Moses Ẓevi Fuchs

FUCHS, MOSES ẒEVI (1843–1911), Hungarian rabbi. He was born in Lovasbereny, where his father, Benjamin Ze'ev Wolf, was rabbi, and Moses succeeded him in 1873. In 1882 he moved to Grosswardein (now Oradea), Romania, where he served until his death. His Yad Ramah (1940) includes important halakhic responsa, many of which reflect the problems facing European Jewry in his time.

Fuchs saw in Ḥasidism an antidote to Haskalah and assimilation, stating in one of his responsa: "The love of God and His Torah is the essence and source of Ḥasidism. When economic circumstances permit, one should occupy oneself in the study of Torah with deep deliberation and spiritual joy. It is also important to visit the ẓaddik from time to time, in order to learn from his ways. The wise man should learn from the ẓaddikim and their true disciples but pay no attention to the masses who go running after them."

Sources: Encyclopaedia Judaica. © 2007 The Gale Group. All Rights Reserved.