Abraham ben Mordechai ha-Levi

Abraham ben Mordechai ha-Levi, who was born in Cairo or Rosetta, succeeded his father (Mordechai ben Judah ha-Levi) as chief rabbi and head of the rabbinic court of Egypt when the latter left for Jerusalem. Despite a youthful crisis, perhaps involving attraction to the Sabbatean movement, Abraham became a highly respected rabbinic authority, and his opinions were cited by generations of scholars. Only one of Abraham’s works was published during his lifetime: Milḥemet mitzvah (Holy War), a treatise on how to determine the exact time of a baby’s birth, which was included in the collection of his father’s responsa printed in 1697. Abraham’s own responsa, Ginat veradim (Rose Garden) were compiled by his son-in-law and printed six years after Abraham’s death. This work, which contains 542 responsa on a vast range of topics, was among the largest corpora of responsa printed to that date. Abraham corresponded extensively with his contemporaries, and his rulings often reflect his consultations with them. Two other works, a brief summary of rulings and a treatise on the granting of divorces, have survived.