Tzvi Ashkenazi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tzvi Ashkenazi |
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Oil portrait of R. Tzvi Hirsch Ashkenazi painted in 1714, during his visit to England. The portrait is currently held at the Jewish Museum London.
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| Religion | Judaism |
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| Born | 1656 Moravia |
| Died | 2 May 1718 (aged 61–62) Lwów, Poland |
| Yahrtzeit | 1 Iyar |
Tzvi Hirsch ben Yaakov Ashkenazi (born in 1656, died May 2, 1718) was a very important Jewish leader. People often called him the Chacham Tzvi. This name came from a famous book of his called Responsa Chacham Tzvi.
He was a rabbi in many places, including the city of Amsterdam. He was known for being very strong in his beliefs. He strongly disagreed with the followers of Sabbatai Zevi, who claimed to be the Messiah. Tzvi Ashkenazi traveled a lot and had a big impact wherever he went, even in England. His writings are still highly respected today.
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Early Life and Learning
Tzvi Ashkenazi was born in 1656 in a place called Moravia. His father, Jacob Wilner, was also a scholar. Tzvi came from a family of well-known learned people.
He spent most of his childhood in Alt-Ofen, which is now Budapest. His grandfather was the rabbi there and taught him a lot. Later, Tzvi went to Thessaloniki to study. He learned the special ways of studying used by Sephardi Jews.
While in Thessaloniki, he saw how the Sabbatai Zevi movement affected the community. This experience really shaped his future. He then went to Constantinople, where his knowledge impressed everyone. They gave him the Sephardic title "Chacham," which means "wise man" or "rabbi." He kept this title his whole life.
Life in Germany
In 1686, Alt-Ofen was attacked by the Austrian army. Sadly, Tzvi Ashkenazi's young wife and daughter were killed. He had to flee and became separated from his parents.
He went to Sarajevo and became a rabbi there. He stayed until 1689, then moved to Germany. In Berlin, he married Sarah. She was the daughter of Meshullam Zalman Mirels Neumark, a chief rabbi in Altona.
In 1690, Tzvi Ashkenazi moved to Altona. Important members of the community started a study house for him. His school became famous, and students came from everywhere to learn from him. But his pay was very low, so he also worked in business, like dealing in jewelry.
After his father-in-law passed away, there was a disagreement. Some people wanted Tzvi Ashkenazi to be the main rabbi for three communities. Others wanted a different rabbi. They decided both would serve, taking turns every six months. This caused many arguments, so in 1709, he decided to go back to being the rabbi of just the study house.
Serving in Amsterdam
Less than a year later, in 1710, Tzvi Ashkenazi received an important offer. He was asked to become the chief rabbi for the Ashkenazi Jewish community in Amsterdam. This was a very important job with a good salary.
He accepted the job but had special conditions. He wanted to be completely independent. He did not want to take extra fees or gifts. He wanted to make his own decisions without being told what to do by the community leaders.
From the start, some people in Amsterdam did not like him. These disagreements became very serious. In 1712, the community leaders decided to fire him after his three-year term. But Tzvi Ashkenazi said he would not accept this. He felt it was unfair.
His salary was not paid. The community records show they offered him money if he returned his job letter. But he refused to give back the letter.
The Chayun Disagreement
In 1713, a man named Nehemiah Chiya Chayun came to Amsterdam. He wanted to share his writings. Tzvi Ashkenazi thought Chayun was someone he knew from the past. He asked the leader of the Portuguese Jewish community, Solomon Ayllon, not to support Chayun.
Chayun then met with Tzvi Ashkenazi and explained things. Tzvi Ashkenazi realized he had made a mistake and thought it was someone else. However, other people looked at Chayun's writings. They found ideas that were connected to the Sabbatai Zevi movement. This movement was seen as dangerous by many Jewish leaders.
Tzvi Ashkenazi warned the community leaders again about Chayun's book. He felt that the Portuguese rabbi, Ayllon, was not the right person to decide on such important religious questions. This started a big argument. Many pamphlets were written by both sides, full of strong words.
On July 23, 1713, Tzvi Ashkenazi put Chayun under a religious ban. This meant Chayun was excluded from the community. After this, Tzvi Ashkenazi faced problems, especially from some Portuguese Jews. They were very angry.
Later, a committee led by Ayllon said that Chayun's writings were fine. Chayun was publicly cleared of any wrongdoing. He was even honored in the synagogue. This made the arguments in Amsterdam even worse. The community became divided.
Tzvi Ashkenazi felt alone, with only a few friends supporting him. The Portuguese community leaders then told him to appear before them. He refused, because he expected them to force him to say good things about Chayun.
Leaving Amsterdam
The leaders tried again to make Tzvi Ashkenazi appear. When he refused, he was officially put under a ban by the Portuguese community. The city authorities even placed him under house arrest for a short time. They had been influenced by Ayllon and the Portuguese leaders. They wanted Tzvi Ashkenazi removed from Amsterdam.
The city officials asked professors from universities for their opinions on the dispute. But their decision was never made public.
Tzvi Ashkenazi decided to leave Amsterdam in early 1714. He resigned from his job. He went to London, leaving his family in Emden for a short time.
Time in London
In London, Tzvi Ashkenazi was welcomed by many friends. He had been asked to be a rabbi there before, but he had said no. It seems his oil portrait was painted in London. He had refused to have his face on a coin because of his religious beliefs.
After his visit, he returned to Emden. Then he traveled through many cities like Hanover, Berlin, and Breslau on his way to Poland. He stayed in Staszów, Poland, for two years. Later, he was called to Hamburg to help with a difficult legal case.
In 1717, after another rabbi passed away, Tzvi Ashkenazi was called to be the rabbi in Lemberg. He was highly respected there. He died four months after starting this new job.
What People Said About Him
Tzvi Ashkenazi was a strong and honest person. He did not care about money or what rich people thought. But his direct way of speaking sometimes made wealthy or scholarly people upset.
He was very learned, smart, and knew many languages. This made him one of the most important people of his time. Everyone who knew him praised his deep knowledge and clear way of teaching. He never complicated things. He also never accepted money if it meant he had to change his beliefs. He would rather have less money than take help that felt wrong. Some rich people saw this as stubbornness, which caused him some trouble.
Only some of his writings were printed. They are called "Responsa Chacham Tzvi." They are known for being very clear and sticking to the main topic.
His Family and Descendants
Tzvi Ashkenazi had many important descendants. His son, Jacob Emden, became a rabbi in Emden. He also fought against the Sabbatai Zevi movement, just like his father. Jacob Javits, a famous United States Congressman, was a grandson of Jacob Emden.
His daughter Miriam married Aryeh Leib ben Saul, who was a rabbi in Amsterdam. Miriam was the mother of Chief Rabbi Hart Lyon. She was also the grandmother of Solomon Heschel, who became the first chief rabbi of the British Empire.
Another son, David, was a rabbi in Ukraine. He was an ancestor of Miriam, the mother of Rabbi Chaim Halberstam.
His grandson, Meshullam Solomon, was one of the chief rabbis in the United Kingdom. He was also the rabbi of the Hambro' Synagogue in London.
Rabbi Yaakov Lorberbaum (1760-1832) was a great-grandson of Tzvi Ashkenazi.
Images for kids
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Oil portrait of R. Tzvi Hirsch Ashkenazi painted in 1714, during his visit to England.
