Rav Yehoshua Heschel Charif Maginei Shlomo (Av 27)
DEFENDING RASHI
In the work Ir Hatzedek p.85–6 are a few stories explaining Rav Yehoshua’s practice in defending Rashi’s position and how he came to author the work Maginei Shlomo.
Rav Meir, the father of Rabbi Shabsai Cohen (famed mechaber of the commentary Sha”ch on Shulchon Aruch) studied Gemora together with Rav Yehoshua. They agreed that when they studied a new sugya they would refrain from referring to Rashi and Tosfos commentaries and instead attempt to each arrive at his own understanding of the topic.
Invariably, when they would discuss their understanding, Rav Meir’s opinion was always consistent with the comments of the Tosfos, whereas Rav Yehoshua’s was always in accordance with Rashi. And so Rav Yehoshua would then defend Rashi’s position (which was his own as well) against the questions of the Tosfos. As a reward for his diligence and alacrity in defending Rashi, his grandson would relate that he once told his students that Rashi himself appeared to him in a vision and congratulated him, saying, “Happy is your lot and portion in the Next World for defending me against those ferocious lions, the Tosfos!”
