HEZEKIAH BEN JACOB:
German rabbi and tosafist; martyred at Bacharach in 1283. He was an uncle and teacher of Meïr of Rothenburg and a pupil of Abraham Hladik, the Bohemian Talmudist. He succeeded his father in the rabbinate of Magdeburg; but, as a part of the community objected to his nomination, the intervention of Moses Taku (=Tachau) was necessary to remove the difficulties. He corresponded with Isaac Or Zarua', who calledhim "Baḥur" (young man), but spoke of him very highly ("Or Zarua'," i., No. 114) to Abigdor ha-Kohen (Mordecai to Giṭ. No. 380) and to R. Jehiel of Paris ("Teshubot MaHRaM," No. 590). He is quoted also by many authors of responsa, by Israel Isserlin ("Terumat ha-Deshen," No. 233), by Israel of Kremsier in his "Haggahot ha-Asheri" (Mordecai to Ket. No. 291), and especially by Mordecai b. Hillel. Hezekiah wrote a commentary on the Talmud (Mordecai to Ḳid. No. 510; idem to B. Ḳ. No. 174), besides tosafot ("Haggahot Mordekai," Shab. No. 282) and responsa (Solomon b. Adret, Responsa, ii., No. 28).
- Michael, Or ha-Ḥayyim, No. 836;
- Zunz, Literaturgesch. p. 621;
- Gross, in Monatsschrift, xx. 262;
- Samuel Kohn, Mardochai ben Hillel, pp. 104-106.
