Moses Samson Bacharach (1607 – April 19, 1670) was a rabbi and the son of

Samuel Samuel is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transition from the biblical judges to the United Kingdom of Israel under Saul, and again in the monarchy's transition from Saul to David. He is venera ...

and Eva Bacharach. He was born in South Moravia, Czech Republic. After the death of his father his mother took him to

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

, where he was educated by his maternal uncle, Ḥayyim ha-Kohen. In 1627 he married Dobrusch, a daughter of Isaac ben Phœbus, of Ungarisch-Brod,

Moravia Moravia ( ; ) is a historical region in the eastern Czech Republic, roughly encompassing its territory within the Danube River's drainage basin. It is one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia. The medieval and early ...

, where he lived supported by his wealthy father-in-law. The

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...

brought about the ruin of his father-in-law's business, and Samson was compelled to accept a rabbinical position in Göding, Moravia, in 1629. In 1635 he became rabbi of Leipnik, Moravia, and remained there until the capture of the city by the Swedish army in 1643 scattered the congregation and forced him to return to Prague. Here he was made preacher, but during the siege of the city in 1648 found himself compelled to retreat to the country for safety. Returning after the war, he remained in Prague until 1650, when he was called to the rabbinate of

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 ...

, which position he occupied up to the time of his death. After the death of his wife in 1662 he married Feige in 1664, the widow of Moses ha-Kohen Nerol, rabbi of

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 ...

, who died in 1659 and the mother of the famous jewish physician Tobias Cohn. He left one son, Jair Ḥayyim Bacharach, and four daughters. Of his literary works there exist a number of

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 ...

published in his son's ''Ḥuṭ ha-Shani'', Frankfurt, 1679, and also some religious poems. His commentary on R. Asher's Halakot is lost.

References

External links

* ** Kaufmann, ''Bacharach und Seine Ahnen'', pp. 23 et seq.; ** Eisenstadt-Wiener, ''Da'at Ḳedoshim'', pp. 218 et seq.L. G {{DEFAULTSORT:Bacharach, Moses 17th-century rabbis from Bohemia 17th-century German rabbis 1607 births 1670 deaths Rabbis from Prague Rabbis from Worms, Germany