. Mizraḥi 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 Shulḥan Arukh and R. Moses Isserles (some of which were written by his son Yiḥya). This work is the first of its kind in the responsa literature of Yemenite Jewry.


Sources: Encyclopaedia Judaica. © 2007 The Gale Group. All Rights Reserved.