Yehuda Liebes
THE AUTHOR OF THE BOOK "TSADDIK YESOD OLAM" -
THE SABBATAIAN PROPHET, RABBI LEIB PROSSNITZ
In my article, "Tsaddik Yessod Olam—A Sabbataian Myth", published in the previous issue of "Da'at", I attempted to demonstrate that the book, Tsaddik Yessod Olam, attributed to Rabbi Isaac Luria (Ha-Ari), was in-fact the work of an European Sabbataian Jew of the 18th century. Since that article was published, I discovered the author's identity. The present article attempts to establish the identity of that man as Rabbi Leib Prossnitz, proving the characterization of the author and the analysis of the book, as suggested in the previous article, to be correct. The remaining letters of Rabbi Leib elucidate the messianic content of the book, Tsaddik Yesod Olam, concealed under a theosophic guise. A detailed comparison between the letters and the book is drawn in the paper, and the messianic and Kabbalistic ideas are explained.
The various versions of the history of Rabbi Leib are dealt with at length in the footnotes, with the purpose of verifying which of those versions is primary. In addition, there is a research on the relations between Rabbi Leib and Rabbi Jonathan Eybeschuetz, a disciple of Rabbi Leib in Sabbatalanism, whom Rabbi Leib prophesied would be the messiah instead of Shabbetai Zvi. Also included is a discussion about the Talmudic teacher of Eybeschuetz, Rabbi Meir Eisenstadt, who was a follower of Rabbi Leib at the beginning of his career.