MY ZAIDAH THE POPE

This Motzei Shabbos  י"ג תשרי  Yahrzeit of my holy Zaida* R Akiva Eiger Zt"l   Rav Chaim Kreiswirth זצ"ל once remarked: "It is not expected of us to reach the level of a למדן like ר' עקיבא איגר זצ"ל, nor are we expected to attain his level ofיראת שמים. But in the realm of חסד—where R. Akiva Eiger truly excelled—we can all follow his example and become a R. Akiva Eiger of חסד Despite his immense responsibilities as a Rav and Rebbi of talmidim, he personally founded a hospital and devoted himself to it daily, visiting patients and caring for their needs. Beyond that, he was constantly engaged in countless other acts of kindness. To become a בעל חסד like R. Akiva Eiger, said R. Kreiswirth, is within reach for every one of us."     Jewish Hospital for the Elderly named after S.B. Latz on Jewish Street in Posen[1] In 5591 (1831), Akiva Eiger was appointed as the executor of the estate of the Jewish philanthropist Solomon Benjamin Latz, who had died. At the request of Akiva Eiger, the deceased dedicated a large sum of his fortune for the establishment of a study hall and a hospital for the Jewish community in Posen. In the official appointment document, it was stated that two-thirds of the funds would be used for building the hospital and its initial operation, while one-third would be allocated for the construction of the study hall. The philanthropist, fearing corruption, ensured that the community leaders would have no right to intervene in the affairs of the institutions and would not receive any benefit from them. He appointed Akiva Eiger as the sole trustee of the institutions, stating: "I rely on the rabbi's great fear of God, his Torah knowledge, and integrity, so that his will would be considered as my own." Using the estate funds, Akiva Eiger purchased a large residence, and with an additional donation from the donor's son-in-law and other funds that he borrowed himself, he inaugurated the hospital under the name "Beit Shlomo" after the benefactor. The hospital wing contained 13 patient rooms, and one hall was dedicated as a study hall for Torah learning and prayer. Additionally, a pleasant garden was maintained in front of the building. Akiva Eiger personally supervised the hospital's management and wrote its operating regulations. The hospital provided medical care to hundreds of patients annually at a reduced cost, and those with limited means received free treatment and hospitalization. Wanting to distance the Jewish community leadership, which he suspected of being influenced by the Haskalah, Akiva Eiger ensured the institution's funding came from philanthropists rather than the local community funds. This move provoked the community leaders, who appealed to the authorities to enforce a clause in the law stating that all Jewish institutions in the city should be under the governance of the community leadership. The rabbi defended himself by stating that according to Latz's will, the institution, built with his funds, could not be placed under the community leaders' control, and he invited the authorities to send an inspector to the institution. The inspector's examination revealed that the institution was managed according to regulations and that there was no suspicion of embezzlement of public funds. The inspector concluded with a recommendation that the authorities reprimand the community leaders for their petty complaint. Later attempts at mediation proposed by the community leaders, which involved signing an agreement to change the institution's regulations after the rabbi's death, were rejected. In practice, the regulations were preserved even after the rabbi's death, and even after "Beit Latz" was repurposed as a retirement home for the community[56] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When is a לולב הגזול kosher even on the first day? R Akiva Eiger argues on the שער המלך & holds, If a קטן acquired the ד' מינים from הפקר and an adult steals it from the child, since מן התורה a child is not קונה מן ההפקר, therefore, it is considered לכם of the  גזלן and he is יוצא בלולב הגזול אבי מורי ר' צבי יהודה פרידמן בן ר' משה בן ר' ישעי* בן *רעכל בת שרל שרייבר ע"ה בת ר' עקיבא איגר ואשת החתם סופר (*Rechel Friedman was the youngest daughter of the Chasam Sofer)