Rav Akiva Eiger of Posen zt"l
הרב עקיבה בן משה גינז איגר זצ"ל
Tishrei 13 , 5598
Rav Akiva Eiger of Posen zt"l
Rabbi Akiva Eiger the 2nd Av Beis Din Posen Son of Rav Moshe Ginz and Gittel.
He was born on Thursday 1st of Rosh Chodesh MarCheshvan תקכ''ב in Eisenstadt, Hungary.
He was named after his maternal grandfather Rabbi Akiva Eiger of Pressburg author Mishnas DeRabbi Akiva.
His Yichus
His Paternal Yichus
His father Rav Moshe Ginz was a grandson of the famed Rav Moshe Broda Av Beis Din Worms, Germany, the son of Rav Avrohom Broda author Aishel Avrohom.
His Maternal Yichus
His mother Gittel was the daughter of the gaon Rabbi Akiva Eiger 1st author Mishnas DeRabbi Akiva Eiger Rav in Tziltz and Pressburg, her bothers Rav Yehuda Leib Eiger was Rav in Rotterdam and Halberstadt and Rav Binyamin Wolf Eiger Rav in Tiltz, Leipnik and Rosh Yeshiva in Breslau.
Siblings
He had two brothers Rav Simcha Bunim of Mattersdorf and Shmuel Mikiri? of Eisenstadt.
And a sister Sarah who married Rabbi Eliezer Weiler.
Education
His studies began under his father’s tutelage until at age seven he studied under Rav Nosson Neta Frankfurter in Mattersdorf, at age 12 he finished his studies and travelled to Breslau to study in his uncle’s (Rav Binyamin Wolf Eiger) yeshivah we he studied until his marriage.
Marriage
He was married to Glikcha, the daughter of Rav Itzik Margolios of Lisa תקל''ח
She bore him four children: Rav Avrohom, Rav Shlomo, Shaindel and Sorel.
His daughter Sorel married Rav Moshe Schreiber of Pressburg, the Chasam Sofer.
In Lisa he studied together with great tzadikim and talmidei chachamim such as his brother in law, the dayan Rav Yehoshua Feivelman, who was later Av Beis Din in Satmar, his relative the gaon Rav Meir Weil afterwards Rosh Bais Din Berlin, Rav Zecharia Mendel son of Tevli Av Beis Din Lisa, Rav Yehuda Leib Kalischer author Yad HaChazaka who was afterwards Av Beis Din Lisa, Rav Chaim Auerbach author Dvar Mishpat Av Beis Din Lunschitz and others.
Fire Forces Him into the Rabbinate
This period lasted until 20 Sivan תק''נ when a great fire broke out, which in six hours burned some 481 homes among them 196 Jewish households. Only nine houses remained standing. His own home was among those struck by tragedy and it burned down along with all his possessions and everything he owned went up in flames.
After the fire he moved to Ravitsh at the behest and invitation of the community who were delighted to have the gaon live among them and dwell in their midst.
In תקנ''א the kehillah of Markish-Freidland offered him the post of Rav and after much persuasion (in his humility he felt unfit) he finally accepted the role and took on the yoke of the rabbinate. They also helped him finance and establish a yeshiva.
On 12 Adar of תקנ''ו he lost his first wife Glikcha and she was laid to rest in Freidland.
He later married his wife’s niece Breindel (she was 16) the daughter of Rav Yehoshua Feivelman Segal Av Beis Din Satmar.
In תקע''ה he was appointed to the post of Rav of Posen, the chief rabbinic post for of all of Prussia.
On the third or fourth day of Chol HaMoed Pesach, תקצ''ו his second wife passed away.
Third (according to Chut HaMeshulash p261)/ fourth (according to Igros Rabbi Akiva Eiger p270)
He passed away on 13 Tishrei תקצ''ח.