Rashi - R’ Shlomo Yitzchaki (1040-1105), Troyes, France. "Rabban Shel Yisrael" - The great Rishon who wrote commentary on all areas of Torah.
Kli Yakar - R’ Shlomo Ephraim Luntschitz (1550-1619), Chief Rabbi of Prague following the Maharal. His primary work was written after becoming deathly ill and vowing to compose a commentary on the Torah if he survived.
Rashbam - R’ Shmuel ben Meir (c.1085–c.1174), France. Grandson of Rashi and older brother of the Rivam and Rabbeinu Tam. His Torah commentary is concise and strictly to the concept of the "peshat". He does not hesitate to argue with Rashi when he feels that his commentary strayed from the plain meaning of the verse.
Tzeida LaDarech - R’ Yissachar ben Yisrael Laizer Eilenburg (1570-1623), Prague, Posen (Poland), Moravia (Czech Republic).
Yalkut Shimoni - Compiled between 11th and 14th centuries in Thessaloniki. The author collected and arranged various interpretations from older midrashim. It contains more than 10,000 statements in aggadah and halakhah covering all of Torah, sourced from more than 50 works of which it is the only source for some of them (Sifrei Zuta, Yelammedenu, Midrash Esfah, Midrash Avkir, Midrash Tadshe, Devarim Zuta).
