Rabbi Shmuel Eliezer Idlis - HaMaharsha

Pass away: The 5th of Kislev Place:

Father: Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi.
Father in law: Rabbi Moshe Ashkenazi (author of Zichron Moshe).
Mother in law: Mrs. Idel.

Rabbi Shmuel was born in the year 5,315 in Krakow in the Ukraine. He was a descendant  of Rabbi Yehudah the Chassid, Rabbi Akiva the Cohen from Uvan and Rabbi Yehuda the old from Prague. In his youth his talents were first discovered. When he was 30 his parents in law founded a Yeshiva Gedola and appointed him head of the Yeshiva.
He learned and tought  for 20 years in the city of Posen. In appreciation to his parents in law for supporting him and for providing for the yeshiva he signed his name as Idlis. After her death he
served as the rabbi of the city of Chelem for 10 years. He moved to Lublin where he served as the father of the judicial court and then moved to the city of Tiktin. The city changed its name to Ostraha and there founded a yeshiva. Thousands of students learned there. The building of the yeshiva was too small for all the students therefore the city decided to build a new and modern building. When the community and its respected members gathered for the ceremony of selling the founding stone a poor man came to the Shammes and requested the he buy the stone for him without disclosing his name. Then Rabbi Shmuel was honored with placing the corner stone. After the ceremony when everyone had left the Maharasha requested the name of the man that bought the mitzvah. The man came to the Maharasha and told him that he isn't wealthy but he is without children. The Maharasha  blessed him that he would have a son and that he would merit to learn in the yeshiva that was being built.
Indeed they did merit to have a son and when he became Bar Mitzva his father brought him to the yeshiva to learn. The yeshiva didn't agree to accept him because of his young age but after his father reminded the Maharasha of his blessing they agreed to accept him.

The great leaders of the generation came to him to discuss Jewish law. He became known as a  giant of the generation and strengthened the Jewish community spiritually. He wrote books on the Talmud that were accepted by all the great rabbis, they were used for study and some claim they were written with holy spirit.
He brought the concept of hospitality to new heights. On the upper lintel of his door, the following sentence was engraved: "Outside no stranger will be let, I will open up my door for the guest".
On Kiddushin 31b he wrote that even regarding a living man it is said "May his memory be a blessing" and on Brachot 47a he wrote that it is better not to lengthen the saying of amen more than necessary because even if it is a segulah for having a long life, sometimes a long life is not a good life.
He passed away in 5,392.
Among his books:
• Chidushei Halachot.
• Chidushei Agadot.