Aryeh Leib HaCohen Heller

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Aryeh Leib Hacohen Heller (1745-1813) (Hebrew: אריה לייב בן יוסף הכהן הלר) was a Rabbi, Talmudist, and Halachist in Galicia.

[edit] Biography

In 1745, Aryeh Leib was born to his father Yosef in the Galician town of Kalush, Ukraine. Aryeh Leib was a fourth-generation direct male descendant from Rabbi Yom-Tov Lipmann Heller. He was the youngest of two brothers and one sister.

In his youth, after being recognized by his father as a prodigy, Aryeh Leib was sent to learn Torah from Rabbi Meshullam Igra of Tysmienica, Poland, an outstanding authority. From 1788 until 1813 Aryeh Leib was rabbi of Stry, a position later to be held by Aryeh Leib's opponent in many halachik debates, Rabbi Yaakov Lorberbaum.

Known as "the Ketzos" (based on his greatest work, Ketzos Hachoshen, קצות החושן), R. Heller was a prominent critic of the Chassidic movement (i.e., a "misnagid"- one who opposes). The Chassidic movement taught that closeness to God could be accomplished equally through intensive study of the Torah as fervent song and dance. This unsettled many Torah authorities who feared that this philosophy may lead to the ultimate ignorance of the Torah by the masses.

R. Heller's works became widely disseminated throughout Europe at a time when, due to technical and financial reasons, this kind of recognition was rare.

[edit] Works

R' Aryeh Leib wrote three major works:

"Ketzos HaChoshen" (Ends of the Breastplate) is a halachik work which explains difficult passages in the Shulchan Aruch, Choshen Mishpat (which deals mainly with business and financial laws such as contracts, witnesses etc.) with novel ideas proposed by R' Aryeh Leib. This remarkable work is considered a classic. Familiarity with this work is considered mandatory for any Torah scholar and is a fixture in any Talmudic library.

"Avnei Miluim" (Filling Stones) is a halachik work which explains difficult passages in the Shulchan Aruch, Even HaEzer (which deals mainly with marital issues) with novel ideas proposed by R' Aryeh Leib.

"Shev Shmaytsa" (7 passages) is a work comprised of seven sections, each with approximately 25 chapters, which explains intricate halachik topics including the validity of a single witness and the practical ramifications of a doubt. The reasoning process that Heller employs to analyze and resolve these very basic conflicts and contradictions in the Talmud is considered the basis for the analytical method used in modern times in Talmudic study. This work was authored by R' Aryeh Leib when he was still a young man during his seven days of celebration after his wedding. R' Aryeh Leib's introduction to this celebrated includes beautiful biblical exegsis.

Some of R' Aryeh Leib's other works include