Bauska
Born on 16 Elul 5625 (7 September 1865) in Griva, near Dvinsk. In his youth he studied in Lucin under R. Eliezer Don Yechiya and under R. Reuven HaLevi Levin, rabbi of Dvinsk. In his early years he studied at the Volozhin Yeshiva.
By his first marriage he was son-in-law of R. Eliyahu David Rabinowitz-Teomim (the Aderet), rabbi of Ponevezh and Jerusalem. By his second marriage, son-in-law of his brother R. Tzvi Yehuda Rabinowitz-Teomim, rabbi of Ragola, Lithuania.
In the year 5648 (1888) he was accepted as rabbi in the town of Zeimel in Lithuania,1) where he served until the year 5656.
Rabbi of Bauska from 4 Elul 56562) until Iyyar 5664 (August 1896 – April 1904), when he ascended to the Holy Land to serve as rabbi of Jaffa.
In the month of Elul 5679 he was accepted as the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, and in the month of Menachem Av 5681 he was appointed as Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel.
He passed away in Jerusalem on 3 Elul 5695 (1 September 1935), and his resting place is on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.
He left behind many writings, some of which he published himself, but most were published after his passing. His most widely known works are: Shabbat HaAretz, Ma'amarei HaRe'iyah, Igrot HaRe'iyah, Olat Re'iyah, Ein Ayah, Orot, Orot HaKodesh, Orot HaTorah, and Orot HaTeshuva.
Latvia and Rabbis