ḤAYYIM BEN ISAAC REIZES:
Head of the yeshibah at Lemberg; born 1687; martyred May 13, 1728. Ḥayyim and his brother Joshua were thrown into prison on the eve of Passover, March 24, 1728, as the result of being falsely denounced by a Jewish convert, who declared they had induced him to renounce Christianity. Ḥayyim and his brother were condemned to be burned at the stake, but were first tortured with extreme cruelty. Their death is commemorated by a special prayer recited at Lemberg on the festival of Pentecost.
Bibliography:
- Buber, Anshe Shem, pp. 64-67;
- Fuenn, Keneset Yisrael, p. 367.
