Grishaber, Isaac

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GRISHABER, ISAAC

GRISHABER, ISAAC (d. 1815), Hungarian rabbi. Born in Cracow, Grishaber went in 1782 to Hungary and was appointed rabbi of Paks. For an unknown reason he left this community and went to serve the community of Baja, but toward the end of his life he returned to Paks. He was in halakhic correspondence with Ezekiel *Landau, author of the Noda bi-Yehudah, and studied under him for a while in Prague, as well as with Moses *Sofer. Grishaber was resolute in his views and fought for them stubbornly and courageously. He was involved in a violent controversy in 1798–99 because of his dispute with Rabbi Aaron *Chorin over whether sturgeon is kasher. He published a pamphlet on the subject, Makel No'am (Vienna 1799), giving his reasons for forbidding this fish, with supporting letters from contemporary rabbis in Hungary and elsewhere.

bibliography:

P.Z. Schwartz, Shem ha-Gedolim me-Ereẓ Hagar, 1 (1913), 506 no. 227; A. Stern, Meliẓei Esh al Ḥodshei Kislev-Adar (19622), 206 no. 67; D. Sofer, Mazkeret Paks, 1 (1962), 3–91.

[Samuel Weingarten-Hakohen]