Joseph Saul Nathansohn (1808–1875) ( he, יוסף שאול בן אריה הלוי) was a Polish

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 o ...

and posek, and a leading rabbinical authority of his day.

Biography

Rabbi Nathansohn was born at Berezhany (Berzan),

Galicia Galicia may refer to: Geographic regions * Galicia (Spain), a region and autonomous community of northwestern Spain ** Gallaecia, a Roman province ** The post-Roman Kingdom of the Suebi, also called the Kingdom of Gallaecia ** The medieval King ...

(today's western Ukraine); he was the son of Aryeh Lebush Nathanson, rabbi at Berzan and author of "Bet El." He studied Talmud at Lviv (Lemberg) together with his brother-in-law Mordecai Zeeb Ettinger. In the 1830s in Lemberg—then under the rule of the Austrian Empire—he founded an informal study-group under his tutelage; this yeshiva attracted some of the most brilliant students in Galicia. In 1857 Nathanson was elected rabbi of Lemberg, where he officiated for eighteen years. He was a widely recognized rabbinical authority, and was asked to rule on various contemporary issues; his rulings are still widely cited (for instance he was one of the first to permit the use of machinery in baking Matzah, which created a widespread halachic controversy';Codex Judaica'; by M. Kantor, 2005, p.267
. Nathanson was very wealthy, and was known for his activity as a philanthropist. He died in Lemberg March 4, 1875, with no descendants.

Works

Rabbi Nathanson was a voluminous writer, the author of many works, including: *"Mefareshe ha-Yam" (Lemberg, 1828), in cooperation with his brother-in-law Mordecai Zeeb Ettinger: notes by Joshua Heschel on the "Yam ha-Talmud," to which they appended their own responsa
HebrewBooks.org
*"Me'irat 'Enayim" (Wilna, 1839), also together with Ettinger, on the kashrut, ritual examination of the lungs
HebrewBooks.org
*"Magen Gibborim" (Lemberg, part i., 1832; part ii., 1837), also together with Ettinger, on Shulkhan Arukh, Orach Chayim - at HebrewBooks.org
III
*"Yad Yosef" and "Yad Sha'ul," on the Shulkhan Arukh, Yoreh De'ah (Lemberg, 1851)

hebrewbooks.org A Torah database (מאגר תורני or מאגר יהדות) is a collection of classic Jewish texts in electronic form, the kinds of texts which, especially in Israel, are often called "The Traditional Jewish Bookshelf" (ארון הספרים ה ...

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*"Ner Ma'arabi", on the Jerusalem Talmud *"Haggahot ha-Shass", critical notes on the Talmud *"Ma'ase Alfas", commentary on Isaac Alfasi *"Sho'el u-Meshiv",

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 ...

(his Magnum opus) (Lemberg, 1865–79) - at HebrewBooks.org
KamaTinyanaTelisa'ahRevia'ahHamisha'ahShesisa'ah
Mehadurat sheveuh was collected and reprinted by mechon harrai kedem *"Dibre Sha'ul ve-Yosif Da'at", responsa (ib. 1879) - at HebrewBooks.org
Vol. IVol. IIVols. I & II
*"Dibre Sha'ul", commentary on the Haggadah of Pesach Reprinted by Mechon Meoros Hatorah in year 2014- (Old versio
HebrewBooks.org
*"Dibre Sha'ul", on the Pentateuch and the Five Scrolls
HebrewBooks.org
was reprinted by mechon chachmas shlomo. *"Dibre Sha'ul", on Aggadah
HebrewBooks.org
*"Bitul Moda'ah", in defense o
machine Mazot

HebrewBooks.org
*"Yados Nedarim", on the laws o
Nedarim
- at HebrewBooks.org:
linklink
*"Dibre Sha'ul / Edus Be'Yosef"
HebrewBooks.org
He also wrote glosses to many other works, and innumerable approbations to the books of others. His works are being reprinted by Mechon Harrai Kedem, Mechon Chachmas Shlomo and Mechon Meoros Hatorah.

References

External links and references

*His entry in th
Jewish Encyclopedia
Berel Wein
Memorial page to the bygone world of Berezhany Jews
*Shillem Warhaftig'

More can be seen in Hebrew in the front of Sefer Shoel Umeshiv reprinted by Mechon Harrai Kedem and haggada shel pesach Divrei Shaul reprinted by Mechon Meoros Hatorah. {{DEFAULTSORT:Nathanson, Joseph Saul Polish Orthodox rabbis 1808 births 1875 deaths Orthodox rabbis from Galicia (Eastern Europe)