Elijah (Eliyahu) ben Shlomo Zalman,^[1] known as the Vilna Gaon (also the Gaon of Vilna or "The Gra" — from the Hebrew acronym "Gaon Rabbi Eliyahu"), (April 23, 1720 – October 9, 1797), was one of the most outstanding rabbis in recent centuries. Acronyms, initialisms, and alphabetisms are Abbreviations that are formed using the initial components in a phrase or name Events 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Year 1720 ( MDCCXX) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting Events 768 - Carloman I and Charlemagne are crowned Kings of The Franks. Year 1797 ( MDCCXCVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Rabbi (pronunciation, although in English usually) in Judaism, means a religious ‘teacher’ or more literally ‘my great one’ when addressing any master He was an exceptional Talmudist, Halachist and Kabbalist, and was the foremost leader of non-hasidic world Jewry. The Talmud ( Hebrew: he תַּלְמוּד is a record of Rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history Halakha ( הלכה; alternative transliterations include Halocho and Halacha) is the collective body of Jewish Religious law Kabbalah (קַבָּלָה lit "receiving" is a discipline and school of thought discussing the mystical aspect of Judaism. Hasidic Judaism (also Chasidic, etc from the Hebrew: he '''''חסידות''''', Chassidus, meaning "piety" from the Hebrew Jewish population refers to the number of Jews in the world Precise figures are difficult to calculate because the definition of " Who is a Jew " remains a He is commonly referred to in Hebrew as ha'Gaon ha'Chasid mi'Vilna, "the saintly genius from Vilna. A genius is a person of great Intelligence or remarkable abilities in a specific subject who shows an exceptional natural capacity of intellect and/or ability especially "

He was one of the most influential Rabbinic authorities since the Middle Ages, and – although he is counted among the sages known as the Acharonim – he is held by many authorities after him as belonging to the Rishonim (Rabbinic authorities of the Middle Ages). Large groups of people, including many yeshivas, uphold the set of Jewish customs and rites (minhag), the "minhag ha-Gra," which is named for him, and which is also considered by many to be the prevailing Ashkenazi minhag in Jerusalem. Yeshiva or yeshivah (jəʃi'və ( Hebrew: ישיבה "sitting (n Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut Minhag ( Hebrew: מנהג "custom" pl minhagim) is an accepted tradition or group of traditions in Judaism. Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim ( Hebrew: אַשְׁכֲּנָזִים, ˌaʃkəˈnazim sing Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the The Gaon wrote also on mathematics, being well-versed in the works of Euclid and encouraging a pupil, Rabbi Baruch of Shklov, to translate the great mathematician's works into Hebrew. Euclid ( Greek:.) fl 300 BC also known as Euclid of Alexandria, is often referred to as the Father of Geometry

Born in Vilnius, Lithuania, the Gaon displayed extraordinary talent while still a child. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė old literary Lithuanian Didi Kunigiste Letuvos, Ruthenian: Wialikaje Kniastwa Litowskaje By the time he was twenty years old, rabbis were submitting their most difficult halakhic problems to him for legal rulings. Halakha ( הלכה; alternative transliterations include Halocho and Halacha) is the collective body of Jewish Religious law He was a voluminous author, writing such works as glosses on the Babylonian Talmud and Shulchan Aruch known as Biurei ha-Gra ("Elaboration by the Gra"), a running commentary on the Mishnah (Shenoth Eliyahu ("The Years of Elijah")), and insights on the Pentateuch entitled Adereth Eliyahu ("The Splendor of Elijah"). This article is about the literary term For other uses see Gloss (disambiguation. The Talmud ( Hebrew: he תַּלְמוּד is a record of Rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history The Shulchan Aruch (שולחן ערוך literally " Set Table " (also Shulhan Aruch or Shulchan Arukh) is a Codification The Mishnah or Mishna (he משנה "repetition" from the verb shanah he שנה or "to study and review" is a major work of Rabbinic Judaism term " Torah " ( Hebrew: תּוֹרָה "teaching" or "instruction" sometimes translated as "Law" most commonly refers to Various Kabbalistic works have commentaries in his name, and commentaries on the Proverbs and other books of the Tanakh were written later on in his life. The Book of Proverbs is one of the books of the Ketuvim of the Tanakh, and thus also one of the books of the Old Testament. See also Old testament, Septuagint, Targum, Peshitta The Tanakh (תַּנַ"ךְ (taˈnax or; also Tenakh or Tenak is None were published in his lifetime.

