Akiva Eger

Akiva Eiger (, also spelled Eger; , ), or Akiva Güns (8 November 1761 – 12 October 1837) was a Talmudic scholar, halakhic decisor and leader of European Jewry during the early 19th century.

Eiger is considered one of the greatest Talmudic scholars of modern times and among the most prominent. His name has become synonymous with Talmudic genius in Jewish scholarly culture, and his Torah is studied in the Batei Midrash of contemporary yeshivas. His methods of study and the logic he applied remain relevant today, unlike other Aharonim who tended towards Pilpul. In addition to his significant influence on the study of the Talmud and the works of the Rishonim, Akiva Eiger had a decisive impact in the field of halakha. His glosses printed on the margins of the Shulchan Aruch, as well as his responsa in his Shut works, are foundational elements in the world of daily halachic ruling and the realm of Dayanut.

At the beginning of his career, he avoided taking on a rabbinical position involving halachic rulings but did not refrain from serving as a rosh yeshiva. Later, he served for 24 years as the rabbi of the town of Markisch-Friedland. His main public activity began when, after the efforts of his famous son-in-law, the Chatam Sofer, he was elected as the rabbi of the Polish district city of Posen, a position he held for 23 years, until his death.

Biography

His youth

Akiva Eiger was born on 1 Cheshvan 5522 (October 29, 1761). in Eisenstadt. located in western Habsburg Kingdom of Hungary (now in Burgenland, Austria), one of the " Seven Communities." His brit milah is recorded in the circumcision register of the mohel Binyamin Wolf Tevin, a leader of the Pressburg community, and it was performed on 9 Cheshvan, not on time. He was the eldest son of Moshe Ginz and Gittel Eiger.

His mother, Gittel, whom her brother described as "righteous and learned like a man", was the daughter of Akiva Eiger of Halberstadt, author of the book ''Mishnat DeRabbi Akiva'', rabbi of Zülz and Pressburg, considered one of the great rabbis of German Jewry and of the Holy Roman Empire. Eiger of Halberstadt at age 39, and his daughter Gittel chose to name her eldest son after him, Akiva. Akiva Eiger always signed his letters: "Akiva Ginz of AS" (Eisenstadt), like his father, but on official documents, he signed "Yaakov Moshe Eiger," where the name "Yaakov" is an anagram of "Akiva," and "Moshe" represents his father's name. Later, during his lifetime, the family adopted the mother's surname "Eiger" as it was considered genealogically more prestigious. His father, Moshe Ginz, was the son of Shmuel Schlesinger and Sarah, the daughter of Moshe Broda, and the granddaughter of Avraham Broda, rabbi of Prague and Frankfurt.

As a child, he was recognized for his quick comprehension and phenomenal memory, and his parents directed him to study Talmud at a very young age. His name began to spread among scholars in the area when, at just six or seven years old, he solved a difficult Talmudic sugya that had stumped the greatest minds at the Breslau yeshiva for a long time without resolution. The question was sent to his father by his uncle, Rosh Yeshiva Binyamin Wolf Eiger, who later became the rabbi of Zülz and Leipnik (Lipnik). The solution proposed by the young Eiger earned him the reputation of a child prodigy and sparked curiosity. Many sought to meet him and witness his abilities firsthand. At the age of seven, his father sent him to Mattersdorf to study under the local rabbi, Natan Nata Frankfurter. When he turned 12, he returned to Eisenstadt, where he primarily studied with his father and the city's new rabbi, Asher Lemmel from Glogau (Głogów) in Silesia, Prussia (today in Poland).

Over the years, after his uncle (his mother's brother) recognized his level of Torah knowledge, he persuaded his parents to send him for advanced studies at his yeshiva in Breslau. Due to his age, his parents preferred to keep him close to home, so he was briefly sent to the nearby Hungarian city of Mattersdorf, to the local rabbi's yeshiva, where he strengthened his knowledge and confidence. At age 12 (5533, 1773), he traveled to Breslau and became the close student of his uncle, Wolf Eiger, who even designated him as his successor should he be absent. In this yeshiva, he met Yeshaya Pick Berlin, who later became the rabbi of Breslau and was known for his glosses on the Babylonian Talmud printed as additions to the ''Masoret HaShas'' on the pages of Vilna Shas.

