Today (Shabbat Reeh, 27th Av) was the yarzheit of R’ Yehoshua Charif, author of the Maginei Shlomo and Responsa P’nei Yehoshua (and great grandfather of the author of P’nei Yehoshua on Shas). He was the Av Beis Din in Cracow in the 17th century.

This Weeks Yarzheit from Yarzheit.com

Reb Yehoshua Charif of Cracow, author of Maginei Shlomo, an attempt to resolve the questions of the Baalei Tosefos against Rashi; great-grandfather of the Pnei Yehoshua; born in Vilna at end of 16th century; arrived in Cracow in 1640 as Rosh Yeshiva; replaced Reb Yoel Sirkis (the Bach) as Rov few months later, until Reb Yom Tov Lipman Heller (Tosefos Yom Tov) became Rov in 1643; among his talmidim was Reb Shabsai Cohen (the Shach); 1648.

Maginei Shlomo was written to answer Tosefot’s questions on Rashi (hence the title, defender of Shlomo).

Hebrew Academy Parsha Sheet saved me the bother of translating this paragraph of the introduction to the sefer (I have it open in front of me):

The Maginei Shlomo was written for the purpose of resolving the difficult passages in Rashi which the Baalei Tosfos dispute and question. In the preface to the sefer, written by his grandson it is related that the author once commented to his students that Rashi had appeared to him in a dream and said, “Because you trouble yourself to save me from the powerful and brilliant lions of Torah, the Baalei Tosfos, I, together with my students, will come greet you in Olam Habah, the World To Come.” On the day of the Maginei Shlomo’s petirah, passing, approximately one half-hour before his soul left its earthly abode, he lay in bed surrounded by a group of Torah scholars. He looked up and said, “Make room for the light of Yisrael, Rabbeinu Shlomo Yitzchaki, Rashi, who has arrived with his entourage to accompany me on my journey to the next world. I stood by his side throughout the years to rejoin and elucidate his commentary from the challenges posed by the Baalei Tosfos and now he is compensating me.”

May His Soul Be Bound in the Bonds of Eternal Life