Judah Loew ben Bezalel

Judah Loew ben Bezalel spent most of his life as a leading rabbi in Mikulov and Prague, writing on Jewish philosophy and mysticism while also studying mathematics and astronomy. His Gur Aryeh al HaTorah, a supercommentary on Rashi's Torah commentary, reflects the scholarly depth that made him a major Talmudic authority in Moravia and Bohemia. He died on 17 September 1609, known in his time as the Maharal — "Our Teacher, Rabbi Loew" — a figure of learning and rabbinical leadership. The Golem legend came later, a story that wasn't his but attached itself to his name and outlasted everything he a…