Rishonim (ראשונים Hebrew - sing. Rishon) literally "the first," or "the former," is a term referring to the leading Rabbis and Poskim who lived approximately from 1250 to 1500, that is in the era before the writing of the Shulkhan Arukh and following the Geonim. Rabbinic scholars subsequent to the Shulkhan Arukh are known as " Acharonim - the latter". Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family spoken by more than 7 million people, mainly in Israel, the West Bank, the United States and by Jewish communities around the world. ... Rabbi (Classical Hebrew רִבִּי ribbÄ«;; modern Ashkenazi and Israeli רַבִּי rabbÄ«) in Judaism, means teacher, or more literally great one. The word Rabbi is derived from the Hebrew root-word RaV, which in biblical Hebrew means great or distinguished, (in knowledge). In the ancient Judean schools the sages were addressed as רִבִּי (Ribbi... Posek (Hebrew פוסק; pl. ... The Shulkhan Arukh (Hebrew: Prepared Table), by Rabbi Yosef Karo is considered the most authoritative compilation of Jewish law since the Talmud. ... Geonim (also Gaonim) (גאונים) (Singular: Gaon [גאון] meaning pride in Biblical Hebrew and genius in modern Hebrew) were the rabbis who were the Jewish Talmudic sages who were the generally accepted spiritual leaders of the Jewish community in the early medieval era, in contrast to the Resh Galuta/ Exilarch who wielded secular... Acharonim (Hebrew - sing. ...

The distinction between Rishonim and Geonim is meaningful historically; in Halakha (Jewish Law) the distinction is less important. Halakha is hierarchical and precedent based, thus a Rishon may differ with another Rishon - or with a Gaon - but his opinion is valid only insofar as it is based on that of an Amora. Halakha (Hebrew: הלכה; also transliterated as Halakhah, Halacha, Halachah) is the collective corpus of Jewish rabbinic law, custom and tradition. ... Geonim (also Gaonim) (גאונים) (Singular: Gaon [גאון] meaning Genius in Hebrew) were the rabbis who were the Jewish Talmudic sages who were the generally accepted leaders of the Jewish community in the early medieval era. ... Amora, plural Amoraim, (from the Hebrew root amar to say or tell over), were renowned Jewish scholars who said or told over the teachings of the Oral law, from about 200 to 500 CE in Babylonia and Israel. ...

See also

• Rabbinic literature
• Eras of history important in Jewish law
• List of rabbis

Rabbinic literature, in the broadest sense, can mean the entire spectrum of Judaisms rabbinic writing/s throughout history. ... Halakha (Hebrew: הלכה; also transliterated as Halakhah, Halacha, Halachah) is the collective corpus of Jewish rabbinic law, custom and tradition. ... List of rabbis. ...

