Israel Isserlein
Encyclopedia
Rabbi
Israel Isserlein ben Petachia, also Israel Isserlin, Israel of Neustadt, Israel of Marpurk (born 1390, Maribor
, Duchy of Styria
- died 1460, Wiener Neustadt
, Lower Austria
) was a Talmud
ist, and Halakhist
, best known for his Terumat HaDeshen, which served as one source for HaMapah, the component of the Shulkhan Arukh by Moses Isserles
.
in Bavaria
is often quoted in literature as Isserlein’s birthplace it is now clear that he was born in the Styrian Maribor
or Marburg an Drau, present-day Slovenia
, in the last decade of the 14th century. As a son of R. Petachia of Maribor he came from a well-known scholarly family. His grandfather Rabbi Chaim, named Henschel of Hainburg or Hetschlein of Herzogenburg was well-versed in Jewish learning, which held especially for Isserlein’s great-grandfather R. Israel of Krems. R. Shalom of Neustadt was related to him.
He is considered to be the most influential rabbi of the Empire in the 2nd third of the 15th century and the last great rabbi of medieval Austria
. With his wife Schoendlein he had four sons named Petachia (Kachil, Khatschel), Abraham, Shalom, Aaron, and a daughter Muscat, who died in her childhood.
After an early death of his father, it appears, he and his mother moved to Krems, where his uncle R. Aron Bluemlein of Krems/Vienna was teaching, and was together with his mother a victim of Viennese Gzerah in 1421. He studied also in Vienna
and in Eger
and probably also in Italy
.
Soon after the Gzerah he returned to Maribor, where he started to serve as a rabbi and already in 1425 his correspondence and socializing with other scholars of his age is attested. Such a scholar was, for instance, Anshel of Maribor (Anshel Marpurk). His authority also included ordination of other rabbis. Responsa of rabbis Israel Bruna, Moses Mintz and Jacob Moelin or Maharil of Mainz quotes Isserlein with great respect. From an unknown reason he moved to Neustadt
, where he is attested in 1445, even though due to the fact that he frequently traveled between Maribor and Neustadt, we can assume that he actually took residence in Neustadt around 1450. He dealt with money-lending only marginally and with small sums of money. In Neustadt, as before in Maribor, he started to run a yeshiva
until 1460, when he died. Because of his activities he is also named R. Israel Marpurk and R. Israel of Noyshtat. On many occasion he signed as ‘The small one and the young one in Israel’ (Ha-katan ve-ha-tzair she-be-israel).
His pupils were coming from Austria, Bohemia
, Moravia
, Hungary
, Silezia, Bavaria, and Rhineland
, among them Israel Bruna, Moses Mintz and Joseph b. Moses. He is considered as an ideal type of medieval rabbi, who demanded from the community and its members a strict observance of ritual laws, social justice and fairness in business and commerce. He was prone to mysticism, studied kabalistic works and accepted some kabbalistic customs as his own, even though he was also acquainted with the contemporary Christian scientific literature. He often served as an arbitrator between different communities and his decision was considered final. With the appearance of press and the codification of halachah his responsa was included into numerous collections, the most promine tbeing Shulchan Aruch. His works include: Trumat ha-Deshen, 354 responses, he edited by himself, and Psakim u-Chtavim, 267 responses, edited by his pupils after his death (Both printed in Venice
already in 1519), Beurim, commentaries on Rashi’s Commentary on Torah, 36 Shearim (36 Gates), laws on Kashrut
, and Seder gitin, a handbook for divorces.
His oldest son Petachia or R. Kachil studied at his father’s yeshivah, where he served as his secretary. In his father’s name he even answered a question of R. Abraham from Poland. He married in Maribor. On the 3rd of June 1489 he was still in lending money. On the 12th of November 1489 and on the 8th of March 1493 is mentioned in Graz Nassan, son of Khatschl of Maribor or R. Kachil or Petachia, son of R. Israel Isserlein.
. Note that Rabbi Shabbatai ha-Kohen
comments in his famous commentary on Shulchan Aruch
, the Shach, on Yoreh De'ah
196:20, that there is a tradition that Rabbi Isserlein was not answering questions posed to him in the Terumat HaDeshen, rather he actually wrote the questions and answers himself. Therefore, Shach concludes, in contrast with other responsa, the parameters of the questions posed in the Terumat HaDeshen are themselves binding when alluded to in the answer.
