Israel ben Josef

Israel (Isserl) ben Josef (around 1500 – 1568) was a wealthy Jewish merchant, banker,[1] and Talmudist[2] who settled in Kraków in 1519, following the expulsion of the Jews from the German city of Regensburg. Israel ben Josef was the grandson of Moses Auerbach, a court Jew to the bishop of Regensburg. According to The Lurie Legacy: The House of Davidic Royal Descent by Neil Rosenstein, ben Josef and his wife had a total of four sons, including Moses Isserles, and three daughters. Among his descendants are figures as important as Karl Marx[3] or Sigmund Freud.[4]

Rabbi
Israel ben Josef
ישראל בן יוסף
Personal
Bornc. 1490s–1500
Regensberg, Holy Roman Empire
Died18 February 1568
Kraków, Kingdom of Poland
ReligionJudaism
SpouseDinah Malka Schrentzel
ChildrenEliyahu
Yitzhak
Joseph
Kendel
Moses
Miriam Beila
Eliezer
Sheindel
Parent(s)Yosef ben Chaim
Gittel Auerbach
OccupationMerchant, banker, Talmudist, Head of the Community, Rabbi of Krakow

According to popular tradition, he was the founder of the Remah Synagogue, built in 1553 on land owned by him.[1] According to The Jewish Encyclopedia,[2] it may be concluded from the terms which his son applies to him in his preface to "Meḥir Yayin"[5] that he was the chief of the community.

Remah Synagogue
Main article: Remah Synagogue

According to one popular tradition, Israel founded the synagogue in honor of his son Moses, who already in his youth was famed for his erudition. However, the Hebrew inscription of the foundation tablet reads: "Husband, R. Israel, son of Josef of blessed memory, bound in strength, to the glory of the Eternal One, and of his wife Malka, daughter of Eleazar, let her soul be received among the living, built this synagogue, the house of the Lord, from her bequest. Lord restore the treasure of Israel", implying that the synagogue was built in memory of Israel's wife, Malka (died 1552).[1]

Legend

Israel was careful to never engage in business on Fridays after midday. According to legend, it was in this merit that he was awarded from Heaven to have such an illustrious son.[6]

References
  1. "The Remuh Synagogue of Krakow, Poland". Retrieved Dec 20, 2020.
  2. Public Domain Singer, Isidore; et al., eds. (1904). "ISSERLES, MOSES BEN ISRAEL (ReMA)". The Jewish Encyclopedia. Vol. 6. New York: Funk & Wagnalls. p. 678. Retrieved Dec 21, 2020.
  3. "Ancestor Report for Karl Marx". www.geni.com. Retrieved 2023-08-05.(subscription required)
  4. "Ancestor Report for Sigmund Freud". www.geni.com. Retrieved 2023-08-05.(subscription required)
  5. Moses Isserles (1711). הקדמה [Preface]. Meḥir Yayin מחיר יין (in Hebrew). Hamburg. p. 2. Retrieved Dec 21, 2020.
  6. שבת שלום. רחמי האב (in Hebrew). London. 1960. p. 22. Retrieved Dec 21, 2020.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.