Some Rishonim

• Abba Mari, (Minhat Kenaot), 13th century French Talmudist
• Don Isaac Abravanel, (Abarbanel), 15th century philosopher and Torah commentator
• Abraham ibn Daud, (Sefer HaKabbalah), 12th century Spanish philosopher
• Abraham ibn Ezra, (Even Ezra), 12th century Spanish-North African Biblical commentator
• Amram Gaon, 9th century organizer of the siddur
• Asher ben Jehiel, (Rosh), 13th century German-Spanish Talmudist
• Bahya ibn Paquda, (Hovot ha-Levavot), 11th century Spanish philosopher and moralist
• Chananel Ben Chushiel (Rabbeinu Chananel), 10th century Tunisian Talmudist
• Hasdai Crescas, (Or Hashem), 14th century Talmudist and philosopher
• Dunash ben Labrat, 10th century grammarian and poet
• Rabbenu Gershom, 11th century German Talmudist and legalist
• Gersonides, Levi ben Gershom, (Ralbag), 14th century French Talmudist and philosopher
• Eliezer ben Nathan, 12th century poet and pietist
• Hillel ben Eliakim, (Rabbeinu Hillel), 12the century Talmudist and disciple of Rashi
• Ibn Tibbon, a family of 12th and 13th century Spanish and French scholars, tranlators, and leaders
• Isaac Alfasi, (the Rif), 12th century North African and Spanish Talmudist and Halakhist; author of "Sefer Ha-halachot".
• Jacob ben Asher, (Baal ha-Turim ; Arbaah Turim), 14th century German-Spanish Halakhist
• Joseph Albo, (Sefer Ikkarim) 15th century Spain
• Joseph ibn Migash 12th century Spanish Talmudist and Rosh Yeshiva; teacher of Maimon, father of Maimonides
• Meir Abulafia, (Yad Ramah), 13th century Spanish Talmudist
• Maimonides, Moshe Ben Maimon, (Rambam), 13th century Spanish-North African Talmudist, philosopher, and law codifier
• Nahmanides, Moshe ben Nahman, (Ramban), 13th century Spanish and Holy Land mystic and Talmudist
• Nissim Ben Jacob (Rav Nissim Gaon) 10th century Tunisian Talmudist
• Nissim of Gerona, (RaN), 14th century Halakhist and Talmudist
• Rashi, (Solomon ben Yitzchak), 11th century Talmudist, the primary commentator of Talmud
• Elazar Rokeach, (Sefer HaRokeach) 12th century German rabbinic scholar
• Saadia Gaon, (Emunoth ve-Deoth ; Siddur) 10th century Exilarch and leader of Babylonian Jewry
• Samuel ben Judah ibn Tibbon, 12th-13th century French Maimonidean philosopher and translator
• Tosafists, (Tosfot) 11th, 12th and 13th century Talmudic scholars in France and Germany
• Yehuda Halevi, (Kuzari), 12th century Spanish philosopher and poet devoted to Zion
• 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

