Judah Leib Prossnitz
Encyclopedia
Judah Leib (Löbele) Prossnitz (c.1670-c.1730/1750) was a kabbalist born about the end of the seventeenth century at Brody
, Galicia. He left his native city and went to Prossnitz
, Moravia
, where he married, earning a livelihood by peddling in the neighboring villages. On account of his poverty he occupied a deserted hovel, which was reputed to be haunted.
One night he promised to summon the Shekinah to appear at midnight in a large gathering. Prossnitz stretched across his room a perforated curtain, behind which he had secretly lighted a mixture of alcohol and turpentine. He himself, robed in white, stood behind the curtain, and the light brought out in full relief the gilt letters of the Tetragrammaton
, which he had placed on his breast. The spectators were disposed to believe in a miracle, when someone present, (Jacob Emden
believes it to be the rabbi), pulled down the curtain and exposed the fraud. Prossnitz was excommunicated by the rabbis of Moravia
, among them the "Landrabbiner" David Oppenheim.
In spite of all, Prossnitz found many followers among the Sabbateans. He proclaimed himself the Messiah ben Joseph
, and signed his name "Joseph ben Jacob." He had relations with the Sabbatean Mordecai Eisenstadt and with Jonathan Eybeschütz
, and seems to have been especially influenced by the Sabbatean Nehemiah Hayyun
. Prossnitz wandered from city to city in Austria
and Germany
, where many persons supplied him with funds. In 1725 the excommunication was renewed, whereupon he moved to Hungary
. Emden relates that he died there among non-Jews.
Prossnitz taught that, since the appearance of Shabbatai Zevi, God had entrusted the guidance of the world to him, after whose ascent to heaven the mission passed to Jonathan Eybeschütz
and, finally, to Prossnitz himself.
Brody
Brody is a city in the Lviv Oblast of western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Brody Raion , and is located in the valley of the upper Styr River, approximately 90 kilometres northeast of the oblast capital, Lviv...
, Galicia. He left his native city and went to Prossnitz
Prostejov
Prostějov is a city in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. Today the city is known for its fashion industry and special military forces based there....
, 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...
, where he married, earning a livelihood by peddling in the neighboring villages. On account of his poverty he occupied a deserted hovel, which was reputed to be haunted.
One night he promised to summon the Shekinah to appear at midnight in a large gathering. Prossnitz stretched across his room a perforated curtain, behind which he had secretly lighted a mixture of alcohol and turpentine. He himself, robed in white, stood behind the curtain, and the light brought out in full relief the gilt letters of the Tetragrammaton
Tetragrammaton
The term Tetragrammaton refers to the name of the God of Israel YHWH used in the Hebrew Bible.-Hebrew Bible:...
, which he had placed on his breast. The spectators were disposed to believe in a miracle, when someone present, (Jacob Emden
Jacob Emden
Jacob Emden also known as Ya'avetz, , was a leading German rabbi and talmudist who championed Orthodox Judaism in the face of the growing influence of the Sabbatean movement...
believes it to be the rabbi), pulled down the curtain and exposed the fraud. Prossnitz was excommunicated by the rabbis of 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...
, among them the "Landrabbiner" David Oppenheim.
In spite of all, Prossnitz found many followers among the Sabbateans. He proclaimed himself the Messiah ben Joseph
Messiah ben Joseph
Messiah ben Joseph , also alternatively known as Messiah ben Ephraim , is a Messianic figure peculiar to the rabbinical apocalyptic literature. One of the earliest known mentions of him is in , where three statements occur in regard to him, for the first of which Rabbi Dosa is given as authority...
, and signed his name "Joseph ben Jacob." He had relations with the Sabbatean Mordecai Eisenstadt and with Jonathan Eybeschütz
Jonathan Eybeschutz
Jonathan Eybeschutz , was a Talmudist, Halachist, Kabbalist, holding positions as Dayan of Prague, and later as Rabbi of the "Three Communities": Altona, Hamburg and Wandsbek. With Jacob Emden, he is well known as a protagonist in the Emden-Eybeschütz Controversy.-Biography:Eybeschütz's father was...
, and seems to have been especially influenced by the Sabbatean Nehemiah Hayyun
Nehemiah Hayyun
Nehemiah Hiyya ben Moses Hayyun was a kabalist from Bosnia. His parents, of Sephardic descent, lived in Sarajevo, Bosnia, where probably he was born, although in later life he pretended that he was a Palestinian emissary born in Safed. He received his Talmudic education in Hebron.-Excommunicated...
. Prossnitz wandered from city to city in 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...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, where many persons supplied him with funds. In 1725 the excommunication was renewed, whereupon he moved to 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...
. Emden relates that he died there among non-Jews.
Prossnitz taught that, since the appearance of Shabbatai Zevi, God had entrusted the guidance of the world to him, after whose ascent to heaven the mission passed to Jonathan Eybeschütz
Jonathan Eybeschutz
Jonathan Eybeschutz , was a Talmudist, Halachist, Kabbalist, holding positions as Dayan of Prague, and later as Rabbi of the "Three Communities": Altona, Hamburg and Wandsbek. With Jacob Emden, he is well known as a protagonist in the Emden-Eybeschütz Controversy.-Biography:Eybeschütz's father was...
and, finally, to Prossnitz himself.
Jewish Encyclopedia bibliography
- Grätz, Gesch. x. 349, 364 et seq., 387;
- Jacob Emden, Torat ha-kena'ot, pp. 71, 72, Lemberg, 1870;
- Kohn (Kahana), Eben ha-To'im, Vienna, 1873;
- Moses Hagiz, Lehishat Saraf (reprinted in Emden, Torat ha-kena'ot), pp. 81, 85.