The Radbaz

Rabbi David ibn Zimra (1479–1573), known as the Radbaz from the acronym of his name, was one of the most prominent Sephardic halakhic authorities of the sixteenth century. Born in Granada and later active in Safed and Egypt, he served as chief rabbi of Cairo and was deeply engaged in the revival of Jewish life in Ottoman lands following the Spanish Expulsion of 1492. A prolific author of responsa (she'elot u-teshuvot), he addressed hundreds of halakhic questions from communities across the Mediterranean and Near East, earning respect for his erudition and practical wisdom. His collected responsa remain an authoritative source for Sephardic Jewish law and custom, and he was also known for his involvement in the attempt to revive rabbinic ordination (semicha) in Eretz Israel.