UÇEDA, SAMUEL BEN ISRAEL DE:

By: Wilhelm Bacher, Meyer Kayserling

Palestinian commentator and preacher; born at Safed in the first quarter of the sixteenth century. His name, Uçeda, originally was derived from the town of that name in the archbishopric of Toledo. He was a pupil of Isaac Luria and Ḥayyim Vital, with whom he studied Cabala, and became rabbi and preacher in Safed and, later, in Constantinople. Samuel was the author of the following works: "Iggeret Shemu'el," commentary and supercommentary on the Book of Ruth (published in 1557; together with the text and the commentary of Rashi, Kuru Chesme, 1597; Amsterdam, 1712; Zolkiev, 1800); "Leḥem Dim'ah," commentary on Lamentations, with the text and the commentary of Rashi (Venice, 1600; Amsterdam, 1710, 1715); "Midrash Shemu'el " (Venice, 1579, 1585, 1597; Cracow, 1594; Frankfort-on-the-Main, 1713). The last-named work was his chief one, and consisted of a detailed commentary on the Pirḳe Abot, with reference to the commentaries (at that time in manuscript) of Jonah Gerondi, Meïr Abulafia, Samuel ben Meïr, Menahem Me'iri, Samuel ibn Sid, Joseph ibn Naḥmias, Baruch ibn Melek, Joseph ibn Susan, Moses Almosnino, and others, most of which have since been printed.

W. B. M. K.