Tzadikim

Rabbi Joshua Höschel ben Joseph

Rabbi Yehoshua Heshil (known as Shlomo's Defender Hebrew מגיני שלמה of the Book, or Rabbi Yehoshua Harif, Vilna Shalom,  was the rabbi of Poland and Lithuania. The Beit David dynasty

Born: Vilnius, Lithuania about 1578
Died: Cracow, Poland, 1648
 

Rabbi Yehoshua Heshil (known as Shlomo's Defender Hebrew מגיני שלמה of the Book, or Rabbi Yehoshua Harif, Vilna Shalom,  was the rabbi of Poland and Lithuania. The Beit David dynasty

Joshua Höschel ben Joseph was a Polish rabbi born in Vilnius, Lithuania about 1578 and died in Cracow on August 16, 1648. In his boyhood, he journeyed to Przemyśl, Red Ruthenia, to study the Talmud under Rabbi Samuel ben Phoebus of Cracow. He returned to his native country, and continued his Talmudic studies in the city of Włodzimierz (Volodymyr, Volhynia) under Rabbi Joshua Falk. After his marriage to the daughter of Rabbi Samuel of Brest-Litovsk, he became rabbi of the city of Grodno, whence he was called to the rabbinate of Tiktin (Tykocin), and later to that of Przemyśl. In 1639 he became rabbi of Lemberg (Lviv, Ukraine) and in the following year he was appointed head of the yeshiva of Cracow. At Cracow Joshua devoted all his time to matters pertaining to the yeshiva, din (law), and religious decisions. As he was a man of wealth, he accepted no salary for the services he rendered to the Jewish community of Cracow.

Joshua was one of the most eminent Talmudic analysts of his age. Like many of his learned contemporaries, Joshua had a taste also for the Kabbalah, but he did not allow mystical teachings to influence his halakhic decisions. On account of his extensive erudition in Talmudic literature, the number of his pupils at the yeshivah constantly increased. Many of them became noted rabbis. Among his students was Rav Shabbatai HaKohen (1621–1662), also known as The Shach, one of the greatest commentators on the Shulchan Aruch.

Joshua's published works are:

Maginne Shelomoh (Amsterdam, 1715), novellae on various tractates of the Talmud, in which the author attempts to refute the strictures made by the schools of the Tosafists on the commentaries of Rashi.
She'elot u-Teshubot Pene Yehoshua', Amsterdam, 1715; Lemberg, 1860.
Other works of his are still in manuscript.

May the merit of the tzadik Rabbi Yehoshua Heshil protect us all. Amen

Light a virtual Candle
  • Soul Elevations

    • מרים בת שרה
    • Beatrice bat Maria
    • Fernanda bat Manuel
    • William ben Ricardo
    • Kim bat Robert
    • Shoshana bat Eliahu Michael
  • Healing

    • Abby bat Carmen
    • Lori Fisher bat Phyllis
    • אליאב בן חוה
    • Abram ben Jeniffer
    • איתמר מנחם בן נעמי
    • Heidi bat Xiomara
    • Moshe Refael ben Chassibah
    • Michael ben Ihor
    • Elizabeth Sarah bat Luiza
    • Shoshana Ruchel bat Gersonna Necha
    • Hilda bat Sarah
    • Fernanda bat Lourdes
    • Rabbi Avraham Yehoshua ben Esther Malkah
    • צבי בן תמר
    • Juan ben Biatriz
    • Luz bat Sarah
    • Liam ben Sarah
    • Henya Mary ben Sarah
    • Itzhak ben Sarah
  • Success in life

    • Sarah bat Myriam
    • Luiz ben Lino
    • Kim bat Robert
    • Harrison Patrick ben Patricia
    • Eric Michael ben Avraham
    • Yaakov ben Itzhak
    • Patricia bat (john) Avraham
Light a virtual Candle


Hillulot | Biographies | Prayers | Virtual Candle