Jacob Emden

Jacob Emden
Rabbi Jacob Emden
Personal
Born(1697-06-04)June 4, 1697
DiedApril 19, 1776(1776-04-19) (aged 78)
Altona, Holstein, Holy Roman Empire
ReligionJudaism
ChildrenMeshullam Solomon
Parent
Signature

Jacob Emden, also known as Ya'avetz (June 4, 1697 – April 19, 1776), was a leading German rabbi and talmudist who championed traditional Judaism in the face of the growing influence of the Sabbatean movement. He was acclaimed in all circles for his extensive knowledge.[1][2]

Tombstone of Jacob Emden in Altona

Emden was the son of the hakham Tzvi Ashkenazi, and a descendant of Elijah Ba'al Shem of Chełm. He lived most his life in Altona (now a part of Hamburg, Germany), [3] His son was Meshullam Solomon, rabbi of the Hambro Synagogue in London who claimed authority as Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom from 1765 to 1780.[4]

The acronym Ya'avetz (יעב"ץ, also written Yaavetz) stands for the words Yaakov (Emden) ben Tzvi (his father's name, יעקב (עמדין) בן צבי).[5]

Seven of his 31 works were published posthumously.

  1. ^ communicated with Moses Mendelssohn, founder of the breakaway Haskalah movement: "A 19th-century copy of a 1773 letter from Moses Mendelssohn to Rabbi Jacob Emden".
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference JES19 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Louis Jacobs (1995). The Jewish religion: a companion. Oxford University Press. p. 146. ISBN 978-0-19-826463-7. Retrieved July 19, 2011.
  4. ^ Jacob Emden (May 4, 2011). Megilat Sefer: The Autobiography of Rabbi Jacob Emden (1697–1776). PublishYourSefer.com. p. 353. ISBN 978-1-61259-001-1. Retrieved July 19, 2011.
  5. ^ "Yaakov Israel (Yaakov Emden, Ya'avetz) Emden (Ashkenazi) Sidur".