The work is named for the practice in the Temple in Jerusalem
of removing a part of the previous day's ashes from the furnace - 354 is the numerical value
of Deshen (Hebrew: דשן). Terumat HaDeshen serves as an important source of the practices of the Ashkenazi Jews. The work was therefore used by Moses Isserles as one basis for HaMapah - the component of the Shulkhan Arukh which specifies divergences between Sephardi and Ashkenazi practice.
Rabbi Isserlein also wrote Pesakim u-kethahim (267 decisions) largely on points of the marriage
law.
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
Israel Isserlein ben Petachia, also Israel Isserlin, Israel of Neustadt, Israel of Marpurk (born 1390, Maribor
Maribor
Maribor is the second largest city in Slovenia with 157,947 inhabitants . Maribor is also the largest and the capital city of Slovenian region Lower Styria and the seat of the Municipality of Maribor....
, Duchy of Styria
Duchy of Styria
The history of Styria concerns the region roughly corresponding to the modern Austrian state of Styria and the Slovene region of Styria from its settlement by Germans and Slavs in the Dark Ages until the present...
- died 1460, Wiener Neustadt
Wiener Neustadt
-Main sights:* The Late-Romanesque Dom, consecrated in 1279 and cathedral from 1469 to 1785. The choir and transept, in Gothic style, are from the 14th century. In the late 15th century 12 statues of the Apostles were added in the apse, while the bust of Cardinal Melchior Klesl is attributed to...
, Lower Austria
Lower Austria
Lower Austria is the northeasternmost state of the nine states in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria since 1986 is Sankt Pölten, the most recently designated capital town in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria had formerly been Vienna, even though Vienna is not officially part of Lower Austria...
) was a Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
ist, and Halakhist
Halakha
Halakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...
, best known for his Terumat HaDeshen, which served as one source for HaMapah, the component of the Shulkhan Arukh by Moses Isserles
Moses Isserles
Moses Isserles, also spelled Moshe Isserlis, , was an eminent Ashkenazic rabbi, talmudist, and posek, renowned for his fundamental work of Halakha , entitled ha-Mapah , an inline commentary on the Shulkhan Aruch...
.
Biography
Even though RegensburgRegensburg
Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...
in Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
is often quoted in literature as Isserlein’s birthplace it is now clear that he was born in the Styrian Maribor
Maribor
Maribor is the second largest city in Slovenia with 157,947 inhabitants . Maribor is also the largest and the capital city of Slovenian region Lower Styria and the seat of the Municipality of Maribor....
or Marburg an Drau, present-day Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
, in the last decade of the 14th century. As a son of R. Petachia of Maribor he came from a well-known scholarly family. His grandfather Rabbi Chaim, named Henschel of Hainburg or Hetschlein of Herzogenburg was well-versed in Jewish learning, which held especially for Isserlein’s great-grandfather R. Israel of Krems. R. Shalom of Neustadt was related to him.
He is considered to be the most influential rabbi of the Empire in the 2nd third of the 15th century and the last great rabbi of medieval Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. With his wife Schoendlein he had four sons named Petachia (Kachil, Khatschel), Abraham, Shalom, Aaron, and a daughter Muscat, who died in her childhood.
After an early death of his father, it appears, he and his mother moved to Krems, where his uncle R. Aron Bluemlein of Krems/Vienna was teaching, and was together with his mother a victim of Viennese Gzerah in 1421. He studied also in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and in Eger
Eger
Eger is the second largest city in Northern Hungary, the county seat of Heves, east of the Mátra Mountains. Eger is best known for its castle, thermal baths, historic buildings , and red and white wines.- Name :...
and probably also in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
Soon after the Gzerah he returned to Maribor, where he started to serve as a rabbi and already in 1425 his correspondence and socializing with other scholars of his age is attested. Such a scholar was, for instance, Anshel of Maribor (Anshel Marpurk). His authority also included ordination of other rabbis. Responsa of rabbis Israel Bruna, Moses Mintz and Jacob Moelin or Maharil of Mainz quotes Isserlein with great respect. From an unknown reason he moved to Neustadt
Wiener Neustadt
-Main sights:* The Late-Romanesque Dom, consecrated in 1279 and cathedral from 1469 to 1785. The choir and transept, in Gothic style, are from the 14th century. In the late 15th century 12 statues of the Apostles were added in the apse, while the bust of Cardinal Melchior Klesl is attributed to...
