On the occasion of the 400th anniversary of Maharal’s death, we
present several articles highlighting the enormous intellectual
and spiritual contribution Maharal has made to Jewish life. The
18th of Elul, 5709 (September 7, 2009), marks the 400th
yahrtzeit of an extraordinary figure in Jewish history: the
Maharal of Prague, Rabbi Yehudah Loew. Few details are known
about Maharal’s personal life. The exact year of his birth is
shrouded in doubt; some say it was 1512, others say it was 1525.
Born in the city of Posen, Poland, Maharal served at various
times in his life as chief rabbi of Moravia, rosh yeshivah of
Die Klaus, a yeshivah he established, and chief rabbi of Prague.
Maharal was described by his contemporary, the historian David
Gans, as the “wonder of our generations by whose light all the
nations traverse. . . .” He was severely critical of the
contemporary educational system for introducing children to
subjects beyond their capacity. For example, he disapproved of
the fact that children were taught