JOSEPH DAVID BEN ẒEBI:
Russian rabbi and author; born in Zetil, government of Grodno, 1767; died in Mir, government of Minsk, 1846. He was the grandson of the rabbi of Zetil and son-in-law of R. Moses of Kletzk. At an early age he was, appointed rabbi of his native city, and at twenty-six he received a call to the rabbinate of Mir. Young men came from many places to attend his yeshibah, and hundreds of them were ordained by him as rabbis.
Joseph David wrote novellæ, some of which are incorporated in the book "Nir Dawid" by his pupil R. Mordecai Rabinowitz, while a responsum by him is to be found in "Galya Masseket" by R. David of Novogrodek.
Bibliography:
- Eisenstadt-Wiener, Da'at Ḳedoshim, p. 23;
- M. Rabinowitz, Toledot Ẓaddiḳ, in Gan Peraḥim, part i., Wilna, 1882.
