On 2004.03.22, Reuven Chaim Klein <rachack@...> wrote:

Hi, my name is Reuven Chaim Klein. I am a descendant of Reuven Chaim
Klein who wrote the sefer Shenos Chayim (which is a commentary on
the Rebbenu Yerucham). He lived in the city of Munkatch. I have a
copy of his sefer. In it, where describing himself, it says he is
of the offspring of the TaZ and the ReMa. I was wondering if you
can help me get more information."

I would like to help Mr. Klein, but let me grouch and grouse (I
think the latter is a Kosher bird) a little first.

Our interlocutor says he want more information but does not let us
now that what he has got. Is he asking for leads for the connection
between the Shenos Chaim and the TaZ & ReMo? Which edition does he
possess (see later)? Where and when was the sefer published? If he
has no further information it would be better to state so clearly.

I must confess that I ignore many posts to this forum because the
asker has not made all this sort of stuff clear.

Having got that off my chest; a brief note about Mr. Klein's
namesake ancestor. According to Chachmei Hungaria (by YY Cohen-
Jerusalem 1997 p. 356) R' Reuven Chaim son of Binyomin Eliezer was
born in Cracow in 1826 and died in Davidkof (spelling?) near Muncasz
in 1873. His family name had originally been Ungar or Auerbach but
being orphaned at an early age, adopted a new name. Curiously,
Freedberg's bibliographical dictionary has yet another surname
for him. (I suspect a copying error.)

As to the work Shenos Chaim, which Mr. K correctly describes as a
commentary on Rabbenu Yerucham, this was originally published in
Lemberg (today Lviv) in 1871. If this is the edition seen, may I
suggest he gets hold of a later edition published in Jerusalem in
1985. This includes a preface by a knowledgable contemporary Talmid
Chacham, R' Moshe Zishe Kunstlicher. There might be more information
there.

Incidentally, the Rabbenu Yerucham referred to is a 14th Centyry
Gadol, R' Yerucham ben Meshulam, a pupil of the Rosh, who went into
exile >from Provence to Spain. In contradistinction to many Gedolim
who are commonly named by their seforim - e.g., Chafetz Chaim,
Chazon Ish - when talmudists say Rabbenu Yerucham, they ususally do
not mean the person, but his two part halachic sefer, Odom Vechavoh
& Mayshorim.

There is a most curious story told about this last opus. The Chida
(18th Cent.) in his Shem Hagdolim states that there exists a belief
or tradition that anybody who publishes a commentary on Rabbenu
Yerucham is destined for an early grave. It may be noted that the
author of the Shenos Chaim died aged 47!

I hope the above is of general interest without being unconnected
with genealogy.

Leslie Reich