The YIVO Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe

(1520?–1572), rabbi and yeshiva head in Kraków, considered one of the greatest Ashkenazic legalists; known by the acronym Rema’. Mosheh Isserles studied with his father, a leader of the Kraków community, but his principal teacher was Shalom Shakhnah, the head of the Lublin yeshiva, who was the official chief rabbi of the district. Shakhnah was regarded as a rigorous legalist, and was given to using the convoluted method of argumentation known as pilpulpilpulA method of reasoning in Talmud study, pilpul is also used colloquially to denote unnecessarily complex and specious argumentation. [See Talmud Study.] in his teaching. According to a somewhat dubious tradition, Isserles’ first wife was Shakhnah’s daughter.

Isserles gained renown as a young legalist when in 1550 he issued a ḥerem (ban) against one of the parties involved in a dispute over the printing of MaimonidesMaimonides(1135–1204; Mosheh ben Maimon, known as the Rambam from the acronym of Rabi Mosheh ben Maimon), important philosopher, doctor, and rabbi. Though born in Spain, Maimonides spent most of his life in Egypt. He was the author of a commentary on the Mishnah; the philosophical work Guide of the Perplexed (Heb., Moreh Nevukhim; originally written in Arabic); and extensive responsa, letters, and medieval writings. His magnum opus is the legal code Mishneh Torah.’ writings in Italy (ResponsaResponsa(Latin, sg., responsum; Heb., she’elot u-teshuvot or shutim; “questions and answers.”) Body of legal literature of questions posed to legal decisors (poskim), which they then answered., 10). In 1558 he was a member of the Kraków religious court, with his brother-in-law Yosef Kats and Mosheh Landau. As his reputation grew, Isserles answered a range of legal questions from the Jewish world, including Bohemia, Italy, and Turkey. He engaged in discussions with contemporary scholars, among them Me’ir Katzenellenbogen of Padua and his son Shemu’el Yehudah (126), and, most especially, his relative Shelomoh Luria (13, 60, and many other responsa). He disagreed most strenuously with Luria (known as Maharshal) on a number of legal issues (Yam shel Shelomoh, Ḥulin, chapter 1, 29, and elsewhere) and on the role of philosophy in Jewish thought (Responsa, 6, 7). Ultimately, the two men became completely estranged, apparently through the actions of some of their students (Responsa, 126.3; Yam shel Shelomoh).

Some scholars of Isserles’ generation—who emphasized in their writings that they were his pupils—molded halakhic literature in Poland, and their teachings helped Isserles’ rulings to be accepted throughout the Ashkenazic world. Soon after his death, thinkers noted that Ashkenazic Jewry recognized Isserles’ authority. A responsum of Binyamin Aharon Slonik, for example, declares that “We follow him in every respect” (35) and Yesha‘yahu Horowitz wrote in his Shene luḥot ha-berit that “It has become widespread in the Jewish DiasporaDiaspora(lit., dispersion; Heb., golah) Especially in modern parlance Diaspora has come to refer to Jewish communities outside of the Land of Israel (Erets Yisra’el). It is sometimes used as an ideologically neutral term as opposed to the theologically charged “exile” (Heb., galut; Yid., goles). . . . Poland and Germany (Ashkenaz) to rule in accordance with the brilliant R. Mosheh Isserles” (vol. 1 [Jerusalem, 1970], p. 100). Isserles’ students included Mordekhai Yafeh (Jaffe), Avraham ha-Levi Horowitz, Yehoshu‘a Falk, Binyamin Aharon Slonik, the historian David Gans, and David DarshanDarshan(pl. darshanim; fem., darshanit) The word darshan has the same root as the word midrash and is thus related to the idea of expounding on a text. A darshan is a preacher who gives the sermon (derashah) on Sabbaths and holidays. [See Preachers and Preaching.](pl. darshanim; fem., darshanit) The word darshan has the same root as the word midrash and is thus related to the idea of expounding on a text. A darshan is a preacher who gives the sermon (derashah) on Sabbaths and holidays. [See Preachers and Preaching.].

