Yehuda Aharon

Alexander Duparc Collection

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Yehuda Aharon to:
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1) Elijah Ba`al Shem of Chelm, birth 1550, died 1575, buried Chelm
Elijah Ba'al Shem or Eliyahu Ba'al Shem of Che?m (government of Lublin)[1] (born 1550;[2] died at Chelm,[2] 1583[citation needed]) was a Polish rabbi who served as chief rabbi of Che?m. He also studied Kabbalah,[3] and, according to his descendan t Tzvi Ashkenazi, created a golem.[4] He is credited with creating the first golem with a "shem" (that is, using a combination of letters from one of the names of God to form a name; Elijah used "Sefer Yezirah"[4][5]), so he was known as a "Ba'a l Shem."[6] He is the first rabbi in history to be known by this title.[1]

He was born Eliyahu ben Aharon Yehudah ("Elijah son of Aaron Judah").[7] About 1565 he entered the yeshiva of Rabbi Solomon Luria of Lublin, and, after receiving his rabbinical ordination, became rabbi of Che?m, a position he would hold for the re st of his life.[3] In 1564, he gathered with other prominent rabbis, including his teacher, to co-sign the "piske dinim" (laws) which allowed an agunah to remarry.[3][7]

His great-granddaughter[8] was married to Rabbi Ephraim ha-Kohen (1616ù1678), author of "Sha'ar Efrayim"[9][10] and grandfather of Rabbi Tzvi Ashkenazi.[8] to:
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