Moses Isserles

Moses ben Israel Isserles (* 1525 in Krakow, † May 1, 1572 ) was a Polish rabbi of the 16th century. He is often known by the acronym Rema (Hebrew הרמ"א ha - Rəma; poln Remu ) denotes the initials of Rabbi Moses Isserles. His most famous work is his glosses to Josef Karos Laws of Shulchan Aruch, which are binding on the Ashkenazi Jews.

Life

Isserles studied first with his father, a very wealthy leading personality among the Jews of Krakow and Talmud connoisseur, and with his uncle Moses Heigerlich in Krakow. His father sent him to Lublin Yeshiva Shalom Schachna, where he studied until 1549, and to have married according to tradition Schachnas daughter. She died in 1552 at the age of 20 years, and in 1553 built Isserles in her memory a Synagogue in Kraków's Kazimierz district, which still exists today Remuh synagogue. In addition to the Talmud Isserles also studied philosophy, astronomy and history. Even as a young man, he was an outstanding scholar and was appointed in 1550 as a member of the Krakow Beth Din. As a result, he founded his own yeshiva and supported his students from private funds. As Posek he wrote halachic decisions that were binding on the whole Ashkenazi Judaism. Isserles was also Sofer and wrote a Torah scroll according to the rules of an ancient manuscript, which had bought for him Yosef Karo in Safed and sent to Krakow. Isserles was buried next to his synagogue. Until the second world war pilgrimage of thousands of Polish Jews every year on Lag BaOmer, his death, his tomb. His descendants include Moses and Felix Mendelssohn.

Works

His contemporaries called Isserles as Maimonides of Polish Jewry. The comparison refers mainly to his universalist conception of life and the connection of Talmudic and secular studies. Isserles wrote works in the areas of Halacha, Kabbalah, homiletics, philosophy and science. These include Darche Moshe ( "paths of Moses" ), a commentary on Bet Joseph of Joseph Karo, the Isserles later summarized and as comments on the Shulchan Aruch, the " set table " of diamonds, under the title HaMappah ( " The table cloth" ) published. By Isserles notes to the Shulhan Arukh this was also a binding Code of the Ashkenazi Jews - until now. To Isserles philosophical works include a commentary on the Book of Esther called Mechir yayin ("The Cost of Wine", Cremona 1559 ), as well as a commentary on a Hebrew translation of " Theo Ricae novae " the astronomer Georg von Peuerbach. In a response to the Polish Rabbi Solomon Luria (1510-1574) mentioned Isserles his love for the Hebrew language and allows the reading of poems by Immanuel ha - Romi, military chronicles and other secular books on the Sabbath, on the condition that they in Hebrew were written.