Rabbeinu Yaakov Berlin was born in Berlin in 1708. At a young age he went to Frankfurt to learn in the illustrious Yeshiva of Rav Yaakov Poprish (famed author of Shev Yaakov). While in Frankfurt, he developed relationships with other students in the Yeshiva such as Rav Yosef Steinhardt. The Chidda took notice of Rav Berlin and wrote an exceptional entry about him in the שם הגדולים. Rav Yaakov never held an official position but rather spent his days in Fürth learning and writing his brilliant novellea. Among his various writings, Rav Berlin refers to seven seforim which he had composed, however only two of them have been printed to date. Sefer Baer Yaakov (first published in 1767) is written on all of Shulchan Aruch and contains incredibly long and detailed analytical writings, and sefer Zichron Yaakov (first published in 1770) is a sefer on Chumash. Rav Yaakov Berlin passed away in 1750.