Moses Isserles, Solomon Luria,
their students in Poland, and Judah Loew ben Bezalel and his students in
Ashkenaz all wrote during the 17th century. This volume describes
the spiritual, literary work of Polish and Ashkenazi thinkers during the 16th-17th
centuries, whose rich writings reflect an unexpectedly powerful reality at time
when Jewish thought seemed to be diminishing. Although the tendency to open up
to all past traditions soon faded away, a glimpse into the Jewish-Ashkenazi
world of that time reveals its revival and renewal capability, a power that
will similarly resurface in future generations.