Tur - Rabbi Jacob ben Asher (1269-1343), Spain; Composer of Arba’ah Turim, tracing Halacha from the Torah through the Talmud and early Poskim, citing the author’s opinions as well as dissenting opinions. Many commentaries were written on the Tur, most prominent among them Rabbi Yosef Karo’s “Beit Yosef,” which formed the basis of the Shulchan Arukh.
Seder Olam - Two works of early rabbinical literature dealing with chronology. 1) Seder Olam Rabbah - Attributed to tanna R’ Yose ben Chalafta; a 2nd century chronology detailing dates of biblical events from creation to Alexander the Great’s conquest of Persia. It adds no stories beyond what is in the biblical text, instead filling in gaps and addressing questions like the age of Yitzchak at the Akeidah and the number of years Yehshua led Bnei Yisrael. 2) Seder Olam Zutta - a smaller, anonymous 9th-century chronicle, based in part on the Seder Olam Rabbah, and continuing the project of providing dates for historical events, beginning with Adam and continuing to the talmudic period.
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.
Prisha - R’ Yehoshua ben Alexander HaCohen Falk (1555-1614), Lemberg, Germany; A posek and scholar who learned with R’ Moshe Isserles (Rema) and R’ Shlomo Luria (Maharshal). One of two classic commentaries on the Tur, the Prisha is made up of explanation of the legal decisions of the Tur.
Mateh Moshe - R’ Moshe ben Avraham Met of Przemyśl (1550-1606), Poland, Ukraine. Student of R’ Shlomo Luria (Yam Shel Shlomo); Rav of Belz.
Maharshal - R’ Shlomo Luria (1510-1573), Poland; Rosh Yeshiva Lublin. Maintained correspondence with Rama, to whom he was related. His great halachic work, Yam shel Shlomo, was overshadowed by the Shulchan Aruch, of whose halachic methodology he was highly critical.
Levush - R’ Mordechai ben Avraham Yoffe (1530–1612) Prague, Venice, Grodno, Lublin; ’The Levush’ studied under R’ Moses Isserles (Rama) and Solomon Luria (Maharshal). Best known as author of Levush Malkhus, a ten-volume codification of Jewish law that stressed customs of the Jews of Eastern Europe.
Tosfot - Members of a school of Torah and Talmudic interpretation, 12th and 13th century France and Germany.
Sukkat David - Rabbi Dovid Kviat (1920-2009), Poland, Shanghai, Brooklyn; Rosh Yeshiva in the Mirrer Yeshiva in Brooklyn and the Rabbi of the Agudas Yisroel Synagogue of 18th Avenue. One of the last "Alte Mirrer", the title given to those who studied in the Mirrer Yeshiva in Poland, and who survived the hands of the Nazis by fleeing with the entire Yeshiva through Siberia to Kobe, Japan and on to Shanghai, China.
Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz - (1902-1979), Poland, Shanghai, Yerushalayim; Grandson of the Alter of Novhardok. Member of the faculty of the Mirrer Yeshiva for more than 40 years, in Poland, Shanghai and Jerusalem, serving as Rosh yeshiva during its sojourn in Shanghai from 1941-47, and in Jerusalem from 1965-79. Well known for his ability to become totally engrossed in his Torah study for hours at a time. His ethical discourses, many of which have been published in English, are considered classics. During the Six-Day War, when the yeshiva was within range of Jordanian artillery fire, Rav Shmuelevitz sent some of his father's handwritten manuscripts to America with his uncle, Avraham Yoffen, with specific instructions that he carry them by hand and not put them in his luggage, because, "Dos iz meyn gantze leben (This is my whole life)."
Ramban - Nachmanides – R’ Moshe ben Nachman (1194-1270), Girona, Spain, Akko; A leading Torah scholar of the middle-ages who authored commentaries on Torah and the Talmud. He was a posek who wrote responsa and stand-alone works on Halachic topics, as well as works on mysticism, science and philosophy. Immigrated to Israel at age 72 and settled in Akko.
Rabbeinu Bachya - (Rabbeinu Behaye) R’ Bahya ben Asher (1255-1340), Spain. Torah commentary incorporating the literal meaning along with allegorical, Midrashic, and Kabbalistic interpretations.
Alter of Kelm - R’ Simcha Zissel Ziv Broida (1824-1898), Kelmė, Lithuania; One of the foremost students of R’ Yisrael Salanter and one of the early leaders of the Musar movement. His students include R’ Yeruchom Levovitz, the Mashgiach of Mir, and R’ Nosson Tzvi Finkel of Slabodka.
Ma'archei Lev - Rav Moshe Schwab (1917-1979), Germany, London; Studied in prominent Lithuanian yeshivas, including Kaminetz under R' Boruch Ber Leibowitz, Baranovitch under R' Elchonon Wassermann, and briefly in the Mir. In 1938, moved to England, joining R' Schneider's Yeshiva in London, elevating the level of learning and established support systems for fellow students. Became Mashgiach Ruchani of Gateshead Yeshiva in 1955, influencing generations with his heartfelt mussar talks.
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.
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.
Radak - R’ David Kimchi (1160-1235), Narbonne, France.
U’fi Yagid Tehillatecha - Rav David Giami shlit"a. Rav in Yeshivat Har HaMor in Yerushalayim.
Mishna Berurah - R’ Yisrael Meir Kagan - The Chafetz Chaim (1838-1933) Grodno, Radin; Mishna Berurah is a commentary on Orach Chaim, the 1st section of the Shulchan Aruch. One of the most influential rabbis within Orthodox Judaism during late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Maharsha - R’ Shmuel Eidels (1555-1631), Poland. Wrote commentary on the Talmud, named Chiddushei Halachot, and commentary on the aggadot of the Talmud, named Chiddushei Aggadot. Married the daughter of Edel Lifschitz of Posen and the late Brisker Rav. His mother-in-law supported his Yeshiva for over 2 decades, and in appreciation he adopted her name. Also served as rav in Chelm, Lublin, Tiktin and Ostroh.
