Editing Samson Raphael Hirsch (section)

== Early years and education ==
Hirsch was born in [[Hamburg]], which was then a part of [[First French Empire|Napoleonic France]]. His father, Raphael Arye Hirsch, though a merchant, devoted much of his time to [[Torah]] studies; his grandfather, Mendel Frankfurter, was the founder of the [[Talmud Torah]] schools in Hamburg and unsalaried assistant rabbi of the neighboring congregation of [[Altona, Hamburg|Altona]]; and his granduncle, Yehudah Leib (Löb) Frankfurter Shapira (1743-1846), was the author of several Hebrew works, including the [[Torah]] commentary ''Harechasim le-Bik'ah'' (הרכסים לבקעה).<ref>[https://alhatorah.org/Commentators:R._Yehuda_Leib_Frankfurter_(HaRekhasim_Levikah) R. Yehuda Leib Frankfurter Spira – Intellectual Profile]; see commentary at {{Alhatorah|Genesis|1|HaRekhasim_Levik'ah}}, [https://www.hebrewbooks.org/45410 הרכסים לבקעה] at hebrewbooks.org</ref>

Hirsch was a student of ''[[hakham|Chacham]]'' [[Isaac Bernays]], and the [[Tanakh|Biblical]] and [[Talmud]]ical education which he received, combined with his teacher's influence, led him to determine not to become a merchant, as his parents had desired, but to choose the rabbinical vocation. In furtherance of this plan, he studied [[Talmud]] from 1828 to 1829 in [[Mannheim]] under Rabbi [[Jacob Ettlinger]]. He received ''[[semicha]]'' (ordination) from Rabbi Ettlinger<ref name="Miller"/> in 1830, at the age of 22.<ref name="Rosenberg"/> He then entered the [[University of Bonn]], where he studied at the same time as his future antagonist, [[Abraham Geiger]].<ref name=Klugman/>