Jewish_traditions Abraham_ben_Abraham

there several versions of story, among jews of lithuania, poland, , russia, know , still refer potocki ger tzedek ( righteous proselyte ) of vilna (vilnius). virtually jewish sources agree polish nobleman converted judaism , burned @ stake roman catholic church @ vilnius on may 23, 1749 (7 sivan 5509, corresponding second day of jewish holiday of shavuot in diaspora), because had renounced catholicism , had become observant jew.

multiple oral histories, backed several 19th-century , later printed versions of story, many jewish communities on past 250 years, serve evidence of potocki s story. jewish oral traditions teach interesting details outcome of avraham ben avraham s life , death.

polish author józef ignacy kraszewski, acknowledged oldest verified source citing story, relates young potocki , friend zaremba, traveled poland study in seminary in paris, became interested in old jew whom found poring on large volume when entered wine shop. jew might have been own countryman, menahem man ben aryeh löb of visun, tortured , executed in vilna @ age of seventy (july 3, 1749). tradition has brought jewish martyr close connection ger tzedek, fear of censor has prevented writers in russia saying explicit on subject. teachings , explanations of old testament, they, roman catholics, total strangers, impressed them prevailed upon him instruct them in hebrew language. in 6 months acquired proficiency in biblical language , strong inclination toward judaism. resolved go amsterdam, 1 of few places in europe @ time christian openly embrace judaism. potocki first went rome, whence, after convincing himself no longer remain catholic, went amsterdam , took upon himself covenant of abraham, assuming name of avraham ben avraham ( abraham son of abraham ; son of abraham traditional styling of convert judaism).

potocki s parents got word of leave seminary in paris , rumors had converted judaism, , began searching him. potocki fled france , hid in synagogue in vilna, wearing long beard , peyot perushim (devout jews separated community learn , pray). when vilna gaon heard of whereabouts, advised him hide instead in small town of ilye (vilna governorate). there jewish tailor sewed uniforms polish bureaucrats overheard clients talking fugitive divinity student , suspected stranger in synagogue might he. later tailor s son, liked disturb men studying in synagogue, sharply rebuked potocki; potocki grabbed boy ear , pulled him out door. tailor reported him bishop of vilna, , potocki arrested.

potocki s parents visited him in prison , begged him renounce judaism publicly, promising build him castle practice religion privately. according rabbi ben-zion alfes, maggid of vilna, potocki refused mother, saying, love dearly, love truth more .

after long imprisonment , trial heresy, potocki condemned death being burned alive @ stake. after decree handed down, vilna gaon sent potocki message offering rescue him using kabbalah. potocki refused, preferring instead die al kiddush hashem , inquired of vilna gaon blessing should make before death. vilna gaon answered, ...m kadesh es shimcha rabbim (who sanctifies name in public) , sent emissary hear , answer amen . mother used influence procure pardon him, execution moved 1 day not able deliver in time.

potocki executed in vilna on second day of jewish holiday of shavuot. unsafe jew witness burning; nevertheless 1 jew, leiser zhiskes, had no beard, went among crowd , succeeded bribery in securing of ashes of martyr, later buried in jewish cemetery. potocki walked proudly execution site, singing song later sung in volozhin yeshiva , sung rabbi isser zalman meltzer after yom kippur. sources rabbi alexander ziskind, author of yesod veshoresh haavodah, stood near potocki , said amen blessing said before died.

following potocki s execution, town had furnished firewood execution burned down. there unusual number of fires in vilna, , building stood opposite execution site bore black stain smoke , fumes of burning . no amount of paint or whitewashing remove stain, , building taken down. authorities not allow monument erected on potocki s ashes, strange tree grew @ site. tried cut down tree mysteriously injured in process. around 1919 tomb erected on ashes , jews came pray there. following destruction of old cemetery of vilna nazis during world war ii, new cemetery built , vilna gaon interred in new ohel. potocki s ashes reinterred alongside vilna gaon s grave, , inscribed stone memorial him mounted on wall of ohel.

potocki s comrade zaremba returned poland several years before him, married daughter of great nobleman, , had son. remained true promise embrace judaism , took wife , child amsterdam, where, after , son had been circumcised, wife converted judaism; went land of israel.

according jewish tradition, following avraham ben avraham s death, vilna gaon believed spiritual constitution of world had become altered in such way jew no longer bound wash hands in morning (netilat yadayim) within 4 amot (cubits) of bed, explicitly taught in codes of jewish law such shulchan aruch , other halachic works. rather, jew s entire house considered 4 amot mitzvah. custom, begun @ avraham ben avraham s death, commenced vilna gaon , later became practice of slabodka yeshiva in europe, becoming today routine of many leading israeli rabbis follow slabodka tradition.

as why there few full sources, jewish view reflected in excerpt shema yisrael torah network website:

there few reasons why there few contemporary sources ger tzedek story. can assumed noble pototzki family, religious polish-catholic family, not happy 1 of sons defected judaism. pototzki family said have dealt kindly jews living on lands. mentioning conversion have been interpreted open provocation of area s ruler, have not resulted in good. in addition, undoubtedly conversion of 1 of upper-class gentiles aroused great interest among populace, , refusal return faith caused them great embarrassment ... nevertheless, believe words of our rabbis, indicate there connection between gra (i.e. vilna gaon) , ger tzedek.