Gaon, Vilna

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[[Image:Vilna Gaon authentic portrait.JPG|thumb|200px|Authentic portrait of the Vilna Gaon]]'''Elijah (Eliyahu) ben Shlomo Zalman''', better known as the '''Vilna Gaon''' (April 23, 1720 – October 9, 1797), was the foremost leader of non-[[hasidic]] [[Jewry]] in eighteenth century Europe. He is commonly referred to in Hebrew as ''ha'Gaon ha'Chasid mi'Vilna'', "the saintly [[genius]] from [[Vilna]]" or '''The Gra'''—from the [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] [[acronym]] "'''G'''aon '''R'''abbi '''E'''liyahu"),
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[[Image:Gaon2.jpg|right|thumb|230px|Elijah ben Solomon, the Vilna Gaon]]
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'''Elijah ben Solomon,''' better known as the '''Vilna Gaon''' (April 23, 1720 – October 9, 1797), was the foremost intellectual leader of non-[[Hasidic]] [[Jewry]] in eighteenth century Europe. Among Jews, he is often referred to the '''The Gra'''—from the [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] [[acronym]] "'''G'''aon '''R'''abbi '''E'''liyahu."
  
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The Vilna Goan became of the most influential rabbinic authorities since the [[Middle Ages]]. Many [[Ashkenazi]] Jewish authorities and ''[[yeshiva]]s'' uphold the set of [[Judaism|Jewish customs and rites]], the "''minhag ha-Gra''," named for him. In addition to voluminous rabbinical works, he also wrote on mathematics, and encourage his pupil, Rabbi [[Baruch of Shklov]], to translate the works of [[Euclid]] into Hebrew.
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Born in [[Vilnius]], [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania|Lithuania]], the Vilna Gaon displayed extraordinary talent while still a child. By the time he was 20 years old, [[rabbi]]s were reportedly submitting their most difficult ''[[Halakha|halakhic]]'' (Jewish legal) problems to him for rulings. He was also a voluminous author, writing commentaries on virtually all of the classical sources of Jewish legal tradition.
  
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Born in [[Vilnius]], [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania|Lithuania]], the Gaon displayed extraordinary talent while still a child. By the time he was 20 years old, rabbis were reportedly submitting their most difficult ''[[Halakha|halakhic]]'' problems to him for legal rulings. He was a voluminous author, writing such works as [[gloss]]es on the [[Talmud|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 [[Torah|Pentateuch]] entitled ''Adereth Eliyahu'' ("The Splendor of Elijah"). Various kabbalistic works have commentaries in his name, and commentaries on the [[Book of Proverbs|Proverbs]] and other books of the [[Tanakh]] were written later on in his life. None were published in his lifetime.
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Broad-minded but disciplined in his approach to Talmudic study and ascetic in his lifestyle, the Vilna Gaon pioneered a frank, critical examination of texts. He thus rejected the prevalent ''pilpul'' school, which went to great lengths to reconcile apparently contradictory precedents found in Jewish legal texts such as the [[Mishnah]], the [[Talmud]], the [[Shulchan Aruch]], and later rabbinical rulings.
  
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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. In 1777 one of the first excommunications against the Hasidim was launched in Vilna.
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When the fervent enthusiasm of [[Hasidic Judaism]] became influential in [[Vilnius]], the usually retiring Vilna Gaon joined with the rabbis who sought to repress Hasidic influence. As a result, one of the first mass [[excommunication]]s against the Hasidim was launched in Vilnius in 1777. The Vilna Gaon continued persecuting the Hasidim, at intervals, throughout the rest of his life.
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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. 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 Judaism|Orthodox Jewry]].
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In addition to voluminous rabbinical and mystical works, the Vilna Gaon also wrote on [[mathematics]] and encouraged his pupil, Rabbi [[Baruch of Shklov]], to translate the works of [[Euclid]] into Hebrew. After his death, his primary disciple, Rabbi [[Chaim Volozhin]], founded a [[yeshiva]] at [[Volozhin]] in 1803, which became a major influence on later [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox Jewry]]. Among non-Hasidic Jews, the Vilna Goan became one of the most influential rabbinic authorities since the [[Middle Ages]]. Many [[Ashkenazi]] Jewish authorities and ''yeshivas'' uphold [[Judaism|Jewish customs and rites]], known as the ''minhag ha-Gra,'' named for him. His followers were also among the first modern Jews to immigrate to the future land of Israel, where his influence continues to be strongly felt.
  
 
==Youth and education==
 
==Youth and education==
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Legend hold that young Elijah had committed the [[Hebrew Bible]] to memory by the age of three. At seven he was taught [[Talmud]] by [[Moses Margalit]], rabbi of [[Kėdainiai]]. He reportedly possessed a [[photographic memory]]. By eight, he was studying [[astronomy]] during his free time. From the age of ten he continued his studies without the aid of a teacher, and at 11 he had reportedly committed the entire Talmud to memory.
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The Vilna Gaon's given Hebrew name was Eliyahu ben Shlomo Zalman. The term "Gaon" was an honorific title previously given to heads of major Jewish academies, sometimes translated as "genius." "Vilna" is simply the name of his city of [[Vilnius]], in today's [[Lithuania]]. Ironically, the Vilna Gaon never headed a school, although his personal pupils became very influential and gave him the title of Gaon to honor his status as their teacher.
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In his teens Elijah traveled in various parts of Europe, including [[Poland]] and [[Germany]], as was the custom of the pious Jews of the time. By the time he was 20 where rabbis began submitting their most difficult ''[[Halakha|halakhic]]'' problems to him. Scholars, both 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.
 
