ר׳ יוסף תאומים

ר׳ יוסף בן ר׳ מאיר תאומים (1727–26 April 1792), universally known as the Pri Megadim, was an influential Galician-German halakhist and Talmudist. Born at Shchyrets near Lviv, he was educated principally by his father ר׳ מאיר תאומים, a dayan, preacher and rosh yeshivah in Lviv. After marriage he spent years in Komarno studying, writing and supporting himself as a teacher. In Berlin he worked in the renowned study house maintained by ר׳ דניאל יפה and brought important early writings to print. He returned to Lviv after his father's death and served there as preacher, posek and dayan before accepting the rabbinate of Frankfurt an der Oder in 1781. He required the community to maintain a circle of yeshivah students and remained its rabbi until his death. His פרי מגדים is a systematic supercommentary on the principal commentaries to Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim and Yoreh De'ah: משבצות זהב treats the Taz, אשל אברהם the Magen Avraham, and שפתי דעת the Shakh. Its careful classifications, methodological introductions and practical rulings became foundational for later poskim, including ר׳ ישראל מאיר הכהן in משנה ברורה.