Saul Wahl Katzenellenbogen (1541–1617) was a wealthy and politically influential

Polish Jew The history of the Jews in Poland dates back at least 1,000 years. For centuries, Poland was home to the largest and most significant Ashkenazi Jewish community in the world. Poland was a principal center of Jewish culture, because of the lon ...

who is said to have briefly occupied the throne of Poland on 18 August 1587. He has historically borne the nickname, "''Le roi d'un jour''" (king for a day). Saul's father was

Samuel Judah Katzenellenbogen Samuel Judah Katzenellenbogen (1521 – 25 March 1597) was an Italian Rabbi, the son of Rabbi Meir Katzenellenbogen. Biography He was distinguished even in his youth for his scholarship and his oratorical gifts. He was associated, both as rabb ...

. Wahl had thirteen children, including the renowned Polish rabbi, Meir Wahl Katzenellenbogen.

Folklore

Saul Wahl’s story has gained a firm place in the folklore of the Jewish people. The version of the story set forth in the ''Jewish Encyclopedia'' reads as follows: At a point in his life, Lithuanian noble Nicholas Radziwill, wishing to do penance for the many atrocities he had committed while a young man, undertook a

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

in order to consult the pope as to the best means for expiating his sins. The pope advised him to dismiss all his servants and to lead for a few years the life of a wandering beggar. After the expiration of the period prescribed, Radziwill found himself destitute and penniless in

Padua Padua ( ; it, Padova ; vec, Pàdova) is a city and ''comune'' in Veneto, northern Italy. Padua is on the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice. It is the capital of the province of Padua. It is also the economic and communications hub of the ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

. His appeals for help were heeded by nobody, and his story of being a prince was received with scorn and ridicule. He finally decided to appeal to

, the rabbi of Padua. Katzenellenbogen received him with marked respect, treated him very kindly, and provided him with the means to return to Lithuania. When the time for departure came the prince asked the rabbi how he could repay him for his kindness. To allow Radziwill to repay the favour, Shmuel asked that he help find his son Saul, who years before had left to study in a

yeshiva A yeshiva (; he, ישיבה, , sitting; pl. , or ) is a traditional Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature, primarily the Talmud and halacha (Jewish law), while Torah and Jewish philosophy are s ...

in Poland. Upon his return to Poland he inquired at all yeshivas until he found Saul in Brest-Litovsk. Radziwill was impressed with Saul's intellect and offered to board him in his own castle, where Saul could pursue his studies. Radziwill's court personnel were similarly impressed with Saul, and his reputation spread throughout Poland. When King

Stephen Báthory Stephen Báthory ( hu, Báthory István; pl, Stefan Batory; ; 27 September 1533 – 12 December 1586) was Voivode of Transylvania (1571–1576), Prince of Transylvania (1576–1586), King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania (1576–1586) ...

died in 1586, the Poles were divided between wishing to be ruled by the

Zamoyski family The House of Zamoyski (plural: Zamoyscy) is the name of an important Polish noble ( szlachta) family, which used the Jelita coat of arms. It is the Polish term for "de Zamość" (Polish "z Zamościa"), the name they originally held as lords of ...

and the

Zborowski Zborowski (feminine Zborowska, plural Zborowscy) is a Polish surname. It may refer to: * Andriy Zborovskyi (born 1986), Ukrainian footballer * Eliot Zborowski (1858–1903), American racing driver * Helmut Zborowski (1905–1969), Austrian aircraf ...

. Polish law at that time stated that the throne might not remain unoccupied for any length of time, and that in case electors could not agree upon a king, an outsider should be appointed ''rex

pro tempore ''Pro tempore'' (), abbreviated ''pro tem'' or ''p.t.'', is a Latin phrase which best translates to "for the time being" in English. This phrase is often used to describe a person who acts as a ''locum tenens'' (placeholder) in the absence of ...

'' (temporary king). Radziwill proposed that Saul Wahl Katzenellenbogen be appointed temporary king, and Wahl was elected to the office. Traditions disagree as to the length of his reign. Some state that he ruled one night only; others make it a few days.

Historicity

Historian

Gustav Karpeles Gustav Karpeles (11 November 1848 in Ivanovice na Hané, Margraviate of Moravia Nicholas Radziwill, he says, made a widely publicized pilgrimage to Jerusalem. While returning, wrote Radziwill, he was attacked in Italy by robbers and was left in

Ancona Ancona (, also , ) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region in central Italy, with a population of around 101,997 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region. The city is located northeast of Rome, on the Adriatic S ...

without any money. His pleas for help were ignored by all except a Jewish merchant, who alone believed his claim that he was a Polish noble. The merchant provided him with funds to return to Poland. Karpeles concludes that Radziwill's narrative is consistent with the narrative of the Jewish tale and that the lone Jewish merchant who had helped Radziwill was

, Saul Wahl's father.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wahl, Saul 1541 births 1617 deaths Legendary Polish monarchs 17th-century Polish businesspeople Jewish royalty 16th-century Polish Jews 17th-century Polish Jews