Zebi Hirsch Kaidanover facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Zebi Hirsch Kaidanover |
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|---|---|
| Religion | Judaism |
| Personal | |
| Born | c. 1650 Wilna |
| Died | 23 March 1712 Frankfurt |
| Parents |
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| Yahrtzeit | 15 Adar II (Shushan Purim), 5472 |
| Buried | Frankfurt |
| Residence | Wilna |
Rabbi Ẓebi Hirsch Kaidanover (born around 1650 – died 1712) was an important Jewish scholar. He was born in Wilna, a city now known as Vilnius in Lithuania. He is most famous for writing a book called Kav ha-Yashar. This book teaches about good morals and how to live a meaningful life.
Contents
Who Was Rabbi Zebi Hirsch?
Rabbi Zebi Hirsch was the son of another famous scholar, Rabbi Aaron Samuel Kaidanover. He learned a lot from his father. He also studied with Rabbi Joseph ben Judah Jeidel, who was a rabbi in Minsk and later in Dubno.
How Did His Teachers Influence Him?
Rabbi Joseph taught him a lot about kabbalah, which is a part of Jewish mysticism. This means he explored deeper, hidden meanings in Jewish texts. However, when it came to Jewish law (called Halakha), Rabbi Zebi Hirsch followed his father's teachings more closely.
Moving to Frankfurt
Life in Wilna became very difficult for Rabbi Zebi Hirsch and his family. Because of some false accusations, he faced many challenges. To find peace and safety, he decided to move to Frankfurt, a city in Germany.
A New Start in Frankfurt
In Frankfurt, Rabbi Zebi Hirsch found a calm place to live and work. He was able to focus on his writing and studies. He helped publish his father's books, adding his own notes to some of them, like "Birkat Shemuel".
What is Kav ha-Yashar?
His most famous book, "Kav ha-Yashar", is about ethics and living a good, spiritual life. It was first published in Frankfurt in 1705. The book has been printed many times since then, showing how popular and important it became.
The Meaning Behind the Book's Name
The book has 102 chapters. This number is special because it matches the numerical value of the Hebrew letters for "Kav" (קב). Also, the name "Ha-Yashar" (הישר) is a special kind of wordplay called an anagram of the author's name, Hirsch (הירש). Rabbi Zebi Hirsch even made a Yiddish version of his book, which was often published alongside the original Hebrew text.
Other Related Works
His son-in-law, Rabbi Manoah Hendel Kirchhahn, also wrote a similar book about morals. It was called "Simḥat ha-Nefesh" (שמחת הנפש), which means "Joy of the Soul."
His Final Years
Rabbi Zebi Hirsch Kaidanover passed away in Frankfurt on March 23, 1712. He was buried in the city where he found peace and wrote his most important work. His tombstone has a special message, which is recorded in a book about Frankfurt's rabbis.
