The "Shakh" In Kraków in 1646, he published his
magnum opus, the
Siftei Kohen () or the
Shakh (), a commentary on the
Shulchan Aruch Choshen Mishpat. This work was approved by the greatest Polish and Lithuanian scholars and since 1674 has been published in most editions of the ''Yoreh De'ah.'' Shabbatai HaKohen was regarded by his contemporaries as more than usually learned. He frequently contested the decisions of his predecessors, and followed an entirely new path in the interpretation of the Talmudic law. He made light, too, of the decisions of his contemporaries, and thus drew on himself the enmity of some among them, including
David ben Shmuel HaLevi, author of
Ture Zahav, and
Aaron Shmuel Kaidanover, author of
Birkhat HaZevach, who was the father-in-law of his brother Yonah Menachem Nachum HaKohen. Nevertheless,
Sifsei/Siftei/Sifte Kohen, Shakh's commentary on the
Shulchan Aruch, was considered by a majority of Talmudists as of the highest authority, and they applied his decisions to actual cases as the final word of the Law. As a
logician he stood, perhaps, first among the Talmudic scholars of his age.
Other writings In addition to his knowledge of the Talmudic law he was versed in the
Kabbala, which he used in explaining various passages of the
Bible. His mastery of
Hebrew is evidenced by the
selichot that he composed in commemoration of the Chmielnicki tragedies. In 1648 the communities of the
Polish Kingdom were devastated by
Chmielnicki, Shabbatai HaKohen portrayed the persecutions of the Jews in his
Megillat Efah. == Shakh Synagogue ==