Episode 111: The Kohen and the Sorceress - A Wondrous Story; the Maharal Studies with the Maharshach and the Rama

00:01 The Maharal was in Krakow as part of his studies, and there he heard an astonishing story that had taken place about 160 years earlier. It involved Rabbi Yitzchak, who was the rabbi of Krakow at the time, and Sigmund Zeligman, a Jew who wanted—a kohen who wanted to marry a divorced woman, and the chain of events that followed. “The bishop was furious at the rabbi’s answers, especially when he sensed that the rabbi was impressing the prince with his knowledge and wisdom. The bishop began hurling insults at the rabbi and at the Jews in general. The rabbi remained calm, though the words hurt him deeply. He remarked to the bishop that he ought to treat Judaism with respect, for a person does not spit into a well from which he has drunk. After all, Christianity and its founder came from Judaism. The bishop flew into a rage and began shouting that the rabbi had insulted the founders of Christianity. In the midst of it, he asked, ‘Who was your Moses?’ ‘Moshe Rabbeinu,’ the rabbi replied calmly, ‘was born like any human being, to his father Amram and his mother Yocheved, on 7 Adar in the year 2368 from Creation, and passed away 120 years later, on 7 Adar in the year 2488 from Creation.’ ‘How remarkable that your memory is strong enough to recall the exact dates of Moses’ birth and death,’ the bishop sneered. ‘That comes not from my memory, but from a tradition handed down among our people from generation to generation,’ the rabbi replied. The bishop again steered the discussion toward the nature of Christianity and its founder, but the rabbi gave him decisive answers, drawing even on Christian sources to demonstrate that the G-d of Israel is the one G-d of the entire world. The bishop realized that the rabbi’s knowledge, even of Christian sources, surpassed his own, though he was a Christian leader. At that point, however, the prince intervened. He felt obliged to prevent the impression that the Christian clergyman had been defeated in his debate with the rabbi. In a commanding voice, he turned to the rabbi and said, ‘Even

02:53 if the Torah forbids a kohen to marry a divorced woman, since Zeligman is giving up his priestly status, I command you to conduct the chuppah and kiddushin for the couple and let them live their lives in peace.’ The elderly rabbi of Krakow, the great scholar and tzaddik Rabbi Yitzchak, was not intimidated by the prince or his command. Calmly but firmly, he said, ‘I would gladly do as you wish in any matter. But in this matter there is a higher authority, the Master of the entire world, whose will decides. The Torah forbids a kohen to marry a divorced woman, and I will never lend my hand to anything contrary to the Torah.’ The prince was filled with anger and cried, ‘I insist that you conduct the marriage of Zeligman and the divorced woman, and we shall see whose will prevails.’ Days passed. The rabbi stood by his refusal. One day, armed soldiers appeared at the rabbi’s home with orders to bring him by force to the market square in the center of town, where he was to conduct the chuppah and kiddushin for Sigmund Zeligman and the woman he had chosen. In the square, under the open sky, Zeligman, the divorced woman, and her relatives waited for the rabbi, along with a large crowd of onlookers, Jews and non-Jews alike, curious to see what would happen. When the elderly rabbi arrived, escorted by the soldiers, he addressed Zeligman, the divorced woman, and their relatives, and told them unequivocally that he would not violate the Torah’s command, even if it cost him his life. He pleaded with them to give up their wish, for then the prince would surely withdraw his order. ‘You will bear responsibility for the consequences of your stubbornness, and I warn you to change your minds while there is still time,’ the rabbi told them. But Zeligman and the divorced woman remained defiant. When he saw that he could not persuade them, the rabbi called out, ‘Master of the Universe, they want to force me to violate Your commandment. Please, Hashem, sanctify Your name in the world. Give good hope and a voice to those who seek You and keep Your commandments. Look down from Your holy dwelling in heaven and extend Your kindness to those who believe

05:50 in You, and reveal Your holy arm against those who brazenly stand opposed to You.’ Rabbi Yitzchak again turned to Zeligman and the divorced woman, trying to persuade them to change their minds, but they answered him insolently and insulted him. The elderly Rabbi Yitzchak burst into tears. With great devotion he whispered a prayer: ‘Answer me, Hashem, answer me. Act for the sake of Your great and awesome holy name.’ The rabbi had barely finished his prayer when a terrifying scream pierced the air. The ground suddenly split open. In an instant, the groom and the divorced woman, his bride, were swallowed into the gaping abyss. After a while the abyss closed, and the ground was as it had been before, as though nothing had happened. The large crowd that had witnessed the event was stunned. Fear seized everyone. At first, the astonished soldiers tried to dig into the ground with their swords, but they soon gave up, leaving their swords stuck in the spot where the mysterious disaster had occurred. News of the frightening event immediately spread throughout the city, and people of all ages began streaming in from every direction to see what had happened. A surging crowd filled the market square. The prince soon arrived as well. Stunned, he acknowledged the G-dly power of the elderly rabbi, who had been prepared to give his life rather than violate a command of the Torah. The prince immediately sent men to the bishop to hear what he had to say, fearing that he too might be punished for trying to force the rabbi to help the sinners. The messengers returned with the news that the bishop had gone mad the moment he heard what had happened in the market square. The prince immediately decided to visit the rabbi, who had meanwhile returned home, and ask his forgiveness for insulting him and for treating Judaism and the Torah of Moshe lightly. The prince told the rabbi that he was ready to undertake any act of atonement. Rabbi Yitzchak told the prince that he had no reason to ask forgiveness, since he had acted unwittingly, having been raised in

