By Rabbi Baruch Lederman
SAN DIEGO –Yaakov traveled to establish a family. A family which would develop into the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Along the way, he was received a prophecy in the form of a dream. In that dream he saw angels climbing up and down a ladder. The dream contained allusions to the destiny of the Jewish people. Indeed, the history of the Jewish people which we are all part of now, was beginning at this time.
Along the path of our history, we have had many great luminaries. One of the greatest was The Maharsha: Rav Shmuel Eliezer Halevi Eidels (5315 – 5 Kislev 5392), whose yahrtzeit is this week. To this day, his Talmudic commentary is not only studied in yeshivos worldwide, it is considered indispensible The following is documented in Yated Neeman by D. Sofer
The Maharsha was born in Krakow in 5315 (1555). His father, Rav Yehuda, was an eminent talmid chacham who descended from Rav Yehuda Hachassid, as well as from Rav Akiva Hakohen Katz, the father-in-law of the Shela Hakadosh. The Maharsha’s mother also stemmed from an illustrious family. She was the granddaughter of Rav Yehuda Loewe,
the Maharal of Prague.
From early childhood, the Maharsha’s remarkable talents were evident. But his brilliance did not adversely affect his character, and he was modest and unassuming. He was devoted to Torah learning with an unusual passion. He eventually married the daughter of Rebbetzin Eidel Lifschitz of Pozna, the widow of Rav Moshe Lifschitz, the rav of Brisk.
The Rebbetzin’s other daughter married Rav Moshe Ashkenazi, author of Zichron Moshe, with whom the Maharsha studied. His mother-in-law supported his Torah learning and the yeshiva he founded, Hachavura Hakedosha, for many years. Rebbetzin Eidel passed away in 5368 at the age of 100. In appreciation of his mother-in-law’s extraordinary efforts, the Maharsha added the name Eidels to his own name, and from then on called himself Shmuel Eliezer Eidels.
He went on to become appointed Rav of the prominent city of Austroha. The Maharsha’s first step as Rav of Austroha was to establish a yeshiva gedola. The yeshiva, Or Torah, quickly expanded, attracting students from all over the region who were eager to hear the Maharsha’s remarkable Torah insights.
During his years as rosh yeshiva in Austroha, the Maharsha compiled his monumental Chiddushei Halachos and Chiddushei Aggados on the Talmud. These works were published during his lifetime.
Chiddushei Halachos and Chiddushei Aggados are considered among the greatest and fundamental commentaries on the Talmud. Throughout the generations, the gedolim have embraced these works. Rav Yona Landsorfer told his sons, “Always study Gemara with Maharsha. Without Ruach Hakodesh (Divine inspiration), he couldn’t have written a work of that caliber.”
In time, Jews all over the world began to study Chiddushei Halachos and Aggados. Today it is included in all editions of the Shas and is considered a basic essential commentary of the Achronim.
As the years passed, more and more students flocked to the Maharsha’s yeshiva, making it necessary to build a larger building.
After much effort, funds were secured to begin building the yeshiva, and a gala cornerstone-laying ceremony was held. As the city’s shamesh was about to launch the sale of the mitzva of the cornerstone laying, someone whispered to him, “I want to purchase that mitzva at all costs, but please don’t reveal my identity.” The man then requested that the ceiling price for the mitzva be 500 golden dinars, and gave the shamesh that sum. The “sale” began at 50 dinars, and it climbed all the way to 460. When the shamesh called out
500 dinars, no one could match it. As the shamesh was about to announce the “winner,” the donor hushed him and said, “I bought the mitzva for the Maharsha. Summon him to lay the cornerstone and don’t announce my name.”
After the ceremony, the Maharsha asked the shamesh to call the donor into his study. The donor explained to the Maharsha that he wasn’t a wealthy man, and that the 500 dinars he had paid for the cornerstone laying constituted nearly all his savings. He added that since he had no children, he hoped that the mitzva of Kavod haTorah (honoring the Torah) would stand him in good stead in the World to Come.
The Maharsha was touched by the donor’s words and blessed him that he would have a son who would study in the new yeshiva. Within a year, the donor’s wife gave birth to a boy. When the child reached bar mitzva age, his father brought him to the Maharsha’s yeshiva. The gabbai, however, rejected him on the grounds that he was too young for yeshiva gedola. But the Maharsha, who recognized the father, intervened and warmly welcomed the youth into the yeshiva.
While in Austroha, the Maharsha also attended to the city’s communal needs. It is related that during the period he served as its rav, no Jew in the entire region went hungry.
Quite often, the Maharsha would personally provide for the poor, and his home was always open to the unfortunate. One time, the town’s baker failed to sell a large amount of bread he had prepared. When the Maharsha learned of the baker’s plight, he told him that he had found someone who would buy the bread before it became too stale to sell.
Little did the baker know that the Maharsha was the buyer, and that he had distributed the many loaves of bread he had bought to the town’s needy.
Kindness to one’s fellow was the hallmark of his approach to life, and the verse in Iyov “Outside a stranger shall not sleep; my door is open to the wayfarer” was engraved on the arch above his front door.
The Maharsha was niftar on 5 Kislev, 5392, and was buried in Austroha’s Jewish cemetery. The main hesped (eulogy) was delivered by the Chavos Yair ‘s father.
Dedicated by Linda & Ron Holman in honor of their twin grandchildren Gavriel and Yonah Mordechai Saida
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Rabbi Lederman is spiritual leader of Congregation Kehillas Torah in San Diego