▁() ▁( also : ▁Ya akov ▁Ye h osh ua ▁ben ▁T z vi ▁Hir sch , ▁or ▁Ya akov ▁Ye h osh ua ▁F alk ▁- ▁see ▁Note ▁on ▁the ▁name ▁" J osh ua ▁F alk ") ▁ 1 6 8 0 ▁- ▁January ▁ 1 6 , ▁ 1 7 5 6 ) ▁was ▁a ▁Polish ▁and ▁German ▁ra bbi ▁and ▁Tal m ud ist , ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁P ne i ▁Ye h osh ua . ▁ ▁Biography ▁F alk ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁C rac ow ▁in ▁ 1 6 8 0 ▁and ▁died ▁on ▁the ▁ 1 4 th ▁of ▁She vat ▁in ▁Off en bach ▁am ▁Main ▁in ▁ 1 7 5 6 . ▁On ▁his ▁mother ' s ▁side ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁grand son ▁of ▁Rab bi ▁Ye h osh ua ▁H esch el ▁b . ▁Y ose f ▁of ▁C rac ow , ▁the ▁author ▁of ▁Mag in ne ▁Sh el om oh . ▁While ▁a ▁youth ▁he ▁became ▁exam iner ▁of ▁the ▁Heb rew ▁teachers ▁of ▁L emberg . ▁In ▁ 1 7 0 2 ▁his ▁first ▁wife , ▁Le ah ▁Land au , ▁his ▁child , ▁Gu itel , ▁and ▁his ▁mother ▁were ▁killed ▁through ▁an ▁explos ion ▁of ▁gun pow der ▁that ▁w reck ed ▁the ▁house ▁in ▁which ▁they ▁lived . ▁F alk ▁himself ▁narrow ly ▁escaped ▁death , ▁and ▁was ▁tra pped ▁in ▁the ▁de br is ▁of ▁the ▁explos ion ▁for ▁hours . ▁He ▁v owed ▁that ▁if ▁he