Invasion of Poland Essay - 1735 Words - StudyMode
HaRav Gershon Shaul Yom Tov Lipman (ben Nosson) HaLevi Heller, zt"l, (5339 / 1579 - 5414 / 1654), author of Tosfot Yom Tov, one of the most important and classic commentaries on the Mishnah.
Born in Wallerstein, Bavaria, several days after the death of his father, Nosson, he was raised by his grandfather, Moshe Wallerstein HaLevi Heller in Vienna. He later went to Friedburg, where he learned under Harav Yaakov Ginzburg. From there he was invited to Prague by a rich merchant, Reb Aharon Ashkenazi, who later became his father-in-law. In Prague he learned under the Maharal, Rosh Yeshivah of Prague, and under Harav Shlomo Efraim Lunchitz, Chief Rabbi of Prague and author of the Kli Yakar.
In addition to his great expertise in the entire Talmud and Halachic Codifiers, he also delved into the Kabbala, philosophy and Hebrew grammar. He achieved heights in mathematics, astronomy and natural science.
In 5357/1597, when he was 18 years old, he was appointed to become a Dayan in Prague, in the Beit Din of the Maharal’s son. He held this position for the next 28 years.
In 5385/1624, Reb Yom Tov was called to the rabbinate of Nikolsburg, Moravia, and a few months later he became Rav of Vienna.
In 5388/1628, Reb Yom Tov was called back to Prague to become the Rav.
On account of the Thirty Years’ War, the government imposed heavy taxes on the Jewish communities of Bohemia, including Prague. A committee consisting of the elite of the Jewish community was created to apportion the taxes among the people. Sadly, the members of this committee let an undue tax burden fall on the poor. Reb Yom Tov would not countenance such injustice and used his position as Rav to ensure fairness.
In 1629, after serving only 6 months, some members of the Jewish community -- angry at Rav Heller for determining how a federal tax should be paid -- brought a false accusation against him to the Kaiser, accusing him of mocking the state and deprecating Christianity in his written works.
He was imprisoned and found guilty of refusing the orders of the Pope to burn the Babylonian Talmud, for instead of doing so he had published a commentary on the Talmud. He was condemned to death by the state court. However, after appeals were made, the Kaiser commuted the sentence to house arrest and a huge fine of 12,000 thalers, to be paid immediately.
The fine was far beyond his means. With the help of generous Jews, Reb Yom Tov was able to pay the first installment of the lesser amount of 2,000 florins. With the help of friends, Reb Yom Tov was able to wait for better times and to pay the remaining installments of his fine.
He made the day of his imprisonment, the 5th of Tammuz, a day of fasting for his descendents.
Forty days later he was released, penniless, and was forbidden from practicing as a rabbi. The ban was later lifted and in 1631 he moved to Poland and dwelt in Lublin, Brisk, Nemirov and Ludmir. A sefer called Megillat Eivah by Reb Yom Tov, with additions by his son Rav Shmuel, relates the story of his imprisonment and trial.
He sought to strengthen the Cherem (excommunication) and Takana (decree) that had been made fifty years previously to prohibit the practice of purchasing the position of Rav in a community for money. His enemies again slandered against him to the Gentile authorities, and he was driven out of Ludmir. This evil decree was rescinded by efforts of his supporters and he returned.
He went on to become Av Beit Din and Rav of Crakow, Poland in 1641.(Others 1643).
Harav Yehoshua Charif, the Maginei Shlomo, was the Rosh Yeshivah there. Four years later the Maginei Shlomo was niftar, and the Tosfot Yom Tov succeeded him.
He died 13 years later and is buried in the Crakow cemetery, along the fence, in the section devoted to the poor and needy.
The Tosfot Yom Tov was a prolific writer, authoring close to 50 works. Most notable is his commentary on Shishah Sidrei Mishnah, the classic Tosfot Yom Tov. He wrote this commentary between the ages of 30 and 38.
He also wrote Maadanei Melech and Lechem Chamudot on the Rosh.
He also authored Tzurat HaBayit, a detailed explanation of Rashi’s view of the Third Beit HaMikdash as described by the Navi Yechezkel / Ezekiel (chapters 40-43).
In 5414/1654 the Tosfot Yom Tov fell ill. On 6 Elul 5414/1654 he was niftar and buried in Cracow.
They also kidnapped children judged racially suitable for adoption by Germans and confined Poles in dozens of prisons and concentration and forced labour camps, where many perished....
We also have projects based on collaborations with Polish partners (Universities of Wroclaw, Gdansk) and foreign labs (U. of Lund). A. Wlodawer (another Polish compatriot) at the National Cancer Inst. (USA) has been the initial seed for our scientific growth and an inexhaustible source of support, and scientific inspiration. Our protein crystallographic work started in collaboration with Wlodawer, included studies of retroviral protease, retroviral integrase and an antileukemic amidohydrolase. After nearly 20 years this collaboration is very much alive. The Wlodawer lab has provided training in protein crystallography to a number of postdocs and associates from Poland including G. Bujacz, a Professor at the Tech. U. of Lodz, who also holds a part-time position at the CBB. He is Poland’s foremost asset in protein crystallization. During his visits to Poznan he supervises nearly all students’ crystallization projects.
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The initial personal union with Lithuania was formalized only 200 years later by the Union of Lublin in 1569 and it produced a state that extended from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Black Sea in the south (Grolier).
Poland’s Golden Age started when Poland won the Battle of Tannenberg in 1410 against the Teutonic Order.
