Identifying as a Jew
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This maverick Torah scholar left behind a series of trailblazing works that are studied by Jews around the world to this very day.
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'On this day, March 7, 1809, Rabbi Meir Leibush ben Yehiel Michal, known by his acronym the Malbim, was born in Volochisk, Volhynia (modern day Poland / Belarus).
At an early age, the Malbim was educated in Hebrew and Talmud. It was clear that he was gifted in both Jewish and secular studies. By age 25, he had written his first major work, “Artzot HaChaim”
In 1860, after serving as the rabbi of various towns in Poland and Germany, Rabbi Meir became the chief rabbi of Bucharest, Romania. Some of the wealthier congregants were German and Austrian Jews with a desire to adopt Reform practices - a position that the Malbim could simply not accept. In the end, they managed to place him in prison. Sir Moses Montefiore liberated him on condition that he leave Romania.
The Malbim traveled from Constantinople to Lencziza, and then to Mogilev, serving as chief rabbi, only to be met with more Jews who were at odds with his strict adherence to traditional Jewish practice. He was even offered the chance to become the chief rabbi of New York City, but he declined. On his travels to a different city to serve as their rabbi, the Malbim grew ill and passed away in Kiev, Ukraine.
He left behind a series of trailblazing works that are studied by Jews around the world to this very day. His crowning achievement is his commentary on 22 of the 24 books of Tanach, (his first being on Megillat Esther) and his attempt to show the presence of the Oral Torah (Mishna & Talmud) within the Written Torah (24 books of Tanach). The Malbim managed to synthesize modern ideas of language, logic, science, metaphysics and psychology with his commentary and Torah works.