The varied halakhic texts written by Isserles include his Darkhe Mosheh, which contains additions to Ya‘akov ben Asher’s Arba‘ah turimArba‘ah turim(lit., “Four Rows”) Legal code written by Ya‘akov ben Asher (ca. 1270–1340). Yosef Karo based his Shulḥan ‘Arukh on the structure of the four sections in Arba‘ah turim:Oraḥ ḥayim, Yoreh de‘ah, Even ha-‘ezer, and Ḥoshen mishpat. and to Yosef Karo’s Bet Yosef. Whereas Karo’s rulings are based on the Sephardic legal tradition, Isserles based his contribution on Ashkenazic precedents and stressed the importance of customs. In his introduction, Isserles explains the principles behind his determinations: in the case of an ongoing, unresolved debate, the rulings of later authorities were to be preferred; leniency should be the rule in certain circumstances (as in cases of stress or serious financial loss); and central Ashkenazic customs were to be included. Darkhe Mosheh appeared in two editions, an abridged version that seems to have been reworked by the publisher, and the original “long” version issued for the Oraḥ ḥayim (1692) and Yoreh de‘ah (1760) sections of the Shulḥan ‘arukh.

Isserles’ best-known halakhic work is his Mapah (Tablecloth) to Yosef Karo’s Shulḥan ‘arukh (Set Table), a complete set of glosses based on the rulings and customs recorded in Darkhe Mosheh. It is not clear whether the author’s primary goal in these glosses was to lay down actual rulings or, rather, to supply a précis of Ashkenazic law and custom as a supplement to Karo’s discussion. Whatever Isserles’ purpose may have been, every subsequent generation of legalists has regarded the Mapah as a practical halakhic authority. The first printing (of Oraḥ ḥayim) appeared in Kraków in 1570 and the entire work was issued there from 1578 to 1580. It has been reprinted many times. What is today known as the Shulḥan ‘arukh is in fact Karo’s text accompanied by the glosses of Isserles.

Although Rema’s responsa total 132, fewer than 100 were actually written by Isserles himself between 1550 and 1571. The rest tend to be responsa sent to him by colleagues and students. Isserles did not personally edit these, and they were only printed for the first time in 1640, in Kraków. A critical edition was published by Asher Ziv (Jerusalem, 1971); Ziv’s introduction provides historical contexts to the responsa and the sages they mention. Two of Isserles’ responsa were especially controversial: first, he ruled in apparent contradiction to halakhahhalakhah(pl., halakhot; Yid., halokhe; adj., halakhic; from the root h-l-kh “to go”) Often translated as Jewish law, halakhah is law in its most expansive sense—a great body of prescriptions and proscriptions understood to describe divine instruction on to how people ought to live their lives. Used in contradistinction to agadah [See glossary entry agadah.] that one could hold a marriage ceremony on Friday night under highly exceptional circumstances; and second, he gave an admittedly apologetic self-justification for the widespread custom of drinking wine that had been handled by gentiles (121).

Isserles’ Torat ha-ḥatat elaborates on Yitsḥak ben Me’ir of Düren’s popular halakhic work Sha‘are Dura, on matters of kashrut. Through his commentary, Isserles sought to establish the primacy of the Ashkenazic tradition in the face of the growing influence of Karo’s writings. After its first printing in Kraków in 1569, the work was reissued many times.

Isserles produced other halakhic texts, as well as a biblical commentary and writings on such subjects as agadahagadah(commonly aggadah or hagadah; pl., agadot) Sections of classical rabbinic literature of an exegetical or homiletical (as opposed to legal) nature. Agadah generally includes folklore, legends, and aphorisms as well as speculations of a nonlegal nature. and the ZoharZoharMost important work in Kabbalah. Written in Aramaic and Hebrew, the Zohar’s main unit is a pseudo-epigraphic work attributed to the second-century rabbi Shim‘on bar Yoḥ’ai. It was produced in the thirteenth century in Spain by a school of mystics and follows the order of the Pentateuch. The Zohar achieved canonical status and constitutes a sort of mystical Bible.. His Meḥir yayin (1559) is a philosophical–mystical interpretation of the Book of Esther and served as the basis for his Torat ha-‘olah (1570). The latter contains philosophical principles derived from Maimonides and kabbalistic theological concepts and explanations, while asserting the supremacy of halakhah. His grave in the cemetery behind the synagogue that bears his name was a destination for pilgrims on Lag b’Omer.