Background
He was born in 1785 (5545) in Lissa (Leszno), in the province of Posen, Germany, in the family of Rabbi Gamliel. Zechariah Mendel was the son of David Tebla, the previous Rav of Lissa.
He was born in 1785 (5545) in Lissa (Leszno), in the province of Posen, Germany, in the family of Rabbi Gamliel. Zechariah Mendel was the son of David Tebla, the previous Rav of Lissa.
R. Mecklenburg initially thereafter went into business. In 1831, at the age of 46, following commercial difficulties, he decided to quit business and was offered the rabbinical position in the city of Königsberg, East Prussia. At that time, Koenigsburg Jews were under the increasing influence of the Haskalah, a reform movement, which Yaakov Tzvi Mecklenburg strongly opposed.
In the same period, he wrote Haketav VehaKabbalah, his own commentary to the Torah.
He served as Rabbi in Königsberg, for the rest of his life, for 34 years (1831-1865). Before his death, he ordered that no eulogies be given at his funeral.
In his will, he requested that Haketav Vehakabbalah be read after the public Torah reading, during the first 30 days of mourning.