Abraham ben Ḥayyim
ABRAHAM BEN ḤAYYIM
ABRAHAM BEN ḤAYYIM (Heilprin ; d. 1762), leader of the Jewish community in Lublin city and province, Poland. Abraham b. Ḥayyim at times represented the Lublin community in the assemblies of the Council of Four Lands. From 1753 to 1757 he acted as parnas of the Council, an office previously held by his grandfather, Abraham Abele b. Israel Isser, and his son's father-in-law, the physician Abraham Isaac *Fortis (Ḥazak). During Abraham b. Ḥayyim's tenure, one of his sons, Moses Phinehas, acted as the ne'eman ("treasurer") of the Council of the Four Lands. Other members of his family served in several communities as rabbis or communal leaders. In the controversy that arose over the connection of Jonathan *Eybeshuetz with the *Shabbatean movement, Abraham and his son Jacob Ḥayyim of Lublin strongly supported Eybeshuetz. Abraham was described by contemporaries as "princely and munificent," but nothing is now known of his occupation. He died in Lublin at an advanced age. The Bet ha-Midrash de-Parnas Academy, which he founded, existed in Lublin until the destruction of the community during World War ii.
add. bibliography:
Halpern, Pinkas; M. Balaban, Die Judenstadt von Lublin (1919).
[Israel Halpern]