Two Yeshivos in Lublin

While the Maharam headed his yeshiva in Lublin, Rav Shimon Wolf Auerbach, son-in-law of the Maharshal, headed a second yeshiva in the same town. The two Roshei Yeshiva had different approaches to learning, and their talmidim often quarreled, each group insisting that its own Rebbe's way was the correct one. The communal leaders therefore forbade the students from passing on one another's new explanations, and anyone who broke the ban was to be expelled. The arrangement did not last long.

One day the Maharam found a Tosafos difficult and wanted very much to learn how Rav Shimon Wolf had resolved it. He asked his talmidim to find out. When the chance arose, they seized one of Rav Shimon Wolf's students, beat him and forced him to repeat his Rebbe's explanation. When the Maharam heard what had been done, he declared in public that only his own explanation was correct, and a great controversy broke out between the two yeshivos.

The leaders of Lublin wrote to Rav Shlomo Aboab, the Rav of Amsterdam, and agreed that whichever explanation he accepted would stand, while the other Rosh Yeshiva would lose his place at the head of his yeshiva. The reply from Amsterdam favored Rav Shimon Wolf, and the leaders resolved to remove the Maharam from his post.

The humble Rav Shimon Wolf refused to accept this. Instead the community invited the Maharsha to take up the rabbinate of Lublin. On Shabbos night the Maharsha gave a derasha and persuaded the community to keep both Torah giants in their midst, and the controversy came to an end.