The Great Rabbis

Who wrote the Kol Bo? The name of the author of the Kol Bo isn't known. The Kol Bo has a close affinity to the Orchos Chayim, whose author is known (R.Aharon ha-Kohen of Lunel), but the authors are at…

What can you tell me about the author of the Kaf ha-Chayim? The Kaf ha-Chayim, by R.Yaakov Chayim b.Yitzchak Baruch Sofer of Bagdad, was published in Jerusalem between 1905 and 1933. (R.Chayim Palagi published a book with the same title…

Who was R.Shlomo Ganzfried? R.Shlomo b.Yosef Ganzfried was born in Ungvar, Hungary in 1804 and died there in 1886. From 1830 to 1849 he was Rabbi of Brezewicz, and afterwards was head of the Beis Din of Ungvar. His Kitzur…

Who was R.Yehonasan Eybeschutz? R.Yehonasan (b.Noson Nota) Eybeschutz was born in Cracow about 1690. He was learned in many areas, including halacha, kabbalah, philosophy and science. He founded a Yeshiva in Hamburg, and afterwards headed a Yeshiva in Prague. In…

Who wrote the Sefer Charedim? R.Eleazar b.Moshe Azkari lived in Tzfas in the 1500's. He was a popular preacher. His Sefer Charedim was published in Venice in 1601, a year after his death. Not much is recorded about his career,…

What is the "Vavei ha-Amudim"? The best known "Vavei ha-Amudim" is by R.Shabsai Sheftel, son of R.Yeshaiah ha-Levi Horovitz, author of the Sh'nei Luchos ha-B'ris (SH'LAH). It was published together with the SH'LAH in Amsterdam 1648-9 (and many times afterwards);…

Who was Rabbeinu Yonah? R. Yonah b.Avraham lived in Gerona, Spain in the 1200's (he died in 1263). A relative of the Ramban, he studied under R.Avraham of Montpellier in Provence, and sided with him in his opposition to the…

Who was the author of the Sefer Yereim? R.Eliezer b.Shmuel of Metz, a student of Rabbeinu Tam, lived in the mid to late 1100's. The Yereim is his only known work; it was published in part in Venice in 1566,…

What can you tell me about the Tanna R. Eleazar? R.Eleazar b.Shamua was one of R.Akiva's last disciples. He is referred to simply as "R.Eleazar" in the Tannaitic literature. He was one of the five famous disciples who were ordained…