Yisroel ben Shmuel of Shklov

Yisroel ben Shmuel Ashkenazi of Shklov(c. 1770 – May 22, 1839) was aLithuanian JewishTalmudist,one of a group of Talmudical scholars ofShklovwho were attracted toVilnaby Rabbi Elijah ben Solomon Zalman, known as theVilna Gaon(1720–97). He was one of "the last arrivals," and attended upon the Gaon as a disciple for less than a year.

He gained the Vilna Gaon's confidence, and was chosen to arrange for publication the Gaon's commentary to the first two parts of theShulchan Aruch.That on theOrach Chaimwas published in Shklov in 1803. Ashkenazi also published his master's notes to the tractateShekalimof theJerusalem Talmud,with a commentary of his own, under the titleTiklin Chadtin(Minsk, 1812). Later he emigrated toOttoman Syriaand became the head of the German and Polish congregations ofSafedand then ofJerusalem.He was there surnamed "Ashkenazi"(the" German "), a name applied to all Jews of German extraction, in contradistinction to theSephardim,who came originally fromSpainorPortugal.

After a residence of several years in the Holy Land, Ashkenazi went toEuropeas aShaDaR(emissary of the rabbis), to collect alms for the poorPalestinian Jewsresiding at theYishuv haYashan,and in that capacity he traveled throughLithuaniaand other parts of what was thenRussian Empire.

On his return to Palestine he wrote his chief work,Pe'at ha-Shulchan,which is intended as a sort of supplement to theShulchan Aruch,supplying all the agricultural laws obligatory only in the Holy Land, omitted by rabbiJoseph Caroin his code. He also incorporated in this book the notes of Elijah of Vilna (the Gaon) to the tractateZera'im,the first order of theMishnah,and gave in addition a voluminous commentary of his own which he calledBeit Yisrael.The work was published in Safed in 1836 by the printing-house ofYisrael ben Avraham Back.

Ashkenazi is also the author ofNachalah u-Menuchah,a collection ofresponsamentioned in the work above. An account of his rabbinate of Jerusalem is given inMendel ben Aaron'sKore ha-'Ittim(Vilna, 1840). Ashkenazi died atTiberiason May 22, 1839.

References

Jewish Encyclopedia bibliography

• Heschel Lewin,'Aliyyat Eliyahu,p. 74, Wilna, 1854, and Stettin, 1862;
• Fuenn,Keneset Yisrael,s.v. Israel ben Samuel;
• Fürst, Bibl. Jud.i. 63;
• Eliezer of Botushan,Ḳin'at Soferim,1892, s.v. Elijah Wilna.

References

• This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Singer, Isidore;et al., eds. (1901–1906)."Israel ben Samuel Ashkenazi of Shklov".The Jewish Encyclopedia.New York: Funk & Wagnalls.