Amittai ben Shefatiah

Amittai ben Shefatiah was a communal leader in Oria, in southern Italy, primarily known today for his piyyu-tim (liturgical prayers), several of which are still recited in certain Jewish rites. Amittai descended from a prominent family in Italy and was related to Aḥima‘ats ben Palti’el (1017–1060), author of The Scroll of Aḥima‘ats. Amittai succeeded his father Shefatiah as communal leader and head of the local academy. His poems attracted significant attention among later commentators, several of whom identified proto-kabbalistic ideas in his writings. Amittai’s poetry often refers to the Byzantine persecutions of Jews, although he also wrote poems for happy occasions, such as “The Lord, who revealed the end,” which celebrates his sister’s marriage. In general, Amittai followed poetic conventions of the East, but he did show a certain degree of independent poetic composition.