Rabbi Yosef Ergas (1685- 1730) was a child prodigy. Notwithstanding his short life, he was acknowledged as a Talmudic genius, a halachic authority of note and the revered Rabbinic leader of the Italian community of Livorno/Leghorn, as well as a highly respected Kabbalist. He wrote several important works focusing on Kabbalah, halachic responsa, polemics and ethics. Avinoam Fraenkel is the translator and author of the critically acclaimed Nefesh HaTzimtzum: Rabbi Chaim Volozhin's Nefesh HaChaim with Translation and Commentary (Urim, 2015). He received rabbinical ordination from Rabbi Zalman Nechemia Goldberg, and is also a hi-tech professional, working as a product manager for a leading global provider of business management software solutions. Visit his website at: https: //avinoamfraenkel.com