ABSTRACT
Shlomo Ephraim Luntschitz, rabbi, preacher, and author, is regarded as one of the greatest homilists of the early modern era. In his youth, he studied under the notable Rabbi Solomon Luria in Lublin, and in 1604 he was appointed head of the rabbinical court and yeshiva in Prague—a position he held until his death. Luntschitz also delivered sermons at meetings of the Council of the Four Lands, which helped him to publish his collected sermons, including: Olelot Efraim, Ir Gibborim, Ammudei Shesh, and Orach le-Chayyim. His most celebrated work is his commentary on the Torah, K’li Yakar, which combines plain interpretation of the text with homilies that protest against various social injustices and against the indifference of contemporary Jewish leaders to their consequences. It is also a super-commentary on Rashi, and is often included in the popular Mikra’ot Gedolot edition of the Pentateuch.
