Shaul Wahl Katzenellenbogen

 Shaul Katznellenbogen-Wahl was Born in Padua. He was the son of R'Shmuel Yehuda Katzenelenbogen-Mintz (author of the book 'Twelve Sermons of R'Itshak Mintz') who was the son of R'Meir K'bogen (author of Questions and Answers of Maharam Padua).

In his youth his father sent him to Poland to study in the great Yeshivas of Galicia. On his way he was set upon by bandits and robbed of his money. He wandered from city to city, Yeshiva to Yeshiva, until settling in Brest-Litovsk. He remained there, became a merchant and prospered (he adopted the name Wahl but is referred to as Saul Judycz, ie son of Yehudah, in state documents of Poland-Lithuania). Wahl gained wide reputation for his wisdom and the respect of the ministers and princes of Poland.

Some claim that Saul's introduction to the Polish Court and his initial success was due to the patronage of Prince Radziwell, who promoted Wahl's cause out of gratitude to his father R'Shmuel Yehuda of Padua. The Prince, at a critical time during a pilgrimage, found himself in Padua and was given immediate and unconditional aid by R'Yehuda.

In 1578 King Stephen Bathory granted him a lease to salt pans in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania with the sole right to sell their products, and in 1580, to the salt mines in Wieliczka near Krakow. Later he became collector of the kings revenues in the Brest region and in 1589 King Sigismund III granted him the status 'servus regis' (the Kings servant ie minister/courtier) in his capacity as advisor and confidant to the king and nobles of Poland.

A legend propogated by some of his descendents claims that on the day King Stephen died the assembly (of Polish Nobles) failed to elect a new king by the end of the day. In order not to leave the realm without a ruler, the assembly appointed Wahl to serve as King, until one could be properly elected. The next day, Sigismund was elected by the assembly and the reign of 'King for a day' Saul 'Judische' Wahl ended (there is no available historical record of such an incident).

From the 1580s Wahl was a 'parnas' (warden) of the Jewish community of Brest, and a leader of Lithuanian Jewry, taking an important part in the Council of the Four Lands from its inception. In 1593, thru the mediation of Wahl (in spite of opposition of the city council), the Brest Jewish Community was given the right to adjudicate lawsuits between Jews.

Saul was married to the daughter of David Drucker, (aka David Wahl - 'parnas' and leader in the Jewish community of Brest) and they had thirteen children. In spite of the extent of his business, political and social interests and activities Wahl is said to have been a devoted husband and father. One of his contemporaries said of him that: "... whoever has not seen Shaul Wahl in the midst of his family, surrounded by children and grandchildren - cannot appreciate the greatness of Shaul". Saul Wahl died in 5377 (1617).