Rabbeinu Yitzchok Dov HaLevi (Seligmann Baer) Bamberger was born in 1807 in the small town of Wiesenbronn. Until his Bar Mitzvah, Rav Yitzchok Dov attended the local cheder in Wiesenbronn; after that he traveled to Fürth and began to learn in the Yeshiva of Rav Wolf Hamburg. It was there that he formed a close relationship with Rav Mendel Kargow. In 1827, Rav Yitzchok Dov’s father, Rav Simcha, passed away. This unfortunate turn of events forced Rav Yitzchok Dov to return to Wiesenbronn to earn a living; being firmly committed not to use his Torah knowledge as a tool with which to earn a living, he resorted to opening a grocery store. However, Rav Yitzchok Dov added a special tefillah to his daily prayers that customers should shop elsewhere so as not to distract him from his learning.

Two years later, at age 22, Rav Yitzchok Dov got married. His Rebbetizin accepted the responsibility to provide a living for the family and from that point on Rav Yitzchok Dov devoted himself to learning his learning day and night. Over the next few years various talmidim would request to hear shiurim from him. After a few years his fame had spread among the yeshivos, and the Rosh Yeshiva in Würzburg, Rav Avraham Bing, would send talmidim to ask him questions. In 1836 Rav Yitzchok Dov became the assistant Rav to Rav Avraham Bing, eventually succeeding him as Chief Rabbi upon the latter’s death in 1839.

Rav Yitzchok Dov Bamberger was one of the most prolific writers of his generation and authored many seforim. His sefer Amira L’Bais Yaakov dealing with the halachos of niddah, challah, hadlakas neiros, and melicha has seen more than 20 editions times since its original composition, numbering well over 25,000 copies to date. His sefer Meleches Shamayim gained renown and fame and became a foundational piece in the basis of halachic rulings regarding sta”m. Rav Bamberger passed away on the second day of Succos 1878.