Isaac Elijah ben Samuel Landau (1801–December 6, 1876) was a
Jewish-Russian preacher, exegete, and communal worker born at
Vilna
Vilnius ( , ; see also #Etymology and other names, other names) is the capital and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the munic ...
. At the age of 18 he settled at
Dubno
Dubno ( uk, Ду́бно) is a city and municipality located on the Ikva River in Rivne Oblast (province) of western Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Dubno Raion (district). The city is located on intersection of two major ...
, 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 (also spelled Volynia) ( ; uk, Воли́нь, Volyn' pl, Wołyń, russian: Волы́нь, Volýnʹ, ), is a historic region in Central and Eastern Europe, between south-eastern Poland, south-western Belarus, and western Ukraine. The ...
as member of the rabbinical commission appointed by the emperor in 1861, which necessitated his remaining for five months in
St. Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
. In 1868 he was called to Vilna as preacher and
dayan, which office he held till his death. At Vilna 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'' (Vilna, 1840), on the
Tanna debe Eliyahu
''Tanna Devei Eliyahu'' (Hebrew: תנא דבי אליהו; alternate transliterations include ''Tana D'vei Eliyahu'' and ''Tana D'vei Eliahu'') is the composite name of a midrash, consisting of two parts, whose final redaction took place at the e ...
, accompanied with notes on other subjects under the title ''Siaḥ Yiẓḥaḳ''
* A double commentary on the
Mekhilta (ib. 1844): ''Berurei haMiddot,'' on the text, and ''Mitzui haMiddot,'' glosses to the
Biblical and
Talmudic
The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law ('' halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the ce ...
passages quoted in the commentary
* ''Patshegen'' (ib. 1858), on
Proverbs
A proverb (from la, proverbium) is a simple and insightful, traditional saying that expresses a perceived truth based on common sense or experience. Proverbs are often metaphorical and use formulaic language. A proverbial phrase or a proverbia ...
* ''Miḳra Soferim'' (Suwalki, 1862), on
Masseket Soferim
*''Dober Shalom'' (Warsaw, 1863), on the daily prayers
*''Kiflayim leTushiyyah,'' on the twelve
Minor Prophets
The Minor Prophets or Twelve Prophets ( he, שנים עשר, ''Shneim Asar''; arc, תרי עשר, ''Trei Asar'', "Twelve") ( grc, δωδεκαπρόφητον, "the Twelve Prophets"), occasionally Book of the Twelve, is a collection of propheti ...
(only that on
Joel Joel or Yoel is a name meaning "Yahweh Is God" and may refer to:
* Joel (given name), origin of the name including a list of people with the first name.
* Joel (surname), a surname
* Joel (footballer, born 1904), Joel de Oliveira Monteiro, Brazili ...
published, Jitomir, 1865) and on
Psalms
The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived ...
(Warsaw, 1866)
*''Patshegen haDat,'' on the
Five Scrolls
The Five Scrolls or The Five Megillot ( he, חמש מגילות , ''Hamesh Megillot'' or ''Chomeish Megillos'') are parts of the Ketuvim ("Writings"), the third major section of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible). The Five Scrolls are the Song of Songs, ...
(Vilna, 1870) and on the
Pentateuch
The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the ...
(ib. 1872–75)
*''Aḥarit leShalom'' (ib. 1871), on the
Pesaḥ Haggadah
*''Derekh Ḥayyim'' (ib. 1872), on
Derek Ereẓ Zuṭa
*''Lishmoa' kaLimmudim'' (ib. 1876), on the
aggadah
Aggadah ( he, ''ʾAggāḏā'' or ''Haggāḏā''; Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: אַגָּדְתָא ''ʾAggāḏəṯāʾ''; "tales, fairytale, lore") is the non-legalistic exegesis which appears in the classical rabbinic literature of Judaism ...
of the
talmudists
The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the center ...
*''Simlah Ḥadashah,'' on the
Maḥzor (published in the Vilna 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'' (Vilna, 1872; also translated into the
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.
References
* Its bibliography:
*
Fuenn, Keneset Yisrael, p. 632;
*H. N. Steinschneider, Ir Vilna, pp. 92–97.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Landau, Isaac Elijah
19th-century rabbis from the Russian Empire
1801 births
1876 deaths