Yeḥiel Mikhel Epstein

German rabbi Yeḥiel Mikhel Epstein is best known for his abbreviated version of the popular ethical guide Shene luḥot ha-brit (Two Tablets of the Covenant) by Isaiah Horowitz, which was first published in 1649. This work, Kitsur shene luḥot ha-berit (Abridged Two Tablets of the Covenant), which Epstein updated on the basis of more recent works and to which he added glosses, was particularly popular in Yiddish translation, leading to more than thirty-five printed editions. Epstein also published a siddur containing Yiddish translations of prayers, laws, and customs and wrote an original Yiddish ethical work. His main concern was to provide halakhic guidance for Jews in small villages, who were isolated from the larger communities and who often lacked rabbinic advice and instruction. As such, his works shed light on life in such communities. Epstein also believed in the need to reform Jewish education—he prioritized study of the Bible and the most relevant tractates of the Mishnah and opposed talmudic casuistry—and he attributed an important role to Yiddish in Jewish religion and culture, viewing the language as sacred.