Palestinian Talmudist; born of a Spanish family at Fez in 1620; died at Constantinople 1674. ?agiz's teacher was David Karigal ("?orban Min?ah," No. 105), who afterward became his father-in-law. About 1646 ?agiz went to Italy for the purpose of publishing his books, and remained there until after 1656, supporting himself by teaching. Samuel di Pam, rabbi at Leghorn, calls himself a pupil of ?agiz. About 1657 ?agiz left Leghorn for Jerusalem, where the Vega brothers of Leghorn had founded a bet ha-midrash for him (Gr�tz, "Gesch." 10:212), and where he became a member of the rabbinical college (Moses ibn ?abib, "Ge? Pashu?," p. 129). There a large number of eager young students gathered about him, among whom were Moses ibn ?abib, who became his son-in-law, and Joseph Almosnino, later rabbi of Belgrade (Moses ?agiz, "Mishnat ?akamim," No. 624). Another son-in-law of his was Moses ?ayyun (Azulai, "Shem ha-Gedolim").
Shabbethai ?ebi's chief opponent was Jacob ?agiz, who put him under the ban (Gr�tz, c. 10:475, note 3). About 1673 ?agiz went to Constantinople to publish his "Le?em ha-Panim," but he died before this was accomplished. This book, as well as many others of his, was lost (Moses ?agiz, in the introduction to "Halakot ?e?annot"). He also wrote: "Te?illat ?okmah," on Talmudic methodology, published together with Simson of Chinon's "Sefer Keritot" (Verona, 1647); "Ora? Mishor," on the conduct of rabbis (an appendix to the preceding work; 2d ed., with additions by Moses ?agiz, Amsterdam, 1709); "Petil Tekelet," on the "Azharot" of Solomon Gabirol (Venice, 1652; 2d ed., London, 1714); "'E?, ha-?ayyim," on the Mishnah (Leghorn, 1654-55; 2d ed., Berlin, 1716).
?agiz also translated the "Menorat ha-Ma'or" of Isaac Aboab into Spanish (1656).