ר׳ צבי הירש בן אריה ליב לוין

ר׳ צבי הירש בן אריה ליב לוין (1721–1800), known in Britain as Hart Lyon and in German sources as Hirschel Levin or Löbel, was a Talmudist who led the principal Ashkenazi communities of London, Halberstadt, Mannheim and Berlin. Born in Rzeszów, he was the son of ר׳ אריה ליב בן שאול and Miriam, a daughter of ר׳ צבי הירש אשכנזי, the חכם צבי; ר׳ יעקב עמדין was therefore his uncle. His 1751 intervention on his uncle's side in the Emden–Eybeschütz controversy brought wider notice. Elected rabbi of London's Great Synagogue after ר׳ אהרן הארט, he confronted disputes over sheḥitah supervision and communal authority and resigned in 1763/64. He then served Halberstadt and Mannheim before becoming chief rabbi of Berlin in 1772. There he navigated the early Haskalah, maintaining learned contact with Moses Mendelssohn while defending rabbinic jurisdiction and traditional education. At the Prussian government's request he helped secure a German summary of Jewish civil law. The educational controversy surrounding Naphtali Herz Wessely placed him between traditional authorities and Berlin reformers; he attempted to resign but remained chief rabbi until his death. His influence lay in responsa, letters, approbations and institutional leadership rather than a single famous book. His sons included ר׳ שאול ברלין and ר׳ שלמה הירשל.