Rashi
Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, known as Rashi, was a preeminent medieval French rabbi and author of a comprehensive commentary on the Talmud and Tanakh, which became indispensable for Jewish study.
Self-Sacrifice
Rashi's father possessed a beautiful pearl worth an immense fortune.
The non-Jews of his city wished to purchase it for a great price for their house of worship, but his father refused.
What did they do to compel him to give them the pearl? They took him in a ship to the open sea and threatened to throw him into the sea if he did not comply! Seeing this, he threw it into the sea and sanctified the Name of Heaven, and the Holy One, blessed be He, saved him from their hands. A heavenly voice was heard in the study hall: "Behold, a son will be born to you who will enlighten all of Israel with Torah!" Within a year, a son was born to him, and he was named Shlomo after his grandfather.
He grew great in all wisdoms, such that none like him arose in France. Every novel insight he learned or heard, he would write it down and study it. He persevered until he was 33 years old. Therefore, the Ba'alei Tosafot refer to him as "the Kuntres" because he committed all his learning to writing.
Afterwards, he vowed to go into exile for 7 years, after he had completed his commentary on the Torah and most tractates of the Shas. He did not want to reveal them to the Yeshivot because he thought: "Perhaps some wise person has already preceded me and commented and explained more clearly than I!"
He would travel, researching and inquiring in Yeshivot about the commentaries they possessed, and then drew his own conclusions.
He returned home and decided to publish his commentary on the Torah. He completed 23 tractates from the Shas in his commentary and began to publish them.
Three daughters were born to Rashi, and he taught them Torah as if they were sons, and married them off during his lifetime.
The eldest was married to R. Meir, who was a great sage, and their sons are: the Rashbam: Rabbenu Shmuel bar Meir. Rabbenu Tam: Rabbenu Yaakov. And the Ribam: Rabbenu Yitzchak bar Meir.
The second daughter he gave to the Rivan: R. Yehudah bar Natan, who was a great sage and commented on tractates before his father-in-law, and passed away in his youth.
The third daughter he gave to Rabbenu Ephraim, who was a great sage and expert in Shas.
R. Yitzchak ben the Rashbam and his son Rabbenu Elchanan are pillars of the Tosafot, as is Ri Hazaken: R. Yitzchak Hazaken, who was the nephew of the Rashbam, Rabbenu Tam, and the Ribam.
60 rabbis would study before Ri Hazaken, and each would learn a tractate that his colleague did not, and they would clarify all the doubts in the Gemara. We see that from Rashi and his grandsons emerged great disciples of the world, who enlighten the eyes of Israel with Torah.
A Miraculous Event
A certain military commander in France, who had heard of Rashi's wisdom, asked him to come to him!
Rashi refused to go, for he knew that this man was cruel and a destructive person.
The commander became angry and rode with his soldiers to Rashi's study hall! He found all the gates open and the books open, but no one was there. He cried out loudly, "Shlomo, Shlomo!" And Rashi answered, "What does my lord seek?" But the commander did not see him.
The commander left and found one of the students and said to him:
"Tell your rabbi to come to me, and I promise that I will not harm him."
Rashi descended to the commander and prostrated himself before him, and the commander raised him. He said to him: "Now I have seen your wisdom, and I wish you to advise me on something!"
"I have prepared a thousand horsemen and two hundred large ships, and I wish to capture Jerusalem. I am certain that I will defeat the Ishmaelites who reside there. What is your opinion?"
Rashi said to him: "You will go and capture Jerusalem, and you will reign over it for three days, and on the fourth day, the Ishmaelites will drive you out, and you will flee and return to the city with three horses."
The commander was indignant and said: "It may be that your words are true, but if I return with four horses, I will feed your flesh to the dogs and kill all the Jews in France!" The commander departed, and everything Rashi had said came to pass.
Upon his return, four years later, with four horses, he wanted to come and harm Rashi as he had said!
As he entered the city gate, a large stone fell from the lintel of the gate onto one horse with its rider, and only three remained! The commander was greatly alarmed and admitted that Rashi's words were true!
As he went to prostrate himself before Rashi, he found that Rashi had already passed away, and he mourned him greatly.