Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Berlin (also known as Hirschel Levin or the Reverend Hart Lyon). He was born in Rzeszow in 1721. In his youth he studied under his father and went with him to Amsterdam in 1740 when he was 19 years old. He developed knowledge of the Talmud, Hebrew Grammar, Jewish History, Philosophy, Physics and Geometry. He also took part in the Emden-Eybeschutz controversy, siding with Rabbi Emden, his maternal uncle.

After his father died in 1755, he was elected to the post of Chief Rabbi of the Great and Hambro Synagogues of the Ashkenazi community in London, and accepted in 1758.

In London he became known as the Rev. Hart Lyon and was painted by the famous artist Turner. He remained in London for 7 years and left because he was prevented from publishing a defense of Shechitah (Ritual Slaughtering). He became A.B.D. Halberstadt, and also head of the Yeshiva there until 1770, when he became A.B.D. Mannheim, and 3 years later A.B.D. Berlin.

He was a close friend of Moses Mendelssohn and even wrote an approbation to his German translation of the Bible.

He married

1.  Golda, daughter of Rabbi David Tebele HaKohen, who died in Berlin in 1794
2.  Shprintze (in 1797) when he was 78 years old. She was thedaughter of R. Abraham (of the family of the Chacham Zvi). After his death, some three years later, she remarried R. Zobel Eger A.B.D. Braunsweig.

Levin supported and defended his son, Saul Berlin in the dispute in which he was involved, especially with the forged Responsa Besamim Rosh, published in Berlin in 1793.

He was the author of : Ateret Zekeinim, only in manuscript; Hagahot, in manuscript on Sefer Yochasin, Sefer Hachinuch, Kaftor ve-Perach, Sefatei Yeshamim;Minchat Ahava, published in Rotterdam in 1811; and a commentary on Mishna Lechem Shnaiyim(on Pirkei Avot), published together with his uncle R. Emden in Berlin 1834.

A poem written by him can be found in the Binyan Ariel, by his brother R. Saul Lowenstam.

Source

The Unbroken Chain by Neil Rosenstein. Volume 11 G 8.2 p 821-822. http://www.loebtree.com/kloizner.html

הרב צבי הירש לוין ברלינר רב בברלין לונדון ומנהיים, היה נכדו

של החכם צבי הירש אשכנזי

אב"ד ברלין בעמח"ס "צבי לצדיק" ו"צבא רב" על הש"ס -------------------- ראה http://www.bil-is.com/story%20of%20a%20tombstone.html