When Hasidic Judaism became influential in his native town, the Vilna Gaon joined the rabbis and heads of the Polish communities known as the Mitnagdim, to curb Hasidic influence. Hasidic Judaism (also Chasidic, etc from the Hebrew: he '''''חסידות''''', Chassidus, meaning "piety" from the Hebrew Misnagdim or mitnagdim is a Hebrew word ( מתנגדים) meaning "opponents" In 1777 one of the first excommunications against the Hasidim was launched in Vilna.

As it states in the Mishna in Tractate Peah (1:1): "The study of Torah is equal to all of the mitzvos", the Gaon encouraged his chief pupil, Rabbi Chaim Volozhin, to found a yeshiva (college) in which rabbinic literature should be taught. Rabbi Chaim Ben Yitzchok (Chaim Ickovits or Chaim Volozhin (חיים מוולוז'ין also Chaim Volozhiner or Chaim of Volozhin) ( January Yeshiva or yeshivah (jəʃi'və ( Hebrew: ישיבה "sitting (n The yeshiva was opened at Volozhin in 1803, some years after the Gaon's death, and revolutionised Torah study, with resulting impacts on all of Orthodox Jewry. Valozhyn, Vałožyn or Volozhin (Вало́жын va'ɫoʐɨn Воло́жин Wołożyn וואלאזשין is a town in the Minsk Province of Torah study is the study by Jewish people of the Torah, Hebrew Bible, Talmud, Responsa, Rabbinic literature and similar Orthodox Judaism is the formulation of Judaism that adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics first canonized

Contents 1 Youth and education 2 Methods of study 3 Antagonism to Hasidism 4 Other work 5 Ascetism 6 Works 7 Influence 8 Death 9 See also 10 External links 11 References 12 Sources

Youth and education

As young as three years old he had committed the Tanach to memory. See also Old testament, Septuagint, Targum, Peshitta The Tanakh (תַּנַ"ךְ (taˈnax or; also Tenakh or Tenak is At the age of seven he was taught Talmud by Moses Margalit, rabbi of Kėdainiai and the author of a commentary to the Jerusalem Talmud, entitled "Pnei Moshe". The Talmud ( Hebrew: he תַּלְמוּד is a record of Rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history Kėdainiai ( is one of the oldest cities in Lithuania. It is located on the Nevėžis River. The Jerusalem Talmud or Talmud Yerushalmi (תַּלְמוּד יְרוּשָׁלְמִי often the Yerushalmi for short is a collection The young Elijah was said to have already known several of the tractates by heart. He is well known for having possessed a photographic memory. Eidetic memory, photographic memory, or total recall is the ability to recall Images Sounds, or objects in Memory By eight, he was studying astronomy during his free time. Astronomy (from the Greek words astron (ἄστρον "star" and nomos (νόμος "law" is the scientific study From the age of ten he continued his studies without the aid of a teacher, and by the age of eleven he had committed the entire Talmud to memory.

When he reached a more mature age, Elijah decided to go into "exile" and he wandered in various parts of Europe including Poland and Germany, as was the custom of the pious of the time. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. By the time he was twenty years old, rabbis were submitting their most difficult halakhic problems to him. Halakha ( הלכה; alternative transliterations include Halocho and Halacha) is the collective body of Jewish Religious law Scholars, Jewish and non-Jewish sought his insights into mathematics and astronomy. He returned to his native town in 1748, having by then acquired considerable renown. Year 1748 ( MDCCXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a

Methods of study

The Gaon applied to the Talmud and rabbinic literature proper philological methods. The Talmud ( Hebrew: he תַּלְמוּד is a record of Rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history He made an attempt toward a critical examination of the text; and thus, very often with a single reference to a parallel passage, or with a textual emendation, he overthrew tenuous decisions made by his rabbinic predecessors.

