Joseph Rosenberg (1829-1905)

Chief Rabbi Joseph Rosenberg (Yosef-Yospe ben Menachem Tzvi Rosenberg) z'tl, was born at Balassagyarmat in 1829, died at Püspökladány, on 3. May 1905. (28. Nisan 5665.), where he was chief rabbi (av beit din) for 37 years.

He was a pupil of Meir Eisenstadter z'tl, Chief Rabbi in Balassagyarmat, later in Ungvár (today Uzhgorod, Ukraine)

His main work, Yad Yosef ve Ravid Zahav ("Memory of Joseph and Golden Chain")was published in three volumes: Vol. 1. in 1863, in Pozsony (Pressburg, today Bratislava, Slovakia), Vol.2. in 1870 in Ungvár (today Uzhgorod, Ukraine), Vol 3. in Munkács (today Mukachevo, Ukraine)  in 1906.  He was bedridden for ten years, he wrote his major work during that time. First part, Yad Yoseph, a concise recapitulation of the "Magen Avraham", "Taz", "Elia Rabbah", "Tosafot Shabbat", "Hemed Moshe", and the "Be’ur" of the Vilna Gaon (chief rabbi Eliyah ben Shlomo Zalman Kramer z'tl), and other works. Second part of this monumental work is Ravid Zahav, which is a detailed analysis (pilpul) of the new and innovative interpretation of the jewish law (hiddushei halakhot) and an explanation of the highly respected rabbis (poskim). The verso of the title page has approbations from Rav Hayyim Halberstam of Zanz (today Nowy Sacz, Poland), R. Menahem ben Meir, R. Jeremiah ben Benjamin, and Chief Rabbi Aharon David Deutsch z'cl. There is an introduction from R. Rosenberg and then the text, which is comprised of the Shulhan Arukh, in the left column, Yad Yosef in the right hand column, and below Ravid Zahav. Hilkhot Eruvin comes first (f. 1a-30b), followed by Hilkhot Shabbat (1a-131a). 

He also wrote Divrei Yoseph in three volumes, which was published between 1885-96 in Kolomyya and Munkács (Mukachevo). It contains explanations and responsa to the tractate Yore De'ah; two additional volumes of Yad Yosef ve-Ravid Zahav (Ungvár - Uzhgorod 1863-70) on the laws of Pesach and the Festivals 

His son, Yitzhak was chief rabbi of Hajdúhadház, other son, Emanuel (Menachem) in  Debrecen.

Sources:  

• Hungarian Jewish Lexicon. Ed. Péter Ujvári. Budapest: Magyar Zsidó Lexikon. 1929. p. 752.  Reach online
• 
• Encyclopaedia of Jewish Communities, Hungary (Pinkas HaKehilot, the encyclopedia of the destroyed communities during the Holocaust) - Yad Vashem, Jerusalem, 1975.

Vol.1. of the book "Yad Yoseph ve Ravid Zahav" is fully available on .

Vol.2. of the book "Yad Yoseph ve Ravid Zahav" is fully available on .

Vol.3. of the book "Yad Yoseph ve Ravid Zahav" is fully available on .

Vol.1. of the book "Divrei Yoseph" is fully available on .

Vol.2. of the book "Divrei Yoseph" is fully available on .

Vol.3. of the book "Divrei Yoseph" is fully available on.

(Yechiel)

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