Jacob ben Joseph Reischer (Bechofen) (1661–1733) was a
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...
n-
Austria
Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
n
rabbi
A rabbi (; ) is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi—known as ''semikha''—following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of t ...
and
halakhist
''Halakha'' ( ; , ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws that are derived from the Written and Oral Torah. ''Halakha'' is based on biblical commandments ('' mit ...
.
Biography
Jacob Reischer was born in Prague. He was the son of Rabbi Joseph Reischer, author of ''Giv'ot 'Olam,'' and a pupil of R. Simon Spira of Prague. Reischer married Spira's granddaughter, the daughter of his son Benjamin Wolf.
Rabbinic career
Reischer was ''
dayyan'' at Prague, whence he was called to the rabbinate of
Rzeszów
Rzeszów ( , ) is the largest city in southeastern Poland. It is located on both sides of the Wisłok River in the heartland of the Sandomierz Basin. Rzeszów is the capital of the Subcarpathian Voivodeship and the county seat, seat of Rzeszów C ...
in
Galicia, deriving his name Reischer from that city, which is known as Reische among the
Jews
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
. He was subsequently called to the rabbinate of
Ansbach
Ansbach ( , ; ) is a city in the Germany, German state of Bavaria. It is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk, administrative region of Mittelfranken, Middle Franconia. Ansbach is southwest of Nuremberg and north of Munich, on the river Fränk ...
, and then occupied a similar position at
Worms
The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) is a taxonomic database that aims to provide an authoritative and comprehensive catalogue and list of names of marine organisms.
Content
The content of the registry is edited and maintained by scien ...
, from 1713 to 1716, when he went to
Metz
Metz ( , , , then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle (river), Moselle and the Seille (Moselle), Seille rivers. Metz is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Moselle (department), Moselle Departments ...
, officiating there until his death in February 1733. He is buried in the Jewish cemetery in Metz.
Published works
* ''Minḥat Ya'aḳov'' (Prague, 1689 et seq.), commentary on the ''Torat ha-Ḥaṭṭat'' of
Moses Isserles
Moses Isserles (; ; 22 February 1530 / 25 Adar I 5290 – 11 May 1572 / 18 Iyar 5332), also known by the acronym Rema, was an eminent Polish Ashkenazi rabbi, talmudist, and '' posek'' (expert in Jewish law). He is considered the "Maimonides o ...
, with many refutations and amplifications
* ''Torat ha-Shelamim,'' commentary on the ''Yoreh De'ah'', Hilkot "Niddah", and on the ''Ḳonṭres ha-Sefeḳot'' of
Shabbethai ha-Kohen, with an appendix containing eighteen ''
responsa
''Responsa'' (plural of Latin , 'answer') comprise a body of written decisions and rulings given by legal scholars in response to questions addressed to them. In the modern era, the term is used to describe decisions and rulings made by scholars i ...
'' on various subjects (printed as the second part of the ''Minḥat Ya'aḳob,'' ib. 1689 et seq.)
* ''Ḥoḳ Ya'aḳov,'' commentary on ''Oraḥ Ḥayyim'', Hilkot "Pesaḥ", first printed with the ''
Shulhan Aruk
The ''Shulhan Arukh'' ( ),, often called "the Code of Jewish Law", is the most widely consulted of the various legal codes in Rabbinic Judaism. It was authored in the city of Safed in what is now Israel by Joseph Karo in 1563 and published in Ven ...
'', ''Oraḥ Ḥayyim'' (Dessau, 1696)
* ''Solet le-Minḥah,'' supplements to the ''Minḥat Ya'aḳov'' and the ''Torat ha-Shelamim,'' first printed with the ''Ḥoḳ Ya'aḳov'' (ib. 1696)
* ''Iyyun Ya'aḳov'' (Wilmersdorf, 1729), commentary on the ''En Ya'aḳov''
* ''Shevut Ya'aḳov,'' ''responsa'' and decisions in three parts
# (Halle, 1709), with the appendix ''Pe'er Ya'aḳov,'' containing ''