אביגדור הכהן

Rabbeinu Avigdor HaKohen of Vienna (first half of the thirteenth century), known as Rabbeinu Avigdor Katz, was among the baalei Tosafot and the earliest of the great poskim of Austria. He learned in his youth in France, but drew the essence of his Torah from Rabbi Simcha of Speyer — the Ohr Zarua writes that he “poured water on the hands of Rabbi Simcha as Elisha poured water on the hands of Eliyahu.” He learned as well in Italy under Rabbi Eliezer of Verona, and stood in close bond with Rabbeinu Tzidkiyah ben Avraham, author of the Shibolei HaLeket, who brings his Torah constantly.

Settling in Vienna, he guided the religious life of the kehillot of Austria, and the greatest chachamim of Ashkenaz turned to him with their hardest questions, giving great weight to his rulings. His beit medrash raised a generation: the Maharach Ohr Zarua, Rabbi Hillel of Verona, and the chachamim of the Anav family of Italy were among his talmidim, and some count the Maharam of Rothenburg himself among them.

Of his writings there survive his peirushim on the Megillot — Esther, Shir HaShirim and Eichah have been printed from manuscript — his Shaarei Mussar, and traces of his Tosafot to masechet Ketubot; his commentary on the Torah remains in manuscript. Through his talmidim and through the Shibolei HaLeket, his Torah flowed into the psak of Ashkenaz and Italy for generations.