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Jews born in or connected to Latvia

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Cultural and social life of Latvian Jews

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R. Yosef son of R. Avraham

Krāslava / Kreislavke

Known by the epithet “R. Yosele Charif.”

In Shem HaGedolim HaShlishi (manuscript, p. 171): “The rabbi our master Yosef, the renowned Gaon of his time, who was Av Beit Din of the holy congregation of Krāslava; he left behind many responsa in manuscript; he passed away in Tevet 5614 (January 1854); he was a Gaon in the revealed and in the hidden [Torah], and a decisor with responsa of great sharpness and breadth of knowledge, who was called by the name R. Yosef Charif.”

A responsum from him on the matter of whiskey made from legumes on Passover was printed in Yagdil Torah (N.Y.), booklet 12, section 46.1)

A responsum from him was also printed in the responsa Zioni, vol. 1, section 1, clause 7.

He is mentioned in the prenumeranten at the end of the book Emek HaHalakha of R. Ze'ev Wolf, rabbi of Zetil (Vilna 1845).2)

Nachalat Avot, p. 25, letter 39.

Latvia and Rabbis

1)
And there: “my strong friend, the Maharal, Av Beit Din of the holy congregation of Denenborg (Dinabug)” — who is R. Yehuda Leib Batlan. And he writes: “for this matter has been in my notebook since 5578,” and see also Yagdil Torah, booklet 37, p. 346 (note 42).
2)
In Dor veDor veDorshav, p. 78 (letter yod, 3857), it writes: “R. Yosef, Av Beit Din of Kraslavi, passed away 5638.” This apparently refers to R. Yosef mentioned above, and the date of his passing is erroneous.