He devoted much time to the study of the Hebrew Bible and Hebrew grammar, and was knowledgeable in the secular sciences, enriching the latter by his original contributions. The term Hebrew Bible is a generic reference to those books of the Bible originally written in Biblical Hebrew (and the related Biblical Aramaic His pupils and friends had to pursue the same plain and simple methods of study that he followed. He also exhorted them not to neglect the secular sciences, maintaining that Judaism could only gain by studying them. Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut The Gaon was also attracted to the study of Kabbalah; his controversy with Hasidic Judaism thus stems not from a rejection of mysticism per se, but from a profoundly different understanding of its teachings, in particular regarding its relationship to halakhah and the Ashkenazic minhag. Kabbalah (קַבָּלָה lit "receiving" is a discipline and school of thought discussing the mystical aspect of Judaism. Hasidic Judaism (also Chasidic, etc from the Hebrew: he '''''חסידות''''', Chassidus, meaning "piety" from the Hebrew Halakha ( הלכה; alternative transliterations include Halocho and Halacha) is the collective body of Jewish Religious law Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim ( Hebrew: אַשְׁכֲּנָזִים, ˌaʃkəˈnazim sing Minhag ( Hebrew: מנהג "custom" pl minhagim) is an accepted tradition or group of traditions in Judaism.

The Vilna Gaon was very modest and objective; he declined to accept the office of rabbi, though it was often offered to him on the most flattering terms. In his later years he also refused to give approbations, though this was the privilege of great rabbis; he thought too humbly of himself to assume such authority. He led a retiring life, only lecturing from time to time to a few chosen pupils.

In 1755, when the Gaon was only thirty-five, Rabbi Jonathan Eybeschütz, then sixty-five years old, applied to him for an examination of and decision concerning his amulets, which were a subject of discord between himself and Rabbi Jacob Emden. Year 1755 ( MDCCLV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or Jonathan Eybeschutz ( Kraków 1690 - Altona 1764 was a Talmudist Halachist, Kabbalist, and secret Shabbatean, holding Jacob Emden ( (the Yabets) was a Jewish Rabbi and notable Talmudist and prominent opponent of the Shabbethaians. The Vilna Gaon, in a letter to Eybeschütz, stated that, while in full sympathy with him, he did not believe that words coming from a stranger like himself, who had not even the advantage of old age, would be of any weight with the contending parties.

Antagonism to Hasidism

When Hasidic Judaism became influential in his native town, the Vilna Gaon, joining the rabbis and heads of the Polish communities, took steps to check the Hasidic influence. Hasidic Judaism (also Chasidic, etc from the Hebrew: he '''''חסידות''''', Chassidus, meaning "piety" from the Hebrew In 1777 one of the first excommunications by the Mitnagdim was launched in Vilna against the Hasidim, while a letter was also addressed to all of the large communities, exhorting them to deal with the Hasidim following the example of Vilna, and to watch them until they had recanted. Year 1777 ( MDCCLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Misnagdim or mitnagdim is a Hebrew word ( מתנגדים) meaning "opponents" The letter was acted upon by several communities; and in Brody, during the merchant fair, the cherem (ban of excommunication) was pronounced against the Hasidim. Brody (Броди Brody Броды Yiddish: בּראָד translit Cherem (or Herem חרם is the highest ecclesiastical censure in the Jewish community

In 1781, when the Hasidim renewed their proselytizing work under the leadership of their Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi (the "Ba'al Ha'tanya"), the Gaon excommunicated them again, declaring them to be heretics with whom no pious Jew might intermarry. Year 1781 ( MDCCLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Shneur Zalman of Liadi ( שניאור זלמן מליאדי) ( September 4, 1745 – December 15, 1812 O PLEASE TAKE NOTE************

After this, the Gaon went into retirement again, and the Hasidim seized the opportunity to spread a rumor that he had sided with them and that he repented of having persecuted them. The Gaon then sent two of his pupils (1796) with letters to all the communities of Poland, declaring that he had not changed his attitude in the matter, and that the assertions of the Hasidim were pure inventions. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland However, the excommunications did not stop the tide of Hasidism.

