From: RC Klein <yeshivish@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Jul 16, 2020 at 8:38 PM
Subject: Re: Was Rav Yaakov Pollak a Levi?
To: S. Leiman <szl@erols.com>
I am familiar with Rabbi Kinstlicher, as he wrote the introduction to the 1985 edition of my great-great-great-grandfather's sefer. Are you sure he is still active? I assume he's quite an old man and it's been a while already that he hasn't responded to the email address I used to correspond with him at: משפחת קינסטליכר <3446@okmail.co.il>. I've corresponded with Rabbi Webber before, I think I will reach out to him about this as well. Thanks for the advice.
Zei Gezunt & Kol Tuv,
Reuven Chaim Klein
Beitar Illit, Israel
Author of: God versus Gods: Judaism in the Age of Idolatry & Lashon HaKodesh: History, Holiness, & Hebrew
ORCiD | LinkedIN | Google Scholar | Amazon
The matzevah that Rav Kreisworth saw in Lublin was that of R. Yaakov Koppelman. He indeed was a Levi, but his father's name was Yehudah;
both words "HaLevi and "Yehudah" are on his matzevah. In Lublin, Rav Kreisworth was misled by a rumor that Rav Koppelman was in fact rav Yaakov Pollak. But Rav Yaakov Pollak's father's name was not Yehudah. His kever remains unknown to this very day. Since there is not a shred of evidence in all the references to him that he was a Levi, why should anyone think he was a Levi?
See, in general, Tovia Preschel, מאמרי טוביה, vol. 1, p. 134 ff.
For Hungarian yichus, the world's experts are R. Moshe Alexander Zusha Kinstlicher in Eretz Yisrael or R. Berish Webber in New
York. You should consult them.
Kol tuv,
Shnayer Leiman
From: RC Klein [mailto:yeshivish@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2020 4:53 PM
To: szl@erols.com
Subject: Re: Was Rav Yaakov Pollak a Levi?
Do you have any more information about this that you can share with me?
Zei Gezunt & Kol Tuv,
Reuven Chaim Klein
Beitar Illit, Israel
Author of: God versus Gods: Judaism in the Age of Idolatry & Lashon HaKodesh: History, Holiness, & Hebrew
ORCiD | LinkedIN | Google Scholar | Amazon
On Tue, Jun 16, 2020 at 1:50 PM RC Klein <yeshivish@gmail.com> wrote:
Attached is a picture of the grave in Lublin that I'm talking about.
Zei Gezunt & Kol Tuv,
Reuven Chaim Klein
Beitar Illit, Israel
Author of: God versus Gods: Judaism in the Age of Idolatry & Lashon HaKodesh: History, Holiness, & Hebrew
ORCiD | LinkedIN | Google Scholar | Amazon
On Tue, Jun 16, 2020 at 1:07 PM RC Klein <yeshivish@gmail.com> wrote:
Was Rav Yaakov Pollak (of Chilukim fame) a Levi? Somebody told me that Rav Chaim Kresiwirth said about a certain tomb in Lublin that it was the kever of the famous Rav Yaakov Pollak. and on that Kever it says that he is a Levi. The problem though is that him being a Levi is not mentioned in other contemporary sources. The person I spoke to told me that Rav Moshe Soloveitchik from Zurich told him that at that time period people didn't describe themselves as "Levi" so that's why Rav Yaakov Pollak is not mentioned as being a "Levi" even thoug he apparently was one. Do you have anything to say about all of this?
Also, apparently there is some controversy over if/how Rav Yitzchak Zekel HaLevi Pollak (Talmid of the Chasam Sofer) was a descendant of Rav Yaakov Pollak. Do you know anything about this? The question revolves around whether he descends from Rav Yaakov Pollak through his paternal ancestor Rav Yitzchak Zekel HaLevi Spitz (the first Rav of Bonyhad) or through some other line.
Zei Gezunt & Kol Tuv,
Reuven Chaim Klein
Beitar Illit, Israel
Author of: God versus Gods: Judaism in the Age of Idolatry & Lashon HaKodesh: History, Holiness, & Hebrew
ORCiD | LinkedIN | Google Scholar | Amazon
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