Samuel de Medina

Rabbi Samuel ben Moses de Medina (abbreviated RaShDaM, Hebrew: רשד"ם‎ or Maharashdam; 1505 – October 12, 1589), was a Talmudist and author from Thessaloniki. He was principal of the Talmudic college of that city, which produced a great number of prominent scholars during the 16th and 17th centuries. His teachers were the noted Talmudists Joseph Taitazak and Levi Ibn Chaviv, and among his schoolmates were Isaac Adarbi, , and Moses Almosnino. While on a mission to Constantinople he met the noted grammarian Menahem Lonzano, who studied under him for some time and who therefore speaks of him as his teacher (David Conforte, Kore ha-Dorot, ed. Cassel, p. 44a).

Among Samuel's many disciples who attained prominence were Abraham de Boton, Joseph ibn Ezra and Ḥayyim Shabbethai. He had a controversy with Joseph Karo and other rabbis at Safed, against whom he wrote a polemical letter (Ketav Tochachah).^[1] He died at Salonica. A grandson of his was , author of Bene Shemuel, novellae and responsa (Salonica, c. 1613).

Writings[]

Samuel's works include:

• Ben Shemuel, Mantua, 1622, thirty sermons on various subjects, published with a preface by his grandson Shemaiah
• Hiddushim (unpublished), novellae on some Talmudic tractates^[2]
• a collection of 956 responsa in four parts, of which the first two were published during the lifetime of the author (1578-87?) under the title Piske RaShDaM^[3]

A complete edition of the last-named work was undertaken later by the author's son Moses, who added a preface^[4]

References[]

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Singer, Isidore; et al., eds. (1901–1906). "Medina". The Jewish Encyclopedia. New York: Funk & Wagnalls. Its bibliography:
• Moritz Steinschneider, Cat. Bodl. No. 8909;
• Joseph Zedner, Cat. Hebr. Books Brit. Mus. s.v.

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