ARDIT

ARDIT, family of Sephardi rabbis, scholars, and philanthropists originating from Catalonia. After the expulsion from Spain a branch of the family settled in Salonika where it remained until the end of the 17th century when Abraham Ardit (d. 1729) moved to Smyrna. Among its notable members were (1) ḤAYYIM ABRAHAM BEN ISAAC (1735–1770), rabbi and exegete whose sermons and comments on Maimonides' Mishneh Torah appear in an appendage to Ephraim Ardit's Matteh Efrayim (Salonika, 1791). (2) ḤAYYIM MOSES ISAAC (1740–1800), scholar and philanthropist of Smyrna who financed the publication of the Matteh Efrayim. (3) ISAAC BEN SOLOMON (d. 1812), of Smyrna, author of a volume of sermons and a commentary on tractate Arakhin, Yekar ha-Erekh (Salonika, 1823). (4) One of Isaac's sons ḤAYYIM MOSES (d. 1846) was eulogized by Ḥayyim Palaggi and the other, Raphael Solomon (early 19th century), completed his father's book under the title Paḥot Sheva Arakhin (in: Yekar ha-Erekh). He published a commentary, Shem Shelomo (in Yekarha-Erekh), which includes responsa, sermons, critical notes, and eulogies. (5) JOSHUA SOLOMON BEN JACOB NISSIM (d. 1876), rabbi of Smyrna and author of a book of sermons, Ish Mevin (Smyrna, 1894), and of a methodology on tractate Ketubbot, Ḥina ve-Ḥisda (3 vols.; Smyrna, 1864). (6) SOLOMON B. JACOB (mid-18th century) wrote two commentaries which were appended to various works by R. Meir Bakayam of Salonika: Divrei Shelomo (1747), a critical commentary on the aggadah; Leḥem Shelomo (1748), on Kabbalah. (7) RAPHAEL BEN SOLOMON (early 19th century), author of Marpeh Lashon (Salonika, 1826), a critical commentary to the Mishneh Torah of Maimonides and on tractate Shevu'ot. -BIBLIOGRAPHY: Joseph David ha-Kohen, Yikra de-Shikhvi (1774), nos. 6, 48, 62; Ḥ.J.D. Azulai, Ḥayyim Sha'al (1886), no. 72; Luncz, in: Yerushalayim, 4 (1892), 106; S. Ḥazzan, Ha-Ma'alot li-Shelomo (1894), 49b, no. 65, 61b, no. 18, 67b, no. 97; A. Freimann (ed.), Inyanei Shabbetai Ẓevi (1912), 141, no. 10, 147, nos. 158 and 160, 148, no. 161; B. Wachstein, Mafte'aḥ ha-Hespedim, 1 (1922), 50, 61, 63; 2 (1927), 15; 3 (1930), index viii; 4 (1932), index 5–6. (Yehoshua Horowitz)