Subate
Born in 5642 (1882) in the town of Bakštas, Lithuania. He studied under his uncle R. Moshe Mordechai Epshtein, rabbi and head of the Slobodka yeshiva, and also at the Slutsk yeshiva.
He served as rabbi here from 5680 (1920).
He perished in the Holocaust.
He is mentioned in Igrot Kodesh of the Lubavitcher Rebbe (Mohariatz)1) regarding the repayment of a debt (or support).
Author of the book Beit Yaakov on the laws of tefillin and their sanctity (Dvinsk 5693). Torah novellae from him were printed in the collection Sha'arei Tzion.
Yahadut Latviya, p. 404. Latvia: Batei Knesset VeRabbanim, p. 227.
His letter of 20 Kislev 5701 to the man of kindness, R. Mordechai Dubin, requesting help (written about half a year after the Soviet conquest of Latvia):
Friday, Parashat Vayeshev, 5701. \
With God's help.
Your honor, my dear friend and friend of God, treasury of heaven-fearing ways, etc., our teacher R. Mordechai Dubin —
After greeting you —
For twenty years I have been rabbi in Latvia and have not written your honor such a letter. I hereby inform you of my distress, for my situation has been greatly ruined and, God forbid, danger threatens me and my family; I have no wood to heat my home. I therefore turn to him, whether he has any money at hand to help me.
I wish to purchase a bookbinding machine to support my family, and your honor will certainly help me in this matter.
I wish to travel to your honor, but simply I have no travel expenses — I now need 60 lats for Riga — and if I do not receive a reply letter I am compelled to borrow the expenses and come to Riga.
Perhaps he will give me as a loan the sum of 300 lats, and when God broadens my borders, God willing, I shall repay, and God will repay his deeds.
From me, Yaakov Epshtein, rabbi of Subat.
I await that he send me immediately the above sum. My address here…
Latvia and Rabbis