Rishonim

Rishonim (Hebrew: [ʁiʃoˈnim]; Hebrew: ראשונים, lit. 'the first ones'; sing. ראשון, Rishon) were the leading rabbis and poskim who lived approximately during the 11th to 15th centuries, in the era before the writing of the Shulchan Aruch (שׁוּלחָן עָרוּך, "Set Table", a common printed code of Jewish law, 1563 CE) and following the Geonim (589–1038 CE). Rabbinic scholars subsequent to the Shulchan Aruch are generally known as acharonim ("the latter ones").

The distinction between the Rishonim and the Geonim is meaningful historically; in halakha (Jewish law) the distinction is less important. According to a widely held view in Orthodox Judaism, the Acharonim generally cannot dispute the rulings of rabbis of previous eras unless they find support from other rabbis in previous eras. On the other hand, this view is not formally a part of halakha itself, and according to some rabbis is a violation of the halakhic system.^[1] In The Principles of Jewish Law, Orthodox rabbi Menachem Elon writes that:

[such a view] "inherently violates the precept of Hilkheta Ke-Vatra'ei, that is, the law is according to the later scholars. This rule dates from the Geonic period. It laid down that until the time of Rabbis Abbaye and Rava (4th century) the halakha was to be decided according to the views of the earlier scholars, but from that time onward, the halakhic opinions of post-talmudic scholars would prevail over the contrary opinions of a previous generation.^[2]

List of Rishonim

Abraham Ibn Ezra (center)

Isaac Alfasi

Maimonides' statue in Córdoba

Nachmanides

Rashi

11th Century

Menahem ben Helbo, 11th century French tosafist and exegete
Isaac ibn Ghiyyat (Me'ah She'arim), 11th century Spanish halakhist and commentator.
Simhah ben Samuel of Vitry, 11th century French Talmudist(?-1105)
Bahya ibn Paquda, (Hovot ha-Levavot), 11th century Spanish philosopher and moralist
Rabbenu Gershom, 11th century German Talmudist and legalist
Isaac Alfasi, (Hilkhot haRif), 11th century North African and Spanish Talmudist and Halakhist
Jonah ibn Janah, 11th century Hebrew grammarian
Rashi, (Solomon ben Yitzchak), 11th century French Talmudist, the primary commentator of Talmud
Tosafists, (Tosafot), 11th, 12th and 13th century Talmudic scholars in France and Germany
Simeon Kara, 11th century rabbi and Joseph's father

12th Century

Isaac of Chernigov, 12th century exegete

Eleazar of Worms (haRokeah), 12th century German halakhist
Judah ben Samuel of Regensburg (Hasidim), 12th century German mystic and halakhist
Isaac ben Abba Mari (Ittur Soferim), 12th century Provençal rabbi (c. 1122 – c. 1193)
Jacob ben Meir, 12th century Talmudist, halakhist, and Biblical philologist (1100–1171)
Shemaiah of Soissons, 12th century Talmudist and Biblical exegete
Joseph Kara, 12th century Biblical exegete. (c. 1065 – c. 1135)
Isaiah di Trani, 12th century Biblical exegete and halakhist. (c. 1180 – c. 1250)
Isaac ben Dorbolo, 12th-century halakhist
Abraham ibn Daud, (Sefer HaKabbalah), 12th century Spanish philosopher
Abraham ibn Ezra, (Ibn Ezra), 12th century Spanish-North African Biblical commentator
Samuel ben Jacob Jam'a, 12th century North African rabbi and scholar
Joseph Kimhi (HaGilui), 12th century exegete, grammarian, and lexicographer
Moses Kimhi, 12th century biblical commentator and grammarian.
David Kimhi, (RaDaK) 12th century French biblical commentator, philosopher, and grammarian
Eliezer ben Nathan, 12th century poet and pietist
Hillel ben Eliakim, (Rabbeinu Hillel), 12th century Talmudist and disciple of Rashi
Solomon ben Meir, 12th century grandson of Rashi, one of the Tosafot.
Ibn Tibbon, a family of 12th and 13th century Spanish and French scholars, translators, and leaders
Joseph ibn Migash 12th century Spanish Talmudist and rosh yeshiva; teacher of Maimon, father of Maimonides
Maimonides, Moshe Ben Maimon, (Rambam), 12th century Spanish-North African Talmudist, philosopher, and law codifier
Elazar Rokeach, (Sefer HaRokeach), 12th century German rabbinic scholar
Samuel ben Judah ibn Tibbon, 12th-13th century French Maimonidean philosopher and translator
Yehuda Halevi, (Kuzari), 12th century Spanish philosopher and poet devoted to Zion
David ben Reuven Bonafed [he], (Rabbeinu David), 12th century Talmudist with a commentary on Masechet Pesachim that has become influential on contemporary Iyyun
Yitzhak Saggi Nehor, (Isaac the Blind), 12th-13th century Provençal Kabbalist
Zerachiah ha-Levi of Girona, (Baal HaMaor) 12th century Talmudist
Moses ben Isaac ben ha-Nessiah (HaShoham) 12-13th century grammarian

