הרב אפרים זלמן שור

Rav Ephraim Zalman Shor (niftar 28 Tishrei 5394/1633) was among the great rabbanim of Poland, known for his Tevu’ot Shor, an abridgement of the Beit Yosef, and for his service as ra’avad of Brisk and of Lublin. His father, Rav Naftali Hirsch Shor, held those same posts before him, learned under the Rema and was the rebbe of the Bach; the family counted itself among the descendants of Rav Yosef Bechor Shor. His brother was Rav Avraham Chaim Shor, and Rav Alexander Sender Shor descended from another brother, Rav Shmuel Shor.

He married late — at seventy, according to the tradition — taking Marat Hanli, daughter of the courtier Rav Shaul Wahl, and the match came about in haste. She had earlier been sought for Rav Avraham Yehoshua Heschel, later of Krakow and then in Brisk, and her father refused, saying that his daughter was destined for one greater still. The people of Brisk were angered at this, and several of them praised the girl before the king of Poland, whose wife had died at that time; the king gave orders that she be seized and brought to him. Rav Shaul Wahl came to Rav Ephraim Zalman, laid the whole matter before him and asked him to marry her without delay, and so he did. Their son was Rav Yaakov Shor, known as ra’avad of Brisk.

He served first as ra’avad of Shebreshin, and after the passing of his father-in-law he was chosen for the rabbanut of Brisk, where he opened a yeshiva. His Tevu’ot Shor, which treats the laws of shechitah and of what is permitted and forbidden in food, was printed in Lublin in 5375–5376/1615–1616. Teshuvot of his are found in the responsa Pnei Yehoshua, Even HaEzer siman 15, and others remained in manuscript. The inscription on his matzeivah calls him ner Yisrael and records his service as ra’avad of Lublin.