ר׳ יהודה בן שמעון אשכנזי

ר׳ יהודה בן ר׳ שמעון אשכנזי (c.1700–1743), often called the Baal Be’er Heitev, was a German-born Polish dayan and halakhic compiler. Born in Frankfurt am Main to a family in which his father served as scribe and communal officer, he later settled in Tykocin and served on its rabbinical court. His באר היטב condensed decisions of earlier and contemporary authorities and responsa into brief annotations accompanying Shulchan Aruch. Editions appeared in Amsterdam during his lifetime, including Yoreh De’ah in 1736, Even HaEzer in 1739 and Orach Chaim in 1742. In the standard composite באר היטב now printed with Shulchan Aruch, his annotations are retained chiefly for Orach Chaim and Even HaEzer. The Yoreh De’ah and Choshen Mishpat portions commonly printed under the same title are by a different scholar, ר׳ זכריה מנדל בן אריה ליב of Belz; another earlier work with the same title was written by ר׳ ישעיה בן אברהם הלוי. Distinguishing these authors is essential: באר היטב is a shared title and later editorial composite, not evidence that one person wrote every present section.