EZRA BEN NISAN

EZRA BEN NISAN (1595–1666), *Karaite scholar and physician, leader of the community of Troki, Lithuania. In 1634 he fulfilled the duties of dayyan, and in 1640–43 held the position of shofet (judge). Ezra came in contact with the famous Jewish scholar and kabbalist Joseph Solomon *Delmedigo of Candia, who spent five years in Lithuania as a physician of Prince Krzysztof Radziwiłł. It may be that Delmedigo imparted his knowledge of medicine to him, but he probably taught him Rashi's commentary to the Pentateuch with Elijah *Mizraḥi's and *Ibn Ezra's commentaries. Ezra had a large library, which supposedly was burnt in the course of the Russian invasion in 1655. According to A. *Firkovich, Delmedigo taught him medicine, introduced him to the prince, and even to King Jan Casimir (1648–68), and Ezra occupied Delmedigo's position after he left. Accordingly, Ezra cured a daughter of the king, who granted him lands in Troki that were seized after his demise by local Dominicans, because Ezra had only two daughters who never married. There is no evidence from other sources confirming this information. Ezra also became a hero of Karaite folklore. Ezra composed some liturgical poems, some of them included in the Karaite Siddur (iv, Vilna 1890).

bibliography:

G. Akhiezer and I. Dvorkin, in: Pe'amim, 98–99 (2004), 243–34; A. Firkovich, Avnei Zikkaron (1872), 251–53; M. Kizilov, Leipziger Beiträge zur jüdische Geschichte und Kultur i (2003), 83–103; Mann, Texts, 2 (1935), 1545, index.

[Golda Akhiezer (2^nd ed.)]