The Maharal’s Marriage

It is told that the Maharal was engaged to the daughter of Rav Shmuel ben Rav Yaakov, a great and wealthy community leader known as Reich Shmelke (Wealthy Shmelke). Reich Shmelke sent his future son-in-law to learn in Premisla, in the yeshiva of the Maharshal.

Meanwhile four tragedies struck Reich Shmelke in Prague and left him penniless. He wrote to the Maharal that he could no longer keep his promises of support. “I therefore release you from this shidduch,” he wrote, “and you are free to take another proposal.” The Maharal answered, “I wish to take your daughter for my shidduch, and I will wait for Hashem’s salvation. I will not be unfaithful.”

In the meantime the kallah opened a small shop selling baked goods, so that her aging parents would have some means of support. One day, as she sat selling her bread, a soldier on horseback rode up, speared a loaf on the point of his sword and prepared to gallop off with it. Terribly distressed, she seized the horse’s reins and cried, “Please, my good soldier, I beg you. I am a poor girl and my parents are elderly and destitute. The sale of this bread is our only source of income. Please do not take the only means of sustenance we have.”

The soldier replied, “I have not eaten for three days and I am starving. Here, take this coat as collateral. If I do not return with two coins for the loaf within twenty-four hours, you may keep the coat.” He did not return, and when they examined the coat they found that it was lined with gold coins. They wrote to the chasan that, because of this miracle, they were wealthy once again and he was welcome to come and go ahead with the chasunah. The kallah was then twenty-eight and the Maharal was thirty-two.

Her name was Pearl, a flawless jewel. She is indeed buried beside the Maharal in the old cemetery in Prague, and they share one matzeivah.

A note on the family: Reich Shmelke had a son named Yehoshua Shmelke, who was the forefather of Rav Shmelke of Ostrog and of Rav Shmelke Segal Horowitz, Av Beis Din of Trani. Rav Shmelke Segal Horowitz was the son of Rav Yehoshua HaAruch Segal, who was called HaAruch (the tall one) because he grew taller every Shabbos and shrank again on Motzaei Shabbos. He was also the ancestor of Rav Shmelke of Nikolsburg and his brother Rav Pinchas, author of the Hafla’ah.