Rav Avrohom Katzenelbogen zt"l
הרב אברהם בן יואל קצנלבוגן זצ"ל
Iyar 6 , 5397
Rav Avrohom Katzenelbogen zt"l
Son of Rav Yoel
Rav and Rosh Yeshiva in Lwow in the seventeenth century.
He was born in Neustadt שכ''ט (1569).
He studied under his uncle, Rav Yitzchok ben Rav Moshe Katzenelbogen. In שנ''ג he became rav of Yanov near Lwow and then afterwards in Lwow around שע''ד.
His predecessor to the rabbinate was Rav Moshe Charif who had recognized Rav Katzenelbogen’s erudition. It was due this fact that Rav Charif gave up his post in deference to Rav Avrohom.
For 23 years, Rav Avrohom led rabbonim, teaching Torah as rosh yeshiva. Only some of his responsa remain in the collections of his contemporaries.
Rav Avrohom was the head of the rabbinical court of Lwow. He was the grandfather of the renowned Knesses Yechezkel who mentions him with the appellation, “unique in his generation.”
He passed away 6 Iyar שצ''ז (1637).
Stories of Rav Avrohom Katzenelbogen zt"l
A wondrous story about him was copied from the Matzeivas Kodesh:
Rav Avrohom Katzenelbogen was appointed as the chief rabbi and head of the rabbinical court. Rav Moshe Charif, the son-in-law of Rav Sheftel Horowitz (the son of the Shel’ah) preceded him, and Rav Avrohom was at the time rabbi of the city of Janow. Once, Rav Avrohom was visiting for a conference of the Counsel of the Four Lands, and the proprietor of the inn where he was staying informed him that there would be no meat for Shabbos. The reason was, he explained, that the slaughtered animal had been rendered treif (not kosher) by the current rabbi. Hearing this, Rav Avrohom proceeded to don his Shabbos hat, which was attire reserved for great rabbis of major cities, and went to visit the chief rabbi.
When the chief rabbi’s servant saw him, he proceeded to bar his entry, citing his chutzpah at donning a Shabbos hat when he was the rabbi of a small unimportant town! The chief rabbi heard the commotion and asked the servant to allow Rav Avrohom to enter.
“To what do I owe the honor of your visit?” asked Rav Charif. “I came to discuss a matter of Jewish law with you,” replied Rav Avrohom. He then began to discuss a theoretical case of the laws of kashrut and ritual slaughter. “And if the slaughtered ox should have such and such signs?” asked Rav Avrohom. With flawless reason, Avraham tactfully demonstrated through the “theoretical case” that the animal was in fact kosher and its meat should be permitted.
When rabbi Charif realized his error, he summoned the other rabbis and said to them, “This rabbi’s proficiency in learning is obvious and he is greater than I; henceforth, I remove myself from this position, since he is more fitting than I am as rav.” So it was, that rabbi Moshe Charif removed himself from the position of chief rabbi and left for Olianov. Rav Avrohom Ashkenazi Katzenelbogen took his place.