Rav Dovid Luria, the Radal, was a talmid of the Rav of Vilna, Rav Shaul Katzenellenbogen. He wrote an important commentary on Pirkei D’Rabi Eliezer. He is also known as a commentator on Gemora and Medrash. In addition, he composed Halachic responsa and a commentary on Rambam’s Mishneh Torah. Radal’s dedication to learning was legendary. It is said that he did not sleep more than one hour during the short summer nights and three hours in the winter, in addition to an afternoon nap of precisely twelve minutes. In 1854, he was offered the Rabbinate of Warsaw. He refused this position despite the encouragement of the Gerrer Rebbe that he take it. However, Rav Dovid did involve himself in communal needs, including a meeting in 1846 (together with Rav Yitzchok of Volozhin) with Sir Moses Montefiore to address the needs of Russian Jewry.
