 In addition to his knowledge of the Talmudic law he was versed in the Kabbala, which he used in explaining various passages of the Bible.His mastery of Hebrew is evidenced by the "selichot" that he composed in commemoration of the Chmielnicki tragedies.In 1648 the communities of the Polish Kingdom were devastated by Chmielnicki, Shabbatai HaKohen portrayed the persecutions of the Jews in his "Megillah Afah."