According to Chabad tradition, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi and Rabbi Menachem Mendel Horodoker were sent to the Vilna Gaon by the Maggid of Mezeritch and the Gaon refused to meet with them. Chabad-Lubavitch is one of the largest Hasidic movements in Orthodox Judaism, and is based in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn Shneur Zalman of Liadi ( שניאור זלמן מליאדי) ( September 4, 1745 – December 15, 1812 O Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk (1730 &ndash 1788 also known as Menachem Mendel of Horodok was an early leader of Hasidic Judaism Rabbi Dov Ber of Mezeritch ( דוב בער ממזריטש ‎ (1704/1710(? &ndash 1772-12-04 OS) was a disciple of Rabbi Yisrael Baal Rabbi Leibel Shapiro, the current Rosh Yeshiva of Tomchei Tmimim Miami, has said that at a Yud-Tes Kislev farbrengen in Boston, Rabbi Joseph Ber Soloveitchik described this event the way it was passed down through the Brisk dynasty (Rabbi Chaim Volozhin the scion of the Brisker dynasty was the prime student of the Vilna Gaon) and in this version, the Alter Rebbe was accompanied by Rabbi Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev. Rosh yeshiva, ( pl. Heb. Roshei yeshiva; Yeshivish Rosh yeshivas) (ראש ישיבה is the title given to the dean of Tomchei Temimim is the central Yeshiva ( Talmudical academy of the Chabad -Lubavitch Hasidic movement The 19 Kislev ( י"ט כסלו) refers to the 19th day of the Jewish Month of Kislev. A Farbrengen (from the Yiddish פארברענגען, meaning "joyous gathering" is a Hasidic gathering Joseph Ber (Yosef Dov Yoshe Ber Soloveitchik (יוסף דב הלוי סולובייצ'יק was an American Orthodox Rabbi, Talmudist and modern The Soloveitchik dynasty of Rabbinic scholars and their students originated the Brisker method of Talmudic study which is embraced by their followers in Rabbi Chaim Ben Yitzchok (Chaim Ickovits or Chaim Volozhin (חיים מוולוז'ין also Chaim Volozhiner or Chaim of Volozhin) ( January Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev (1740-1810 known as the Berdichever Rebbe was a Rabbi and Hasidic leader Rabbi Soloveitchik said that the Gaon's reason for not meeting with the Hassidic Rebbes was that he saw the holy features of the Alter Rebbe's face and realized that if he let him in "after two hours he would leave the room and join them in spreading chassidus". ^[2]

Other work

Except for the conflict with the Hasidim, the Vilna Gaon almost never took part in public affairs and, so far as is known, did not preside over any school in Vilna. He was satisfied with lecturing in his bet ha-midrash to a few chosen pupils, whom he initiated into his methods. He taught them Hebrew grammar, Hebrew Bible, and Mishna, subjects which were largely neglected by the Talmudists of that time. The term Hebrew Bible is a generic reference to those books of the Bible originally written in Biblical Hebrew (and the related Biblical Aramaic The Mishnah or Mishna (he משנה "repetition" from the verb shanah he שנה or "to study and review" is a major work of Rabbinic Judaism The Talmud ( Hebrew: he תַּלְמוּד is a record of Rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history 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 the scholars of his time. Midrash ( Hebrew: מדרש plural midrashim, lit "to repeat" is a Hebrew term referring to the not exact but comparative ( homiletic The minor tractates (Hebrew מסכתות קטנות masechtot qetanot) are essays from the Tannaitic period or later dealing with topics about which no formal

