Polish Talmudist; born about 1510; died at Lublin Oct. 29, 1558. He was a pupil of Jacob Pollak, founder of the method of Talmudic study known as the PILPUL. By the year 1528 he had already become famous as a teacher, and hundreds flocked to Lublin to receive instruction at his yeshibah. Many of his pupils became recognized rabbinical authorities, among them being: MosesIsserles of Cracow (Shakna's son-in-law); Moses Heilprin, author of "Zikron Mosheh"; Solomon ben Judah, rabbi of Lublin; and Ḥayyim ben Bezaleel, rabbi at Friedberg.
Shakna on his death-bed, from motives of extreme modesty, enjoined his son R. Israel from printing any of his (Shakna's) manuscripts. One of his writings, however, namely, the treatise "Pesaḳim be-'Inyan Ḳiddushin," was edited by Moses, son of the physician Samuel (Cracow, 1540 ?).