Jonathan ben Abraham Isaac
JONATHAN BEN ABRAHAM ISAAC
JONATHAN BEN ABRAHAM ISAAC (Abelman ; 1854–1903), rabbi and talmudist. Born in the Kovno province, Jonathan went at the age of 15 to study under R. Israel *Lipkin in Vilna, where he later married the daughter of Abba Levinsohn, his teacher's brother-in-law. In 1877 he accepted the position of rabbi in the small town of Choroszcz, where he stayed until 1883. That year he was appointed a member of the bet din in Bialystok and became its av bet din when Samuel *Mohilever was chief rabbi of the community. Jonathan held the position until his death. His works include Torat Yehonatan (1889), dealing with the question of shemittah, which became particularly relevant as a result of the newly established agricultural settlements in Ereẓ Israel. He also wrote Zikhron Yehonatan, published after his death by his son (1905), consisting of novellae on parts of the Shulḥan Arukh. Some of his responsa are included in David Kempner's Le-Matteh Yehudah (1892).
bibliography:
B. Eisenstadt, Dor Rabbanav ve-Soferav, 1 (1895), 7.