בצלאל רונסבורג

Rav Betzalel ben Yoel Ronsburg (5520/1760–5581/1820), whose family name is also written Ranschburg, was a dayan and rosh yeshiva in Prague. He was born in Ronsperg, in what is today Czechia, and learned Torah in Schwabach, in Fuerth, and in Prague, where his rebbeim were Rav Leib Fischels and Rav Yechezkel Landau. He stood against the Reform movement of his day. After the Habsburg decree of 1787 he registered the name Daniel Betzalel Rosenbaum, its initials carrying both surnames, yet he went on being called Ronsburg.

His Horah Gaver, a commentary on masechet Horayot, appeared in Prague in 1802. His glosses on the Gemara, Ma’aseh Rav, were printed in 1823 and were then taken into the Prague edition of the Talmud of 1830–32 and into editions after it, and his notes on the halachot of the Rosh were printed in the Prague Talmud of 1839–46 under the title Sedeh Tzofim. Both were reprinted in the Romm edition of Vilna, so that they stand before anyone learning from a standard Shas today. Two further works stayed in manuscript: Pitchei Niddah, which Mossad HaRav Kook later brought to print, and Sichat Chullin.