Home > History > Rabbi Tobias Lewenstein Part II

Rabbi Tobias
Lewenstein
Part II

Part 2: Berlin – Babruysk – Hamburg

Published: 16.10.2024

Berlin

On the 15th 9 of September 1883, whilst Rabbi Tovia was just 19 years old, his main teacher and uncle, Rabbi De Leeuw passed away. After the passing of his main teacher, there was less reason for Rabbi Tovia to remain in Amsterdam whilst the Hildesheimer Rabbinic Seminary offered a hall of study with some of Western Europe’s greatest Rabbis, amongst them Rabbi Dr. Azriel Hildesheimer and Rabbi Dr. David Zvi Hoffman. Rabbi Lewenstein himself wrote about this: “because of the circumstances of life, I wondered off to Germany and came to Berlin” but he doesn’t mention what the exact circumstances we’re that caused him to leave Amsterdam. Rabbi Lewenstein decision to receive Rabbinic ordination outside of the Netherlands resonated badly by Rabbi Dunner who later on insisted that all Rabbis filling a position in the Netherlands should study and receive Rabbinic ordination at the Rabbinic Seminary of Amsterdam.

At age 20, on the 12 of October 1888, R’ Tovia was enlisted at the Königlichen Friedrich-Wilhelms Universität (today’s Humboldt University) Berlin where he studied for 2 semesters, untill August 1889. Whilst also studying at the university, his main studies were always at the Rabbiner-Seminar zu Berlin.

Babruysk, Belarus – White Russia

After his first year Rabbi Tovia left Berlin for Babruysk in Belarus where he was employed by the honorable Boaz Rabinowitz as a private teacher for 2 of his children. A conversation between Boaz Rabinowitz and the Ridbaz, Rabbi Yaakov David, is mentioned in the Slutzk and Vicinity Memorial Book, Pinkas Slutsk u-Benoteha on page 130. The Rabbi of Babruysk at the time was Rabbi Raphael Shapira, author of Toras Raphael and a son-in-law of the Netziv of Volozhin.

In the book Ohalei Shem by Rabbi Shmuel Noach Gotlieb it’s mentioned that Rabbi Lewenstein studied by Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh Rabinowitz “And he (Rabbi Lewenstein) kept continued acquiring sharpness and expertise in Talmud … under the influence of Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh Raboniwitz ZT”L”. It’s unclear in which town they studied but a connection may very well been formed between the two as Rabbi Lewenstein would pose questions to Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh Rabinowitz later on when serving as Chief-Rabbi in Copenhagen. 

The book also mentions about Rabbi Lewenstein that “besides his genius in Torah and wisdom, he’s also a wonderful precious soul and with his good heart he’s always aware of all the welfare and charitable needs of others”. 

After a year of teaching in Babruysk the Tsars officials ordered Rabbi Lewenstein to leave White Russia without offering any type of explanation for their decision. The decision was later abolished later on as a result of diplomatic pressure by the Dutch government but by then Rabbi Lewenstein had already left White Russia by then.

Later on Rabbi Lewenstein commented that his international travel had influenced his customs. Growing up in Holland he had waited only one hour between meat and milk. Then during his stay in Berlin, someone commented to him: “Rabbi, here in Berlin we keep 3 hours between meat and milk” to which he complied. In White Russia again somebody rebuked him: “Rabbi, here in White Russia we wait 6 hours between meat and milk”, Rabbi Tovia again complied. Later on in life he’d comment in a humorous fashion: “Even further eastwards I won’t be going!”

Hamburg – Coming Soon

Coming Soon: Part 3

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