24/03/2020
Shabbatai HaKohen, also known as Shakh, was born in 1621 either in Vilna or in Amstibovo near Vilkaviskis and died on 8th february 1663 in Holešov at the age of 42. He was important jewish halachist, talmudist and rabbi.
He studie at yeshivah in Tykotzin in Poland, then in Cracow and Lublin. After his studies he returned to Vilna where he got marryed and setteled down. There he wrote his most important work Siftei Kohen (Lips of priest), comentary to Schulchan Aruch Yoreh De’ah. This work made him well known and was aproved by the greatest Polish and Lithuanian scholars, hence it became part of all publications of Yoreh De’ah.
On 24. July 1655 he fled from Lithuania because a war between Poland and Sweeden was raging also in Lithuania teritories and therefore he tryied to avoid posible jewish genocide. It is also important to add that several hours after his escape rebels invaded the town and would surely kill him if he stayed. He traveled to Lublin and then to Prague yet he didn‘ stayed for long. He moved to Strážnice and there became a rabbi. After seven years he was called to become a rabbi in Holešov where he lived until his death.
With his death is connected a legend. Before he died he said that his last wish shall be to reserve a free space next to his grave for a man who is going to come exactly 100 years after his death and ask exactly for that place to become his grave. His wish was written to a book of chevra, when the book was full a new book was used and then another one and so rabbi’s wish was forgotten, the graveyeard filled and nobody who would remember the wish alive. Neverless exactly 100 years after Shakhs death came to Holešov a young 28 year old Polish guy and asked to be burryed next to rabbi. To his surprise there was no space left. He asked gabaim to find the old book of chevra to proof his rightful claim to be burried next to rabbi. The book was found and after two days the Pole died. Between rabbis grave and neighbors grave weren’t much space but they decided to give it a try and started digging. When it looked as if everything is lost and their effords were in vain from Shakhs grave came a small collum of dim fire and rabbis coffin moved thus making space for one more coffin. On his tomb was then writte: “Here lies David Coref“. But the true meaning of the sentence is: “Here lies David who by Kabbalah could assemble the words by which had been created the world“
