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Avraham ben Yehiel Michael Danzig (Hebrew:אברהם דנציג; 1748–1820) was arabbi,posek (legal decisor) andcodifier, best known as the author of the works ofJewish law calledChayei Adam andChochmat Adam. He is sometimes referred to as "theChayei Adam".
Danzig was born inDanzig (Gdańsk),Poland (hence his name), in 1747 or 1748 into a prominent rabbinic family. When he was fourteen, his father sent him to study at thePragueyeshivah, after exacting a promise from him "that he would not mingle with theModerns" who were then gradually coming into prominence through the influence ofMoses Mendelssohn.
He studied in Prague for four years under RabbiYechezkel Landau and Rabbi Joseph Liebermann. He was then offered a position as rabbi inVilna, but declined, earning his livelihood as a merchant (frequenting thefairs ofLeipzig andKönigsberg - which are referred to in his writings). Only in his later years, and after having lost almost his entire fortune through the explosion of apowder-magazine, could he be induced to accept the position ofdayan in Vilna, where he served until 1812. He died there on September 12, 1820.
Danzig is one of three authorities on whom RabbiShlomo Ganzfried based his rulings in theKitzur Shulchan Aruch.
His descendants include Rabbi Neil Danzig and Rabbi Joseph Meyer Danzig, son of Rabbi Avraham Mordechai Danzig, who was born in Jerusalem and named after his prominent ancestor.
Danzig wrote several important works, but he is especially known forChayei Adam andChochmat Adam, his works ofhalacha covering the laws of theShulchan Aruch dealing witheveryday life.
Chayei Adam (Hebrew:חיי אדם, "The Life of Man"[1]) deals with the laws discussed in theOrach Chayim section of theShulchan Aruch. It is divided into 224 sections – 69 dealing with daily conduct and prayer, and 155 withShabbat, andholidays. In this work, Danzig collected and critically sifted theAcharonic material, in the field ofhalakha written in the more than two and a half centuries since the appearance of theShulchan Aruch.Chayei Adam was intended primarily "for the cultured layman", as opposed to rabbinic scholars, and the work is thus presented in a readily accessible form. The parallel workNishmat Adam, published together withChayei Adam, discusses thehalachic issues in greater depth. The two are usually printed together. In many cities, societies were formed for the purpose of studyingChayei Adam.
Chochmat Adam (Hebrew:חכמת אדם, "The Wisdom of Man"), similarly, discusses the laws in theYoreh De'ah section of theShulchan Aruch, as well as laws from theEven Ha'ezer andChoshen Mishpat sections pertinent to everyday life.Binat Adam on this work corresponds to theNishmat Adam onChayei Adam.Chochmat Adam was written in consultation with two of the greatest Torah scholars of the time -Chaim Volozhin andYaakov of Lisa.
The scholarship of these works is evidenced by the fact that RabbiChaim Volozhin, known for his opposition to "digests of halacha", granted the work his approbation (on condition that each section becross-referenced to theShulchan Aruch to allow for further study). Reportedly, theChatam Sofer instructed his son that when unable to refer to theShulchan Aruch, he could refer to theChochmat Adam inmaking a halachic decision[2]
Other works by Danzig include:
Danzig also wroteTefillah Zakah, a penitential prayer recited by many on the eve ofYom Kippur.
On November 18, 1804, a gunpowder magazine exploded accidentally in Vilna, killing 31 people and destroying a large amount of property. This explosion occurred at Vilna fort and spread to areas nearby.[3]Among those who lost his home and his business was Rabbi Avraham Danzig. Yet Rabbi Danzig and his family were spared from death, and so grateful was he for this that he declared the date of the conflagration to be a “Pulverpurim” (Gunpowder Purim) for the Danzig family. According to this custom, the 15th of Kislev is a fast day, with the giving of extra charity.[4] On the following night, which is the 16th of Kislev, a Meal of Thanksgiving (Seudas Hodaah) is eaten.[3]
donate extra tzedakah (charity)
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