Saul Wahl Katzenellenbogen (1541–1617) was a wealthy and politically influential

Polish Jew The history of the Jews in Poland dates back at least 1,000 years. For centuries, Poland was home to the largest and most significant Jews, Jewish community in the world. Poland was a principal center of Jewish culture, because of the long pe ...

who is in Jewish folk legends said to have briefly occupied the throne of Poland on 18 August 1587. He has historically borne the nickname, "''Le roi d'un jour''" (king for a day). Saul's father was

Samuel Judah Katzenellenbogen Samuel Judah Katzenellenbogen () (1521 – 25 March 1597), also known as MaHaShiks, was an Italian people, Italian Rabbi, the son of Rabbi Meir Katzenellenbogen. Biography He was distinguished even in his youth for his scholarship and his orato ...

. Wahl married Deborah Rivkah Drucker, granddaughter of Israel ben Josef and niece of Moses Isserles, with whom he had thirteen children, including the renowned Polish rabbi Meir and Henele Wahl Katzenallenbogen, wife of Ephraim Zalman Shor.

Folklore

Wahl's story has gained a firm place in the folklore of the Jewish people. The version of the story set forth in the ''Jewish Encyclopedia'' reads as follows: At a point in his life, Lithuanian noble Nicholas Radziwill, wishing to do penance for the many atrocities he had committed while a young man, undertook a

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

in order to consult the pope as to the best means for expiating his sins. The pope advised him to dismiss all his servants and to lead for a few years the life of a wandering beggar. After the expiration of the period prescribed, Radziwill found himself destitute and penniless in

Padua Padua ( ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Veneto, northern Italy, and the capital of the province of Padua. The city lies on the banks of the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice and southeast of Vicenza, and has a population of 20 ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. His appeals for help were heeded by nobody, and his story of being a prince was received with scorn and ridicule. He finally decided to appeal to

, the rabbi of Padua. Katzenellenbogen received him with marked respect, treated him very kindly, and provided him with the means to return to Lithuania. When the time for departure came the prince asked the rabbi how he could repay him for his kindness. To allow Radziwill to repay the favour, Samuel asked that he help find his son Saul, who years before had left to study in a

yeshiva A yeshiva (; ; pl. , or ) is a traditional Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature, primarily the Talmud and halacha (Jewish law), while Torah and Jewish philosophy are studied in parallel. The stu ...

in Poland. Upon his return to Poland he inquired at all yeshivas until he found Saul in Brest-Litovsk. Radziwill was impressed with Saul's intellect and offered to board him in his own castle, where Saul could pursue his studies. Radziwill's court personnel were similarly impressed with Saul, and his reputation spread throughout Poland. When King

Stephen Báthory Stephen Báthory (; ; ; 27 September 1533 – 12 December 1586) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania (1576–1586) as well as Prince of Transylvania, earlier Voivode of Transylvania (1571–1576). The son of Stephen VIII Báthory ...

died in 1586, the Poles were divided between wishing to be ruled by the

Zamoyski family The House of Zamoyski (plural: Zamoyscy) is an important Polish noble (''szlachta'') family belonging to the category of Polish magnates. They used the Jelita coat of arms. The surname "Zamoyski" literally means "of/from Zamość" and refle ...

and the Zborowski. Polish law at that time stated that the throne might not remain unoccupied for any length of time, and that in case electors could not agree upon a king, an outsider should be appointed ''rex

pro tempore ''Pro tempore'' (), abbreviated ''pro tem'' or ''p.t.'', is a Latin phrase which best translates to 'for the time being' in English. This phrase is often used to describe a person who acts as a '' locum tenens'' ('placeholder'). The phrase is ...

'' (temporary king). Radziwill proposed that Saul Wahl Katzenellenbogen be appointed temporary king, and Wahl was elected to the office. Traditions disagree as to the length of his reign. Some state that he ruled one night only; others make it a few days.

Historicity

Historian

Gustav Karpeles Gustav Karpeles (11 November 1848 in Ivanovice na Hané, Margraviate of Moravia Nicholas Radziwill, he says, made a widely publicized pilgrimage to Jerusalem. While returning, wrote Radziwill, he was attacked in Italy by robbers and was left in

Ancona Ancona (, also ; ) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region of central Italy, with a population of around 101,997 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona, homonymous province and of the region. The city is located northeast of Ro ...

without any money. His pleas for help were ignored by all except a Jewish merchant, who alone believed his claim that he was a Polish noble. The merchant provided him with funds to return to Poland. Karpeles concludes that Radziwill's narrative is consistent with the narrative of the Jewish tale and that the lone Jewish merchant who had helped Radziwill was

, Saul Wahl's father.

Ancestry

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wahl, Saul 1541 births 1617 deaths Legendary Polish monarchs 17th-century Polish businesspeople Jewish royalty 16th-century Polish Jews 16th-century Polish businesspeople 16th-century Polish monarchs 17th-century Polish Jews