Menahem Mendel Auerbach
Encyclopedia
Menahem Mendel ben Meshullam Auerbach (died July 8, 1689) (Hebrew: מנחם מענדל אויערבאך) was an Austrian rabbi, banker, and commentator born in Vienna
at the beginning of the 17th century. He was descended from the well-known Auerbach-Fischhof family, both his father, Meshullam Solomon, and his maternal grandfather, Rabbi Judah Loeb Rofe, being members of the Vienna Ghetto.
of Kraków
, and of Menahem Mendel Krochmal of Nikolsburg
. He married the daughter of Judah Loeb Cohn of Kraków (died 1645), and then settled in Kraków, being at the same time engaged in the banking business with his brother. Later, both returned to Vienna, where Menahem remained after his brother's death in 1666, up to the expulsion of the Jews from Vienna by the emperor Leopold I
in 1670. Benjamin Leb (Wolf) Fischhof, probably the youngest of the brothers, was also expelled at the same time, and became rabbi in Nikolsburg.
After the expulsion, Auerbach became rabbi at Rausnitz, Moravia
, and in 1673 of Krotoszyn
, where for sixteen years and until his death he occupied the double position of rabbi and parnass of the district of Posen. In Krotoszyn he established a yeshibah, which soon became known throughout Poland
, and to which he devoted much of his time and energy (Eliakim ben Meir, Responsa, § 61). His son Moses was parnass of the district of Posen, one of the leaders of the Synod of Great Poland, and president of the Assembly of Kobylin
in 1733. Menahem Mendel died at Krotoszyn, Posen, July 8, 1689.
xvii. 6), a commentary on Oraḥ Ḥayyim, a division of the Shulhan Aruk, printed at Dyhernfurth, 1720, and republished in most editions of that work. He also left in manuscript Akeret ha-Bayit (The Barren One of the House; compare Psalms
cxiii. 9), a commentary on another division of the Shulḥan Aruk; namely, Ḥoshen Mishpaṭ.
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...
at the beginning of the 17th century. He was descended from the well-known Auerbach-Fischhof family, both his father, Meshullam Solomon, and his maternal grandfather, Rabbi Judah Loeb Rofe, being members of the Vienna Ghetto.
Biography
Auerbach received a Talmudic education, and was a pupil of Yoel Sirkes (ב"ח), of Joshua Höschel ben JosephJoshua Höschel ben Joseph
Joshua Höschel ben Joseph was a Polish rabbi born in Vilnius, Lithuania about 1578 and died in Cracow on August 16, 1648. In his boyhood, he journeyed to Przemyśl, Red Ruthenia, to study the Talmud under Rabbi Samuel ben Phoebus of Cracow. He returned to his native country, and continued his...
of Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, and of Menahem Mendel Krochmal of Nikolsburg
Mikulov
Mikulov is a town in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic with a population of 7,608 . It is located directly on the border with Lower Austria. Mikulov is located at the edge of a hilly area and the three Nové Mlýny reservoirs...
. He married the daughter of Judah Loeb Cohn of Kraków (died 1645), and then settled in Kraków, being at the same time engaged in the banking business with his brother. Later, both returned to Vienna, where Menahem remained after his brother's death in 1666, up to the expulsion of the Jews from Vienna by the emperor Leopold I
Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
| style="float:right;" | Leopold I was a Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary and King of Bohemia. A member of the Habsburg family, he was the second son of Emperor Ferdinand III and his first wife, Maria Anna of Spain. His maternal grandparents were Philip III of Spain and Margaret of Austria...
in 1670. Benjamin Leb (Wolf) Fischhof, probably the youngest of the brothers, was also expelled at the same time, and became rabbi in Nikolsburg.
After the expulsion, Auerbach became rabbi at Rausnitz, 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...
, and in 1673 of Krotoszyn
Krotoszyn
Krotoszyn is a town in central Poland with 30,010 inhabitants . It has been part of the Greater Poland Voivodeship since 1999; it was within Kalisz Voivodeship from 1975 to 1998....
, where for sixteen years and until his death he occupied the double position of rabbi and parnass of the district of Posen. In Krotoszyn he established a yeshibah, which soon became known throughout Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, and to which he devoted much of his time and energy (Eliakim ben Meir, Responsa, § 61). His son Moses was parnass of the district of Posen, one of the leaders of the Synod of Great Poland, and president of the Assembly of Kobylin
Kobylin
Kobylin is a town in Krotoszyn County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland, with 3,018 inhabitants ....
in 1733. Menahem Mendel died at Krotoszyn, Posen, July 8, 1689.
Works
Auerbach was the author of Ateret Zekenim (The Crown of Old Men; compare ProverbsBook of Proverbs
The Book of Proverbs , commonly referred to simply as Proverbs, is a book of the Hebrew Bible.The original Hebrew title of the book of Proverbs is "Míshlê Shlomoh" . When translated into Greek and Latin, the title took on different forms. In the Greek Septuagint the title became "paroimai paroimiae"...
xvii. 6), a commentary on Oraḥ Ḥayyim, a division of the Shulhan Aruk, printed at Dyhernfurth, 1720, and republished in most editions of that work. He also left in manuscript Akeret ha-Bayit (The Barren One of the House; compare Psalms
Psalms
The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
cxiii. 9), a commentary on another division of the Shulḥan Aruk; namely, Ḥoshen Mishpaṭ.
Jewish Encyclopedia bibliography
- Kaufmann, Die Letzte Vertreibung der Juden aus Wien, pp. 172 et seq., Vienna, 1889;
- Haim Nathan DembitzerHaim Nathan DembitzerHaim Nathan Dembitzer was a Polish Galician rabbi and historian.-Biography:His father, Jekuthiel Solomon, a scholarly merchant who claimed he was a descendant of R. Moses Isserles, died in 1833, aged forty-four. On Jun 11, 1841 he married Doba Deutscher...
, Kelilat Yofi, passim, Cracow, 1888; - I. Eisenstadt-S. Wiener, Da'at ḳedoshim, passim, St. Petersburg, 1897-98.