Solomon Luria

Shlomo Luria (Hebrew: שלמה לוריא; 1510 – November 7, 1573) was one of the great Ashkenazi Jewish poskim (decisors of Jewish law) and teachers of the sixteenth century. He is known for his work of Halakha titled Yam Shel Shlomo (ים של שלמה, 'Sea of Solomon') and his Talmud commentary Chochmat Shlomo (pronounced [/χoxˈmat ʃloˈmo/]; חכמת שלמה, 'Wisdom [of] Solomon'). Luria is often referred to as "Maharshal" מהרש״ל (a Hebrew abbreviation for "Our Teacher, Rabbi Solomon Luria") or "Rashal" רש״ל (an abbreviation for "Rabbi Solomon Luria").

Biography

Luria was born in the city of Poznań (Posen), in the Kingdom of Poland. His father, Yechiel Luria, was the rabbi of the Lithuanian city of Slutzk and the great grandson of the eminent Talmudist Miriam Luria. The Luria family claims descent from Rashi.¹ Luria studied in Lublin under Rabbi Shalom Shachna, and later in the Ostroh yeshiva under Kalonymus Haberkasten, the daughter, Lipka, of whom he later married. Joshua Falk studied at the yeshiva, as well. The Maharshal served as a rabbi in Brest, Belarus, and various Lithuanian communities for 15 years.

Around 1550, he had several correspondences with Rabbi Moses Isserles (a.k.a. Rema). Isserles supported the moderated use of in , while Luria was more critical of this approach. He believed that Isserles contradicted the in his arguments. Despite debating Isserles's method, Luria was friendly in his replies.