**Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi** [(bar Shmuel the Sephardi (Seder HaKabbalah), and it is written in Responsa Chavot Yair chapter 272b, and I received that this is Rabbi Yehuda Chayug who was the first grammarian, composed the book Otiyot and the book HaNoach)] a sage distinguished in all wisdoms, composed the book Kuzari [(see year 4935)] pleasant and very precious, and many wisdoms are included in it. And the book Meor Einayim chapter 36 writes that it is full of the blessing of HaShem with true ideas, that every Jew who believes in the covenant should learn it for himself and seek that it be written on the tablet of the heart of all his sons and students, with command and warning "Take heed lest you abandon the Levite," thus concluded.

And he lived in the time of the Raavad and he cites him in Parshat Yitro "Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi asked me." Some say he was the father-in-law of the Raavad, as Meor Einayim chapter 42 states. And some say they were children of two sisters [(Yuchsin, discourse 5, at the beginning of the later generations)]. And it was the year 4900 as is seen in Kuzari, chapter 1, section 67 [(and what is written there 400 is a printing error and should read 4900)].

And see Meor Einayim there which writes that it is possible that the Khazar king never existed at all, but all is by way of allegory and wisdom. And some say there were two Rabbi Yehuda HaLevis: the first who compiled the book was in the year 400, and the second from his descendants who brought to light his grandfather's composition was in the year 4900 (Tzeda LaDerech) (see year 448 to the fifth millennium).

Seder HaKabbalah chapter 44, page 72 writes] and I saw in the book HaEmunot that the story of the Khazar king with the Chaver was true, and the name of the Chaver was Rabbi Yehuda Almangari, and the aforementioned king converted through the Chaver about 400 years before the time of this Rabbi Yehuda. And that Chaver wrote all that occurred in the Khazar language and Rabbi Yehuda translated it into Arabic and Rabbi Shmuel ben Tibon translated it into Hebrew.

And there is another translation that Rabbi Yehuda ben Kardinal made and it is not as good, as Shlomo wrote. It is written in the book Yuchsin that Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi was 50 years old when he went there, as he wrote in his piyyutim. And I received from an elder that when Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi reached the gates of Jerusalem he tore his garments and walked on his knees on the ground to fulfill what is said "For your servants take pleasure in her stones and love her dust." And he was saying the Kinah that he composed which says "Zion, will you not ask," etc.

And an Ishmaelite became jealous of him because of his great devotion and rode over him with his horse and trampled him and killed him. [And in Siftei Yeshenim he writes Rabbi Yitzchak HaSangari composed the Kuzari, and afterward Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi found it and translated it into Arabic and Rabbi Yehuda ibn Tibon translated it into the Holy Language, etc. And he is mentioned simply as Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi.

And in Sha'ar Bat Rabim he is mentioned explicitly as Rabbi Yehuda bar Shabbetai HaLevi who was in the year 4900, and he composed the piyyut "Adon Chasdekha" for Megillat Esther in beautiful verses and commentary in Italian language. And the Sephardim and foreign speakers say it in Parshat Zachor. And he composed the book Ben Zekunim, songs, and the book Melech Rav, dialectic between wisdom and wealth in parables and verses, and the book Minchat Yehuda from a man who hated to marry a woman, in pleasant verses, and songs and hymns for the entire year.

Seder HaKabbalah chapter 119, page 72 writes: in the days of the Rambam and Rashi which was in the year around 4900 and around 4980 to the destruction (according to this it was 4808 to creation, but this is not so, as he wrote "in the days of the Rambam and Rashi" who were much later, and according to the responsa of Maharshal, Rashi was born in the year 4800, see there). There were evil decrees on all of Israel in the four corners of the earth, etc. (see year 4900) and 4906 and 4922 and 4939 (perhaps should read 4922, see there) and 4940.

See there].