Sheilat Yaavetz (“Responsa of Yaavetz,” the author’s acronym) is a collection of 372 responsa by Rav Yaakov Emden, a leading rabbi and polemicist in 18th-century Germany. In the work’s introduction, Rabbi Emden describes the tumultuous nature of his upbringing and adult life, and writes that engaging in Torah and the composition of this work helped restore happiness and meaning to his life. The rulings in Sheilat Yaavetz are quoted thousands of times by later authorities.