The Lissa period

In the summer of 1781, when he was about 20 years old, he married Glickl, the 18-year-old daughter (born 1763) of the wealthy Yitzchak (Itzik) Margolis of Lissa. The wedding took place in Lissa. According to their prior agreement, Akiva Eiger settled in Lissa. His father-in-law provided him with a large, well-furnished house, including a rich library, and also supported him financially so that he could devote himself to Torah study. During his time in Lissa, he befriended Yehuda Neuburg, the rabbi of Ravicz ( Rawitsch), son-in-law of Meir Posner, author of the "Beit Meir," who later corresponded with Eiger. David Tevel ben Natan Neta of Lissa also included him in his rabbinical court during his stay in the city.

In Lissa, Akiva Eiger and Glickl had their first three children:
# Avraham (late 1781–1853): Avraham Eiger, Akiva Eiger's eldest son, later married a woman from Ravicz (Rawitsch) near Posen (Poznań) and settled there. He eventually became the rabbi of Rogozin. He spent much time editing and preparing his father's works for print. He died on 1 Kislev 5614 (1853) and was buried in Posen.
# Shlomo (1787–1852): Shlomo Eiger, later the rabbi of Kalisz, who succeeded his father as the rabbi of Posen.
# Sheindel (1788–?): She later married Moshe Heinrich Davidson of Bromberg.

While still in Lissa, Akiva Eiger established a yeshiva in the house provided by his father-in-law, and students began gathering around him, some of whom later became rabbis themselves and maintained correspondence with their teacher. This arrangement continued until the winter of 1789–1790 (5550). In the middle of Shevat 5550, Akiva Eiger's father died, and he mourned deeply. That summer a fire broke out, destroying most of the Jewish homes in Lissa, including the properties of his father-in-law Itzik Margolis, who was left destitute with his extended family. The yeshiva students dispersed, and Akiva Eiger was forced to move to the nearby city of Ravicz, where he was appointed as a dayan (rabbinical judge). His economic situation in Ravicz worsened daily, and the small Jewish community could not afford the salaries for its religious leaders.

The Markisch-Friedland period

Initially, Akiva Eiger was reluctant to accept a rabbinical position, preferring to be a rosh yeshiva and teach students, relying on a living stipend provided by local Jewish benefactors. However, financial difficulties eventually forced him to take on a rabbinical position. In 1791, after the great fire in Lissa and the ensuing economic crisis, as well as the loss of his father-in-law's fortune, and following a trial period in the city of Ravicz, Akiva Eiger was appointed, through the intervention of his father-in-law and friends, to serve as the rabbi of Markisch-Friedland in West Prussia, a position he held for 24 years, beginning on 18 Adar I 5551.

Immediately upon his arrival in Markisch-Friedland, he established a yeshiva and began gathering many students, including those from his previous yeshiva in Lissa. As was customary at the time, the local Jewish community funded the rabbi's yeshiva and its students, in addition to his regular salary. The community board's protocol in Markisch-Friedland, detailing the new rabbi's salary terms, dated 8 Adar I 5551 (1791), has been preserved. In this agreement, under the title, his monthly salary is detailed in the local currency ( Reichstaler), including special pay for his sermons on Shabbat Shuva and Shabbat HaGadol, Kimcha D'Pischa (Passover flour), Four Cups, Etrog and Lulav, free accommodation in the rabbi's residence, notary fees for certifying marriages and inheritance agreements. The agreement also specified the occasions on which the rabbi was entitled to be called to the Torah and to read the Haftarah. Additionally, it stipulated that the rabbi would serve as the Sandak (godfather) at the first brit milah (circumcision) conducted each month in the community. The initial salary was modest, and Akiva Eiger, who saw that it was insufficient to support his family, suspected that the community leaders assumed he had savings from the dowry he received from his wealthy father-in-law. However, as he did not have such funds, he approached the community board to request a raise, emphasizing that he only wished to receive the minimum necessary for his subsistence:

During the early period of his tenure in Markisch-Friedland, his fourth child, Sharl (Sarah), was born. She was married in her first match to Avraham Moshe Kalischer, the rabbi of Schneidermuhl, the son of Yehuda Leib Kalischer of Lissa, author of the "Yad HaChazakah." His daughter Tzipora, born in Markisch-Friedland, died in her youth.

During the Markisch-Friedland period, Akiva Eiger established his first students. His innovations on the Talmud and his annotations on the Mishnah and Shulchan Aruch were mostly written there. Akiva Eiger began responding to halachic queries from across Europe and became known as one of the greatest halachic respondents of his generation. His responsa from this period are addressed to the rabbis of major communities in Italy, Germany, Moravia, Poland, and Russia. Even the local authorities entrusted him with decisions concerning Jewish life.

