David Hirschel Fraenkel

David Hirschel Fraenkel (born 1707 in Berlin ; died April 4, 1762 there ) was a German jeweler and rabbi . Fraenkel was Berlin's chief rabbi , Talmudist , teacher and supporter of Moses Mendelssohn for many years .

Life

David Fraenkel came from the respected Mirels family (and was therefore also called David Mirels ), initially lived as a jeweler in Hamburg and Berlin and was called to Dessau as a state rabbi because of his great scholarship to the Talmud . From 1743 until his death he served as chief regional and city rabbi in Berlin.

He turned away from the prevailing Pilpul method and returned to the more pertinent, "simple" way of explaining the older Talmudic interpreters. In addition, he studied the Jerusalem Talmud intensively and brought about a small renaissance in the study of this hitherto neglected work.

Fraenkel turned against the excesses of the so-called Jewish oath and thus contributed to its subsequent complete repeal.

Works (selection)

• Schejare korban ( order Moed des Jer. Talmuds plus commentary and explanations), Dessau 1743
• Schejare korban ( order Naschim) , Berlin 1757
• Schejare korban ( order Nesiqin) , Berlin 1760 (not complete)

literature

• Nehemias Roar:  Frankel, David . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 7, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1877, p. 269 f.
• Elieser Landshuth : Toledoth ansche haschem. Berlin 1884.
• Max Freudenthal : From Mendelssohn's homeland. Berlin 1900.
• Salomon Wininger : Great Jewish National Biography. 1925 ff. Volume 2.
• Eugen Pessen: Article by David Hirschel Fraenkel. In: Jewish Lexicon . Berlin 1927, volume 2.