Rabbi Alexander Sender Schorr was a direct descendant of Rabbi Yosef Bechor Schorr of Orleans, one of the most famous of the French Tosafists. At a young age he was already appointed Chief Justice of the Rabbinic Court in the town of Hovniv which is directly outside of Lviv, Ukraine.
He authored the classic work on the laws of ritual slaughter called Simlah Chadashah, as well as a deeper commentary on those laws called Tevu'ot Shor.
The Simlah Chadashah has been reprinted more than one hundred times, and is the most widely used book to learn the laws of shechitah (ritual slaughter). Rabbi Alexander Sender Schorr passed away in the town of Zhovkva on the 27th of Shevat in the year 5497 (1737).
A Jew entered the Alter Rebbe’s study and said, “Rebbe, I am a simple man. Please explain to me: What is this holiday of Shemini Atzeret?”
The Alter Rebbe held his head in his hands for a moment. Then he answered:
“For a long journey, you might make a concentrate of the food and drink you will need for the way. At every stop, you mix some of the powder with water, and you have enough for that day.”
“Shemini Atzeret contains all the joy for the entire year, but in highly concentrated form. Treasure every moment!”