He laid special stress on the study of the Jerusalem Talmud, which had been almost entirely neglected for centuries. The Jerusalem Talmud or Talmud Yerushalmi (תַּלְמוּד יְרוּשָׁלְמִי often the Yerushalmi for short is a collection Being convinced that the study of the Torah is the very life of Judaism, and that this study must be conducted in a scientific and not in a merely scholastic manner, he encouraged his chief pupil, Rabbi Chaim Volozhin, to found a yeshiva (college) in which rabbinic literature should be taught. Rabbi Chaim Ben Yitzchok (Chaim Ickovits or Chaim Volozhin (חיים מוולוז'ין also Chaim Volozhiner or Chaim of Volozhin) ( January Yeshiva or yeshivah (jəʃi'və ( Hebrew: ישיבה "sitting (n Rabbi Chaim Volozhin opened the yeshiva in Volozhin after the death of the Vilna Goan in 1803. Valozhyn, Vałožyn or Volozhin (Вало́жын va'ɫoʐɨn Воло́жин Wołożyn וואלאזשין is a town in the Minsk Province of 1803 ( MDCCCIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a

Ascetism

The Vilna Gaon led an ascetic life. Ascetic redirects here You might also be looking for Acetic acid. He interpreted literally the words of the Jewish sages, that the Torah can be acquired only by abandoning all pleasures and by cheerfully accepting suffering; and as he lived up to this principle, he was revered by his countrymen as a saint, being called by some of his contemporaries "the Hasid". term " Torah " ( Hebrew: תּוֹרָה "teaching" or "instruction" sometimes translated as "Law" most commonly refers to This, of course, seems ironic, given his well known opposition to the Hasidic movement, though in fact the term is used in two different senses. Hasidic Judaism (also Chasidic, etc from the Hebrew: he '''''חסידות''''', Chassidus, meaning "piety" from the Hebrew

The Gaon once started on a trip to the Land of Israel, but for unknown reasons did not get beyond Germany. For other uses see Israel (disambiguation The Land of Israel ( Hebrew: אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל Eretz Yisrael) is Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. (In the early nineteenth century, three groups of his students, known as Perushim, did manage the trip, settling mostly in Tzfat and Jerusalem). The Perushim ( פרושים) were disciples of Rabbi Elijah ben Solomon Zalman (known as the Vilna Gaon) who left Lithuania to settle Safed (צְפַת pronounced Tsfat; صفد pronounced Safad) is a city in the Northern District of Israel. Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the While at Königsberg he wrote to his family a letter which was published under the title Alim li-Terufah, Minsk, 1836. Königsberg (Karaliaučius Low German: Königsbarg; Królewiec see also other names) was until 1946 the name of Kaliningrad. Minsk (Мінск mʲinsk Минск mʲinsk is the Capital and largest city in Belarus, situated on the Svislach and Niamiha rivers Year 1836 ( MDCCCXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap

Works

The Vilna Gaon was a voluminous author; there is hardly an ancient Hebrew book of any importance to which he did not write a commentary, or at least provide marginal glosses and notes, which were mostly dictated to his pupils. However, nothing of his was published in his lifetime. It must be noted that the "Gra" was very precise in the wording of his commentaries, because he maintained that he was obligated by Torah Law that only the " Torah shebichtav" (the written law) is permitted to be written down - the rest of " Torah shel ba'al peh" (oral law) cannot be, unless circumstances require. So the Vilna Gaon abided by this view of law by reducing his extensive explanations that are largely inscrutable to any but advanced talmudists. Glosses on the Babylonian Talmud and Shulchan Aruch are known as Biurei ha-Gra ("Elaboration by the Gra"). The Talmud ( Hebrew: he תַּלְמוּד is a record of Rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history The Shulchan Aruch (שולחן ערוך literally " Set Table " (also Shulhan Aruch or Shulchan Arukh) is a Codification His running commentary on the Mishnah is titled Shenoth Eliyahu ("The Years of Elijah"). The Mishnah or Mishna (he משנה "repetition" from the verb shanah he שנה or "to study and review" is a major work of Rabbinic Judaism Various Kabbalistic works have commentaries in his name. Kabbalah (קַבָּלָה lit "receiving" is a discipline and school of thought discussing the mystical aspect of Judaism. His insights on the Pentateuch are titled Adereth Eliyahu ("The Splendor of Elijah"). term " Torah " ( Hebrew: תּוֹרָה "teaching" or "instruction" sometimes translated as "Law" most commonly refers to Commentaries on the Proverbs and other books of the Tanakh were written later on in his life. The Book of Proverbs is one of the books of the Ketuvim of the Tanakh, and thus also one of the books of the Old Testament. See also Old testament, Septuagint, Targum, Peshitta The Tanakh (תַּנַ"ךְ (taˈnax or; also Tenakh or Tenak is