In addition to issuing halachic rulings, studying, and spreading Torah, Akiva Eiger was involved in all public needs in his city, especially those of the disadvantaged. He served as a member of the board of directors in all charity organizations in the city and even founded specific charitable organizations for neglected areas until his arrival. At his initiative, the city established the "Holy Society for Wood Distribution," a charitable fund aimed at ensuring a steady supply of firewood to heat the homes of the poor during the harsh winter.

The death of his first wife

On 12 Adar I 5556 (1796), two months after they walked their daughter to her wedding canopy, his first wife, Glickl, died. Akiva Eiger mourned her deeply, as he describes in a letter from that time: He attributed the stomach ailment he suffered from at this time, which stayed with him for the rest of his life, to the grief he felt during this period. To his friends who sought to console him and quickly proposed a new match immediately after the mourning period ended, he responded with a bitter letter revealing the depth of their love: Akiva Eiger saw her not only as a wife and mother to his children but also as his partner in all matters of service to God and Yirat Shamayim (Fear of Heaven), with whom he often consulted:

Shortly before his wife's death, Akiva Eiger received an offer to assume the rabbinic position in Leipnik after the previous rabbi, Benjamin Wolf Eiger, Akiva Eiger's uncle and mentor, died, leaving the position vacant. The offer remained open until after his second marriage, but ultimately, it did not materialize.

Following his wife's death, Akiva Eiger contemplated resigning from his rabbinical post: This thought did not come to fruition.

Second marriage

After the intervention of his friends and some of the dayanim (judges) of Lissa, Akiva Eiger remarried at the end of the year, in a second match, to his niece Breindel, the daughter of his brother-in-law, also a son-in-law of Itzik Margolis, Yehoshua HaLevi Feibelman, who served as a dayan in Lissa and later as the Av Beit Din in Samter. Despite the age difference and Akiva Eiger's concerns about entrusting the upbringing of his children to his young niece, he preferred this match as it brought comfort to his grieving father-in-law. To his brother-in-law, his new father-in-law, he wrote immediately after the wedding about how his children from his previous marriage saw her as their mother in every way and praised her performance:

In 1801 (5561), their first son was born. Akiva Eiger named him ''Moshe'' after his father, who had died about a decade earlier.

In 1802 (5562), after the death of Meshulam Igra, the rabbinic seat of Pressburg became vacant, and Akiva Eiger was among the leading candidates proposed by the local community board, but ultimately, Moshe Sofer (the "Chasam Sofer"), who later became Akiva Eiger's son-in-law, was appointed.

In 1805 (5565), Akiva Eiger's fourth son was born and named after his uncle and mentor, Benjamin Wolf, the rabbi of Leipnik. Benjamin Wolf Eiger (the second) was a learned Torah scholar and resided in Berlin. In 1806 (5566), his daughter Hadassah was born; she later married Meir Aryeh Leib HaKohen Rosens of Brody, and after her death (before 1837), he married her younger sister, Beila. In 1807 (5567), his son Feibelman was born but died the following year. Another daughter born to him in Markisch-Friedland was Rodish, wife of Wolf Schiff of Wolnstein (d. 1849).''The Eger Family'', Tree G.

In the summer of 1810 (5570), Akiva Eiger was offered to leave Markisch-Friedland for the rabbinic position of his hometown, Eisenstadt. A rabbinic contract was sent to him, where the community leaders, aware of the salary issues in the poor community Akiva Eiger was serving, offered generous terms, including appointing two individuals to oversee the rabbi's livelihood. Akiva Eiger had already given his consent in principle. However, his friends, the rabbis of the cities Lissa, Berlin, and Rawitsch, prevented him from taking the position, and the appointment did not materialize.

In the summer of 1811 (5571), Akiva Eiger's mother died in Eisenstadt. Later that year, a daughter was born to him, named Gitel after his mother. She later married Shmuel Kornfeld. A year later (1812), his young son-in-law, Avraham Moshe Kalischer, who was then the rabbi of Schneidermuhl, died, leaving Akiva Eiger's daughter, Sherel, aged 22, with their two daughters: Glickl (who died in childhood) and Radish (wife of Yosef Gins).

