Rav Chaim HaKohen Rapaport zt"l
הרב חיים בן שמחה ראפאפורט זצ"ל
Tammuz 13 , 5531
Rav Chaim HaKohen Rapaport zt"l
Son of Rav Simcha HaKohen Rappaport
Thanks to Rav Chaim HaKohen’s great oratory skills and wisdom, he was able to successfully debate the Frankists, who at the time, were attacking Torah Jewry and institutions in Lwow. When the Frankists forced the Jews of Lwow to a debate in תקי''ט, Rav Chaim appeared with three other rabbis of Poland. It was during this confrontation that he used his power of persuasion and dialogue to overcome the Frankists’s efforts to have the Talmud burned.
He served as rav in various kehillos such as Zital and later in Slutzk.
Twenty-two years after his father was appointed the rav of Lwow, his father passed away during travels on 7 Menachem Av in Shebreshin. Rav Chaim Rappaport was appointed to serve as Av Beis Din Lwow from תק''א to replace Rav Aryeh Leib ben Shaul who left Lwow for rabbanus in Amsterdam.
He was greeted with honors and led the kehilla there. He was a staunch opponent of the Sabbateans--those accursed followers of Shabbtai Tzvi-- engaging them in debates held at the Lwow academy. He also came to the aid of Rav Yehonasan Eibschitz during the bitter machlokes with Rav Yaakov Emden over the amulets and cameos. Rav Eibschitz recorded the fact that Rav Rappaport defended him in a letter. This document is printed in the sefer, Luchos HaEidus.
Rav Chaim served as the rav in Lwow for 30 years until his passing on Tuesday, 13 Tammuz, 1771 תקל''א. He was laid to rest in Lwow.
HIS SEFORIM
He authored Shu”t Rav Chaim HaKohen and Zecher HaChaim (derashos).
HIS DESCENDANTS
We know of two sons and two daughters:
Rav Aryeh Leib HaKohen Rappaport, rosh Yeshiva Lwow, and Nachman HaKohen Rappaport, Av Beis Din, Gluga.
One daughter was the wife of Rav Aharon Segal Etinga, Av Beis Din Yabrov, and Reisha. His other daughter married Yoel Katzenelboigen, Av Beis Din, Yaritshuv.
His descendant and namesake, Rav Chaim HaKohen Rappaport, was rav in Ostrog and cites many chiddushim from his forebear in his own sefer, Shu”t Mayim Chaim.
MAKING AMENDS
In Tzemach Duvid, Vol 3, it is written that initially, Rav Chaim wanted his eldest son, Rav Aryeh Leib HaKohen Rappaport, to become rosh Yeshiva. But after some disagreement, the kehillah appointed Rav Moshe Mizis instead.
After Rav Moshe delivered his first derasha that Shabbos, he grew ill and passed away at a young age. Afterwards, they did, in fact, elect Rav Aryeh Leib to take Rav Moshe Mizis’ place. But, he too passed away at a young age in his father’s lifetime.
Rav Chaim HaKohen Rappaport worried that perhaps his desire to push his son’s appointment to act as rosh Yeshiva contributed to his untimely demise. To make amends, he married Rav Moshe’s widow and gave his granddaughter to Rav Moshe’s son in marriage. (Although Rav Chaim Nasan Dembitzer of Cracow in the sefer, Kelilas Yofi, cites this version of events and disputes the dates, he does not dispute the other details and so we have included them here.)