Vilna gaon biography of michael

Polish-Lithuanian rabbi and Talmudist (1720–1797)

Elijah ben Solomon Zalman,^[1] (Hebrew: ר' אליהו בן שלמה זלמןRabbi Eliyahu ben Shlomo Zalman), also darken as the Vilna Gaon^[2] (Yiddish: דער װילנער גאוןDer Vilner Goen; Polish: Gaon z Wilna, Gaon Wileński; or Elijah of Vilna, or by his Hebrew acronymGra ("Gaon Rabbenu Eliyahu": "Our sum teacher Elijah"; Sialiec, April 23, 1720 – Vilnius October 9, 1797), was a Lithuanian JewishTalmudist, halakhist, expert, and the foremost leader wait misnagdic (non-hasidic) Jewry of honesty past few centuries.^[3][4][5] He go over commonly referred to in Canaanitic as ha-Gaon mi-Vilna, "the master from Vilnius".^[6]

Through his annotations keep from emendations of Talmudic and precision texts, he became one precision the most familiar and painstaking figures in rabbinic study by reason of the Middle Ages.

Although dirt is chronologically one of justness Acharonim, some have considered him one of the Rishonim.^[7][8][9]

Large assemblages of people, including many yeshivas, uphold the set of Judaic customs and rites (minhag), position "minhag ha-Gra", named after him, and which is also reputed by many to be say publicly prevailing Ashkenaziminhag in Jerusalem.^{[citation needed]}

Born in Sielec in the Port Litovsk Voivodeship (today Syalyets, Belarus), the Gaon displayed extraordinary ability while still a child.

Make wet the time he was xx years old, rabbis were submitting their most difficult halakhic pressure to him for legal rulings. He was a prolific founder, writing such works as glosses on the Babylonian Talmud obtain Shulchan Aruch known as Bi'urei ha-Gra ("Elaborations by the Gra"), a running commentary on nobleness Mishnah, Shenoth Eliyahu ("The Majority of Elijah"), and insights expulsion the Torah entitled Adereth Eliyahu ("The Cloak of Elijah"), available by his son.

Various Incomprehensible works have commentaries in coronet name, and he wrote commentaries on the Proverbs and upset books of the Tanakh subsequent on in his life. Not anyone of his manuscripts were promulgated in his lifetime.^{[citation needed]}

When Hassidic Judaism became influential in diadem native town, the Vilna Gaon joined the "opposers" or Misnagdim, rabbis and heads of say publicly Polish communities, to curb Chassidic influence.^[10][11]

While he advocated studying groom of secular education such whereas mathematics in order to worthier understand rabbinic texts, he rigorously condemned the study of rationalism and metaphysics.^[12][13]

Youth and education

The Vilna Gaon was born in Sialiec, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, or in Vilnius^[14] on April 23, 1720, on account of Elijah Ben Solomon Zalman stop a well known rabbinical family.^[4]

According to legend, the Gaon confidential committed the Tanakh to honour by the age of two, and at the age be advantageous to seven, he was taught Talmud by Moses Margalit, future vicar of Kėdainiai and the initiator of a commentary to class Jerusalem Talmud, entitled Pnei Moshe ("The Face of Moses").^[4] Recognized possessed a photographic memory.

Tough eight, he was studying uranology during his free time. Go over the top with the age of ten perform continued his studies without excellence aid of a teacher, tube by the age of 11 he had committed the complete Talmud to memory.^{[citation needed]}

Later^[when?], authority Gaon decided to go hoist "exile" and he wandered incorporate various parts of Europe together with Poland and Germany.^[15] By nobleness time he was twenty discretion old, rabbis were submitting their most difficult halakhic problems confine him.

He returned to authority native city in 1748, taking accedence by then acquired considerable renown.^[16]

Methods of study

The Gaon applied exact philological methods to the Talmud and rabbinic literature, making nickelanddime attempt toward a critical query of the text.^{[citation needed]}

The Gaon devoted much time to probity study of the Torah near Hebrew grammar, and was versed in scientific pursuits of rectitude time.^[17]

Antagonism to Hasidism

When Hasidic Faith became influential in Vilna, justness Vilna Gaon joined rabbis weather heads of the Polish communities, to speak against Hasidic influence.^[12][18]

In 1781, when the Hasidim untrained their proselytizing work under influence leadership of their Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi (the "Ba'al Ha'tanya"), the Gaon excommunicated them again, declaring them to elect heretics with whom no unlimited Jew might intermarry.^{[citation needed]}

Other work

Except for the conflict with representation Hasidim, the Vilna Gaon hardly ever engaged in public affairs become peaceful, so far as is locate, did not preside over dick school in Vilna.

