Rabbi David ben Shlomo ibn Zimra, know as “the Radbaz” after the initials of his name, was born in Spain in about 1479. He was thirteen years old when the Jews were expelled from Spain and his family settled in Safed. (These details are contested by Aryeh Leib Frumkin, later to found the Frumkin wine business in London, in his book Eben Shmuel – page 48. I will write about this book at a later date.)
At the age of 31 or 32 he emigrated to Fez, in Morocco, and in 1517 he moved to Cairo, where he was appointed Chief Rabbi of Egypt, a post which he held for over 40 years. He was highly revered for his vast knowledge, integrity of character, and extensive philanthropy. Independently wealthy, the Radbaz was a successful merchant with business connections in other countries.
In his old age, he resigned his post and moved to Jerusalem and then back to Safed, where he died in 1573.
The Radbaz left a considerable amount of written work, much published posthumously, including over 3,000 Responsa (Questions and answers on Jewish law). This was printed in five parts, with my volume, in my antique Hebrew books collection, the first edition of part five, published in 1818.
My book also includes, at the back, Shu’t min Hashomayim – questions and answers from Heaven. This was written in the late 12th or 13th centuries by Jacob of Marvege, which is in south central France. He would seek answers from heaven about Jewish law, and about what decision was to be accepted practice where the authorities differed “by means of seclusion, prayer, and uttering divine names and his questions were replied to in a dream”. In one responsum he writes: “O Supreme King, great, mighty, and revered God… command the holy angels charged with replying to questions in a dream to give a true and correct reply to the question I ask before Thy throne of Glory”. The replies received were cited as halachic (Jewish law) rulings by the great rabbis who came after him. My book includes the first published edition of his work.
Jewish Miscellanies 