Isaac Elijah Landau
Encyclopedia
Isaac Elijah ben Samuel Landau (1801–December 6, 1876) was a Jewish-Russian preacher, exegete, and communal worker born at Wilna. At the age of 18 he settled at Dubno
, his wife's native town, where he carried on a prosperous business. On Saturdays and holy days he used to preach in the synagogues, attracting large audiences. Owing to his eloquence Landau was chosen by the communities of Volhynia
as member of the rabbinical commission appointed by the emperor in 1861, which necessitated his remaining for five months in St. Petersburg. In 1868 he was called to Wilna as preacher and dayan, which office he held till his death. At Wilna he established a kosher kitchen for Jewish soldiers.
Landau published also Derushim le-Kol Ḥefẓehem (ib. 1871-77), a collection of sermons; and two of his funeral orations: Ḳol Shaon (Wilna, 1872; also translated into Russian language
), on the wife of Prince Potapov; and Ebel Kabed (Eydtkuhnen, 1873), on Samuel Straschun. He left besides a number of works still unpublished as of 1906.
Dubno
Dubno is a city located on the Ikva River in the Rivne Oblast of western Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of Dubno Raion , the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast...
, his wife's native town, where he carried on a prosperous business. On Saturdays and holy days he used to preach in the synagogues, attracting large audiences. Owing to his eloquence Landau was chosen by the communities of Volhynia
Volhynia
Volhynia, Volynia, or Volyn is a historic region in western Ukraine located between the rivers Prypiat and Southern Bug River, to the north of Galicia and Podolia; the region is named for the former city of Volyn or Velyn, said to have been located on the Southern Bug River, whose name may come...
as member of the rabbinical commission appointed by the emperor in 1861, which necessitated his remaining for five months in St. Petersburg. In 1868 he was called to Wilna as preacher and dayan, which office he held till his death. At Wilna he established a kosher kitchen for Jewish soldiers.
Works
Landau was a recognized authority in rabbinical matters, and many authors solicited his approbation of their works. He himself was a prolific writer, and was the author of the following commentaries:- Ma'aneh Eliyahu (Wilna, 1840), on the Tanna debe Eliyahu, accompanied with notes on other subjects under the title Siaḥ Yiẓḥaḳ
- A double commentary on the Mekilta (ib. 1844): Berure ha-Middot, on the text, and Miẓẓui ha-Middot, glosses to the Biblical and Talmudic passages quoted in the commentary
- Patshegen (ib. 1858), on ProverbsBook of ProverbsThe Book of Proverbs , commonly referred to simply as Proverbs, is a book of the Hebrew Bible.The original Hebrew title of the book of Proverbs is "Míshlê Shlomoh" . When translated into Greek and Latin, the title took on different forms. In the Greek Septuagint the title became "paroimai paroimiae"...
- Miḳra Soferim (Suwalki, 1862), on Masseket Soferim
- Dober Shalom (Warsaw, 1863), on the daily prayers
- Kiflayimle-Tushiyyah, on the twelve Minor Prophets (only that on JoelBook of JoelThe Book of Joel is part of the Hebrew Bible. Joel is part of a group of twelve prophetic books known as the Minor Prophets or simply as The Twelve; the distinction 'minor' indicates the short length of the text in relation to the larger prophetic texts known as the "Major Prophets".-Content:After...
published, Jitomir, 1865) and on PsalmsPsalmsThe Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
(Warsaw, 1866) - Patshegen ha-Dat, on the Five Scrolls (Wilna, 1870) and on the Pentateuch (ib. 1872-75)
- Aḥarit le-Shalom (ib. 1871), on the Pesaḥ Haggadah
- Derek Ḥayyim (ib. 1872), on Derek Ereẓ Zuṭa
- Lishmoa' ka-Limmudim (ib. 1876), on the aggadahAggadahAggadah refers to the homiletic and non-legalistic exegetical texts in the classical rabbinic literature of Judaism, particularly as recorded in the Talmud and Midrash...
of the Talmudists - Simlah Ḥadashah, on the MaḥzorMahzorThe mahzor is the prayer book used by Jews on the High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Many Jews also make use of specialized mahzorim on the three "pilgrimage festivals" of Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot...
(published in the Wilna editions of the Maḥzor)
Landau published also Derushim le-Kol Ḥefẓehem (ib. 1871-77), a collection of sermons; and two of his funeral orations: Ḳol Shaon (Wilna, 1872; also translated into Russian language
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
), on the wife of Prince Potapov; and Ebel Kabed (Eydtkuhnen, 1873), on Samuel Straschun. He left besides a number of works still unpublished as of 1906.
Jewish Encyclopedia bibliography
- Fuenn, Keneset Yisrael, p. 632;
- H. N. Steinschneider, 'Ir Wilna, pp. 92-97.