Mishna Berurah - R' Yisrael Meir Kagan - The Chafetz Chaim (1838-1933)
Grodno, Radin; Mishna Berurah is a commentary on Orach Chaim, the 1st section of the Shulchan Aruch. One of the most influential rabbis within Orthodox Judaism during late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Chida - R' Chaim Yosef David Azulai (1724-1806), Jerusalem, Africa, and Europe
Jerusalem born scholar and pioneer in the publication of Jewish religious writings. Elected in 1755 to become an emissary for the small Jewish community in Israel; would travel around Europe extensively, making an impression in every Jewish community that he visited.
Maharzu - R’ Zev Wolf Einhorn (Late 1700’s-1862), Grodno and Vilna
A scholar who wrote one of the most important commentaries on Midrash Rabbah, as well as on other midrashic works.
Midrash Tanchuma
Composed c.500 -c.800 CE. A midrash on the Torah, structured as sermons on the opening verses of each paragraph. Named for the amora Rabbi Tanchuma, who features prominently in the text.
Shemen Rosh - Rav Asher Anshel Katz shlit”a, Boro Park, NY
Assumed the position of Viener Rebbe in 1992 after the previous rebbe, Rav Ezriel Yehuda Lebovics, was niftar. Since then, the Rebbe has transformed the kehilla into a large chassidus with multiple Viener shuls in Boro Park, and has pubilshed numerous volumes of shiurim delivered on Torah, Pirkei Avot, and Yom Tovim.
Ma Shehaya Hu Sheieye - Rav Eliyahu Wolf shlit"a; Ner Yisroel, Baltimore.
Ohr HaChaim Hakadosh - Rabbi Chaim ibn Attar (1696-1743), Salé, Morocco.
Considered to be one of the most prominent Rabbis of Morocco, and in Hassidic Judaism.
Midrash Shocher Tov
Also referred to as Midrash Tehillim. The precise editors, dates, and places of composition are subject to debate.
Sefer Chasidim - R' Judah ben Samuel of Regensburg (1150-1217)
Also known as Judah HeHasid, was a leader of the Chassidei Ashkenaz movement of mysticism that flourished in the Rhineland in the 12th-13th centuries. Sefer Chasidim is an ethical and legal guide to everyday life and a foundational text of Chasidei Ashkenaz. The work teaches the righteous how to dress, speak, pray, work, sleep, interact with gentile neighbors, and make life-decisions. Given the ample attention the work devotes to realistic details, it is considered a critical source for studying Jewish civilization in medieval Germany.
Rokeach - Rabbi Elazar ben Yehuda ben Kalonymu, MiGermaiza (1176-1238) Mainz, Worms, Germany
Underwent great sufferings during the Crusades. The last major member of the Hasidei Ashkenaz, a group of German Jewish pietists. Sefer Ha-Roḳeaḥ (The Perfumer) is a halachic guide to ethics and Jewish Law for the common reader. Authored many piyyutim protesting Israel's suffering and hoping for redemption and revenge against her tormentors.
Ba’al HaTurim - Rabbi Jacob ben Asher (1269-1343), Spain
Composer of Arba'ah Turim, tracing Halacha from the Torah through Talmud and early Poskim. Many commentaries were written on the Tur, including R' Yosef Karo’s “Beit Yosef” which formed the basis of the Shulchan Arukh.
Ohel David - R' David ben Tzvi Moshe Kahn shlit"a; Rav of Beis Medrash Gvul Yavetz in Brooklyn, NY.
Rashi - R' Shlomo Yitzchaki (1040-1105), Troyes, France.
"Rabban Shel Yisrael" - The great Rishon who wrote commentary on all areas of Torah.
Nimukei Orach Chaim - R' Chaim Elazar Spira (1868-1937), Austria-Hungary
Rebbe of the Hasidic Munkács dynasty. Became dayan of the Rabbinical Court in Munkács in 1903, where he worked along with his father until the latter died in 1913. He succeeded his father as Chief Rabbi of Munkács and the surrounding communities. Wrote and published over twenty books, including the six-volume Minchas Elazar.
Badei Hashulchan - Rav Shraga Feivel Cohen (1937-2022), New York
One of the greatest haposkim in the United States, renowned worldwide for his magnum opus, Badei Hashulchan, an encyclopedic Mishnah-Berurah-like work on Shulchan Aruch. Talmid of Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin under Rav Yitzchok Hutner. For many years, served as the mara d’asra of Khal Tomchei Torah of Flatbush. Also served as rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva of Brooklyn’s bais medrash, and had a yeshiva with Rav Pinchos Kahn called Yeshivas Nachalas Haleviim in East Flatbush.
Perek Shira
(500-1100 BCE) a list of 84 elements in nature and an accompanying pasuk of praise from Tanakh
Targum Yonatan ben Uziel
Aramaic translation to Nevii’im; One of 80 tannaim who studied under Hillel HaZaken during era of Roman rule.
Megaleh Amukot - R' Natan Nota Spira, (1585–1633), Poland.
Chief Rabbi of Krakow. Descendant of a rabbinical family which traced its lineage as far back to Rashi. Megaleh Amukot is a commentary containing 252 explanations of Moshe's prayer referenced in the first pasuk of Vaetchanan.
Mesilot Haneviim - R’ Binyanim Eisenberger shlit”a, Brooklyn, NY.
Rama MiPano - R' Menachem Azariah da Fano (1548-1620), Italy
Talmudist and Kabbalist, and disciple of Rabbi Moshe Cordovero.
Tanna debei Eliyahu
A Midrash that reworks earlier Midrashim, using them to highlight ideas like the importance of Tefilla and Torah study. The Talmud attributes a midrash of the same name to Eliyahu HaNavi, though whether the existing midrash is the one referred to in the Talmud has long been a subject of debate. Some date the work as early as the 3rd century CE, while others date it as later as the 10th century.
