Yosef Shaul Nathanson

Yosef Shaul Nathanson (1808-1875) was a Galician rabbi and halakhic authority active in Lemberg (Lviv). Born in Berezhany, he settled in Lemberg, where he studied Talmud alongside his brother-in-law Mordechai Zeev Ettinger; the two produced several joint works, among them Magen Giborim. His home became a gathering point for advanced students before he was chosen as rabbi of the city in 1857, a post he held for roughly eighteen years. He is remembered above all for Shoel U'Meishiv, a wide-ranging multi-volume collection of responsa that engaged the practical questions of his era, including his willingness to permit machine-baked matzah, a position that drew wide discussion. His other writings include Divrei Shaul, Ner Ma'aravi, and Bitul Modaah. He died in Lemberg in 1875, leaving no children.