Nathan Nata Spira ( he, ; 1585 – 20 July 1633) was a Polish rabbi and kabbalist, who served as

Chief Rabbi Chief Rabbi ( he, רב ראשי ''Rav Rashi'') is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities. Since 1911, through a ...

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...

. A student of

Meir Lublin Meir Lublin or Meir ben Gedalia (1558 – 1616) was a Polish rabbi, Talmudist and Posek ("decisor of Jewish law"). He is well known for his commentary on the Talmud, ''Meir Einai Chachamim''. He is also referred to as Maharam (Hebrew acronym: "Ou ...

, Spira played an important role in spreading

Isaac Luria Isaac ben Solomon Luria Ashkenazi (1534Fine 2003, p24/ref> – July 25, 1572) ( he, יִצְחָק בן שלמה לוּרְיָא אשכנזי ''Yitzhak Ben Sh'lomo Lurya Ashkenazi''), commonly known in Jewish religious circles as "Ha'ARI" (mean ...

's teachings throughout Poland. Spira was the author of a number of works, most notably the ''

Megaleh Amukot ''Megaleh Amukot'' () ( he, מגלה עמוקות) is a 1637 work by Rabbi Nathan Nata Spira Nathan Nata Spira ( he, ; 1585 – 20 July 1633) was a Polish rabbi and kabbalist, who served as Chief Rabbi of Kraków. A student of Meir ...

''.

Biography

Spira descended from a rabbinical family, which traced its lineage as far back to

Rashi Shlomo Yitzchaki ( he, רבי שלמה יצחקי; la, Salomon Isaacides; french: Salomon de Troyes, 22 February 1040 – 13 July 1105), today generally known by the acronym Rashi (see below), was a medieval French rabbi and author of a compre ...

, the noted 11th-century French commentator. He was named after his grandfather Nathan Nata Spira, who was rabbi in

Hrodna Grodno (russian: Гродно, pl, Grodno; lt, Gardinas) or Hrodna ( be, Гродна ), is a city in western Belarus. The city is located on the Neman River, 300 km (186 mi) from Minsk, about 15 km (9 mi) from the Polish b ...

and author of ''Mevo Shearim'' (1575) and ''Imrei shefer'' (1597). His father was Solomon Spira. Spira had seven children, three sons and four daughters. While serving as Chief Rabbi of Kraków, Spira refused a salary. He is buried in the Old Jewish cemetery in Kazimierz, Krakow.

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External links

Nathan Nata Shapiro, Chief Rabbi of Cracow, 1585-1633
1585 births 1633 deaths Rabbis from Kraków Kabbalists 16th-century Polish rabbis 17th-century Polish rabbis Chief rabbis of cities {{Kabbalah-stub