He also wrote on mathematics, being well versed in the works of Euclid and encouraging his pupil Rabbi Baruch of Shklov to translate the great mathematician's works into Hebrew. Euclid ( Greek:.) fl 300 BC also known as Euclid of Alexandria, is often referred to as the Father of Geometry A mathematical work titled Ayil Meshulash ("A Ram in Three Parts", a reference to Abraham's "Covenant Between the Parts" in Genesis 15:9) is generally attributed to him.

Influence

He was one of the most influential Rabbinic authorities since the Middle Ages, and – although he is counted as an Acharon – he is held by many authorities after him as belonging to the Rishonim (Rabbinic authorities of the Middle Ages). The Great Synagogue of Vilna which once stood at the end of Jewish Street (I-2 Vilna, Lithuania, was built between 1630-1633 after permission was granted to construct Large groups of people, including many yeshivas, uphold the set of customs (minhag) that can be traced back to him: the minhag ha-Gra, which is also considered by many to be the prevailing Ashkenazi minhag in Jerusalem. Yeshiva or yeshivah (jəʃi'və ( Hebrew: ישיבה "sitting (n

His main student Rabbi Chaim Volozhin, founded the first yeshiva in his home town of Volozhin, Belarus. Rabbi Chaim Ben Yitzchok (Chaim Ickovits or Chaim Volozhin (חיים מוולוז'ין also Chaim Volozhiner or Chaim of Volozhin) ( January Yeshiva or yeshivah (jəʃi'və ( Hebrew: ישיבה "sitting (n Valozhyn, Vałožyn or Volozhin (Вало́жын va'ɫoʐɨn Воло́жин Wołożyn וואלאזשין is a town in the Minsk Province of Belarus ( Belarusian Беларусь / Biełaruś is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east The results of this move revolutionised Torah study, and the results of this process are still felt in Orthodox Jewry. Torah study is the study by Jewish people of the Torah, Hebrew Bible, Talmud, Responsa, Rabbinic literature and similar Orthodox Judaism is the formulation of Judaism that adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics first canonized

In accordance with the Vilna Gaon's wishes, three groups of his disciples and their families, numbering over 500, made aliyah to the Land of Israel between 1808 and 1812, a movement documented in Arie Morgenstern's book, Hastening Redemption. Aliyah ( refers to Jewish Immigration to the Land of Israel (and since its establishment in 1948 the State of Israel) For other uses see Israel (disambiguation The Land of Israel ( Hebrew: אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל Eretz Yisrael) is Hastening Redemption Messianism and the Resettlement of the Land of Israel is a book by Israeli Historian Arie Morgenstern This immigration is considered to be the beginning of the modern settlement of Israel. These groups of ascetics were called Perushim, meaning "separated", because they separated themselves from worldly pleasures to study the Torah. The Perushim ( פרושים) were disciples of Rabbi Elijah ben Solomon Zalman (known as the Vilna Gaon) who left Lithuania to settle term " Torah " ( Hebrew: תּוֹרָה "teaching" or "instruction" sometimes translated as "Law" most commonly refers to They originally settled in Safed because the Muslim authorities in Jerusalem prevented settlement by Ashkenazi Jews in that city, but after numerous devastating calamities there, including plague and earthquake, most moved to Jerusalem. Safed (צְפַת pronounced Tsfat; صفد pronounced Safad) is a city in the Northern District of Israel. Their arrival revived the presence of Ashkenazi Jewry in Jerusalem, which for over 100 years had been mainly Sephardi. Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim ( Hebrew: אַשְׁכֲּנָזִים, ˌaʃkəˈnazim sing Sephardi Jews ( Hebrew: ספרדי, Standard Səfardi Tiberian Səp̄arədî; plural

