Meshullam Feibush

Born around 1546 in Poland, Meshullam Feibush’s name first appears on a regulation issued by the Council of Four Lands in 1587 forbidding the purchase of rabbinic posts. Feibush served for some time as rabbi or head of the yeshiva in Brest Litovsk. Indeed, it seems that the regulations he composed, regarding resting on the Sabbath, which seek to protect the income of Jewish leaseholders while ensuring that they keep the laws of the Sabbath, and which were later ratified by the Council of Four Lands, reflect the reality of Jewish life in that region. The surviving copy of these regulations appears to have been written later, after Feibush was appointed head of the rabbinic court in Kraków in 1598/9. These regulations shed light on the economic situation of Jews in Poland in his time and the challenges involved in earning a living while abiding by Jewish law. Feibush was renowned for his knowledge of marriage and divorce contracts. In addition, he served as a mohel, was involved in communal affairs, and was a highly respected teacher.