Rabbi Solomon Luria (1510-1574), was one of the great Ashkenazic poskim (decisors of Jewish law) and teachers of his time. He is known for his work of Halakha, Yam Shel Shlomo, and his Talmudic commentary Chochmat Shlomo. Luria is also referred to as Maharshal מהרש"ל (Hebrew abbreviation: Our Teacher, Rabbi Solomon Luria).

Biography

Luria was born in Posen. His father, Yechiel Luria, was the rabbi of the Lithuanian city of Slutzk and an eminent Talmudist. The Luria family could trace it roots back to Rashi; Maharshal was also a cousin of Moshe Isserles. Luria studied in the Ostrog (Austroha) yeshiva under Kalonymus Haberkasten, eventually becoming his son-in-law. Students in the yeshiva included Joshua Falk. The Maharshal served as Rabbi in Brisk and various Lithuanian communities for 15 years. Haberkasten assumed the position of rosh yeshiva in Brisk, and Luria replaced him as the official rabbi of the city and region of Austroha. He later succeeded Shalom Shachna as head of the famed Lublin Yeshiva, which attracted students from all over Europe. Due to various internal problems in the yeshiva, he resigned and opened his own yeshiva. The building, known as the "Maharshal's shul", remained intact until World War II.

Works

Yam Shel Shlomo, Luria's major work of Halakha, was written on sixteen tractates of the Talmud; however, it is extant on only seven. In it, Maharshal analyzes key sugyot (passages) and decides between various authorities as to the practical halacha. Maharshal, famously, objected to Isserles's method of presenting halakhic rulings without discussing their derivation. He wrote Yam Shel Shlomo to "probe the depths of the halacha" and to clarify the process by which those halachot are reached.

Chochmat Shlomo is a gloss, and comments, on the text of the Talmud. One function of this work is to correct textual errors. In establishing the correct text Maharshal scrutinized the published editions of the Talmud as well as the commentaries of Rashi, Tosafot, and other Rishonim. His comments were later published by his son; an abridged version of Chochmat Shlomo appears in nearly all editions of the Talmud today, at the end of each tractate. The original, separately printed version, is far more extensive.

External links

• Rabbi Solomon Luria, the Maharshal, ou.org
• The Maharshal, famousrabbis.com