Two pages from the Sefer She’elot u-Teshuvot Batei Kehuna, by the esteemed Rabbi Yitzchak Rappaport, who served as the rabbi of Izmir and later in Jerusalem. Izmir, 1736.
At the bottom of the page, the rare signature of the holy Rabbi Natan, Av Beit Din of Dobromil, during the lifetime of his father, our rabbi and teacher, the holy Rabbi Yaakov Yehoshua, the Av Beit Din and Rosh Yeshiva of Frankfurt am Main author of Pnei Yehoshua ”
Indeed, even in this precious sefer, God has graced me. Nathan, son of my father and teacher, the famous gaon, our teacher Rabbi Yaakov Yehoshua, may he live and be well, Av Beit Din and Rosh Yeshiva of the holy community of Frankfurt am Main."
Indeed, even in this precious sefer, God has graced me. Nathan, son of my father and teacher, the famous gaon, our teacher Rabbi Yaakov Yehoshua, may he live and be well, Av Beit Din and Rosh Yeshiva of the holy community of Frankfurt am Main."
In the middle of the page is the signature of the Holy Gaon Rabbi Aryeh Yehuda Leib Rokeach rabbi of Zbarazh, grandson of the GHoly Masseh Rokeach "
Hakatan Aryeh Yehuda Leib of Brody."
Hakatan Aryeh Yehuda Leib of Brody."
At the bottom of the page is a long and beautiful poetic inscription in his own handwriting, ending with his signature.
"His house is a gathering place for sages, those who seek interpretations, those who understand the times and days. And I, a person of my standing, have taken my place in the vineyard, where the one who tends it walks to the right and left among the finest cedars and valleys. There I found what my soul loves, like delightful delicacies, and everyone who seeks the Lord sits here and finds it if he seeks it with all his heart."
"The insignificant one, trampled underfoot, following the fallen, hidden among the vessels, hakatan Aryeh Yehuda Leib, son of the famous rabbi, our teacher and master Rabbi Moshe, may he live and be well, son of the famous rabbi and pious person, our teacher and master Rabbi Elazar, may his memory be blessed, who was the Av Beit Din of Brody and the holy congregation of Amsterdam, of the Ashkenazi community, leader of the Holy Land, may it be rebuilt and reestablished. Son-in-law of my honorable teacher, my uncle, the famous rabbi and master Rabbi Shalom, may he live and be well, son of the famous rabbi and pious one mentioned above."
"Written in haste and flight on this day, the first day of Tammuz 1742, here in the holy community of Zloczow, may it be safeguarded and protected."
The Holy Gaon Rabbi Natan Falk was born around the year 1704 to his father, the renowned Rabbi Yaakov Yehoshua-the Pnei Yehoshua .Son-in-law of the Gaon Rabbi Moshe Meir HaLevi, Av Beit Din of Dobromil (brother of the sage Rabbi Yitzchak HaLevi of Dukla). When his father-in-law was killed by robbers in 1746, he filled his father-in-law’s position as Av Beit Din there.
We learn a glimpse of his greatness from the eulogy given for him by the holy Rabbi Abish, Av Beit Din of Frankfurt am Main, at length. Here is the essence of his holy words:
"All this was said for the great tragedy upon us, that in our community we had the ‘Ner Yisrael’, the holy and strong light, a sacred hammer, a person complete in Torah, Mishnah, Talmud, and Halachah, as well as Aggadot and Kabbalah. He was the prince of Torah and the great sage of the generation, our holy rabbi, Rabbi Yaakov Yehoshua, Av Beit Din and Rosh Yeshiva in Frankfurt for several years. This individual was born in truth and died in righteousness, as God took him. Surely, when the Ark of God was taken, the main loss and mourning were not just for the absence of his Torah and wisdom, which we lost and which left no replacement. But his righteousness was not mourned, as he left behind a righteous son who toiled in Torah day and night, following in his father’s way to be a complete person in Torah, Mishnah, Talmud, Halachah, Aggadot, and Kabbalah. The great Rabbi Natan, the Av Beit Din of Dobromil, who, as long as the righteous son was alive, it was as if his father the great sage was still alive. Now that his righteous son has also been taken from us, it is as if both of them passed away on the same day, and we have lost the merit of both of them from among us" (This eulogy was published in Shu"t She’erit Nathan, 1897).
The holy Rabbi Natan passed away in 1762. Author of She’erit Nathan (Warsaw, 1897).
Many significant families in Israel descend from him, among them the Admor the Pnei Menachem of Gur.
The Holy sage Rabbi Yehuda Leib Rokach was born to his father, the holy sage Rabbi Moshe Rokach, one of the scholars of the Kloiz in
Brody, later Av Beit Din of Zborov and
Zloczow. Son-in-law of his uncle, the holy Rabbi Shalom, Av Beit Din of Tiktin.
Brody, later Av Beit Din of Zborov and
Zloczow. Son-in-law of his uncle, the holy Rabbi Shalom, Av Beit Din of Tiktin.
At the age of 18, he already served as Av Beit Din of Zborov. In his youth, he proofread the Pnei Yehoshua* on Nashim in Amsterdam
(this was likely how he made his acquaintance with the sage Rabbi Natan, son of the Pnei Yehoshua). Some of his Torah thoughts were printed in Arba’ah Turie Aven by his grandfather, the Maaseh Rokach. (Lemberg, 1789. See the introduction by his brother, the publisher: “and in addition to this, some wonderful discourses by my esteemed elder brother, the famous rabbi, the departed sage, Rabbi Yehuda Leib, may his memory be blessed, who was Av Beit Din in Zbarazh.”)
(this was likely how he made his acquaintance with the sage Rabbi Natan, son of the Pnei Yehoshua). Some of his Torah thoughts were printed in Arba’ah Turie Aven by his grandfather, the Maaseh Rokach. (Lemberg, 1789. See the introduction by his brother, the publisher: “and in addition to this, some wonderful discourses by my esteemed elder brother, the famous rabbi, the departed sage, Rabbi Yehuda Leib, may his memory be blessed, who was Av Beit Din in Zbarazh.”)
Many significant families in Israel descend from him.
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Lot #100