FALK, SAMUEL JACOB ḤAYYIM
- FALK, SAMUEL JACOB ḤAYYIM
- FALK, SAMUEL JACOB ḤAYYIM (c. 1710–1782), kabbalist and
adventurer, known as the "Ba'al Shem of London." Falk, who was born in
Galicia, was intimately connected with leaders of the Shabbatean
sectarians for many years, e.g., Moses David of Podhajce. He became
known early as a magician, escaped burning as a sorcerer in Westphalia,
was banished by the archbishop elector of Cologne, and about 1742 made
his way to England. Here he achieved notoriety in both Jewish and
non-Jewish circles for his kabbalistic practices based on the use of the
mysterious Name of God, hence becoming known as a Ba'al Shem
("Master of the (Divine) Name"). He had a private synagogue in his
house in Wellclose Square, and also established a kabbalistic laboratory
on London Bridge where he carried out alchemical experiments which
aroused some notice. Among those who were attracted to him, was the
international adventurer Theodore De Stein, who claimed to be king of
Corsica and hoped to obtain through Falk's alchemical experiments
sufficient gold to enable him to "regain" his throne. He was also in
touch with, among others, the Duke of Orleans, the Polish Prince
Czartoryski, and the Marquise de la Croix. On one occasion, Falk is said
to have saved the Great Synagogue from destruction by fire by means of a
magical inscription which he inscribed on the doorposts. On the other
hand, he was denounced as a Shabbatean heretic and fraud by his
embittered contemporary jacob emden . He was, at the outset, on
the worst possible terms with the official London community. However, in
the end he became reconciled with
it and received the support of the Goldsmid family. As a result of this,
or possibly of success in a lottery, he died in relatively affluent
circumstances, leaving a considerable legacy to Jewish charities and an
annual payment for the upkeep of the chief rabbinate in London. Much
light is thrown on his personality and activities in the semi-literate
diary of his henchman Hirsch Kalish, preserved in manuscript in the
Adler Collection in the Jewish Theological Seminary of America,
N.Y.; one of his own kabbalistic notebooks is in the
library of the bet ha-midrash in London. Toward the end of
his life, his portrait was painted by the distinguished Anglo-American
artist John Copley. This is now frequently reproduced erroneously as the
portrait of the famous Israel Ba'al Shem Tov , founder of
Hasidism.
-BIBLIOGRAPHY:
C. Roth, Essays and Portraits in Anglo-Jewish History (1962),
139–64; idem., Mag Bibl, 124–5; Wirszubski, in: Zion, 7
(1942), 73–93.
(Cecil Roth)
Encyclopedia Judaica.
1971.
Look at other dictionaries:
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Falk, Hayyim Samuel Jacob — (c. 1708 82) English mystic. He was born in Podolia and settled in England in about 1742. He was reputed to be a miracle worker and became known as the Baal Shem of London … Dictionary of Jewish Biography
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FALK, JOSHUA BEN ALEXANDER HA-KOHEN — (c. 1555–1614), Polish yeshivah head and halakhist commonly referred to as Sma from the initials of the title of his major work. Falk was born in Lublin and studied under Moses Isserles and Solomon Luria, but refused to serve as rabbi of the… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
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Baal Shem of London — Variations of this portrait, originally subtitled Baal Shem , are popularly used to represent Israel Baal Shem Tov. Instead it is held to depict rather, Rabbi Falk, the Baal Shem of London[1] … Wikipedia
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