Saul Wahl

Saul choice ( Saul Judycz, Saul ben Judah choice; * ~ 1541 in Padua, † 1617 in Brest- Litovsk ) was a Jewish businessman, court Jew, customs and salt and tenants of the Jewish community in Brest -Litovsk. According to legend, he was said to be one day king of Poland.

Life

Saul choice in official documents Saul Judycz, in Padua, the son of the local Ashkenazi Rabbi Samuel Judah ben Meir Katzenellenbogen (1521-1597) was born. In his youth election went to study in Brest- Litovsk in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, where he was a wealthy businessman was later. In 1578 he received from King Stephen Báthory the salt rent for the whole of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, 1580 additionally rent of Wieliczka Salt Mine near Krakow. 1589 awarded him king Sigismund III. the title servus regis ( royal servants ), coupled with the right to wear a gold chain and to run their own coat of arms.

Choice was one of the chief (Hebrew Parnas ) of the Jewish community of Brest- Litovsk and representatives of the Lithuanian Jews in the Council of the countries (Hebrew Va'ad ha Aratzot ), the representation of Jews in Lithuania - Poland. He campaigned successfully for the Jewish interests in Brest -Litovsk. So he led in 1592 against the city court complaint and sat through that decisions were made in Jewish affairs on the basis of the Polish land law and not according to Magdeburg law, the Jews severely disadvantaged. A year later he successfully lobbied against the Brest Star East to defend and reached that litigation among Jews alone rabbinic court (Hebrew Beth Din) was recognized as being competent.

Choice built a house of study ( Klaus ) and charitable foundations in Brest- Litovsk, and left a wife gallery in the synagogue in memory to create his wife. One of his sons, Meir Katzenellenbogen - election, was a rabbi in Brest- Litovsk, and one of the founders of the Council of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Hebrew Va'ad medinas Lito ) which seceded in 1623 by the Council of the countries.

The traditional in several variants according to legend election to have been in 1587, used during the interregnum after the death of Stefan Batory of Prince Nicholas Christopher Radziwill, who had received Father in Padua using Wahls as a Polish King for a day and at this time, several of the Jews have enacted favorable laws.