POSNER, SOLOMON ZALMAN BEN JOSEPH

POSNER, SOLOMON ZALMAN BEN JOSEPH (c. 1778–1863), rabbi and author. Posner studied under his father, the rabbi of Poznan (Posen), and under Akiva *Eger, Solomon Zalman of Warsaw, and his own uncle, Zeeb Wolf Kalafri. He occupied himself mainly with commerce in the city of Lubraniec and amassed great wealth, but nevertheless found time for extensive study. He wrote many works, some of which have remained in manuscript.

Among his unpublished workers are Zemir Ariẓim, against those who regarded the study of Talmud as unnecessary; Gal-Ed, 33 (the numerical equivalent of "Gal") letters on educational topics addressed to his children when they left home to study in yeshivot; Tal Yaldut, a letter to his young children; Nir Rash, on the Torah, containing in particular explanations of obscure allusions in Rashi's commentary; and Dodo Yigalenu, on the Book of Esther. His To'ar Penei Shelomo (1870) is a valuable and unique book describing his own life and the lives of his forebears as far back as the 17^th century, and contains many interesting details of the civilization of the period. This book also includes educational directives to his children. His testament is appended to it. It has been claimed that this book is not his own, but that of his son, Moses, who was also rabbi of Poznan and that Solomon gave his name to it. Of his other sons, Aryeh Leib became rabbi of Pniewy, and Elijah, rabbi of Wodzislaw.

bibliography:

Ha-Meliẓ (1887), 906.

[Itzhak Alfassi]