Joseph ben Solomon Ṭaiṭazaḳ (), also referred to by the acronym ''MahaRITaTS'', was a

talmudic The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law ('' halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the ce ...

authority and

kabalist Kabbalah ( he, קַבָּלָה ''Qabbālā'', literally "reception, tradition") is an esoteric method, discipline and school of thought in Jewish mysticism. A traditional Kabbalist is called a Mekubbal ( ''Məqūbbāl'' "receiver"). The defin ...

who lived at

Salonica Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area, and the capital of the geographic region of ...

in the 15th and 16th centuries. He was a member of the Taitazak family. With his father and brother Judah ben Solomon Taitazak, he moved in 1492 from Spain, his native land, to

, where he became a

rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

Life

He was regarded as one of the most mysterious Kabbalists of the 16th century and one of the leading rabbinical figures in Jerusalem and Damascus. He discussed magic squares, which allude to the highest and most concealed concepts and their use within amulets. Many references can be found in writings of contemporary and leading Kabbalists, such as Rabbi Joseph Tirshom's manuscript (ca. 1550 CE) "Shoshan Yesod Olam" (The Rose, Foundation of the Universe), Rabbi Eljah Baal Shem's ''Toledot Adam'' (Generation of Adam) and Rabbi

Isaiah Horowitz Isaiah or Yeshayahu ben Avraham Ha-Levi Horowitz ( he, ישעיה בן אברהם הלוי הורוויץ), (c. 1555 – March 24, 1630), also known as the ''Shelah HaKaddosh'' ( "the holy ''Shelah''") after the title of his best-known work, was ...

's (1560-1630 CE) ''Sh'nei Luchot HaB'rit'' (Two Tablets of the Covenant) discuss the magic square in relation to the mysteries of creation. He was a fervent adherent of the

Kabbalah Kabbalah ( he, קַבָּלָה ''Qabbālā'', literally "reception, tradition") is an esoteric method, discipline and school of thought in Jewish mysticism. A traditional Kabbalist is called a Mekubbal ( ''Məqūbbāl'' "receiver"). The defin ...

, in which he was well versed, and led an ascetic life. Eliyahu de Vidas related that with the exception of Sabbath nights, Joseph for forty years never slept in a bed, but on a box, with his feet on the ground. With such a disposition to asceticism and mysticism, it was but natural that Joseph should become enthralled by the messianic vagaries of Solomon Molcho, whom he supported while preaching at Salonica in 1529. Rabbi

Aryeh Kaplan Aryeh Moshe Eliyahu Kaplan ( he, אריה משה אליהו קפלן; October 23, 1934 – January 28, 1983) was an American Orthodox rabbi, author, and translator, best known for his Living Torah edition of the Torah. He became well known as ...

writes, "Rabbi Joseph Taitazak was apparently influenced by Abulafia's school of Kabbalah, and many ideas that he discusses seem to be taken verbatim from Abulafia's writings." He was also considered one of the greatest Talmudists of his time, with even

Joseph Caro Joseph ben Ephraim Karo, also spelled Yosef Caro, or Qaro ( he, יוסף קארו; 1488 – March 24, 1575, 13 Nisan 5335 A.M.), was the author of the last great codification of Jewish law, the '' Beit Yosef'', and its popular analogue, the ''Shu ...

invoking his authority.''Abḳat Rokel,'' §56 Among Joseph's disciples were Isaac Adarbi, Samuel di Medina, and Shlomo Halevi Alkabetz.

Works

He was the author of the following works: *''Ben Porat,'' a commentary on Ecclesiastes (Venice, 1599) *''Leḥem Setarim,'' on the

Book of Daniel The Book of Daniel is a 2nd-century BC biblical apocalypse with a 6th century BC setting. Ostensibly "an account of the activities and visions of Daniel, a noble Jew exiled at Babylon", it combines a prophecy of history with an eschatology ...

and the

Five Scrolls The Five Scrolls or The Five Megillot ( he, חמש מגילות , ''Hamesh Megillot'' or ''Chomeish Megillos'') are parts of the Ketuvim ("Writings"), the third major section of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible). The Five Scrolls are the Song of Songs, ...

(ib. 1608), and on

Psalms The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived ...

, Job, and

Proverbs A proverb (from la, proverbium) is a simple and insightful, traditional saying that expresses a perceived truth based on common sense or experience. Proverbs are often metaphorical and use formulaic language. A proverbial phrase or a proverbia ...

(Neubauer, ''Cat. Bodl. Hebr. MSS.'' Nos. 206, 2; 329; 969; 2270, 8; 3521) *A commentary on the Sayings of the Fathers *'' Responsa,'' some of which have been included in the writings of his contemporaries and pupils *Notes on casuistical matters *Commentaries on haggadic passages *A treatise on the astrolabe (Neubauer, l.c. Nos. 834, 7, 10; 2080, 3; 2254, 8). *According to Isaac Adarbi (''Dibre Ribot,'' p. 64), Joseph was the author also of novellæ on Alfasi.

References

Its bibliography: * Gedaliah ibn Yaḥya, ''Shalshelet ha-Ḳabbalah'', ed. Amsterdam, p. 49a; *

David Conforte David Conforte (c. 1618 – c. 1685) () was a Hebrew literary historian born in Salonica, author of the literary chronicle known by the title ''Ḳore ha-Dorot.'' Biography Conforte came of a family of scholars. His early instructors were rabbis ...

, ''Ḳore ha-Dorot'', p. 35a; * Azulai, ''Shem ha-Gedolim'', i.40; *

Giovanni Bernardo De Rossi Giovanni Bernardo De Rossi (October 25, 1742 in Castelnuovo Nigra, Piedmont – March 23, 1831 in Parma) was an Italian Christian Hebraist. He studied in Ivrea and Turin. In October 1769, he was appointed professor of Oriental languages at the U ...

, ''Dizionario'', p. 314; *Geiger, ''Zeitschrift'', iii.285, No. 21; * Moritz Steinschneider, ''Cat. Bodl.'' col. 1533; *

Heinrich Graetz Heinrich Graetz (; 31 October 1817 – 7 September 1891) was amongst the first historians to write a comprehensive history of the Jewish people from a Jewish perspective. Born Tzvi Hirsch Graetz to a butcher family in Xions (now Książ Wielko ...

, ''Gesch.'' ix.35, 236, 299. {{DEFAULTSORT:Taitazak, Joseph 15th-century births 16th-century deaths 16th-century rabbis from the Ottoman Empire Rabbis from Thessaloniki Jews expelled from Spain in 1492 Kabbalists Greek people of Spanish descent Greek people of Basque descent