Chaim Zelig Slonimsky
| Hayyim Selig Slonimski | |
|---|---|
Hayyim Selig Slonimski
|
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| Native name | חיים זעליג סלונימסקי |
| Born |
March 31, 1810 Białystok |
| Died | May 15, 1904 (aged 94) Warsaw |
| Pen name | CHaZaS |
| Language | Hebrew |
| Notable works | Mosede Ḥokmah, Sefer Kukba di-Shebit, Toledot ha-Shamayim |
| Notable awards | Demidov Prize |
Hayyim Selig Slonimski (Hebrew: חיים זעליג סלונימסקי, also known by his acronym CHaZaS) (March 31, 1810 – May 15, 1904) was a Hebrew publisher, astronomer, inventor, and science author.
Hayyim Selig Slonimski was born in Białystok, in the Grodno Governorate of the Russian Empire (present-day Poland) on March 31, 1810.
He pioneered the education of Jews in Eastern Europe in science; to do this, he introduced a vocabulary of technical terms created partly by himself into the Hebrew language. His reputation as a strictly orthodox rabbi assured fellow Jews that his scientific teachings would not undermine religion.
When Slonimski was only twenty-four years old he finished writing a textbook on mathematics, but due to lack of funds, only the first part of which was published in 1834 under the title Mosede Ḥokmah.
In 1835 Slonimski released Sefer Kukba di-Shebit (1835), a collection of essays on the Halley comet and other astronomy related topics such as laws of Kepler and Newton. This work significantly increased Slonimiski's popularity, because Halley's comet was widely discussed topic as the return of this periodic comet was expected in 1835.
In 1838 Hayyim Selig Slonimski settled in Warsaw, where he became acquainted with mathematician and inventor Abraham Jacob Stern (1768–1842), later becoming his son-in-law, when in 1842 he married Stern's youngest daughter, Sarah (1824–1897).
In 1842, Slonimski created a calculating machine, which he exhibited to the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences; he was awarded the Demidov Prize of 2,500 roubles. In 1844, he published a formula in Crelle's Journal for calculating the Jewish calendar. It was a considerable improvement on anything published before. In 1853 he invented a chemical process for plating iron vessels with lead to prevent corrosion, and in 1856 a device for sending quadruple telegrams. The system of multiple telegraphy perfected by Lord Kelvin in 1858 was based on Slonimski's discovery.
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