Judah Mehler

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Juda Mehler (* around 1609 in Fulda ; died June 30, 1659 ), also called Juda Mehler Reutlingen , was a German rabbi and, among other things, the author of a collection of sermons.

Life

Juda Mehler studied the Torah and the rabbinical scriptures in his youth . In 1629 he came to Wenings and in the same year married Rechlen, daughter of Jakob Rebitz (died on February 4, 1674 in Hanau ).

During the Thirty Years War , the family had to change their place of residence several times. In 1644 Juda Mehler accepted the job as rabbi in Bingen and moved there with his wife and only son Josef (born around 1630). In the following years the Jewish communities in Koblenz , Mainz , Kreuznach and Hammelburg offered him the office of chief rabbi, which Mehler refused. He stayed in Bingen until his death in 1659, where he was buried in the Jewish cemetery .

He gained his fame beyond Bingen as the author of a collection of sermons. In “The Return of Yehudah” he describes his experiences during the Thirty Years' War and the time after. Another surviving manuscript contains a collection of responses . Juda Mehler also studied Kabbalah and mathematics. Another work of his, which he dedicated to his son Joseph, deals with questions relating to the Jewish calendar. He gives practical instructions, u. a. for calculating leap years.

On his tombstone is written: "The outstanding scholar, chairman of the judiciary, our teacher, the master, Mr. Juda Mehler, the memory of the righteous be a blessing ..."

literature

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Mehler, Judah
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Mehler Reutlingen, Juda (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION rabbi
DATE OF BIRTH around 1609
PLACE OF BIRTH Fulda
DATE OF DEATH June 30, 1659