Akiva Eiger urgently wrote about her in a letter to Moshe Sofer, the rabbi of Pressburg, asking if he knew of a suitable widower in his community for his daughter. Sofer, who had recently been widowed from his first wife, forwarded the letter to his close associate, Daniel Proshtitz, who then wrote to Akiva Eiger, suggesting he match his daughter with the rabbi of Pressburg. At the same time, Bunim Eiger, Akiva Eiger's brother and the rabbi of Mattersdorf, reached out to Sofer, his friend, and to his brother, Akiva Eiger, supporting the match idea. The wedding took place in early winter of 1813 in Eisenstadt.

Akiva Eiger's friendship with Sofer began even before they became family through marriage, as they exchanged letters on halachic and communal matters. The age gap between them was less than a year: Akiva Eiger was born in October 1761, while Sofer was born in September 1762. A popular legend highlights the sensitivity of Akiva Eiger towards others’ feelings, portraying his character as compassionate. This story takes place during a meeting between Akiva Eiger and two other Torah giants of his generation: Sofer and Yaakov Lorberbaum of Lissa, author of "Netivot HaMishpat." The legend, while elevating Akiva Eiger's status as a wonder worker, also shows the near-blind reverence people held for him: During this meeting, the two rabbis visited Akiva Eiger's home. Pleased with their visit, Akiva Eiger invited them to dine with him and assigned one of his yeshiva students to serve the meal. During the meal, the rabbi of Lissa shared a complex discussion involving several Talmudic topics. When he finished, Akiva Eiger asked his son-in-law for his opinion, and Sofer expressed, at length, his view that the rabbi of Lissa's argument was untenable. Sensing that the rabbi of Lissa was displeased with the turn of events, Akiva Eiger, in his sensitivity, asked the student serving as a waiter for his opinion on the dispute between the two rabbis. To everyone's surprise, the student declared that the rabbi of Lissa was correct, outlining the points of disagreement, refuting Sofer's position, and proving the truth of the Lissa rabbi's argument. According to the legend, the Chasam Sofer later remarked that the student's arguments were beyond his Torah knowledge and that it was unlikely he could have followed the discussion while serving the meal.Yosef Reuven Zlotofler, ''Zchuyot Yosef'', Rishon LeZion 5736, Vol. 3, p. 154, Section 121. This legend also appears in other early sources. However:

Immediately after his wedding, the Chasam Sofer began searching for a rabbinic position for his father-in-law in a major city befitting his stature and standing in the Jewish community. One proposal was for the rabbinate of Trešt (Třešť), Moravia. For an unknown reason, Akiva Eiger was not chosen for the position, and the community of Trešt decided to appoint Elazar Löw, author of "Shemen Rokeach."

Rabbinic position in Posen

In 1812, Jews of Prussia received formal emancipation. The process of secularization that followed the "Age of Enlightenment" was felt more strongly in smaller towns, and the 51-year-old Akiva Eiger began to question his influence over the local Jewish community, particularly the youth. He started reconsidering the idea of stepping down from the rabbinate altogether and became more open to rabbinic offers from other communities where his Torah abilities could be more effectively used. In the following years, negotiations took place with several cities regarding his tenure.

The offer of the Posen Rabbinate

In the month of Adar 5574 (1814), Akiva Eiger was offered the rabbinic position of the large city of Posen, then under Prussian control (in German: Posen; in Polish: Poznań; now in Poland, capital of the Greater Poland region, Wielkopolska). The last rabbi of Posen had died seven years earlier, in 1807, and the community had been without a spiritual leader. Disputes within the community leadership, mainly of a religious nature, had emerged, with liberal and Haskalah members wanting to appoint a more progressive rabbi. However, they faced opposition from the religious officials and others who did not want to forgo appointing a rabbi of well-known Torah stature, believing such a choice would honor the community. In the winter of 1814, an opportunity arose for the appointment following a coalition of relatively conservative factions within the community. In a meeting held at the home of Yosef Landsberg, the head of the yeshiva in Posen, it was decided to appoint Akiva Eiger of Markisch-Friedland. One opinion suggests that the debate surrounding the appointment of Posen's rabbi was primarily fueled by the political-national tensions in the region. Posen, historically Polish, had been under Prussian control since 1795. Some believed this was temporary and preferred appointing a Polish-born rabbi who could interact effectively with the authorities, while others assumed Prussian rule would persist (as it did) and therefore preferred a German-born rabbi for the same reason. According to this view, Akiva Eiger's appointment was a compromise.

