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15th Tamuz - Shaagas Aryeh
2007-07-02 07:14:00 Yesterday (15th Tamuz) was also the yarzheit of the Shaagas Aryeh, one of the most fiery and brilliant Rabbis of his time. He was also fiery in his temperament. Unfortunately I couldn't find very much about him using google, and don't have time just now to do the proper research.I seem to remember a story about him putting a curse on Prague, and the city being destroyed by fire. (But I may have got it confused with another city and another Rabbi). If anyone can add details about his life I would appreciate it.Here are the wikipedia article and a couple of stories I found on the web.Rabbi Aryeh Leib ben Asher Gunzberg (aka Shaagat Aryeh) (Hebrew: ???? ??? ????????) was born in Lithuania, c. 1700, and died at Metz, France June 23, 1785. He was a Rabbinical casuist often referred to by the name of his most famous book, Shaagat Aryeh (Hebrew, ???? ????, for 'Roar of the Lion').At one time Gunzberg was Rabbi in Pinsk, and then later founded a yeshivah in Minsk. Here however he engage...
15th Tamuz - Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh
2007-07-01 06:58:00 Today is the Yarzheit of the Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh, best known for his commentary on Chumash.This is what Wikipedia has to say about the Ohr ha-ChaimChaim ben Moses ibn Attar was a Talmudist and kabbalist; born at Mequenez, Morocco, in 1696; died in Jerusalem July 31, 1743. He was one of the most prominent rabbis in Morocco.In 1733 he decided to leave his native country and settle in Palestine. En route he was detained in Livorno by the rich members of the Jewish community who established a yeshiva for him. Many of his pupils later became prominent and furnished him with funds to print his Ohr ha-Chaim.He was received with great honour wherever he travelled. This was due to his extensive knowledge, keen intellect and extraordinary piety. In the middle of 1742 he arrived in Jerusalem where he presided at the Beit Midrash Keneset Yisrael.One of his disciples there was Chaim Joseph David Azulai, who seems to have been completely overwhelmed by the excellence of his master. He wrote of h...
12th Tamuz - Rabbi Elchonon Wasserman
2007-06-27 06:41:00 Rabbi Elchonon Wasserman was recognised by everyone as one of the most brilliant Talmudic scholars of his time. Rabbi Elchonon Wasserman (1875-1941) was a prominent Rabbi and Rosh Yeshiva in pre-World War II Europe. He was one of the Chofetz Chaim's closest disciples and a Torah scholar of note.His seforim on Talmud are learn in all the major Yeshivot today - 'Kovetz Maamarim' and 'Kovetz He'aros' are the most famous. You can read some exerpts of an article of his on faith here: Reb ElchononHe was in the USA at the outbreak of WWII (and the holocaust). Although he had many offers to stay in the USA which would have been safer, he knew that his place was with his Yeshiva. A captain always stays with his ship. (In this sense he was the 'frum' version of Janos Korcak). He was arested by the Nazisin 1941 with 20 of his students.(Quote from Wikipedia)Rabbi Elchonon was taken and murdered by the Lithuanians on the 12th of Tammuz, 1941. Before he was taken he gave this statement: "... |
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