Nissim, Ben-jacob Ben-nissim

Nissim, Ben-Jacob Ben-Nissim (Kalal Chamad)a rabbi of note for his Talmudical knowledge, was born about 960. He was a pupil of Haja Gaon at Sora, and afterwards became himself the teacher of the noted Alfasi. Nissim succeeded his father in the rabbinate of Kairwan, where he died in 1040. He wrote ס הִמִּפתֵּחִ שֶׁל מִנעוּלֵי הִתִּלמוּד, a key to difficult points in the Talmud. It was probably originally written in Arabic, since in its Hebrew translation a good many Arabic words are retained. It was lately published from a very ancient MS. by J. Goldenthai, with short scholia, entitled בַּאֵר יִעֲקֹב (Vienna, 1847): — ס וַדּוּי הִגָּדוֹל, a long penitential prayer, which is yet to be found in the ritual of Spanish Jews; it was translated into Italian by D. Ascarelli (Venice, 1610), and into Spanish by D. L. de Barrios, under the title Dias Senitenciales (1686): — סֵ מִעֲשַׁיּוֹת, a collection of stories (Ferrara, 1557, and often since). Some other works of his are still in MS. See First, Bibl. Jud. 3:35 sq.; De Rossi, Dizionario storico degli autori 'Ebrei (German transl. by Hamberger), s.v.; Wolf, Bibl. Hebr. 3:801, No. 1613 b; Schorr, in Geiger's Wiss-nscha(fil. Zeitschrift, v. 431-45 (Griinberg, 1844); Frankel's Zeitschrift, 1867, p. 309; Rapaport, Biog.qraphy of Nissim benJacob, and history of his works in Bikkure ha-Ittim, 1831; Landau, Zeit des R. Jakob ben-Nissim u. s. Sohnes des Rabbenu Nissim in the L. B. d. Or. 1846, c. 3, 4. (B. P.)