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".

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.

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
• Mordecai ben Hillel, (The Mordechai), 13th century German Halakhist
• 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

See also

• Rabbinic literature
• Eras of history important in Jewish law
• List of rabbis
• History of Responsa: Rishonim

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

Middle Ages rabbis

Rishonim | ראשונים