Died 1742Safed Name Elazar of | Father Samuel | |
Rabbi Elazar Rokeach, also known as Eleazar ben Samuel (c. 1665—1742), was the author of Maaseh Rokeach, and Chief Rabbi of Amsterdam.
He was born at Krakow about 1665; died at Safed, Palestine, 1742. On the completion of his studies he became dayyan of Krakow. In 1708 he accepted the rabbinate of Rakow, Poland. From there he went to Brody, where he became rabbi (1714). In 1735 he went to Amsterdam in response to a call from the Ashkenazic congregation there. A medal was designed in his honor, one side of which exhibited his head in relief, surrounded by the words: "Eleazar ben Samuel, Rabbi of Brody" (in Hebrew), the other side containing chosen verses from the Psalms. Elazar was one of those who placed Moses Hayyim Luzzatto under excommunication.
In 1740 Elazar decided to go to Palestine. He took up his residence at Safed, where his life, however, was not of a peaceful character. It came to his knowledge that many of the most respected citizens of the place were reading the works of Nehemiah Hayyun and of other adherents of Shabbethai Zebi. Elazar vigorously endeavored to eradicate this tendency, but his efforts were in vain. His life thus became embittered, and he was seriously contemplating a return to Europe, when death intervened. Elazar, besides being a great Talmudist, was a profound cabalist and an able darshan.
His published works are: "Arba' Ture Eben" (Four Rows of Stone), containing responsa and novellae on Maimonides' "Yad" and on the Talmud (Lemberg, 1789); "Maaseh Rokeach" (Work of the Ointment-Maker), a cabalistic commentary on the Mishnah (Amsterdam, 1740); "Maaseh Rokeach," on the Pentateuch (Lemberg, 1789).
His grandson was Rabbi Elazar Rokeach (II), father of Rabbi Sholom Rokeach of Belz.