13th Century

Isaac ben Joseph of Corbeil (Sefer Mitzvot Katan), died 1280, halakhist
Isaac of Ourville (haMenahel), 13th-century halakhist
Menahem Recanati (Pisqe Recanati), 13th-century halakhist
Abraham ben Nathan (HaManhig), 13th century Provençal Talmudist.
Moses de León (Zohar), 13th century Spanish Kabbalist
Moses ben Meir of Ferrara, 13th century Tosafist
Eliezer ben Samuel of Metz (Yereim), 13th century Tosafist. (c. 1140-1237)
Eliezer ben Samuel of Verona, 13th century Tosafist.
Judah ben Benjamin Anaw, 13th century Italian halakhist and Talmudist (c. 1215-1280)
Zedekiah ben Abraham Anaw (Shibbolei HaLeqet), 13th century Italian halakhist (c. 1220-1280)
Benjamin ben Abraham Anaw, 13th century poet, exegete, and halakhist. (d. c. 1289)
Abba Mari, (Minhat Kenaot), 13th century Provençal rabbi (c. 1250 – c. 1306)
Isaiah di Trani the Younger, 13th century Biblical exegete and halakhist
Asher ben Jehiel, (Rosh), 13th century German-Spanish Talmudist
Meir of Rothenburg, 13th century German rabbi and poet
Isaac ben Moses of Vienna, 13th century Bohemian Posek
Meir Abulafia, (Yad Ramah), 13th century Spanish Talmudist
Mordecai ben Hillel, (The Mordechai), 13th century German Halakhist
Nahmanides, Moshe ben Nahman, (Ramban), 13th century Spanish and Holy Land mystic and Talmudist
Menachem Meiri, (Meiri), 13th century Talmudist
Yom Tov Asevilli, (Ritva), 13th century Talmudist
Solomon ben Aderet, (Rashba), 13th century Talmudist
Aharon HaLevi, (Ra'ah), 13th century Talmudist
Meshullam ben Jacob, (Rabbeinu Meshullam Hagodol), 13th century Talmudist.(1235-1310)
Joseph Caspi, 13th–14th century talmudist, grammarian, and philosopher. (1280—1345)
Bahya ben Asher ibn Halawa, 13th-14th century commentator, Talmudist and Kabbalist
Moses of Évreux, one of three rabbi brothers in 13th century Normandy, modern-day France.

14th Century

Moses da Rieti (Miqdash Me'at), 14th-century poet and philosopher
David Abudirham, 14th century liturgical commentator
Gersonides, Levi ben Gershom, (Ralbag), 14th century French Talmudist and philosopher
Jacob ben Asher, (Baal ha-Turim; Arbaah Turim), 14th century German-Spanish Halakhist
Yaakov ben Moshe Levi Moelin, (Maharil), 14th century codifier of German minhag
Hasdai Crescas, (Or Hashem), 14th century Talmudist and philosopher
Isaac Lattes (Toledot Yitzchak), 14th-century French chronicler.
Immanuel of Rome, 14th century Italian poet (1261-c. 1335)
Benjamin ben Judah, 14th century Italian exegete. (c. 1290-1335)
Kalonymus ben Kalonymus, 14th-century French translator and philosopher.
Benjamin ben Isaac of Carcassonne, 14th century scholar.
Nissim of Gerona, (RaN), 14th century Halakhist and Talmudist
Crescas Vidal, 14th century Talmudist and philosopher

15th Century

Don Isaac Abravanel, (Abarbanel), 15th century philosopher and Torah commentator (1437–1508)
Joseph Albo, (Sefer Ikkarim), 15th century Spain
Israel Bruna, (Mahari Bruna), 15th century German Rabbi and Posek
Obadiah ben Abraham of Bertinoro, (Bartenura), 15th century commentator on the Mishnah

References

^ See Kesef Mishna (Maamrim 2:2), Kovetz Igros Chazon Ish (2:26)
^ See Piskei Ha'Rosh, Bava Metzia 3:10, 4:21, Shabbat 23:1

External links

The Rules of Halacha, Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan
The different rabbinic eras, faqs.org
RabbiMap - interactive map showing where the rishonim and other notable rabbis lived
Torah Personalities and the Times in Which They Lived (MP3s), Rabbi R. Y. Eisenman

[1] See Kesef Mishna (Maamrim 2:2), Kovetz Igros Chazon Ish (2:26)

[2] See Piskei Ha'Rosh, Bava Metzia 3:10, 4:21, Shabbat 23:1

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