Quick Facts
Biography
Ya'akov Yechezkiya Greenwald (Hebrew: יעקב יחזקי' גרינוואלד. Legal name: Jacob Gunwald. Also called the "Vayaged Ya'akov", 1882 - c. 1 March 1941 (2 Adar 5701)) was the rabbi of the Etz Chaim community in Pápa, Hungary, and the rosh yeshiva there. He was the predecessor of the Pupa Hasidic dynasty.
Early life
Yaakov Yechezkiya Greenwald was born in Csorna to Moshe Grunwald, rabbi and rosh yeshiva of Khust, and author of several works, each entitled Arugas Habosem. Although Yaakov Yechezkiya’s father was not born into a chassidic family, he had gravitated towards the Shiniva and Belzer rebbes and had taken his son on his many visits to those rebbes. Yaakov Yechezkiya studied under his father until his marriage. In 1900 he married his cousin Sara Rivkah Brown, daughter of Yisrael Menachem Braun, who was the Av Beis Din of Brezovitz.
Career
In 1906 Greenwald was appointed Rabbi of Likov. In 1912 he was appointed rabbi of Tzehlem (Deutschkreutz), replacing his uncle Eliezer David Greenwald, author of Keren Ledovid, who became rabbi of Ober-Vishova. In 1924 he became rabbi of Hunyad and headed a yeshiva in the city.
In 1929, Yaakov Yechezkiya was chosen as rabbi of Pápa, Hungary. He established a yeshiva there which soon numbered 300 students, and became one of the largest and most important Hungarian yeshivas.
Greenwald was a Belz hasid and sent many of his disciples to Belz.
Greenwald died in 1941 and was buried in the Jewish cemetery in Pápa, where he was succeeded by his son, Yosef Greenwald, as Rabbi of the Etz Chaim community in Pápa and as rosh yeshiva.
Descendants
- Son Yosef Greenwald the Vaychi Yosef, his successor.
- Son Ya'akov Yehezkiya Greenwald II, his father's successor.
- Son Yisroel Menachem Greenwald, rabbi of the Toldos Yosef Pupa congregation of Boro Park.
- Son Aharon Greenwald, a Dayan (rabbinic judge) of the community of Pupa in New York.
- Son-in-law, Efraim Fishel Sofer, OBM, rabbi of the Temesvár community, and later the rabbi of the Pupa community in Jerusalem
- Son Moshe Sofer, rabbi of the Pupa congregation in Jerusalem. Son-in-law of Yissachar Ber Rotenberg, Admor of Wodzisław
- Son Yaakov Yehezkiya Sofer, rabbi of the congregation of Adass Yisroel Toronto. Son-in-law of Yisroel Moshe Dushinsky.
- Son-in-law Avraham Avish Hagar, head of the Kollel of Pupa Jerusalem.
Students
- Yaakov Yitzchak Neumann, rabbi of the Belz community in Montreal
- Yitzchak Shlomo Unger, head of Yeshivat Chug Chasam Sofer, Bnei Brak
- Shlomo Lorincz, member of the Knesset on behalf of Agudat Yisrael
Writings
- Vayageid Yaakov on the Torah
- Book of Genesis
- Book of Exodus
- Book of Leviticus
- Book of Numbers
- Book of Deuteronomy
- Vayageid Yaakov on the Moadim
- Part 1
- Part 2
- Responsa Mishpotecho LeYaakov
- Zechus Ovois on Pirkei Avot
- Agudas Eizoiv on the Passover Haggadah
- Berocho Us'hilo on Psalms
- Tzeidoh Laderech
