Maharsha

Shmuel Eidels
Maharsha
Personal
Born	1555 Kraków,Poland
Died	1631 (aged 75–76)
Religion	Judaism

Shmuel Eidels(1555 – 1631) (Hebrew:שמואל אליעזר הלוי איידלסShmuel Eliezer HaLevi Eidels) was a renownedrabbiandTalmudistfamous for his commentary on the Talmud,Chiddushei Halachot.Eidels is also known asMaharsha(מהרש "א,a Hebrewacronymfor "Our Teacher, the Rabbi Shmuel Eidels" ).

Biography

The Maharsha was born inKrakówinPoland.His father, Yehuda,was a Talmudist and both parents were descendants of rabbinic families—his mother Gitel was a cousin of RabbiYehuda Loew,the Maharal of Prague, and his father "was a direct descendant ofRabbi Yehuda HaChasid."From early childhood, the Maharsha's remarkable talents were evident. When he came of marriageable age, the Maharsha was offered many prestigiousshidduchim(marriage partners), but he rejected them, asserting that he wanted to devote himself solely to Torah study.

He married the daughter of Edel Lifschitz ofPosenand the late Moshe Lifschitz, rabbi ofBrisk.He then moved to Posen and, with his mother-in-law's financial help, established ayeshivathere.She supported it for over 2 decades,including "taking care of every bachur's needs."

In appreciation of her support he adopted her name. After her death, he served as rabbi in the following prominent communities:Chelm(1610),Lublin,TiktinandOstroh.Eidels was also active in theCouncil of Four Lands.

His son-in-law wasR. Moses ben Isaac Bonems of Lublin,who authored his ownnovellæon theTalmud,published with theḤiddushe Halakhot,last recension (Mahdura Batra).

The Maharsha died "5 days in(to) the month ofKislev,year "5392.

Works

Chiddushei Halachot(חידושי הלכות- "Novellae inJewish Law") is an" incisive and keenly analytical "commentary on the Talmud,RashiandTosafottogether, and with a focus on Tosafot. It is said that if one grasps the Maharsha, then one has understood the Tosafot.This commentary was quickly accepted and was printed in almost all editions of the Talmud.Chiddushei Halachotis based on Maharsha's teaching in his yeshiva, and he refrained from printing his commentary on those pages that were studied while he served on the Council of Four Lands.

The Maharsha also wrote an extensive commentary on theaggadotof the Talmud known as theChiddushei Aggadot(חידושי אגדות- "Novellae inAggadah") reflecting a wide knowledge ofphilosophyandKabbalah.Maharsha on Aggadosis a multi-volume translation by Rabbi Avraham Yaakov Finkel.

Upon the publication of his works, the Maharsha wrote that he regretted publishing the commentaries as two different works, rather than as one large intertwined work in the style of the Halacha and Aggada found in the Talmud; the Maharsha called upon future publishers to combine his works into one. Per the Maharsha's wishes, virtually all printed editions of his commentary found on the back of Gemaras today features the two works combined into one long running commentary with different fonts to differentiate between the Chiddushei Halachot and Chiddushei Aggadot.

In the book Leader of the Generation: Rabbi Ezra Attieh, it is stated that of all the commentaries written on the Torah, that of the Maharsha was the favorite of RabbiEzra Attieh.

Legacy

Maharsha grave in Ostroh

Further information:Great Maharsha Synagogue

TheGreat Maharsha SynagogueinOstroh (Ukraine)was named in his honour.

External links

• Short biography of Rabbi Shmuel Eliezer Edeles (MaHaRSHA),chabad.org
• Rabbi Shmuel Eliezer Edels (MaHarSha),ou.org
• Samuel Eliezer Eidels,jewishhistory.org.il
• Family Tree