, where he is attested in 1445, even though due to the fact that he frequently traveled between Maribor and Neustadt, we can assume that he actually took residence in Neustadt around 1450. He dealt with money-lending only marginally and with small sums of money. In Neustadt, as before in Maribor, he started to run a yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
until 1460, when he died. Because of his activities he is also named R. Israel Marpurk and R. Israel of Noyshtat. On many occasion he signed as ‘The small one and the young one in Israel’ (Ha-katan ve-ha-tzair she-be-israel).
His pupils were coming from Austria, Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
, Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Silezia, Bavaria, and Rhineland
Rhineland
Historically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....
, among them Israel Bruna, Moses Mintz and Joseph b. Moses. He is considered as an ideal type of medieval rabbi, who demanded from the community and its members a strict observance of ritual laws, social justice and fairness in business and commerce. He was prone to mysticism, studied kabalistic works and accepted some kabbalistic customs as his own, even though he was also acquainted with the contemporary Christian scientific literature. He often served as an arbitrator between different communities and his decision was considered final. With the appearance of press and the codification of halachah his responsa was included into numerous collections, the most promine tbeing Shulchan Aruch. His works include: Trumat ha-Deshen, 354 responses, he edited by himself, and Psakim u-Chtavim, 267 responses, edited by his pupils after his death (Both printed in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
already in 1519), Beurim, commentaries on Rashi’s Commentary on Torah, 36 Shearim (36 Gates), laws on Kashrut
Kashrut
Kashrut is the set of Jewish dietary laws. Food in accord with halakha is termed kosher in English, from the Ashkenazi pronunciation of the Hebrew term kashér , meaning "fit" Kashrut (also kashruth or kashrus) is the set of Jewish dietary laws. Food in accord with halakha (Jewish law) is termed...
, and Seder gitin, a handbook for divorces.
His oldest son Petachia or R. Kachil studied at his father’s yeshivah, where he served as his secretary. In his father’s name he even answered a question of R. Abraham from Poland. He married in Maribor. On the 3rd of June 1489 he was still in lending money. On the 12th of November 1489 and on the 8th of March 1493 is mentioned in Graz Nassan, son of Khatschl of Maribor or R. Kachil or Petachia, son of R. Israel Isserlein.
Works
Terumat HaDeshen is written as 354 responsaResponsa
Responsa comprise a body of written decisions and rulings given by legal scholars in response to questions addressed to them.-In the Roman Empire:Roman law recognised responsa prudentium, i.e...
. Note that Rabbi Shabbatai ha-Kohen
Shabbatai ha-Kohen
Shabbatai ben Meir ha-Kohen was a noted 17th Century talmudist and halakhist. He became known as the Shakh, which is an abbreviation of his most important work, Siftei Kohen , and his rulings were considered authoritative by later halakhists.- Biography :Shabbatai ha-Kohen was born either in ...
comments in his famous commentary on Shulchan Aruch
Shulchan Aruch
The Shulchan Aruch also known as the Code of Jewish Law, is the most authoritative legal code of Judaism. It was authored in Safed, Israel, by Yosef Karo in 1563 and published in Venice two years later...
, the Shach, on Yoreh De'ah
Yoreh De'ah
Yoreh De'ah is a section of Rabbi Jacob ben Asher's compilation of halakha , Arba'ah Turim around 1300. This section treats all aspects of Jewish law not pertinent to the Hebrew calendar, finance, torts, marriage, divorce, or sexual conduct....
196:20, that there is a tradition that Rabbi Isserlein was not answering questions posed to him in the Terumat HaDeshen, rather he actually wrote the questions and answers himself. Therefore, Shach concludes, in contrast with other responsa, the parameters of the questions posed in the Terumat HaDeshen are themselves binding when alluded to in the answer.
The work is named for the practice in the Temple in Jerusalem
Temple in Jerusalem
The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple , refers to one of a series of structures which were historically located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem, the current site of the Dome of the Rock. Historically, these successive temples stood at this location and functioned as the centre of...
of removing a part of the previous day's ashes from the furnace - 354 is the numerical value
Gematria
Gematria or gimatria is a system of assigning numerical value to a word or phrase, in the belief that words or phrases with identical numerical values bear some relation to each other, or bear some relation to the number itself as it may apply to a person's age, the calendar year, or the like...
of Deshen (Hebrew: דשן). Terumat HaDeshen serves as an important source of the practices of the Ashkenazi Jews. The work was therefore used by Moses Isserles as one basis for HaMapah - the component of the Shulkhan Arukh which specifies divergences between Sephardi and Ashkenazi practice.
Rabbi Isserlein also wrote Pesakim u-kethahim (267 decisions) largely on points of the marriage
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
law.
- See also History of Responsa: Fifteenth century.