08:43 another religion. Nevertheless, the rabbi asked the prince to order a broad stone fence built around the area of the market where the couple had been swallowed, so that kohanim would not inadvertently walk over their graves. As is known, a kohen may not enter a cemetery, because it makes him ritually impure. The prince promised to do so at once, and before long the fence was built. At that time, the head of the Krakow community was Rabbi Yisrael Isserles. We have already spoken about how the Maharal studied with his son, Moshe Isserles, who became known as the Rema. Rabbi Yisrael Isserles was known for his wealth and his charitable giving. His son, as we related, was the prodigy Rabbi Moshe, who later became famous as the Rema. When the Maharal and the Maharshal came to Krakow to study Torah, the Rema was eighteen years old. He was the son-in-law of the great scholar Rabbi Shalom Shachna of Lublin. His father, who, as we said, was the head of the community, built a beis midrash for his son, where the young man devoted himself to Torah study and divine service. And of course, as the son of a very wealthy man, he lacked nothing. The two visiting scholars, the Maharal and the Maharshal, studied with the Rema for three years. After three years, the Maharshal left Krakow, while the Maharal remained and studied with the Rema for another two years. In the year 5303—that is, 1543—a war broke out in Bohemia. The ruler of Prague went to war with other rulers, and the Maharal returned to Prague. Since his prospective father-in-law, Rabbi Shmuel Reich, the father of Perl, whom the Maharal was to marry, had become poor, Perl opened a shop to support herself and her parents. Twelve years had passed since the Maharal had traveled far away to study Torah. Over that time, Perl had developed both spiritually and materially. Not only did she support her parents, but she had also advanced considerably in her sacred studies and was able to discuss Torah matters with her intended husband with great skill.

11:33 The Maharal was then thirty-two years old. They married, and even after the wedding, Perl continued to run her shop, which supported both their household and her father’s. Although the income was barely enough to sustain the two families, this did not trouble the Maharal or his wife. The Maharal continued to study Torah with great diligence, while Perl ran the grocery shop and continued her studies in her spare time. Their means were limited, of course, but they all thanked Hashem for His kindness in not having to depend on gifts from other people. As we related in the previous episode, war broke out in Bohemia at that time. It gradually drew closer to Prague. One day, when fighting had already flared up near the gates of Prague, an armed soldier entered Perl’s shop. It was clear that he had come straight from the battlefield. The soldier ordered food supplies and loaded a large quantity onto the wagon in which he had arrived. When he had finished shopping and Perl presented him with the bill, he told her he had no money just then and would pay later. Perl explained that she could not possibly extend credit for so much merchandise. Her shop, which had little stock to begin with, was now completely empty. If she did not receive payment, she and her entire family would simply go hungry, for she did not have a penny at home. Nor could she buy new stock, since in those troubled days no one would sell to her on credit. Perl’s words made an impression on the soldier. After thinking for a moment, he took an embroidered garment from his bundle and said, “Take this as security for two or three days. I’ll come back then and redeem it for the full amount. If I don’t come by that time, you may keep the garment.” Well, Perl had no choice. The soldier left, and the garment remained with her. Several days passed, but the soldier did not appear. Perl told her husband, the Maharal, what had happened

14:01 and asked his advice about what to do. The Maharal said to her, “During a war, officers sometimes sew diamonds and precious stones into their clothes. It would be worth checking whether this garment contains anything of the sort.” Perl took the garment and undid its seams. They immediately saw that diamonds and precious stones had indeed been sewn into it—a whole treasure. More days passed, and they found no trace of the officer. None of the soldiers they knew had any clue to his identity. The family understood that a treasure had been sent to them from Heaven. The Maharal’s father-in-law, Shmuel Reich, formerly a wealthy man who in recent years had lived on the proceeds of his daughter’s shop, now went back into business. His work prospered, and meanwhile the war ended. Shmuel Reich won a government contract to rebuild buildings and other structures in and around the city that had been destroyed during the war. He became wealthy again. Shmuel Reich gave charity generously and once again stood at the head of the Prague community. The Maharal could now study Torah without worry, and Perl, too, had more time for her studies. In addition, she had a regular lesson with her husband in halachah and its sources, as well as in mussar and philosophical inquiry. Perl said of herself that she studied for at least five hours every day. Later, when the Maharal’s name became known far and wide and questions began arriving from various communities, it was Perl who read the questions to him and wrote down the answers he dictated. She also arranged and prepared his twenty-four well-known works for publication. It is also said that in at least eight places in the Maharal’s works, Perl found inaccuracies in the wording of statements of our Sages or passages from Rashi or Tosafos quoted there. The Maharal valued his wife very highly and applied to her the verse, “Many daughters have done valiantly, but you surpass them all.” Perl bore the Maharal one son, named Betzalel, and three daughters,