The aliyah of the Perushim had a widespread and ongoing effect on the Jews in Palestine. They spread the teachings of the Vilna Gaon, which had a considerable influence on Jewish thought and religious practice amongst the Ashkenazi community. They also set up several Kollels, founded the Jerusalem neighborhood of Mea Shearim, and were instrumental in rebuilding the Yehudah Hechassid Synagogue (also known as the Hurba Synagogue, or “The Ruins”), which had lain in ruins for 140 years. A kollel (כולל "a gathering/collection scholars" (plural kollelim is an institute for advanced studies of the Talmud and of Rabbinic literature for Meah Shearim, ( מאה שערים) is one of the oldest neighborhoods in west Jerusalem, Israel, built by the original settlers of Yishuv haYashan The Hurva Synagogue, (, translit: Beit ha-Knesset ha-Hurba) located in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem

Somewhat ironically, viewed from a traditional light, the leaders of the Haskalah movement used the study methods of the Vilna Gaon to gain adherents to their movement. Haskalah ( Hebrew: השכלה "enlightenment" "education" from sekhel " Intellect " "mind") the Jewish Enlightenment Maskilim valued his emphasis on peshat over pilpul, his engagement with and mastery of Hebrew grammar and Bible and his interest in textual criticism of rabbinic texts.

There is a statue of the Vilna Gaon and a street named after him in Vilnius, the place of both his birth and his death. His son Abraham was also a scholar of note. Abraham ben Elijah of Wilna was a Jewish Talmudist who lived in Lithuania.

Death

After his death in 1797, aged 77, he was buried in the Šnipiškės cemetery in Vilnius, now in Žirmūnai elderate. Geography The Žirmūnai elderate occupies 57 km² or 14 % of the total area of the municipality of Vilnius according to data used for the 2001 census The cemetery was closed by the Tsarist Russian authorities in 1831 and partly built over. Year 1831 ( MDCCCXXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a

In the 1950s, Soviet authorities planned to build a stadium and concert hall on the site. They allowed the remains of the Vilna Gaon to be removed and re-interred at the new cemetery. ^[3]

See also

• Hasidim and Mitnagdim
• Lithuanian Jews
• Mitnagdim

External links

• Biography from the Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum
• Biography (University of Calgary)
• Biography by Eliezer C. Abrahamson
• Article on burial location
• Family tree
• Vilna Gaon Museum in Lithuania
• Biggest collection of Vilna Gaon links and initiative of global portal dedicated to Vilna Gaon

References

Sources

• Etkes, Immanuel, et al. The Gaon of Vilna: the man and his image (University of California Press, 2002) ISBN 0-520-22394-2
• "The Gaon of Vilna and the Haskalah movement," by Emanuel Etkes, reprinted in Dan, Joseph (ed. ). Studies in Jewish thought (Praeger, NY, 1989) ISBN 0-275-93038-6
• "The mystical experiences of the Gaon of Vilna," in Jacobs, Louis (ed. ). Jewish mystical testimonies (Schocken Books, NY, 1977) ISBN 0-8052-3641-4
• Landau, Betzalel and Rosenblum, Yonason. The Vilna Gaon: the life and teachings of Rabbi Eliyahu, the Gaon of Vilna (Mesorah Pub. , Ltd. , 1994) ISBN 0-89906-441-8
• Shulman, Yaacov Dovid. The Vilna Gaon: The story of Rabbi Eliyahu Kramer ( C. I. S. Publishers, 1994) ISBN 1-56062-278-4
• Ackerman, C. D. (trans. ) Even Sheleimah: the Vilna Gaon looks at life (Targum Press, 1994) ISBN 0-944070-96-5
• Schapiro, Moshe. Journey of the Soul: The Vilna Gaon on Yonah/Johan: an allegorical commentary adapted from the Vilna Gaon's Aderes Eliyahu (Mesorah Pub. , Ltd. , 1997). ISBN 1-57819-161-0
• Freedman, Chaim. Eliyahu's Branches: The Descendants of the Vilna Gaon (Of Blessed and Saintly Memory) and His Family (Avotaynu, 1997) ISBN 1-886223-06-8
• Rosenstein, Neil. The Gaon of Vilna and his Cousinhood (Center for Jewish Genealogy, 1997) ISBN 0-9610578-5-8

---

© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic