Permission has been granted by the Project Coordinator Judy Wolkovitch to reprint the following article which has been translated for Jewish Gen. It was originally published in the Yampol yizkor book in Jerusalem 1963.

THE FIRST OFFICE OF THE GREAT RABBI YECHEZKEL LANDAU IN YAMPOL
by Arieh Lieb Gelman
[20]
A small town full of Torah Sages - Famed Tsaddikim found their place of rest there - The first settlers were exiles from Spain - He served there in the Rabbinate ten years - He accomplished much concerning spreading Torah study - He initiated many ordinances - The Ledger of the Chevra Kadisha was written in his own hand - Was involved in solving the problems of Abandoned Wives - A serious question from “Ashkenazic Scholars” - Accuses Rabbis who do not want to permit anything without payment.


(A)
The illustrious Rabbi, Yechezkel Segal Landau, author of the books: Noda BiYehuda (Famous in Judea), Tslach, Doresh LeZion (Seeker of Zion), Ahavat Zion (Love of Zion) and Dagul Merevava (Outstanding Among Thousands), is known to the Jewish world as the Head of the Rabbinical Courts in Prague, an important city in the Jewish world, famous for its leading rabbis. Such leaders as the Maharal of Prague held office there and taught the Torah to the people. Unfortunately, although most of the chroniclers of Jewish history have told the history of Jewish life in many lands and portrayed life in the Jewish community, they did not give due attention to the spiritual greatness of the renowned rabbis and luminaries of Judaism of those eras, who occupied a leading role in the communal life and left their spiritual impression not only within their own localities, but rather spread their religious and ethical wings over the Jewish life far beyond the limits of their own communities.
The centuries following the 1492 Spanish Expulsion were rich in spiritual and religious life and as such are a distinct period in Jewish history. The great rabbis of these ages were not interested in matters of the community alone, but principally in disseminating Torah and in moral guidance. One of the towering Torah figures of his time was Rabbi Yechezkel Segal Landau (b. 18 Cheshvan 5474 [1714] in Apt; d. 17 Iyar 5553 [1793] in Prague) whose first appointment was at Yampol where he served for ten years. It was during this period that he first achieved fame through his deep Halachic responsa and his wonderful sermons. In a responsa (Noda BiYehuda Tinyana (vol. 2), Even HaEzer, Section 116), he writes to a rabbi on the issue of writing a bill of divorce (gittin), "In my first community they write "Yampola" (in Hebrew characters with an Aleph after the initial Yud). Were I the first to write a divorce contract (get) in that town, I would have written "Yampol" (without the Aleph), but since this was already the accepted custom when I arrived, I made no change.

Hebrew literature and particularly Ashkenazi literature, is full of biographical essays on Rabbi Landau, his nature, and his ideology as spiritual leader of Jewry during that period, but all of it centers on the Prague period. In order to complete the picture, a few of his Torah activities during the Yampol period should be added. My sources were his own writings, and reports I heard from the elders of Yampol, my birthplace. These stories were handed down father to son.

(B)
The town of Yampol, in the province of Volhyn, where I was born, educated and grew up, boasted, like many Pale or Settlement towns, a circle of leading householders. These included some Torah scholars, some well-educated in the 'enlightenment,' Chassidim, and pious men who would have been prominent even in a large city. Even though their livelihoods were irregular, and all struggled to make a living in the town or in the surrounding villages, an aura of nobility pervaded the town. Most of them had a good religious education, and even the simple people and artisans were drawn to the holy books. On Saturday and religious holidays, they would sit at tables in the study houses or kloizes, listening to Torah studies and sermons.
The town was near Kremenetz, Brody, Dubna, Ostra and Rovno, and came under their influence in Torah, Chassidut and general education. Yampol was the home and final resting place of the famous righteous men and fathers of Chassidut: Reb Yechiel Michel of Zloczow (d. 25 Elul 5546 (1786)); his son, Rabbi Yosef, known as the Righteous Reb Yosseleh of Yampol (d. 24 Tevet or Shevat 5572 (1811-1812). Rabbi Landau mentions him in Tslach (Tractate Beitzah, Chapter 1, page 5b), "Over forty years ago the brilliant Rabbi Yosef of Yampol asked ..." Besides his greatness in Torah and Chassidut, he was a religious philosopher and an expert on Maimonides' "Guide to the Perplexed," and other works. Some of the town's elders would tell of Reb Yitchok Ber Lewinsohn (known by his Hebrew acronym: RIBA'L) author of Beth Jehudah, Teuda BeYisroel, Zerubavel, Efes Damimm, and other works, who lived in Yampol for three years during the lifetime of Reb Yossele. He later moved to Kremenetz. It is well known that RIBA'L was a leading opponent to Chassidut. He visited Reb Yosseleh only once when he and a friend had difficulty understanding a passage in the 'Guide to the Perplexed'. Reb Yossele offered a satisfactory explanation, and RIBA'L said he regrets not having visited Reb Yossele before.

Other figures were Rabbi Yaacov-Yosef of Ostra, the grandson of Rabbi Yi'vi [abbreviation for Rabbi Yaakov-Yosef ben Yehuda] (d. 23 Tammuz 5609 (1849)); Rabbi Michele of Shomsk, grandson of Reb Michael of Zloczow, and other offspring of other chassidic Rebbes.

This town was blessed with many famous Rabbis and Chassidic leaders during Chassidut's early years. Nevertheless, the town was free of the strife and controversy that were rife in other towns and communities when Chassidim first appeared.

This town, located on low ground between the hills (mountain ranges) surrounded by canals and lakes, existed in this manner for centuries. In the ancient cemetery, on the outskirts of the town, embedded in the ground, were old, worn-out tombstones, centuries old. Some called the town "the Miracle Sea" [Yam Pelle in Hebrew] on account of the many miracles that saved the townspeople from the periodic pogroms. It was commonly believed that the Jews had formerly lived in the hills, but were moved by the Gentiles to the lowlands so that if threatened, their only recourse would be to jump into the rivers ... So life flowed down the generations in that little town upon the Goryn river.


(C)
Who the early rabbis were who sat in judgment in this town, we do not know, just as we will never know for sure how Jews arrived here. (There is an old tradition that the original settlers were Spanish Jews who came here following the exile from Spain. Reb Yithak Ber Lewinsohn (RIBA'L) reports in his "Beth Judah" in 5517 (1757) an account of a great blood libel in the town of Yampol in Volhyn, “my great uncle, Rabbi Elyakim of Yampol, traveled to Rome at the behest of the great rabbis of the Four Lands who met in the Great Assembly in the town of Brody. He met with the High Priest (Pabst) (the Pope) to discuss the matter of the blood libel. He succeeded in bringing back an epistle to the entire kingdom of Poland, written in Latin signed in the Pope's own handwriting and sealed with his seal, to totally dismiss this empty blood libel.. For six consecutive years the Rabbi was in Rome and he worked hard on this matter. He was highly respected by the Pope and his cardinals as a brave, intelligent man, well versed in the Torah. He was a descendant of Reb Yosef ben Shmuel HaLevi who was exiled by King Ferdinand of Spain." From this account we can conclude that the early settlers were Spanish exiles.
In 5505 (1745), Rabbi Yechezkel Landau, aged 30, was appointed Head of the Rabbinical Court of Yampol. Already at this young age, he was highly regarded by his peers and particularly by the famous Sages of the Kloiz of Brody, "who were lions and tigers in the Torah and in piety."

The fact that the townspeople turned to Brody, which was known for its Torah scholars, and chose the young Reb Yechezkel, about whom the great Cabbalist, Rabbi Haim Zanser, testified that "Yechezkel peered into Structure of the Chariot," [the reference is to the prophet Ezekiel's vision associated with the higher reaches of Cabbalah], is a testimony to the strong Torah character of the townspeople.

In the introduction "Words of Endearment" to the first volume of Rabbi Yechezkel Landau's classic, 'Noda BiYehuda' (Famous in Judea), his son, Rabbi Yakovka Segal Landau, a pillar of the Brody Jewish community, writes: "In his thirtieth year, the year of Tzaddik Be'emunatho [the righteous in his faith (Habakuk 2;4) 'Be'emunatho' has a numerical value of 505, to indicate the year he arrived in Yampol 5505] a divine wind bore him to my birthplace, Yampol. (On the outside of the eastern wall of the great synagogue in Yampol, which was twice destroyed by fire, the first time during the tenure of the Noda BiYehuda, was inscribed the date Ki mimcha hakol umiyadcha nathanu lach ["For all is from You and we have given from Your own hand" (Chron. I 29;14)] probably only some of the letters were meant to be counted since the total numerical value is 841. I was unable to determine the exact date.) Like a lion he disseminated Torah to the public. Students began to flock to study with him. Every promising scholar who saw some success in his studies would come to him and 'dine' at his table. Thus the Jewish world was filled with spiritual leaders. Every day these young scholars would discuss his theories and recite his praises. They would tell of his intellectual power and of his high character. They spoke so highly of this great man that community leaders came to him for advice and he judged disputes within the community and his rulings were obeyed. Thus it was all the time that he was in this city, although it was a short time, he became the talisman of the town and did not think of leaving. His staff grew and blossomed throughout the area. The city was quiet during the ten years he lived in Yampol. But as soon as he left, the leaving of the righteous man left its mark, and the quiet did not last long. When he left he was joined by his son in law, my brother-in-law, the famed Rabbi Joseph, who was afterwards rabbi and rosh yeshiva of Posen. Our mother, the Rebbetzin, left with us the children the following summer and as soon as we had left there were bitter troubles [in the town] and we escaped with G-d's help. He had not yet reached his fortieth year in the year Chukath Hatorah ["the decree of the Torah" Chukath has a numerical value of 514 to indicate the year 5514] and he was appointed Head of the Rabbinical Courts and Rosh Yeshiva of the capital Prague. His place in Yampol has a special endearment, and its light and honor arrived at the beginning of the year Shira ["song" had a numerical value of 515 to indicate the year he left Yampol 5515.]"

(D)
In addition to his reputation as a scholar of great wisdom and stature in Halacha, Rabbi Landau was also a gifted speaker. As his son Rabbi Yakovke reports: "he suited every sermon to the occasion whether joyful or sad; he was highly praised by princes who had heard of his words and had them translated to their own tongue. Several of his translated sermons were printed."
During the Yampol period, Rabbi Landau concentrated solely on Torah analysis and Halacha study. From 5505 (1745) to 5513 (1753) he would speak twice a year, on Shabbos Hagadol (before Passover) and Shabbos Shuva (between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur) on complicated Talmudic passages. Thirteen of these sermons were collected in his book Doresh Zion on the following Talmudic passages:

1) Parshas Hamiluim - Rabbi Yochanan said Eliyahu will explain this in the future (Menachoth 45a)

2) Just as the [bitter] waters test her, so they test him (Sotah, beginning of chapter 5)

3) When the fourteenth [of Nissan] falls on the Sabbath (Pesachim 66a)

4) Akavia ben Mehalalel testified to four halachoth (Edioth chapter 5 Mishneh 6)

5) The men of Alexandria asked twelve questions of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chanania (Nidda 69b)

6) Rabbi Yehudah ben Betheira testified to five halachoth (Edioth beginning of chapter 6)

7) Rabbi Abahu said `it is written "from the family of scribes etc."' (Shekalim chapter 5 Halacha 1)

8) Rabbi Chanina assistant to the Kohanim (Edioth Chapter 2 Mishah 1,2,3, Pesachim 14a)

9) The meal offering of the daughter of an Israelite who was married to a Kohen is burned (Sotah 23 in the Mishnah)

10) Rabbi Yosi ben Yoezer of Tsereda testified that Ayil Kamtsa (a variety of locust) is kosher (Edioth chapter 8 Mishnah 4, Pesachim 15a)

11) The four species of the Lulav, and the sermon begins with the Midrash Rabah Parshath Emor which explains the verse "There are three which were hidden from me, etc." [Proverbs 30,18]

12) Rabbi Yochana ben Gudgada testified that a deaf mute whose father arranged her marriage can be divorced (Gittin 35a)

13) and the greatest of all "Ya'al Kagam" [an abbreviation for six halachoth] (Kiddushin 521, Bava Kama 73a, Bava Metzia 22b, Sanhedrin 27a) divided into three sermons.

All these sermons discuss the most delicate Halachic issues and his mastery of all aspects of Torah was astounding.

It is interesting to note that all his books of sermons and novellae bear titles which include the name "Zion", "Doresh Zion", "Ahavat Zion", "Ziun LeNefesh Chaya".

In the introduction to his book, "Ziun leNefesh Chaya" [Monument for the Living] (known by the acronym "Tslach" this work comprises his novellae on the tractates of Brechoth, Beitzah, Pesachim), which includes both straightforward analysis of Talmudic passages and deep interpretations in Aggada (homilies), he explains why he gave the book that name:

“And Yechezkel said: 'What benefit will man see in his work, all his days of vanity' (Ecclesiastes 1,3; 6,12) if he does not leave a lasting memory after he is gone so that even beyond the grave, his lips will continue to speak clearly. So all my years, since I turned twenty, and G-d favored me with the opportunity to teach students, I have gained some noteworthy insights on several tractates of Talmud and the commentaries, and have pointed out observations which can arouse the interest of the students, but unfortunately I did not write them all down and unfortunately some have been lost. Now I must be content with that which I have written down. They appear here together with what my students recorded. Seven years ago G-d granted me the opportunity to publish my responsa "Noda BiYehuda" which I named after my father, and now I repay my debt to my modest and pious mother with this monument to her living (Chaya) soul. I have chosen this book on three tractates of the Talmud, Brachoth, Pesachim, Beitzah, A Monument for the Living Soul ... I called my responsa Noda BiYehuda after my father [Yehuda] ... and I have called this volume Ziun Lenefesh Chaya "a memorial (Tsiun) for the soul of the living (Chaya) in honor of my mother, Chaya.”

“I must point out that all my insights are for the benefit of students; the great Torah scholars can do much better. I prepared a pauper's offering. Nevertheless, even greater men than myself may benefit from this book, if only that it will save them time. Thoughts which took me several hours of work to reach, will be immediately accessible to them. A particularly difficult subject was the passage of Rabbi Chanina S'gan Hakohanim (Pesachim 14a) which afforded many a sleepless night. Especially Maimonides' interpretation of this passage in his introduction to Tahroth, one of the orders of the Mishna, was very puzzling until, with G-d's help, I succeeded in resolving it. I now offer thanks to G-d for the fifty years He has enabled me to teach Torah. I pray that I will live out my days in such a manner and that He will enlighten me and my children and students in the light of the true Torah.”

(The continuation of this article can be found on the Historical Accounts Page 4)
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