IBN SHUAIB, JOEL

IBN SHUAIB, JOEL (15^th century), rabbi and preacher in Spain. Ibn Shuaib lived in the region of Navarre, and he was in Tudela in 1485, and, apparently, in Saragossa shortly before the expulsion in 1492. He was considered an important preacher in his time, and his extant works revealed both an extensive rabbinic knowledge and broad general culture. Some of his works were published, but a number are known only from their mention in the other works. His weekly Sabbath sermons, Olat Shabbat, were published in Venice in 1577. Of his commentary to the Bible only that to a few books is known: Doresh Tov on the Pentateuch; on Isaiah; Ein Mishpat on Job; and Nora Tehillot (Salonika, 1569) on Psalms. Of his commentary to the five *scrolls, only that on Lamentations (Salonika, 1521) has been published. The commentary to the Song of Songs, fragments of which were published with Abraham Tamakh's commentary to the Song of Songs (Sabionetta, 1558–59), has been wrongly ascribed to him. Its author was another member of the family, Joshua *Ibn Shuaib. Joel ibn Shuaib also compiled a commentary to Avot called Sekhel Tov. Those works, especially his Nora Tehillot, reveal his opposition to the Spanish Marranos whom he regarded as apostates. His sharp criticism of the Marranos apparently resulted in bringing many of them to return openly to the Jewish faith. His work also gives an interesting description of the organization of sacred societies for communal needs in the community of Saragossa.

bibliography:

Steinschneider, Cat Bod, 1400f.; H.H. Ben-Sasson, in: Zion, 26 (1961), 26, 38, 50f., 57, 59, 62; idem, in: Sefer Yovel le-Y. Baer (1960), 216; Baer, Spain, 2 (1966), 507; B. Netanyahu. The Marranos of Spain (1966), 172–5; S. Abramson, introd. to: Derashot al ha-Torah le-R. Yehoshu'a ibn Shuaib (1969), 41–43 (facsimile of the Cracow 1573 ed.).

[Abraham David]