Abba Mari (in full, Abba Mari ben Moses ben Joseph), French rabbi, was born at Lunel, near Montpellier, towards the end of the 13th century. ... This article or section should be merged with Isaac Abrabanel. ... Abraham ben David was a Jewish, French commentator on the Talmud. ... Rabbi Abraham Ben Meir Ibn Ezra (also known as Ibn Ezra, or Abenezra) (1092 or 1093-1167), was one of the most distinguished Jewish men of letters and writers of the Middle Ages. ... Amram Gaon (d. ... Asher ben Jehiel (or Rabeinu Osher ben Yechiel) (1250? 1259?-1328), an eminent rabbi and Talmudist often known by his Hebrew acronym the ROSH (literally Head), was born in western Germany and died in Toledo, Spain. ... Bahya ibn Paquda (also: Pakuda) Full name: Bahya ben Joseph ibn Pakuda, known to Talmud scholars (in Hebrew) as the Rabbeinu Bechaya (Our Rabbi Behaya), was a Jewish philosopher and rabbi who lived at Saragossa, Spain, in the first half of the eleventh century. ... Chananel Ben Chushiel (or Rabbeinu Chananel), 990-1053) was a rabbi and one of the last Geonim. ... Hasdai ben Abraham Crescas (c. ... Dunash ben Labrat (920-990) was a medieval Jewish commentator, poet, and grammarian of the Golden age of Jewish culture in Spain and a student of Rabbi Saadia Gaon. ... Rabbenu Gershom (also known as Gershom ben Judah) (c. ... Levi ben Gershon (Levi son of Gerson), better known as Gersonides or the Ralbag (1288-1344), was a famous rabbi, philosopher, mathematician and Talmudic commentator. ... Eleizer ben Nathan (1090-1170 ) was a Jewish poet and writer. ... Hillel ben Eliakim, known in Hebrew to Talmud scholars as Rabbeinu Hillel, (Our Rabbi Hillel), was a Jewish, Greek rabbi and Talmud scholar. ... Ibn Tibbon (or ibn Tibbon), is a family of Jewish rabbis and translators that lived principally in southern France in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. ... Rabbi Isaac Alfasi (Isaac Hakohen 1013-1103), also the Rif (ריף), is best known for his work of Halakha, the legal code Sefer Ha-halachot (ספר ההלכות), considered the first fundamental work in halakhic literature. ... Jacob ben Asher, in Hebrew Yaakov ben Asher, (1270-ca 1340) was an influential Medieval rabbinic authority. ... Joseph Albo was a Spanish rabbi, and theologian of the fifteenth century, known chiefly as the author of the work on the Jewish principles of faith, Ikkarim. ... Joseph ibn Migash (1077 - 1141) was a Rabbi, Posek, and Rosh Yeshiva in Lucena. ... Commonly used image indicating one artists conception of Maimonidess appearance Moshe ben Maimon (March 30, 1135–December 13, 1204) was a Jewish rabbi, physician, and philosopher. ... Nahmanides (1194 - c. ... Rabbi Nissim Ben Jacob (Rav Nissim Gaon, 990-1062) is best known today for his Talmudic commentary HaMafteach. ... Rabbi Nissim ben Reuven (1320 - 1380) of Girona was an influential talmudist and authority in Jewish law. ... Rashi Rashi רשי, an acronym for Rabbi Solomon ben Isaac (Hebrew: רבי שלמה בן יצחק) or Shlomo Yitzchaki, (February 22, 1040 – July 17, 1105) is one of Judaisms classic meforshim (Bible and Talmud commentators), and wrote the first comprehensive commentaries on the Tanakh (the Hebrew Bible) and Talmud. ... Elazar Rokeach (or Rokeiach) (1165-1238) of Worms, Germany, was a leading rabbi, and was known as one of the Chassidei Ashkenaz (Righteous Ones of German[ic] Jewry), a group of Jewish German pietists. ... Saadia Ben Joseph Gaon (892-942), the Hebrew name of Said al-Fayyumi, was a rabbi who was also a prominent Jewish exilarch, philosopher, and exegete. ... Samuel ben Judah ibn Tibbon, more commonly known as Samuel ibn Tibbon, was a Jewish philosopher and doctor. ... Tosafists were medieval rabbis who collected commentaries on the Talmud, and appear in virtually every edition since it was first printed. ... Judah Ha-Levi, also Yehudah Halevi, or Judah ben Samuel Halevi (c. ... Rabbi Menachem Meiri (1249-c. ... Yom Tov Asevilli or Yom Tov ben Avraham Asevilli (or Yom Tov the son of Abraham Asevilli), (1250-1330), who is commonly known to scholars of Judaism as the Ritva (an acronym of his Hebrew name), was a Medieval rabbi and Halakhist famous for his commentary on the Talmud. ... Shlomo ben Aderet (or Solomon son of Aderet) (1235-1310), universally known to scholars of Judaism as the Rashba (the acronym for his Hebrew name), was a Medieval rabbi, Halakhist, and famous Talmudist. ... Aharon HaLevi (1235-c. ...

External links and references

• The Rules of Halacha, Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan
• The different rabbinic eras, faqs.org
• Torah Personalities and the Times in Which They Lived (MP3s), Rabbi R Y Eisenman
• The Rishonim 4800–5160 (1040–1400), chabad.org
• Mini-Biographies from chaburas.org
  • 9th Through 11th Century
  • 12th Century
  • 13th Century
  • 14th Century
  • 15th Century
  • 16th Century

Aryeh Kaplan (1934 - 1983) was a noted rabbi and author, who had a background in both physics and Judaism. ... MPEG Audio Layer-3, or more commonly refered to as MP3, is a popular digital audio encoding and lossy compression format invented and standardized in 1991 by a team of engineers working in the framework of the ISO/IEC MPEG audio committee under the chairmanship of Professor Hans Musmann (University...