Ludza / Lucin
Born on 4 Tammuz 5598 (27 June 1838) in Drissa, to his father the city's rabbi.
His father was a Hasid of the Lubavitcher Rebbe the Tzemach Tzedek. He took him along to Lubavitch, where he dwelt in the shadow of the Tzemach Tzedek's holiness and even studied there for a brief period in his youth.
In later years he told that once the Tzemach Tzedek approached him and examined which tractate he was studying, and said to him affectionately: “Study, my son, study. You will surely become a teacher of righteousness in Israel,” and concluded with the verse (Proverbs 3): “It will be healing for your navel and marrow for your bones.”
He received Torah from his father and afterward traveled to Torah, to Lucin, where he studied under his uncle R. Yitzchak Zioni, and especially under his uncle and the city's rabbi (who later became his father-in-law), the aforementioned R. Aharon Zeleg Zioni.
In 5624 he was accepted as rabbi in the city of Vizun, district of Kovna, and served there in the rabbinate until 5636.
After his father-in-law's passing he was accepted here as rabbi in his place,1) and served in this rabbinate until his passing on 4 Tammuz 5686 (16 June 1926), his birthday, and his resting place is here.
Author of the books: She'elot uTeshuvot Even Shetiya (Vilna 5653); Ta'am Megadim on the Pri Megadim on Orach Chaim (vol. 1, Ludza 5694; vol. 2, there, 5699).
In his father-in-law's responsa Zioni there are responsa to him. A responsum to him was also printed in the responsa Rosh LeReu'veni.
Approbations from him: Yad Yisrael (Vilna 5648), Darash Moshe (Vilna 5663), Midrash Ya'avetz (Łódź 5671), Rishon LeTzion (Vilna 5673), Chidushei Bar Nachmani (Piotrków 5674), in his brother-in-law's book Masa Binyamin (Vilna 5685), and in Otzar HaMisparim (New York 5702).
Booklet Rabbi Eliezer Don Yechiya — Megilat Chayav (by his grandson, Jerusalem 5692). Me'orei Yisrael, pp. 204 ff. Yachas Avot, letter 106.
Here lies \
a basketful of books; \
all is a fine book in the world. \
From a line of rabbis and gaonim, \
author of Even Shetiya. \
The Rabbi, the Gaon, R. Eliezer, \
son of the Rabbi R. Shabtai \
Don Yechiya. \
Was gathered to his people \
the 4th day of the month of Tammuz, \
year 5686.
Latvia and Rabbis