Perlhefter, Issachar Behr ben Judah Moses
PERLHEFTER, ISSACHAR BEHR BEN JUDAH MOSES
PERLHEFTER, ISSACHAR BEHR BEN JUDAH MOSES (d. after 1701), Bohemian rabbi. Born in Prague, a member of the *Eybeschuetz family, he married Bella, the daughter of Jacob Perlhefter of Prague, whose family name he adopted. They moved to Vienna, but after the expulsion of its Jews in 1670, he went to Altdorf where he taught Hebrew to Johann *Wagenseil who was a professor there. Perlhefter's wife, a highly cultured woman, taught Wagenseil's daughter dancing and music. Perlhefter was next appointed rabbi of Mantua where his father had previously served. After six years Perlhefter was forced to leave, as a result of a dispute over Mordecai of Eisenstadt, a follower of *Shabbetai Ẓevi whom Perlhefter at first supported, but subsequently exposed when his deceptions became known. Perlhefter later returned to his native city where he was appointed dayyan and scribe, a position formerly held by his grandfather. Perlhefter was the author of Ohel Yissakhar on the laws of sheḥitah, with a Judeo-German translation (Wilhermsdorf, 1670); Ma'aseh Ḥoshen u-Ketoret (Prague, 1686), an excerpt from Abraham b. David *Portaleone's Shiltei ha-Gibborim (Mantua, 1619) on archaeology: and Ba'er Heitev (Prague, 1699) on the Targum Jonathan to the Pentateuch.
bibliography:
D. Kaufmann, "Die letzte Vertreibung der Juden aus Wien und Niederoesterreich," in: Jahresbericht der Landes-Rabbinerschule in Budapest 1887–88 (1889), 201f.
[Louis Isaac Rabinowitz]