R. Samuel Judah Katzenellenbogen was born in 1521 at Padua; died there March 25, 1597; son of R. Meir b. Isaac of Padua (MaHaRam). He was distinguished even in his youth for his scholarship and his oratorical gifts. He was associated, both as rabbi and as writer, with his father, after whose death, in 1565, he was elected rabbi at Venice. He had many pupils, one of whom had a bust made of his beloved teacher, who was of imposing appearance, and set it up in the schoolhouse so as to have it constantly before his eyes. Hida (Shem ha-Gedolim) speaks of this fact in connection with R. Samuel Judah Katzenellenbogen's great-grandfather, R. Judah Minz.

R. Katzenellenbogen was highly respected by his coreligionists throughout Italy, and, because of his wide scholarship, was honored by R. Joseph Caro, R. Solomon Luria, and R. Moses Isserles. Non-Jews also esteemed him highly: Paul Weidner, a converted Jew, dedicated his works to him. He is said to have accorded a hospitable reception to the Polish prince Radziwill when the latter visited Padua. When the prince found himself in need of money he appealed to R. Katzenellenbogen, who lent him the necessary funds for continuing his journey, requesting in return that he deal leniently with the Jews in his country, and protect them against the accusation of ritual murder.

On R. Katzenellenbogen's death R. Leo Modena delivered the funeral oration, which has been printed in the Midbar Yehudah (p. 63b). R. Samuel left one son, who is known under the name of R. Saul Wahl. R. Katzenellenbogen is the author of several responsa, which are included in the responsa collection of R. Moses Isserles (Nos. 23, 126, 127, 129) and in that of R. Samuel Kala'i; he also contributed some of the notes to the annotated edition of Maimonides' Yad ha-Hazakah (Venice, 1550), which notes R. Azulai (Shem ha-Gedolim, s.v.) ascribes to R. Meir of Padua.

מעבר לשער: דברי הקדמה מאת "מקטני תלמידיו... אשר פורינץ". מחצית הדרשות הספדים על ר' יהודה מושקאטו, ר' שמואל גרשיני בן גרשון, ר' יצחק פואה, ר' משה איסרלן, ר' יוסף קארו ור' זלמן כ"ץ ממנטובה.