Samuel ben Isaac de Uçeda


Rabbi Samuel ben Isaac de Uçeda or Shmuel de Uzeda was a Jewish commentator and preacher. Born in Safed, his name, Uçeda, originally was derived from the town Uceda in the archbishopric of Toledo. He was a pupil of Isaac Luria and Hayyim Vital, with whom he studied kabbalah and a friend of Rabbi Moshe Cordoviro. He became rabbi and preacher in Safed and, later, in Constantinople.

Works

Samuel was the author of the following works: Iggeret Shemu'el, a commentary and supercommentary on the Book of Ruth ; Leḥem Dim'ah, a commentary on Lamentations, with the text and the commentary of Rashi ; Midrash Shemu'el, a detailed commentary on Pirkei Avot,. This work was his chief one, and included references to the commentaries of Jonah Gerondi, Meïr Abulafia, Samuel ben Meïr, Menahem Me'iri, Samuel ibn Sid, Joseph ibn Nahmias, Baruch ibn Melek, Joseph ibn Susan, Moses Almosnino, and others, most of which have since been printed.Midrash Shmuel on the Torah, a commentary on the Torah. This was compiled from manuscripts written by Rabbi Samuel.