David ben Samuel ha-Levi

David ben Samuel ha-Levi, also known as the Taz (an acronym of his book, Ture zahav), was a rabbi and yeshiva head. He was born in Vladimir (Volhynia) to a wealthy rabbinic family and was related through marriage to Joel Sirkes. After spending time in various cities in Poland, he accepted a rabbinic position in Poznań. During the 1648 uprising he was in Ostróg, and he was forced to leave, finally settling in Lvov, where he died. David ha-Levi is best known for his commentary on the Shulḥan ‘arukh, the Ture zahav (Columns of Gold), which was originally published in four parts from 1646 to 1754.