Yitzhak HaLevi ben Mordechai Raitzes
Encyclopedia
Yitzhak HaLevi ben Mordechai Raitzes (circa 1730 Lviv
– June 14, 1799 Kraków
) was a Polish
rabbi
.
in Lviv, who was the son of Yehoshua (Joshua) Raitzes (Reizes) who was martyred in Lviv on 13 May 1728. He married Sara Leah Lowenstamm, the daughter of Aryeh Leib ben Saul
, the Rabbi of Amsterdam
, and the granddaughter of Tzvi Ashkenazi
, the Chacham Tzvi. Halevi's first rabbinical position was Av Bais Din of Leshnev a small town in the Brodivskyi Raion
, Lviv Oblast
in the Ukraine
. From 1769 to 1778 he was the Av Bais Din of Chełm. In 1778 (or 1776) he became the Rabbi of Kraków, a position that he held until his death on 14 June 1799.
, while his other son Tzvi Hersch David Levin held the post as the Rabbi of Szczebrzeszyn
before moving to Kraków to help his father in the rabbinate of Kraków. From 1799 to 1816 he held the post of acting Rabbi of Kraków, and became the Rabbi of Kraków in 1816 (the Rabbi appointed in 1800 stayed in his position for a week before leaving for Warsaw
, thus leaving Kraków without an official Rabbi until 1816,) a position held until his death on 18 December 1831.
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
– June 14, 1799 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...
) was a Polish
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...
rabbi
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...
.
Biographical information
Yitzhak HaLevi was born circa 1730 in Lviv to Mordechai Halevi Raitzes the Rosh MesivtaRosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva, , , is the title given to the dean of a Talmudical academy . It is made up of the Hebrew words rosh — meaning head, and yeshiva — a school of religious Jewish education...
in Lviv, who was the son of Yehoshua (Joshua) Raitzes (Reizes) who was martyred in Lviv on 13 May 1728. He married Sara Leah Lowenstamm, the daughter of Aryeh Leib ben Saul
Aryeh Leib ben Saul
Aryeh Leib ben Saul Lowenstam was a Polish rabbi.-Life:Aryeh Leib came of a famous family of rabbis. His father Saul had been rabbi of Cracow from 1700 to 1704, his grandfather was Rabbi Hoeschl of Cracow...
, the Rabbi of Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, and the granddaughter of Tzvi Ashkenazi
Tzvi Ashkenazi
Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch ben Yaakov Ashkenazi , known as the Chacham Tzvi , for some time rabbi of Amsterdam, was a resolute opponent of the followers of the false messiah, Sabbatai Zevi. He had a chequered career, owing to his independence of character...
, the Chacham Tzvi. Halevi's first rabbinical position was Av Bais Din of Leshnev a small town in the Brodivskyi Raion
Brodivskyi Raion
Brody Raion is a raion of the Lviv Oblast of western Ukraine. Its administrative center is Brody. It has a population of 23,239....
, Lviv Oblast
Lviv Oblast
Lviv Oblast is an oblast in western Ukraine. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Lviv.-History:The oblast was created as part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic on December 4, 1939...
in the Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. From 1769 to 1778 he was the Av Bais Din of Chełm. In 1778 (or 1776) he became the Rabbi of Kraków, a position that he held until his death on 14 June 1799.
Descendants
One of his sons Mordechai Halevi was the Rabbi of TykocinTykocin
Tykocin is an old, smaller size town in north-eastern Poland, with 1,800 inhabitants , located on the Narew river. Tykocin has been situated in the Podlaskie Voivodeship since 1999. Previously, it belonged to Białystok Voivodeship...
, while his other son Tzvi Hersch David Levin held the post as the Rabbi of Szczebrzeszyn
Szczebrzeszyn
Szczebrzeszyn is a city in southeastern Poland in Lublin Voivodeship, in Zamość County, about 20 km west of Zamość. From 1975–1999, it was part of the Zamość Voivodeship administrative district. The town serves as the seat to Gmina Szczebrzeszyn. A 2004 census counted 5,357 inhabitants...
before moving to Kraków to help his father in the rabbinate of Kraków. From 1799 to 1816 he held the post of acting Rabbi of Kraków, and became the Rabbi of Kraków in 1816 (the Rabbi appointed in 1800 stayed in his position for a week before leaving for Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, thus leaving Kraków without an official Rabbi until 1816,) a position held until his death on 18 December 1831.