Today is the Yahrzeit of Rabbi Shimshon Raphael Hirsch. Rabbi Hirsch was born in Hamburg, Germany on June 20, 1808 to his father who though a merchant, devoted much of his time to Torah studies. Rabbi Shinshon Raphael Hirsch was the intellectual founder of the "Torah im Derech Eretz school" of contemporary Orthodox Judaism.
In 1830 Rabbi Hirsch was elected chief rabbi of the principalityof Oldenburg. During this period he wrote his "Nineteen Letters on Judaism" (Neunzehn Briefe über Judenthum) which were published, under the pseudonym of "Ben Usiel" at Altona in 1836. This work made a profound impression in German Jewish circles because it was something new — a brilliant, intellectual presentation of Orthodox Judaism in classic German.
During the final years of his life, Rabbi Hirsch put his efforts in the founding of the "Freie Vereinigung für die Interessen des Orthodoxen Judentums", an association of independent Jewish communities. During the 30 years after his death this organisation would be used as a model for the formation of the international orthodox Agudat Yisrael movement.
From reports of his family members, it seems likely that Hirsch contracted malaria while in Emden, which continued to plague him during the rest of life with febrile episodes.
Rabbi Hirsch died in 1888, on the 27th of Tevet in Frankfurt am Main and is buried there.
Rabbi Hirsch died in 1888, on the 27th of Tevet in Frankfurt am Main and is buried there.
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