R. Shelomo Ephraim Luntschitz (Keli Yekar)

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Keli Yekar
Name
R. Shelomo Ephraim b. Aharon Luntschitz, Keli Yekar
ר' שלמה אפרים בן אהרן מלונטשיץ, כלי יקר
Datesc. 1550 – 1619
LocationPoland
WorksCommentary on Torah, collections of Derashot
Exegetical Characteristics
Influenced byMaharshal, Maharal
Impacted on

Background1

Life

  • Name – ר' שלמה אפרים בן אהרן מלונטשיץ‎2
  • Dates – c. 15503 – 16194
  • Locations – Born in Leczyca (Luntschitz),5 studied in Lublin, lived in Jaroslaw and Lemberg, and served as Rabbi in Prague.
  • Occupation – R. Shelomo Ephraim gained his reputation as an itinerant preacher,6 and was considered to be the preeminent darshan of his era in Poland.7 In 1604, he was called to Prague to serve as head of the yeshivah and rabbinical court,8 later becoming the chief rabbi of Prague upon the death of the Maharal in 1609.
  • Family – The occupation of the Keli Yekar's father is the subject of debate.9
  • Teachers – R. Shelomo Luria,10 Maharal11
  • Contemporaries – R. Mordechai Yafeh,12 R. David Gans,13 R. Yom Tov Lipmann Heller,14 R. Avraham Horowitz15
  • Students – R. Shabtai Horowitz16
  • Time period – R. Shelomo Ephraim lived at a time of relative prosperity and wealth for the Jews of Poland. A new class emerged of very wealthy Jewish estate owners,17 as well as an affluent class of Jews working for them. The new financial elite assumed important leadership roles throughout Polish Jewish communities, and much of the Keli Yekar's preaching was devoted to the flaws of this class, and to the problems of social stratification in general.18

Works

Torah Commentary

Characteristics

  • Verse by verse / Topical
  • Genre
  • Structure
  • Language

Methods

Themes

  • – The commentary incorporates the emphasis on ethics and morals and critique of the societal elite which characterized his preaching.

Textual Issues

  • Manuscripts
  • Printings
  • Textual layers

Sources

Significant Influences

  • Earlier Sources
  • Teachers
  • Foils

Occasional Usage

Possible Relationship

Impact

Later exegetes

Supercommentaries

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