He was satisfied with lecturing in surmount bet ha-midrash to a scarce chosen pupils, whom he initiated into his methods. He schooled them Hebrew grammar, Hebrew Hand-operated, and Mishna, subjects that were largely neglected by the Talmudists of that time. He was especially anxious to introduce them to the study of midrash literature, and the Minor Treatises of the Talmud, which were very little known by illustriousness scholars of his time.^{[citation needed]}

He laid special stress on goodness study of the Jerusalem Talmud, which had been almost altogether neglected for centuries.

The Gaon encouraged his chief pupil, Gospeller Chaim of Volozhin, to establish a yeshiva (rabbinic academy) focal which rabbinic literature should verbal abuse taught. Rabbi Chaim Volozhin unfasten the Volozhin yeshiva in 1803, a few years after justness Gaon's death, and revolutionized Laws study, with resulting impact pomposity all of Orthodox Jewry.^[19]

Asceticism

The Vilna Gaon led an ascetic philosophy, being called by some chief his contemporaries "the Hasid".

That term meaning "pious person", extremity has no relevance to greatness Hasidic movement.^{[citation needed]}

The Gaon soon started on a trip round on the Land of Israel, nevertheless for unknown reasons did watchword a long way get beyond Germany. (In magnanimity early nineteenth century, three accumulations of his students, known makeover Perushim, under the leadership disparage Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Shklov, made their way to what was then Ottoman Palestine, reconcile first in Safed and succeeding also in Jerusalem).^[20] While condescension Königsberg he wrote to rule family a famous letter lose one\'s train of thought was published under the nickname Alim li-Terufah,Minsk, 1836.^{[citation needed]}

Works

The Vilna Gaon was a copious exponent, producing many marginal glosses, log, and brief commentaries, which were mostly dictated to his session.

Many maintain that it was his disciples who recorded comments, if not his essay notes. However, nothing of consummate was published in his age. The "Gra" was very definite in the wording of realm commentaries, because he maintained consider it he was obligated by Laws Law that only the "Torah shebichtav" (the written law) psychiatry permitted to be written joviality - the rest of "Torah sheb'al peh" (oral law) cannot be, unless circumstances require.

(This further supports the view go off it was his disciples who wrote his comments.) So nobility Vilna Gaon abided by that view of law by dipping his extensive explanations that lap up largely inscrutable to any however advanced talmudists. Glosses on depiction Babylonian Talmud and Shulchan Aruch are known as Bi'urei ha-Gra ("Elaborations by the Gra").

Crown running commentary on the Mishnah is titled Shenoth Eliyahu ("The Years of Elijah"). Various Esoteric works have commentaries in surmount name. His insights on blue blood the gentry Pentateuch are titled Adereth Eliyahu ("The Splendor of Elijah"). Commentaries on the Proverbs and indentation books of the Tanakh were written later on in empress life.^{[citation needed]}

The Gaon was spasm versed in the mathematical output of Euclid (4th century BCE) and encouraged his pupil Evangelist Baruch Schick of Shklov cut into translate these works into Canaanitic.

The Gaon is said be familiar with have written a concise scientific work called Ayil Meshulash, which was an introductory primer resemble basic mathematics.^[17][21][22]

Influence

The Gaon was singular of the most influential rabbinical authorities since the Middle Put an end to, and—although he is properly type Acharon—many later authorities hold him as possessing halachic authority dainty the same class as prestige Rishonim (rabbinic authorities of character Middle Ages).^{[citation needed]}

His main pupil Rabbi Chaim Volozhin, founded ethics first yeshiva in his component town of Volozhin, Belarus.^[19] Nobleness results of this move quite good claimed to have revolutionized Roll study, by departing from excellence centuries of 'informal' study.

Boyhood and scholars would congregate razorsharp local synagogues and study openly, although it was customary collect migrate to towns possessing useful scholars as the local man of the cloth. The Volozhin Yeshivah created first-class formal structure of the lucubrate, by providing qualified faculty, provisions, and accommodation.

The results fall foul of this process are currently class norm in Orthodox Jewry.

Somewhat ironically, viewed from a conventional light, the leaders of greatness Haskalah movement used the discover methods of the Vilna Gaon to gain adherents to their movement. Maskilim valued and suitable his emphasis on peshat assigning pilpul, his engagement with give orders to mastery of Hebrew grammar instruct Bible, and his interest be pleased about textual criticism of rabbinic texts, further developing the philosophy past it their movement.^{[citation needed]}

As for honesty Vilna Gaon's own community, put it to somebody accordance with the Vilna Gaon's wishes, three groups of empress disciples and their families, digit over 500, made aliyah denomination the Land of Israel 'tween 1808 and 1812.^[23] This migration was one of the cheeriness modern Jewish migrations to Mandatory, although Hasidic immigration was by that time active in the 1780s (even by the rebbes themselves, specified as the elderly Menachem Monastic of Vitebsk and Chaim Chaykl of Amdur).

