Asulai

Asulai a name common to several Jewish writers, viz.:

1. ABRAHAM, who died in 1644, had devoted his life to the study of the Cabala, and published זהרי חמה, a commentary on the Zohar to Genesis (Venice, 1655): - חסד לאברהם, a Cabalistic exposition of the leading articles of that science (latest ed. Lemberg, 1860). His grandson was

2. CHAJIM JOSEPH DAVID, born at Jerusalem in 1726, and died at Leghorn in 1807. He is the author of about fifty works in many branches of Jewish learning, but is best known by his שם הגד ולים, a bibliographical history of Hebrew literature (pt. i, Leghorn, 1774; Krotoschin, 1843; pt. ii, Leghorn, 1784; best ed. Wilna, 1864, 2 vols.): — ועד לחכמים, a continuation of the above (Leghorn, 1796; pt. ii, 1798; further appendices in 1796 and 1801). An entire edition of these several portions was published (Wilna, 1852, 2 vols.) by J. Ben Jakob, preceded by a biography of Asulai by Carmolg. He wrote also, אהבת דוד, derashas, or homilies, on the Pentateuch (Leghorn, 1799):- נחל קדומים, a commentary on the same part of Scripture (ibid. 1800)פני חמה, a commentary on the five Megilloth (ibid. eod.): — and יוסŠ תהלות, on the Psalms (ibid. 1801; Vienna, 1859).Besides, he wrote commentaries on the Zohar:- יעיר אזן, an introduction to the Talmud, in 2 pts. (Leghorn, 1790-93). His Iggaroth, or correspondence with contemporaries, was first published in -1867. See Furst, Bibl. Jud. i, 66-70; De' Rossi, Dizionario Storico (German transl.), p.,50; Etheridge, Introd. to Heb. Literature, p. 481; Zunz, Zur Gesch. u. Literatur, p. 240 sq. (B. P.)