Shemariah Catarivas

Shemariah Catarivas was a prominent Talmudic writer of the 18th century, hailing from Tiberias. His travels took him to Tunis in 1750, where he initially served as an alms-collector, and later settled after a period in Algiers. During his time in Tunis, Catarivas established himself as a respected figure in the scholarly community, renowned for his piety and academic prowess.

Catarivas's literary contributions include the commentary Zeker Tzaddiq, which focuses on the first two orders of the Mishnah. This work was published posthumously by the grandson of his close friend, Abraham Cohen Baberrebi, a distinguished rabbi in Tunis. Additionally, some of Catarivas's responsa are featured in the Yerek Ya'aqob, a collection compiled by Jacob ben Abraham Faitusi and published in Leghorn in 1842. Through his writings, Catarivas left a lasting legacy in the realm of Talmudic scholarship.