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R. Samuel b. Abraham Aboab(1610–1694), was born in Hamburg, but at the age of 13 he was sent by his father to study in Venice under R. David Franco, whose daughter he later married. After serving as rabbi in Verona, he was appointed in 1650 to Venice. At the age of 80 he had to leave Venice for some unknown cause and wandered from place to place, until the authorities permitted him to return shortly before his death. Aboab was renowned for both his talmudic and general knowledge and was consulted by the greatest of his contemporaries. He had many disciples. Modest, humble, and of a charitable nature he devoted himself with particular devotion to communal matters. He was responsible for obtaining financial support from Western Europe for the communities in Erez Israel, and in 1643 collected funds for the ransoming of the Jews of Kremsier taken captive by the Swedes. Aboab was one of the most energetic opponents of the Shabbatean movement. At first he dealt with its followers with restraint, in the hope of avoiding a schism and the possible intervention of the secular authorities. Subsequently, however, he adopted a more rigorous attitude. When Nathan of Gaza reached Venice in 1668, R. Samuel was among the rabbis of Venice who interrogated him on his beliefs and activities. His published works include: Devar Shemu.el, responsa (Venice, 1702) published by his son Jacob. It is prefaced by a biography and his ethical will to his sons, and has an appendix called Zikkaron li-Venei Yisrael on the investigation of Nathan of Gaza in 1667–68.
[בין שנות שצ"א-תי"א], בראשי העמודים: ספר זכרון. הספר כולל עשרה זכרונות על מצוות עשה ולא תעשה.