Horowitz, Aryeh Leib ben Eleazar Ha-Levi
HOROWITZ, ARYEH LEIB BEN ELEAZAR HA-LEVI
HOROWITZ, ARYEH LEIB BEN ELEAZAR HA-LEVI (1758–1844), Galician rabbi. Horowitz's father, who was av betdin of Zalozhtsy, was the son of Isaac ha-Levi b. Jacob Jokel *Horowitz of Hamburg. Aryeh Horowitz studied under his father and later in the yeshivah of Isaac Ḥarif in Sambor. He also studied in Tysmenitsa under his uncle, Moses Meshullam Egra, by whom he was ordained rabbi. In 1784, on the recommendation of Jacob *Lorberbaum, Horowitz was appointed rabbi of Stanislav, an office which he held until a year before his death. Subsequent members of the Horowitz family occupied that rabbinate until 1939. Horowitz energetically dealt with the widespread poverty following economic difficulties which faced the country in 1818 and affected the Jewish community and helped establish free loan funds and provide accommodation for those rendered homeless. In the dispute which broke out after the appearance in 1793 of the responsa, Besamim Rosh, with the commentary Kasa de-Harsana by Saul Lewin, Horowitz was asked by Hirsch *Lewin, Saul's father, to use his influence with Egra not to ban his son's book although various rabbis insisted that it be banned. Horowitz and Egra did in fact refrain from intervening. Horowitz was opposed to *Ḥasidism and endeavored to prevent its gaining control of his community. On the other hand, he did not vehemently oppose the maskilim. In the dispute between the publishers of Vilna and Slavuta in connection with the publication of the Talmud, he decided in favor of Slavuta and in 1836 gave them his commendation. Following a dispute in 1843, he left Stanislav and went to Tysmenitsa, where he died. He left behind responsa, homilies, and novellae, but only two of his works were published after his death – both entitled Penei Aryeh: a biblical commentary (1876), and responsa on Oraḥ Ḥayyim published at the beginning of the responsa, Bar Livai (1909), by his son Meshullam Issachar.
bibliography:
M. Berger, Kunteres Ro'ei Yisrael, in: Meshullam Issachar Horowitz, She'elot u-Teshuvot Bar Livai, Mahadura Tinyana (1909); H.D. Friedberg, Toledot Mishpaḥat Horowitz (19282), 18, no. 26; Z.(H.) Horowitz, Kitvei ha-Ge'onim (1928), 81–90; idem, in: hḤy, 14 (1930), 7–9; N.M. Gelber, in: Arim ve-Immahot be-Yisrael, 5 (1952), 23, 25–28; Y. Horowitz, ibid., 68–74.
[Yehoshua Horowitz]