דחוף: תמונת המצבה של קבר בעל ההפלאה

Rabbi Phineas Horowitz
b. Poland, 1731; d. Frankfurt, 1805
Rabbi, Talmudic scholar, author.

Rabbi of the Polish communities of Witkow and Lechwitz.

Rabbi of Frankfurt 1771-1805.

Known as the "Hafla'ah", Horowitz was one of the great scholars of his generation. Compelled to flee from War and persecution in Poland, in his new home he displayed gentleness and tolerance towards opposing views. He was a contemporary of Nathan Adler and only reluctantly concurred in excommunicating him when it became evident that Adler's pupils threatened to disrupt the community. When told of Adler's death, Horowitz cried out, "He was not of this earth - let that be our consolation."

In contrast to the general rabbinical reaction, Horowitz did not condemn Mendelssohn's Pentateuch translation but merely questioned its correctness in certain passages.

That he had mastered High German is evidenced by his approbation, in 1803, of Heidenheim's Machzor translation and his warning against plagiarizing Heidenheim's work.


Publications:
Hafla'ah, Novellae on the Talmud: Tractate Kebuboth, with appendix "Shevet Achim", Offenbach, 1786.
Hafla'ah. Tractate Kiddushin. Offenbach, 1800.
(The appendix Shevet Achim is devoted to the halachoth, as summarized in the Shulchan Aruch).
Posthumous Publications:
Panim Yafoth. Commentary on the Pentateuch. Ostrog. 1824.
Netiboth la-Shaveth. Glosses on the first 24 chapters of Shulchan Aruch Eben ha-Ezer, Lemberg 1837.
Gib'ath Pinchas, 84 Responsa, Lemberg 1837.
Hermann Schwab, Chachme Ashkenaz, p.65.

Biographical Source
M. Horovotz; Frankfurter Rabbinen, Frankfurt, 1882-1885
Hermann Schwab, Chachme Ashkenaz, p.81.