R. Refael son of R. Shneur Zalman Chaim HaKohen Kahan

Riga

Born in approximately 56491) (1889) in Germanovich, district of Vilna, region of Disna. He studied at the Dvinsk yeshiva and at the Tomchei Temimim Lubavitch yeshiva. He studied for several years under R. Mendel Chen, rabbi of Nezhin, and was even ordained by him for the rabbinate.

Son-in-law of R. Yoel Davidson, rabbi of Usvyaty, district of Vitebsk.

In the month of Menachem Av 5671 (1911) he was appointed rabbi in Usvyaty as substitute for his father-in-law, after his passing (his wedding and assumption of the rabbinical position were simultaneous). In the month of Adar 5672 (1912) he was accepted as rabbi of Shchedrin, and from 5682 (1922) served as chief rabbi of Nevel.

In 5689 (1929) he was compelled to flee from there, and served as rosh yeshiva at the Tomchei Temimim yeshiva in Vitebsk and in Moscow.

In Tishrei 5694 (1934) he left Russia and arrived in Riga.

On Motzaei Shabbat, Torah portion of Pekudei 5694, the secretary of the Lubavitcher Rebbe (Mohariatz), R. Yechezkel Feigin, writes to R. Chaim Mordechai Aizik Chadkov in Riga, that he received a letter from the Lubavitcher Rebbe (Mohariatz) in which he requests him to write to our friends the Anash in Riga that they make efforts and campaign so that our friend the great rabbi etc., our master R. Refael Kahan, be accepted as rabbi.

On 5 Adar II 5695 (10 March 1935) he was elected rabbi and rabbinic decisor in Riga and rabbi of the Hasidic congregation.

He perished in the Holocaust with his family members.2)

Author of the pamphlet Emunah veZechira (Riga 5698). Torah novellae from him were printed in the collections HaTamim. A halakhic responsum from him on the question of cotton wool in the ear — whether it constitutes an interposition in immersion — was printed in the collection Yagdil Torah, N.Y., booklet 67, p. 339. In the responsa Tsafnat Pa'aneach (Dvinsk 5700), section 36, a responsum to him was printed.

Newspaper HaYnt, 6 Adar II 5695. Yahadut Latviya, p. 391. Weekly Kfar Chabad, issues 897, pp. 48 ff., and 899, pp. 72 ff. Toldot Chabad bePolin, Lita veLatviya, p. 63. My thanks to R. Yaakov Leib Altein for his assistance.

Latvia and Rabbis

1)
In Latvia: Batei Knesset VeRabbanim, it writes that he was born in 5626 (1866), which is obviously an error.
2)
From the archive records in Riga it is found that on 20 October 1941 — 29 Tishrei 5702 — he was sent with his wife and children to the ghetto. According to this, the story appearing in several places (Yahadut Latviya, p. 391 — that he was burned in the Dreizin minyan with a Torah scroll; the Dreizin minyan was burned on a Friday, 16 Tammuz 5701; Zikaron LiVnei Yisrael, p. 25, note 47; Lubavitch veChayaleha, p. 306; and more) that he was burned running to save the Torah scrolls when the Nazis set the synagogues alight, is not correct, because they burned the synagogues in the month of Tammuz 5701 (July 1941).