R. Phinehas (Pinhas) Ben Ẓevi Hirsch Ha-Levi Horowitz (1730–1805), German rabbi. Horowitz was born in Czortkow, Poland, where his father was rabbi. He studied first under his father and then under his two brothers, Nahum (introduction to the Shevet Aḥim) and R. Samuel Shmelke Horowitz , later rabbi of Nikolsburg. During that period the two brothers were attracted to the circle of R. Dov Baer of Mezhirech and Horowitz visited Dov Baer, first in Mezhirech and then in Rovno. As a result of these visits he made the acquaintance of R. Shneur Zalman of Lyady , the founder of Ḥabad Ḥasidism. R. Horowitz was rabbi at first of Witkowo, Poland and then of Lachowicze (1764). In 1771 he accepted a call to the rabbinate of Frankfurt, a post he held until his death. During his later years he was frequently ill and eventually became totally blind. Horowitz was held in the highest respect by the rabbis and scholars of Frankfurt, and particularly noteworthy was the cordial relationship which existed between him and Nathan Maas, author of the Binyan Shelomo and av bet din of Frankfurt. R. Horowitz maintained a close and friendly relationship with R. Nathan Adler , although he opposed him in certain matters and later was one of the signatories to the 1779 proclamation signed by the leaders and rabbis of the community against R. Adler because of his hasidic leanings. His congregants also admired Horowitz because of his saintliness and integrity, and on one occasion he gave assistance to a Catholic priest who was in distress. Horowitz had a private minyan where he followed the Sephardi rite, whereas the traditional Ashkenazi rite of Frankfurt was otherwise followed. R. Horowitz vigorously opposed the Haskalah movement. On the eve of the new moon of Tammuz 1782 he preached a powerful sermon (known as Tokhaḥat Musar, "ethical rebuke") against Mendelssohn's German translation of the Pentateuch and its commentary, the Be'ur (Biur). In this sermon, regarded as the first public statement reflecting fierce opposition to the Haskalah, Horowitz referred to the Biur as a work "which resuscitated heretical works in scoffing at the words of our sages." R. Horowitz wrote a homiletical introduction to these parts entitled Pitḥa Ze'ira. The Hafla'ah to tractate Berakhot and on the laws of meat and milk (1895) and on various tractates (3 vols., 1900) were published posthumously. Among his other works the best known is part 3 of Sefer Hafla'ah, his commentary to the Pentateuch, Panim Yafot (Ostrog, 1824), published by R. Ephraim Zalman Margulies . That the 1876 Warsaw edition is still in print is evidence of the continued popularity of this work. In this commentary pilpulistic halakhic expositions are combined with kabbalistic and ḥasidic elements. He also wrote Shevet Aḥim in two parts; pt. 1 Netivot le-Shabbat, a commentary to Even ha-Ezer 1–23 (1838), pt. 2 Givat Pinḥas, 83 responsa (1838). A commentary to Psalms entitled Panim Yafot collected from his various works was published by Pinḥas Finkelstein (1924). Various explanations by him of scriptural verses are found scattered in the works of his contemporaries and pupils. A commentary on the Passover Haggadah appeared in 1860 (reprinted in Jerusalem, 1994). On the occasion of the coronation ceremonies of the emperors Leopold II and Francis II in the years 1790/92 he compiled special prayers which were issued with German translations. He applied himself to three branches of talmudic study – pilpul, halakhic exposition, and aggadah. In the Sefer Ketubbah he stressed that, although in a few places his intention was to sharpen the minds of the students, "nevertheless the arguments are based on foundations of truth." In the Shevet Aḥim he distinguished between those who engaged in talmudic commentary without paying attention to halakhah, and those who confined themselves to the posekim , but did not understand the principles of Jewish law. As a result the Torah had become "as though it had two separate faces." In his opinion "it is desirable for brothers to dwell together" (shevet aḥim, hence the name of the work), "that there be both clear study and clear halakhah in one and the same place, since, in truth, only through a profound study of the halakhot and a concentration on their results it is possible to understand the early posekim and the profundity of their systems." He testified of himself that when pondering the halakhah and the commentaries, it was his custom "to study closely at the same time the words of the posekim and not to set up a barrier between them."

מחנה לוי והוא חלק אחד מחיבוריו (חידושים)... בכמה הלכות ושיטות שבש"ס (אשר חיבר הרב... מהורר צבי הירש הלוי נר"ו; בהגאון מהורר פנחס הלוי איש הורויץ)... רבות תועלתיו שנמצאים בו כמה ישובי' נכונים על דברי הפוסקים ראשונים ואחרונים... [בשנת] ה'צ'ב'י' א'ו'מ'ר' או'ר' ל'טובים ו'למיטב על יושר

דף סז ואילך: "קצת חידושים" מאת ר' צבי יהושע ב"ר שמעלקי הלוי ומאת ר' מאיר יעקב [ב"ר פינחס הלוי].