Delegates from the community board came to Akiva Eiger's home, but he hesitated and refused to immediately take on a responsible position in a large city like Posen. In his letter to the community board, he requested time to decide and promised to respond either positively or negatively before Passover. Meanwhile, news of the proposed appointment spread in Posen, causing unrest among some Jews in the city who argued that the appointment of an "old-fashioned" rabbi like Akiva Eiger was unsuitable for a progressive community like Posen's. Twenty-two community members lodged a complaint with the local governor, Zbroni di Sposeti, arguing that Posen needed only a preacher who would focus on ethics and moral rectification. The community board tried to defend itself by claiming that since the election process was legitimate, the rest was a private matter of the Jewish community. However, to no avail; the authorities enforced new elections.

Rabbinic offers from smaller towns due to the political struggle in Posen

Even as it became public knowledge that the important and leading community of Posen, the most significant in Western Poland annexed to Prussia (since 1793), had chosen Akiva Eiger as its rabbi, the delay in the appointment led Akiva Eiger to receive offers from smaller communities, such as the community of Wilen. This caused discontent among the local community in Markisch-Friedland, which could have accepted the rabbi's move to a more prestigious position—a common career path for rabbis at that time—but not a move to an equivalent community. At the beginning of the month of Shevat 5575 (1815), several Jews of Markisch-Friedland approached Akiva Eiger on the matter, and he replied:

As the delays continued in Posen and the knowledge that Akiva Eiger had grown tired of his long tenure in Markisch-Friedland spread, the community of Kornik, a small community of about 1,000 Jews in a small town of approximately 3,000 residents, tried its luck and sent Akiva Eiger its own "rabbinic contract" on the 18th of Shevat 5575.HebrewBooks, Nadav, "The Rabbinic Contract of the Kornik Community to Rabbi Akiva Eger", 1981, p. 172–180 It is possible that the Kornik community board assumed that Akiva Eiger had become tired of Markisch-Friedland's rabbinate but was not yet ready for a large rabbinate like Posen. The financial conditions offered in the Kornik contract were more generous than those in Posen. Akiva Eiger ultimately declined Kornik's offer for unknown reasons and accepted Posen's offer in the spring, despite the ongoing internal dispute within Posen.

Compromise agreement and acceptance of the Posen Rabbinate

In the summer of 1815 (5575), as preparations for new elections for the rabbinate in Jewish Posen were underway, negotiations took place among the conflicting factions within the community. Ultimately, in a meeting attended by all parties and mediated by Yaakov Lorberbaum of Lissa, who came as an agreed-upon arbitrator, even those who had initially opposed Akiva Eiger's appointment agreed to it.

Thus, Akiva Eiger's appointment was delayed until the month of Elul 5575. In the rabbinic contract sent to Akiva Eiger in this month, it was written:

In the year 5578 (1818), his son Shmuel was born; he later resided in Minsk after his marriage. In 5581 (1820 or 1821), his son Simcha Bunim Eiger of Breslau (who died in 5628, 1868) was born. A scholar who spent his last twenty years in Brezan, Galicia, his father's book "K'tav Ve'Hotam" was printed from his manuscripts. In 5582 (1822), his daughter Beila was born. After the death of her older sister Hadassah, she married her brother-in-law Meir Aryeh Leib HaCohen Rosenz from Brody. Two years later, in 5584, his son David Eiger of Breslau was born. In 5587 (1827), his daughter Yitta was born (she died in 5641, 1881); she married Shimon Berliner. Other daughters born to him in Posen include: Freida (Freidke) (who died on the first day of Passover 5637), wife of Simcha Ephraim Fishel Gertshtein (Gradstein) of Lublin, who was also the brother-in-law of Akiva Eiger's grandson Leibele Eiger. And Rivka Rachel (?–5649, 1889), wife of Chaim Shmuel Birnbaum of Dubno, author of the books "Rachash Levav" and "Maaseh Chashav".

Even in Posen, he simultaneously served as the head of the yeshiva while holding the rabbinate. His tenure in Posen lasted approximately 23 years until his death.

His daily schedule

During his twenty-three years in Posen, he maintained a strict and fixed daily schedule: he woke up at 4:00 AM, studied Mishnah until 6:00 am, and then delivered a one-hour lesson to a group of laymen at the synagogue before the morning prayer, which he allotted an hour for. Between 8:00 and 9:00 am, he ate breakfast at home with his family; his meal always consisted of one cup of coffee without sugar. After breakfast, he studied Tanakh