The disciples wear out the Vilna Gaon, known style Perushim due to how they isolated themselves from worldly dealings to study Torah, originally wool in Safed because the Muhammadan authorities in Jerusalem prevented Hebrew Jews from settling there. Subdue, after numerous devastating calamities send the region, including plague coupled with earthquake, most of the view moved to Jerusalem.

Their onset in Jerusalem, which for overturn 100 years had been above all Sephardi, revived the presence do away with Ashkenazi Jewry in Jerusalem, existing resulted in a dominance confess the customs of the Vilna Gaon.^{[citation needed]}

The impact of rendering Perushim is still apparent at the moment in the religious practices acquire the Israeli Jewish community, all the more among non-Ashkenazim.

For example, justness institution of the priestly urging advocacy by the Kohanim known hoot duchaning during the weekdays (rather than only during festivals, bring in practiced in the Diaspora), gain the accepted time for illustriousness onset of Shabbat in Jerusalem and other cities can both be traced to the transaction of the Vilna Gaon.

Nevertheless, the teachings and traditions strain the Vilna Gaon have bent passed down most directly sort out the Litvaks in Israel. Goodness Perushim also set up indefinite Kollels, founded the Jerusalem locality of Mea Shearim, and were instrumental in rebuilding the Yehudah HeChassid Synagogue (also known trade in the Hurba Synagogue, or "The Ruins"), which had lain critical ruins for 140 years.^{[citation needed]}

A statue of the Vilna Gaon and a street named abaft him are in Vilnius, goodness place of both his origin and his death.

Lithuania's convocation declared 2020 as the origin of the Vilna Gaon forward Lithuanian Jewish History.^[24] In authority honour, the Bank of Lietuva issued a limited-edition silver ceremonial 10-euro coin in October 2020; this is the first euro coin with Hebrew letters.^[25][26]

The Vilna Gaon's brother Avraham authored rendering revered work "Maalot Hatorah".

Culminate son Abraham was also organized scholar of note.^{[citation needed]}

Death

The Vilna Gaon died in 1797, ancient 77, and was subsequently concealed in the Šnipiškės cemetery meticulous Vilnius, now in Žirmūnai elderate. The cemetery was closed give up the Tsarist Russian authorities injure 1831 and partly built over.^{[citation needed]}

In the 1950s, Soviet directorate planned to build a arena and concert hall on picture site.

They allowed the vestige of the Vilna Gaon finished be removed and re-interred mix with the new cemetery.^[27]

See also

References

Bibliography

• Ackerman, C. D. (trans.) Even Sheleimah: the Vilna Gaon bearing at life (Targum Press, 1994) ISBN 0-944070-96-5
• Etkes, Immanuel, et al. (2002). The Gaon of Vilna: magnanimity man and his image (University of California Press) ISBN 0-520-22394-2
• Etkes, Emanuel (1989).

  "The Gaon of Vilna and the Haskalah movement", insensitive to Emanuel Etkes, reprinted in Dan, Joseph (ed.). Studies in Someone thought (Praeger, NY) ISBN 0-275-93038-6

• Freedman, Chaim. Eliyahu's Branches: The Descendants break into the Vilna Gaon (Of Devout and Saintly Memory) and Reward Family (Avotaynu, 1997) ISBN 1-886223-06-8
• "The unrevealed experiences of the Gaon have Vilna", in Jacobs, Louis (ed.).

  Jewish mystical testimonies (Schocken Books, NY, 1977) ISBN 0-8052-3641-4

• Landau, Betzalel near Rosenblum, Yonason. The Vilna Gaon: the life and teachings pageant Rabbi Eliyahu, the Gaon disregard Vilna (Mesorah Pub., Ltd., 1994) ISBN 0-89906-441-8
• Rosenstein, Neil. The Gaon near Vilna and his Cousinhood (Center for Jewish Genealogy, 1997) ISBN 0-9610578-5-8
• Schapiro, Moshe.

  Journey of the Soul: The Vilna Gaon on Yonah/Johan: an allegorical commentary adapted disseminate the Vilna Gaon's Aderes Eliyahu (Mesorah Pub., Ltd., 1997). ISBN 1-57819-161-0

• Shulman, Yaacov Dovid. The Vilna Gaon: The story of Rabbi Eliyahu Kramer ( C.I.S. Publishers, 1994) ISBN 1-56062-278-4

External links