Rabbi Moshe Isserles was born to Rabbi Israel HaParnas and Dina-Malka, a cousin of the Maharam of Padua, in Kazimierz in southern Poland. He was ordained as a rabbi at the age of 13 and studied in the yeshiva of Rabbi Shalom Shachna of Lublin, who later became his father-in-law in his first marriage. He served as a judge in the Krakow Beit Din, alongside his brother-in-law Rabbi Yosef Katz and Rabbi Moshe Landau, and as the head of a yeshiva he established in the city. He was the Chief Rabbi of the Jewish community in Kazimierz, and during his time, Polish Jewry flourished greatly. In the year 5312 (1552), his first wife passed away at the age of only twenty years old, and he married the daughter of Rabbi Mordechai Katz. According to another version, the Rema then married Krendel, the daughter of Rabbi Moshe Everleish. The Maharshal was his relative, and he frequently corresponded and debated with him on matters of Jewish law. The Rema composed a comprehensive book of Jewish law, similar to the Shulchan Aruch, but due to the publication of the Shulchan Aruch, he humbly concealed it and instead only added glosses to the Shulchan Aruch. The Turei Zahav writes in his commentary on the Shulchan Aruch that he heard from an elder who was in Krakow that the Rema passed away on Lag BaOmer in the year 5333 (1573), but his student Rabbi David Gans writes in his book "Tzemach David" that he passed away on Lag BaOmer in the year 5332 (1572).
I heard from the elderly Rabbi Avraham Shaul of blessed memory from Kreshov, who heard from reliable elders: Once, the Rema was walking from the study hall to his home through the market, and he saw many wagons there loaded with goose fat for sale. He told his attendant to stand by one wagon, and when the owner of the fat came, to tell him that the Rabbi was calling him. The attendant fulfilled his order, but when the fat merchant came and the attendant told him to trouble himself to come to the town Rabbi, he refused, saying that he had no time now, and after he sold the fat, he would come. The attendant, understanding that it was probably urgent for him to come soon, told him not to deceive himself, for he would not allow him to sell the fat until he went to the Rabbi. Furthermore, he would tell all the potential buyers that the seller was called to the Rabbi and refused to go, and surely no one would buy from him.
The merchant understood that the attendant was right, and that if he refused against the Rabbi's wishes, he would lose more than just time, for he had no idea what the Rabbi would demand of him. Perhaps he wouldn't need to stay long and could sell the fat afterward, so he went with the attendant. But upon coming to the Rema, the Rema asked him: "Where did you get this fat?" The merchant began to shout, "Holy Rabbi, my wife herself raised the geese, and I traveled specifically to the city to bring the ritual slaughterer to slaughter them, and the fat was rendered in my home." Then the Rema stood up to his full height and began to threaten him severely until he confessed that it was fat from 'something else' (a particular non-kosher animal).
The attendant looked at the Rema in wonder: How did he divine this with ruach hakodesh (Divine inspiration)? The Rema said to him: "Know, my son, that this is not ruach hakodesh at all! But as I was walking, I noticed that many more ravens than usual were circling this wagon, and on the other wagons, I didn't see even one raven. From this, I understood that surely this fat was forbidden."
Ravens are a clear symbol of impurity, due to the cruelty inherent in them. Indeed, during Elijah's time, ravens brought him kosher food – but it is explicit in our Sages that it was Ovadiah the prophet who prepared the food. As an Edomite convert, he knew how to convert cruelty and transform it into a messenger of holiness.
In our story, the Rema transforms another trait of ravens to good – suspicion. The Midrash relates that the raven did not want to leave Noah’s ark because it suspected Noah of evil intentions, even though Noah had saved its life. In this story, the suspicion proves justified, and the Rema’s harsh threats save many Jews from transgression (including, of course, the merchant himself).
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The Rema had a good friend, Rabbi Chaim, the brother of the Maharal of Prague. Once, the Rema learned that Elijah the Prophet visited his friend Rabbi Chaim every day to study with him. The Rema asked him to speak with Elijah to allow him to participate in this study as well.
Rabbi Chaim spoke with him, and Elijah said that it was difficult for him to tolerate the wide sleeves (referring to the rabbinical garment that the Rema wore as the city's rabbi). When Rabbi Chaim relayed this answer to his friend the Rema, he said that he was willing to give up the rabbinate so that he could participate in this important study. But Elijah did not agree to this either, and said that many people needed him and he was not allowed to do this.
Why does Elijah recoil from the rabbinate, if he recognizes its necessity?
In a simple sense, this could be seen as a rebuke against the pride expressed by official garments. But the Rema was truly humble and self-effacing, even concealing his great work, adding only his commentary to the Shulchan Aruch, which was published at the same time. It is also told that on Purim, the Rema would act contrary to all the city's customs of respectability, disguising himself and wearing a mask, rousing the city's residents like a simple attendant. And so Rabbi Akiva Yosef Schlesinger, author of 'Lev HaIvri', relates:
"I heard a story about the Rema, of blessed memory, who died at the age of 33, on Lag BaOmer (the 33rd day of the Omer) in the year 5333, and wrote 33 books. The eulogizer recounted 32 praises about him and was distressed to find one more praise to complete the count of 33. Finally, an old man came and said that it was the Rema's custom every Purim to wear a mask and disguise himself, and he would call out in every house 'Get to the Ma'ariv prayer on time', and this was his 33rd praise."
Nevertheless, in general, the Mara D'Atra (local rabbi) is likened to a king, who is not allowed to forgo his honor. This is similar to what was said about Jehoshaphat, "His heart was lifted up in the ways of God," and this is the "eighth of an eighth of pride" that may be left for Torah scholars. However, it is told in Tanna D'vei Eliyahu that Elijah the Prophet cannot tolerate the scent of a prideful person. The scent of a prideful person is the opposite of the scent of the Mashiach, about whom it is said, "And he shall smell with the fear of God." Elijah the Prophet has no patience even for external elevation, which is necessary for the city's rabbi. However, this does not mean that it is inherently wrong: who if not the rabbi will teach and guide the people, and also firmly prevent mishaps like the one reported?
Therefore, Elijah the Prophet himself instructed the Rema to continue in his rabbinate and to instruct Israel in the deeds they should do. The Rema's family name – Isserles – alludes to the name Israel, but it equals in gematria Torah, meaning "Israel and Torah are one," the secret of the Rema's soul. Moshe Isserles alludes to "Moses is true and his Torah is true," and as the well-known saying of the 'Chatam Sofer' on the Rema's rulings – "And the children of Israel go out b’yad rama (literally, with a high hand) with the hand of the Rema."
