In the merit of his toil in Torah, the Ta z merited that his books and rulings were accepted throughout Israel. In the introduction to his work, the Ta z extols the Beit Yosef for taking action "so that the Torah would not split into two traditions." Over time, however, the concern returned, for disputes increased and once again it seemed that the tradition would split. Therefore, after some hesitation, the Ta z decided to print his work: "And I called this compilation of mine Turei Zahav [Golden Columns], so that the words of the Tur itself and the Shulchan Aruch would be clarified." In the name of his work, he hinted to himself since the numerical value of his name, “David” (דִוּד) is the same as “golden” (בָהָז).
The author of the Pnei Yehoshua wrote about the Ta z: "The father of testament, whose writings and rulings have already become renowned throughout all the communities of Israel, and by his light we walk, for the law is in accordance with his view in most places, for he is the greatest of the latter-day authorities and the first among them, above whom there is none."
The day of passing of the Ta z falls near Parashat Yitro, in which we read about the giving of the Torah and the setting up of the legal system, “Moses sat to judge the people.” Key advice on how to set up the judicial system was given by Jethro, whose conversion to Judaism is reminiscent of the verse, “like the advantage of light over darkness,” because the word “advantage” (ןֹרוְית) contains his name in Hebrew (ֹרוְתִי). Likewise, the clarification of the law by the Ta z required great toil, ultimately bringing light out of the darkness. Indeed, the sages describe the Babylonian Talmud as being similar to darkness, as alluded to in the verse, “‘He made me sit in darkness’—this is the Babylonian Talmud.”
The Ta z lived in a very difficult time for the Jewish people, which he experienced directly. But it is precisely from the deep darkness of the hardships of the exile that a new light began to shine upon Zion, the light of the Torah of the great halachic authorities (and later, the light of the Chasidic movement).
The Divrei Chaim would say, "We had the Rambam who was unique in philosophical inquiry. We had the Arizal who was unique in Kabbalah. We had the Turei Zahav who was unique in revealed Torah." This division was also reflected in the three groups of scholars that studied with Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the Alter Rebbe of Chabad. Each group had mastered increasing amounts of Torah. The first group was for those proficient in books of revealed Torah. The second group was for those proficient in works of Kabbalah. And the third group was for those proficient in works of philosophical inquiry. Beautifully, the sum of the first names of these three giants—Maimonides, the Arizal, and the Ta z—"Moshe Yitzchak David” (דִוּק דָחְצִה יֶׁשֹמ) is the same as the value of the Alter Rebbe’s first name, “Shneur” (רֹיאוֵנְׁש), which means “two lights,” alluding to the revealed and concealed teachings of Torah.
The Ta z was also great in the esoteric realm, and if his words are difficult to understand based on the revealed Torah, they have their root in the concealed. As was passed on in the name of the disciples of the Ba’al Shem Tov, "The words of our master the Turei Zahav, may his memory be blessed, are among the elevated secrets... which are veiled to us and our children, for they are greatly concealed within them" (the Rebbe of Munkatch). Kabbalah is light and halachah is the vessel, but "the root of the vessels is higher than the root of the lights." Specifically in the revealed teachings of the Ta z there is a supernal revelation, "the advantage of light over darkness" as mentioned above.
