18 Iyar 5332
Rav Moshe Isserles, known as the Rem”a, was born around the year 5290 in Krakow to his father, Rav Yisrael Isser, who was a philanthropist and parnas of his brethren.
His parents’ home was a meeting place for talmidei chachamim, and the family was blessed with both Torah and wealth, and it was there that the Rem”a grew in Torah and yiras Shamayim. As a bochur, he traveled to Lublin to learn in the yeshivah of Rav Shalom Shachne, and he learned there until around 5309. After he married his rebbi’s daughter, the Rem”a returned to Krakow, where he was appointed Rav at the young age of twenty.
For the next twenty-two years, he served as the Rav of Krakow. During these times, he illuminated all of the Diaspora with his Torah, and he disseminated Torah and taught many talmidim. To this day, Ashkenazi Jewry follows his halachic decisions.
He authored numerous works, including: Darchei Moshe on Arba’ah Turim, and his comments on the Shulchan Aruch, in which he added halachic rulings and noted the customs of Ashkenazi Jewry. These comments are called the “Mapah” (tablecloth) as they are like a tablecloth spread on the “Shulchan Aruch,” the set table.
The Rem”a passed away at a young age on 18 Iyar – Lag B’Omer of 5332, and he was buried in the ancient cemetery in Krakow, which is located behind the shul that his father established and which bears his name, the Rem”a Shul. The Jews of Poland would visit the kever en masse on the day of his yahrtzeit and many saw yeshuos as a result of their tefillos there. (See Sefer Toras Simchah 284)
His headstone is etched with the words: “Ner hama’aravi, hagaon hagadol bedor, Moreinu Moshe Ro’eh Even Yisrael, on the 33rd day of the mispar Bnei Yisrael, galah kavod m’Yisrael, Moshe hayah ro’eh tzon Yisrael, tzidkas Hashem asah umishpatav Am Yisrael, hirbitz Torah b’Yisrael, he’emid talmidim lerivevos alfei Yisrael, MiMoshe v’ad Moshe lo kam k’Moshe b’Yisrael.”
At the right is the matzeivah of the Rem”a and on the left is the matzeivah of his sister, Miriam. In the center is the matzeivah of their father, Rav Yisrael Isser