16:42 Rachel, Tehillah, and Rilins[unclear]. Betzalel, the Maharal’s son, was exceptionally sharp and possessed rare talents. He particularly loved teaching Torah and had a great gift for delivering lessons to students. At that time, the head of the yeshiva in Prague was Rabbi Ephraim, who wrote the book Olelos Ephraim. Betzalel married the daughter of a respected Jew of distinguished lineage and was supported at his father-in-law’s table for twelve years. He then moved to Cologne, where he opened a yeshiva. The yeshiva quickly gained a wide reputation and attracted many students. Betzalel had two sons, Menachem and Shmuel, and a daughter named Leif[unclear]. Menachem, the eldest, died in childhood. Shmuel, the second son, was blessed with fine abilities, but he had little desire to study. On the other hand, he had beautiful handwriting and artistic talent for drawing and handicrafts, especially working with metals such as gold, silver, and copper. At sixteen, while studying in the yeshiva of his father, Betzalel, Shmuel wrote a Sefer Torah on parchment that was twelve centimeters long and less than eight centimeters wide. The writing was clear and met the requirements of halachah, though one generally needed a magnifying glass to read it. Young Shmuel made tiny, skillfully crafted rollers for this Sefer Torah. Engraved on them were the following verses: “And this is the Torah that Moshe placed before them”; “She is a tree of life”; “Her ways are ways of pleasantness”; “Length of days is in her right hand”; “Hashem desired, for the sake of His righteousness”; “The Torah that Moshe commanded us is the inheritance of the congregation of Yaakov.” Shmuel also made a pointer suited to the Sefer Torah’s size. He engraved other verses on the pointer, along with a picture of the Splitting of the Sea. He also cast a crown for the Sefer Torah. On the crown was a depiction of the Giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. Shmuel showed particular skill in making a tiny ivory Aron Kodesh for this Sefer Torah. On the western wall of the Aron Kodesh

19:29 he engraved a depiction of the Beis Hamikdash; on the southern wall, the copper altar; and on the northern wall, the table and the showbread. On the outside of the two tiny doors on the eastern side, he engraved the Ark and the Tablets, and on the inside, the menorah and the golden altar. The young artisan Shmuel did not stop there. He took a piece of marble larger in diameter than the Aron Kodesh and carved a hollow in it to hold the tiny ivory Aron Kodesh. On the upper part of the stone, above the hollow, he depicted the Ark’s cover. On its outer sides he carved scenes of exile: the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash, the departure of the Jewish people into exile, the killing of Chana and her seven sons for the sanctification of Hashem’s name, and the figure of the wandering Jew, with a bundle on his shoulder, a walking stick in his hand, and a Sefer Torah in his arms. The writing of the tiny Sefer Torah and the making of its accessories and cases took three years. Shmuel did this in the time he had free from the yeshiva’s study schedule. When he was nineteen, his father Betzalel arranged a match for him with the daughter of a Jewish leader and renowned philanthropist in Ashkenaz named Mordechai Salzheim. The wedding was held in Prague at the home of the groom’s grandfather, the Maharal, who was then eighty-three years old. Shmuel gave his great artistic creation—the Sefer Torah and its cases—to his grandfather, the Maharal. The Maharal took great pleasure in it and spent much time admiring the wonderful work. In the year 5380, Shmuel’s father, Betzalel, died in prison. Shmuel moved to Prague. While he was in Cologne, Shmuel had earned his living trading in gold, silver, and diamonds, especially by setting precious stones in jewelry and making jewelry artistically. He continued this trade and craft in Prague as well, including engraving designs on metals of different hues, and thus amassed considerable wealth. Let us go back a little. At the time when the Maharal’s reputation for greatness in Torah and the service of Hashem had spread through Prague and beyond, his father-in-law, Shmuel Reich, attained a high and honored position with the authorities.

22:22 Prague was then ruled by Ferdinand I. Shmuel Reich found favor with him because of his sound judgment and great abilities. Sadly, of course, his prominence aroused great jealousy and hatred among many at court, who could not bear the fact that a Jew had attained such a high position. They began to make accusations against him, concoct plots, and engage in various intrigues. But Shmuel’s standing at the royal court was not shaken and remained as secure as before.