KLEPFISH, SAMUEL ZANVIL

KLEPFISH, SAMUEL ZANVIL (1820–1902), Polish rabbi. Born in Nemirov, Klepfish studied under Moses Judah Leib, av bet din of Kutno, who in his old age immigrated to Ereẓ Israel, and who implanted in Klepfish the love of Ereẓ Israel. Klepfish, who belonged to the family of Motele the Ḥasid, one of the first dayyanim of Warsaw, was already as a youth appointed to decide halakhic questions in Warsaw. With Jacob *Gesundheit's resignation from the position of rabbi of Warsaw, the post was abolished and Klepfish was appointed (1875) to succeed him, but given the title of av bet din only. Regarded as one of the outstanding halakhic authorities of his time, he received queries from all over the world. In 1888 Klepfish investigated the problem of the sabbatical year in connection with the new agricultural settlements in Ereẓ Israel. A consultation of Polish rabbis took place in his house and, with his colleagues Samuel *Mohilever and Joshua Kutner, he issued the permission to work during the sabbatical year 1889, upon which the present-day permission is based. Well known as a communal worker and interested in all Jewish problems, both in Poland and abroad, he was in contact with communal leaders in Kovno, St. Petersburg, and London. Despite the fact that he was a Mitnagged of the school of *Ḥayyim b. Isaac of Volozhin, Klepfish was highly respected and esteemed by the Ḥasidim of Warsaw who submitted to him all matters of halakhah, and he was equally accepted by the maskilim, who were influential in Warsaw. His son, Motele, and sons-in-law Samuel David Kahana and Ḥayyim Leib Yadkovski, were appointed rabbis of Warsaw during his lifetime and sat together with him at the consultations of rabbis of the community. His third son-in-law, Alba Ḥayyim Miklishansky, served as preacher in the large Nozik synagogue of Warsaw. Another son-in-law, Ḥayyim Fein, was rabbi of Radzyn.

bibliography:

Flinker, in: eg, 1 (Warsaw, 1953), 299.