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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]
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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, (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
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