Son of Rav Shmuel
The foremost talmid of the Ramchal
Born around 20 Iyar 1696/7, ה' תנז Padua, Italy.
Rav Moshe Dovid received semichah at the same time 1726 תפ"ו as his colleague, the Ramchal, who was ten years his junior. The Ramchal, who initially studied Kabbalah under Rav Moshe Dovid, later became his mentor (see Almansi Kerem Chemed).
He married Simchah and they had a son Shmuel.
Rav Moshe David also studied medicine at the University in Padua which was one of the few universities in Europe that accepted Jews. He later practiced as a physician there in Padua, Italy.
When the Ramchal founded a yeshivah and bais medrash, he cosigned along with Rav Moshe Dovid Walli and Rav Yekusiel Gordon. When the Ramchal left Italy for Amsterdam, Rav Moshe Dovid Walli replaced him as the head of the yeshivah and bais medrash.
The Ramchal’s great esteem for his colleague and disciple is further demonstrated by the fact that the Ramchal copied and edited many teachings from Rav Moshe Dovid Walli’s writings and that they coauthored two seforim. They were: Vikuach (Debate), which dealt with rectifying the sale of Yosef haTzadik, and Peulah, regarding the concept of Armilus the Wicked* and the coming redemption.
Rav Mordechai Shmuel Gerondi (Mordecai Shmuel ben Benzion Aryeh Ghirondi) Av Beis Din Padua, writes in his sefer, Toldos Gedolei Italy:
“A well-rounded chacham and sage, a gifted orator and darshan, and a holy mekubal who authored several works on Tanach in the manner of pardes.”
He also wrote on debates with the Christians. He served as a chazan and Shaliach Tzibur in the Sefardic synagogue.
It is related that he studied the Torah while standing and would never retire for the night until all the Jews in his congregation safely returned home, during which time he would daven on their behalf that no evil befalls them.
Several tefillos were composed in Padua to be recited at his kever.
In his writings he describes a seven-year period in his life beginning in תפ''א-תפ''ב when he began work “refining the Shechinahs”. This process reached its zenith by the year תמי''ם which spells the word, “perfect/complete” (gematria ת''צ Rav Moshe Dovid Walli passed away on Tuesday (6) 7 Teves 1777 ה'תקל"ז in Padua, Italy.
He was a prolific writer, authoring some 26 seforim, as well as many commentaries on Tanach and the two works, (in two volumes).
Teshuas Olamim on Yeshaya https://www.hebrewbooks.org/51272
Biur on Megillos Shir HaShirim, Rus, Koheles, Esther https://www.hebrewbooks.org/51248
Biur on Koheles https://www.hebrewbooks.org/51295
Megaleh Amukos on Iyov https://www.hebrewbooks.org/51285
Biur Trie Asar Nevi’im https://www.hebrewbooks.org/51252
Tehillim vol1 https://www.hebrewbooks.org/51260
Tehillim vol2 https://www.hebrewbooks.org/51254
Ohr Olam on Bereishis vol 1 https://www.hebrewbooks.org/51282
Ohr Olam on Bereishis vol 2 https://www.hebrewbooks.org/51281
Bris Olam on Shemos vol 1 https://www.hebrewbooks.org/51266
Bris Olam on Shemos vol 2 https://www.hebrewbooks.org/51253
Avodas HaKodesh, VaYikra https://www.hebrewbooks.org/51265
Shivtei Kah on Bamidbar https://www.hebrewbooks.org/51290
Mishna laMelech on Devarim https://www.hebrewbooks.org/51277
Mishnah Torah on Devarim https://www.hebrewbooks.org/51278
Inyanei Chag HaMatzos on Pesach https://www.hebrewbooks.org/51259
Mizrach Shemesh on Sefer Yehoshua https://www.hebrewbooks.org/51267
Moshiah Chosim on Sefer Shmuel https://www.hebrewbooks.org/51280
Kisei Nachon on Sefer Melachim https://www.hebrewbooks.org/51273
Mamleches Kohanim on Yechezkel https://www.hebrewbooks.org/51275
Biur Daniel, Ezra, Nechemiah https://www.hebrewbooks.org/51250
Marpeh Lashon Yermiyah https://www.hebrewbooks.org/51276
Biur on Mishlei https://www.hebrewbooks.org/51251
Ner Yisroel Divrei HaYamim https://www.hebrewbooks.org/51269
Armilus (Hebrew: ארמילוס) is an anti-messiah figure in medieval Jewish eschatology
