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R. Shmuel son of R. Elkanah Teomim Ashkenazi

1)

Jelgava / Mitau / Mitava / Litave

Born in Altona, Germany.2) A student of the Chacham Tzvi, R. Avraham Broida, author of Eshel Avraham, and R. Moshe, rabbi of Hamburg.3)

He served in the rabbinate in the city of Žagarė (Zager), as rabbinic decisor in Vilna, and afterward came to serve here in the rabbinate.

He passed away here at age 844) on Simchat Torah, the year 55205) (14 October 1759).6)

Author of the responsa Makom Shmuel (Altona 5498), and from the approbations upon it it emerges that in 5498 he was rabbi in Žemaitija. His book is mentioned in the Shem HaGedolim of the Chida.

The Hasid R. Yosef of Lyepli, a Hasid and close associate of the Alter Rebbe, was among his descendants.7)

Latvia and Rabbis

1)
In _Chakhmei Ashkenaz_ (p. 114) he is called R. Shmuel Elkan, i.e., son of Elkanah.
2)
In the approbations on his book it is written “a native of Altona and Hamburg.”
3)
In Toldot HaYehudim BeKovna uSlobodka (Kidan 5691), p. 134, note 3, it is written that R. Shmuel was a student of the Maharam of Rothenburg. But this is obviously an error, since he passed away in the year 5053. Only in his book does he call R. Moshe Ziskind Rotenburg, author of the responsa Maharam Ziskind Rotenburg, “my teacher and rabbi.” See Oha LeMusav, p. 19.
4)
By this reckoning he was born in 5436.
5)
R. Avitzinsky in his book Di Geshikhte fun di Yidn in Letland (p. 135) proves he passed away in 5520 and not in 5502. It should be added that in his responsum printed at the end of his son's book Kemach Pesach (from which R. Avitzinsky proves his view) the date explicitly appears as “Wednesday, when 'it was good' was doubled, 27 Nisan, the year [chronogram] 5518, residing in the holy congregation of Mitava, may it be exalted — Shmuel the lesser, from Hamburg,” which means the year 5518 (and it has already been noted that Dor veDor veDorshav errs when it writes his year of passing as 5498).
6)
But in the responsa Or HaShanim, section 1, it is brought that R. Shmuel wrote to him on Rosh Chodesh Tevet 5520: “What you wrote to me in a question from the city of Mitavi, Thursday, Rosh Chodesh Tevet, year [chronogram] 5520.”
7)
Beit Rebbi, vol. 1, p. 148.