Imrei Emes - R’ Avraham Mordechai Alter (1865–1948), Poland, Yerushalaim; Known as the Imrei Emes after the works he authored, was the fourth Rebbe of the Hasidic dynasty of Ger, a position he held from 1905 until his death in 1948. With the outbreak of the 1948 War, was trapped in Yerushalayim and died of natural causes during Shavuot during the siege of the city by the Jordanian Arab Legion. As bodies could not be removed to the Har HaZeitim during wartime, he was buried in the yeshiva courtyard on the condition that he would be reburied elsewhere after the war. However, his sons and successors, the Beis Yisrael and Lev Simcha, declined to go through with the reburial.
Rashi - R’ Shlomo Yitzchaki (1040-1105), Troyes, France. "Rabban Shel Yisrael" - The great Rishon who wrote commentary on all areas of Torah.
Siftei Chachamim - R’ Shabbetai ben Yoseph Bass (1641-1718), Poland, Prague, Germany, Amsterdam; A commentary on Rashi’s commentary on Chumash. Mostly a collection of other commentaries, in addition to the author’s own insight meant to give a basic understanding of Rashi.
Rav Shalom Schwadron - (1912-1997), Yerushalayim; Known as the "Maggid of Yerushalayim" for his fiery, inspirational mussar talks delivered on Friday-nights at the Zichron Moshe shtiebel near Geula. Talmid muvhak of the mashgiach ruchani at Chevron Yeshiva, Rav Leib Chasman, and also studied under Rav Elya Lopian, Rav Yechezkel Levenstein, and Rav Meir Chodosh. Some of the stories he told about the character and conduct of Torah leaders and tzadikim of previous generations were incorporated in the "Maggid" series of books by Rabbi Paysach Krohn, whose parents hosted Rav Schwadron during his visits. After the untimely death of Rabbi Avrohom Zelig Krohn, Rav Schwadron became a surrogate father to his seven orphans and encouraged Rabbi Paysach Krohn to pen the first of his popular "Maggid" books, The Maggid Speaks.
Vilna Gaon - (The Gra) R’ Eliyahu ben Shlomo Zalman (1720-1797), Vilnius, Poland, Lithuania. Foremost leader of misnagdic Jewry of the past few centuries. Considered the father of the stream of Lithuanian Kabbalah, and remembered as a leader of the opposition to the Hasidic movement.
Bach - R' Yoel Sirkes (1561-1640) was a Polish rabbi, halachic scholar and Talmudic annotator. His best-known work, Bait Chadash, is one of the basic commentaries on R. Yaakov ben Asher's halachic code, the Arba'ah Turim. The Taz was his son-in-law.
Kli Chemda - R' Meir Dan Plotsky (1866-1928), Poland; Member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah and the president of Kollel Polen. Originally a follower of R' Chanoch Henich of Alexander, but then became a follower of the Sefas Emes of Gur and then the Avnei Nezer (first Sochatchover Rebbe). In 1918, became Rav of Ostrow-Mazowiecka in eastern Poland; voted chairman of Agudas Harabbanim of Poland, a prelude to Agudath Israel. At the age of 60, left the rabbinate to head a large yeshiva in Warsaw, known simply as the Mesivta.
Gevul Binyamin - R' Binyamin ben Eliezer HaKohen Vitale (1651–1730), Italy; Italian kabbalist. Among the leading disciples of R' Moses Zacuto in Mantua, was rabbi in his native town of Alessandria, Piedmont, until 1682 and afterward in Reggio. Became well-known as a preacher and poet, but in particular as a kabbalist; considered one of the major exponents of R' Isaac Luria's Kabbalah in Italy.
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).
Resisei Layla - Rabbi Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin (1823–1900), Lublin, Poland. Born into a Lithuanian Rabbinic family before becoming a follower of the Chasidic Rebbe, Rabbi Mordechai Yosef Leiner of Izbica, and Yehudah Leib Eiger - grandson of Rabbi Akiva Eiger. Also a disciple of Rabbi Sholom Rokeach of Belz. As a young man he gained widespread acclaim as an illuy - a brilliant talmudist - but refused to accept any rabbinic post, instead eking out a living by his wife running a small used clothing store. Upon the death of R’ Eiger in 1888, agreed to take over the leadership of the Hasidim and deliver public classes whose transcriptions were compiled into his work known as Pri Tzadik.
Hilula D’Mordechai - Rav Mordichai Uri Golub shlit"a.
Sefer Mitzvot Gadol - R' Moshe ben Yakov of Coucy was a French tosafist who lived in the first half of the 13th century. Authored the halachic code Sefer Mitzvot Gadol, known by its abbreviation Semag. A gifted orator who used his power of speech while traveling through France and Spain to rebuke the masses regarding their neglect in fulfilling various Jewish mitzvot. In Spain, was instrumental in convincing many who had intermarried to repent and give up their non-Jewish wives. In 1240, he was was one of the four rabbis who were required to defend the Talmud against the accusations of the apostate Nicholas Donin in a public disputation in Paris that led to the public burning of the Talmud in 1242.
Alsheich HaKadosh - Rabbi Moshe Alsheich (1508–1593), Tzefat; Student of Rabbi Yosef Caro; Rebbe of Rav Chaim Vital.
Rokeach - Rabbi Elazar (ben Yehuda ben Kalonymus) 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.
Ye’arot Devash - Rav Yonatan Eybeschutz (1690-1764), Hamburg, Prague, Vienna, Lithuania; Decendent from the family of R’ Natan Neta Shapirah, The Megale Amukot. An exceptional Talmudist, Halachist and Kabbalist, he held positions as Dayan of Prague, and later rose to the position of Rabbi of the "Three Communities," Altona, Hamburg and Wandsbek. Fought allegations that he was a secret follower of the Shabbateanism, an outlawed movement centered around the false messiah Shabtai Zvi. This controversy spread to all major Jewish communities, and he was attacked by opponents until his death. A contemporary rabbinic tribunal exonerated him.
Emunat Itecha - Rav Moshe Wolfson shlit"a. Student of Rav Gedalya Schorr and Rav Yakov Kaminetsky. Mashgiach Ruchani of Mesivta Torah Vodaath and Rav of Beis Medrash Emunas Yisrael in Brooklyn.
Tosafot - Members of a school of Torah and Talmudic interpretation, 12th and 13th century France and Germany.
Arizal - Ari HaKadosh, Rabbi Isaac Luria (1534-1572), Yerushalayim, Egypt, Tzefat; Considered the forefather of modern Kabbalah.
Targum Onklos - According to tradition, written by a Roman convert to Judaism who lived in the first or second century.
Be'er Moshe of Ozharov - R' Moshe Yechiel Epstein - Ozharover Rebbe (1889-1971), Poland, New York, Israel; In 1925, went to New York where he set up his Chassidic court on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, and then in the Bronx. His entire family in Europe was murdered in the Holocaust. After WWII the remnants of the chasidim of Chentshin were left leaderless, their rebbe having been killed, and they adopted the Ozherover Rebbe, a grandson of the first Chentshiner Rebbe, as their leader. Excited by the new state of Israel, Rabbi Moshe Yechiel moved to Tel Aviv in 1952, where he spent the rest of his life. He was awarded the Israel Prize in the category of Rabbinical literature in 1968.
