Horwitz
Horwitz A Jewish family, several members of which have become distinguished as writers. The most renowned are:
1. HORWITZ (Sabbatai-Scheftel), HA-LEVI BEN-AKIBA, head of the synagogue of Prague at the beginning of the 16th century. He wrote פֶּלִח הָרַמּוֹן (Kerez,. 1793, 4to), or Commentary on Samuel Galicho's רַמּונַים סֲִיס: — נַשׁמִת שִׁבּתִּי הִלֵּוַי (Prague, 1616,4to), a dialogue expounding the Cabalistic doctrine of the soul: שֶׁפ ִטָל, 1780, 4to), a Cabalistic work divided into two parts, making a key to the Jezirah, Zohar, and other Cabalistic books.
2. HORWITZ, ABRAHAM, son of the preceding, and known also under the name of Schefteles, was born at Prague in the first half of the 16th century. He wrote the following Hebrew works: בַּרַית אִברָהָם, On Repentance and Confession (Cracow, 1602, and often): חֶסֶד לאִברָהָם, a complete commentary on Maimonides's Introduction to the book Aboth of the Talmud (Cracow, 1577, and often) — — יֵשׁ נוֹחֲלַין (Prague, 1615, 4to), containing moral instructions, especially intended for his own children — עֵמֶק בּרָכָה (Amst. 1757, 4to), containing remarks on the blessings of the Jews and their origin.
3. HORWITZ, ISAIAH, son of the foregoing, born at Prague about 1550, became the most distinguished of this family. He was Rabbi first at Frankfort, then at Posen, at Cracow, and at Prague. In 1622 he went to Jerusalem. 'Poverty induced him to leave that city, and he retired to Tiberias, where he died in 1629. He wrote שׁנֵי לוּחוֹת הִבּרַית (Amsterd. 1649, fol.; several times reprinted), a work which enjoys great reputation among the Jews. It is divided into two parts: the first treats of the existence of God, the law, the privileges of the people of Israel, the attributes of God, the sanctuary, judgment, free agency, the Messiah, worship, ceremonies, and feasts. The second part contains ten treatises on six hundred and thirteen precepts, the oral law, etc. Three abridgments have been published, one by Epstein (Amst. 1683, 4to; several edit.); the second by Zoref Ha-Levi (Frankf. 1681, 4to); and the third by (Ettling Ben-Jechia (Ven. 1705, 8vo) — ִבַּגדֵּי יֶשׁ, or Commentary on "the book of Mordecai," was at first published only in part with the Seder Mohed, then separately (Amst. 1757, 4to; Zolkiew, 1826, fol.), and oftener as an appendix to the book of Mordecai, or in some editions of the Talmud — הִגָּהוֹת לסֵ עֵמֶק בּרָכָה, reflections on the Emek Berakah of his father, and printed along with it (Crac. 1597, 4to); also in the two separate editions of the preceding work — שַׁעִי הִשָּׁמִיַם; (Amst. 1717, 4to; with a preface and glossaries by one of his descendants, Abraham Horwitz): it is a Cabalistic commentary on the Psalms and on prayers. The same work contains also his father's Sepher Berith Abraham.
4. HORWITZ (Sabbatai Scheftel), son of the preceding, was Rabbi of Frankfort, then of Posen, and finally of Vienna, where he died about 1658. He is the author of three Hebrew works, the first entitled A Treatise on Morals, in six parts, serving as an introduction to his father's work, שׁנֵי לוּחוֹת בּרַית, and printed with it (Amst. 1649, fol.; several editions) — צוָּאָה, printed with his grandfather's יֵשׁ נוֹהֲלַין (Amst. 1717 4to), a work on morals already referred to above — חַדּוּשֵׁי מֵסֵּ בּרָכוֹת printed with his grandfather's Emek Berakah, on which it is a sort of commentary (Amst. 1757, 4to; Zolkiew, 1826, fol.).
5. HORWITZ, ISAIAH BEN-JACOB, nephew of the foregoing, and grandson of the former Isaiah Horwitz, wa, a native of Poland, and died there in 1695. He wrote בֵּית הִלֵּוַי (Venice, 1663, 4to), and some commentaries on the Talmud relating to Jewish jurisprudence. See J. Buxtorf, Rabbinica Bibliotheca; Wolf, Bibliotheca Hebraica; Rossi, Dizionario degli Autori Ebrei; J. First, Biblioth. Judaica; Hoefer, Nouv. Biogr. Géneralé. 25, 207. (J. H.W.)
