Dagil Mervovo Zhitomer 1804 Glosses by the holy Baruch Taam

Dagil Mervovo Zhitomer 1804 Glosses by the holy Baruch Taam

The Baruch Taam R. Baruch Fränkel-Teomim (1760-1828), author of Baruch Taam. A prominent leader of his generation, he was renowned for his brilliance, sharpness and scholarly glosses to many books. He was the disciple of R. Yehuda Lieber Charif Krongold, head of the Kraków Beit Din, R. David Tevele of Lissa and R. Meshulam Igra. At the age of 19, he was appointed rabbi of Vishnitsa (Nowy Wiśnicz), and following the passing of R. Binyamin Wolf Eger, he was summoned to succeed him as rabbi of Leipnik (Lipník nad Bečvou), a position he held for thirty years

His renowned son-in-law was Rebbe Chaim Halberstam, the Divrei Chaim of Sanz, his close disciple and editor of his book Baruch Taam. In his foreword to Baruch Taam, the Divrei Chaim writes: "And during the one year I spent with him, he taught me most of the Talmud with Rishonim, and the whole time he revealed to me great and wondrous things with his pilpul… and he gave over to me some of his pilpulim and methods of learning, he dictated it to me, and I recorded it…"

The glosses of the Baruch Taam, which he recorded in the margins of his books, have been studied by Torah scholars in all subsequent generations for the numerous novellae contained in his brief and profound words. His glosses are quoted extensively in books of the Acharonim, halachic authorities and yeshiva deans until this day. Due to their significance to Torah learners, many of his glosses were published, based on his handwritten notes in his books, including his glosses to books of the Rishonim and to those of leading Acharonim.