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==Methods of study==
 
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The Gaon applied to the [[Talmud]] and rabbinic literature proper philological methods. 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.
 
  
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He devoted much time to the study of the [[Hebrew Bible]] and [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] grammar, and was knowledgeable in the secular sciences, enriching the latter by his original contributions. 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. 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]].
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Legend holds that young Elijah be Solomon was a [[child prodigy]] who had committed the [[Hebrew Bible]] to memory by the age of three. He reportedly possessed a [[photographic memory]]. At seven he was taught [[Talmud]] by [[Moses Margalit]], the influential rabbi of [[Kėdainiai]]. By eight, he was studying [[astronomy]] during his free time. From the age of ten, he continued his studies without the aid of a teacher, and at 11 he had reportedly committed the entire Talmud to memory.  
  
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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.  
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By his teens, Elijah's intellectual gifts were already famous. He traveled in various parts of Europe, including [[Poland]] and [[Germany]], as was the custom of the pious Jews of the time who could afford to do so. By the time he was 20, rabbis began submitting their most difficult ''[[Halakha|halakhic]]'' problems to him. Scholars, both Jewish and non-Jewish, sought his insights into [[mathematics]] and [[astronomy]]. He returned to his native town of Vilnius/Vilna in 1748, having by then acquired considerable renown.
  
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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]]. 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.
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==Methodology and character==
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[[Image:Vilna Gaon portrait.gif|right|framed|Portrait of a young ''Vilna Gaon'']]
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The Vilna Gaon applied formal philological methods to study the [[Talmud]] and rabbinic literature. A proponent of intellect over emotion, he nonetheless took a broader approach than his predecessors of the ''[[pilpul]]'' school of Talmudism, which went to great trouble to attempt to reconcile apparent contradictions presented in Jewish legal texts. Instead, he engaged in a rigorous but frank critical examination and was more than willing to confront contradictions; nor was he unwilling at times to overthrow the decisions made by his rabbinic predecessors.
  
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==Antagonism to Hasidism==<!-- This section is linked from [[Shneur Zalman of Liadi]] —>
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Not content to concentrate on the [[Talmud]] and subsequent commentaries alone, the Vilna Gaon devoted much time to the study of the [[Hebrew Bible]] and [[grammar]]. He was also knowledgeable in the secular sciences. Despite his later opposition to the [[mysticism]] of the [[[[Hasidic Judaism|Hasidim]], the "Gra" was himself attracted to the study of [[Kabbalah]]. He was thus not opposed to mysticism ''per se,'' but emphasized the need for Kabbalah to be practiced only within the bounds of [[halakhah|Jewish law]] and on the foundation of disciplined Talmudic study.  
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[[Image:Gaon-V.jpg|thumb|229px|right|Vilna Gaon (Zalkind, Ber)]]
 
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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. 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. 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.
 
  
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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.
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The Vilna Gaon rarely 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 private to a few chosen pupils. He was especially anxious to introduce them to the study of the [[Hebrew Bible]], the [[midrash]]ic literature, and the [[Minor Treatises]] of the Talmud, which were very little known by the scholars of his time. Unlike the other Jewish scholars, the Vilna Gaon also laid special stress on the study of the [[Jerusalem Talmud]]—in addition to the Babylonian version—which had been almost entirely neglected for centuries.
  
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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. However, the excommunications did not stop the tide of Hasidism.
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The Gra was reportedly very modest and objective in his personal attitude, eschewing both passion and public controversy. Despite his high authority, he declined to accept the office of Vilnius' chief [[rabbi]], although it was often offered to him on the most flattering terms.  
  
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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. 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 yeshivas and methods|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]]. 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".<ref>Living Torah, Disc 42, Program 168, "My Encounter" section, Jewish Educational Media, December 2007</ref>
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His life was an [[ascetic]] one, as he interpreted literally the words of certain Jewish sages that the [[Torah]] can be truly acquired only by abandoning all pleasures and cheerfully accepting suffering. Although this put him squarely at odds with the joyous, life-affirming tradition of the [[Hasidim]], he was revered by many of his countrymen as a saint, being called by some of his contemporaries "the ''Hasid,''" meaning "pious one."
  
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==Other work==
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==Antagonism to Hasidism==
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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 language|Hebrew]] grammar, [[Hebrew Bible]], and [[Mishna]], subjects which were largely neglected by the [[Talmud]]ists 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 the scholars of his time.
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[[Image:Schneur Zalman of Liadi.jpg|thumb|The Hasidic leader Rabbi [[Schneur Zalman of Liadi]]]]
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[[Image:Gaon-V.jpg|thumb|200px|left|The Vilna Gaon was the leading opponent of the Hasidim of his time]]
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The exception to the rule of the Vilna Gaon's humility and reservation came with regard to the spread of [[Hasidic Judaism]]. This movement had grown up in opposition to the dry intellectualism of the prevailing Jewish religious leadership, emphasizing instead a fervent personal relationship with God that made mystical experience more important than formal [[Talmud]]ic study. When Hasidim became influential in his native Vilnius, the Vilna Gaon joined the ''[[Mitnagdim]]''—the [[rabbi]]s and heads of the neighboring Jewish communities opposed to Hasidism—and took direct steps to check the Hasidic influence.
  
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He laid special stress on the study of the [[Jerusalem Talmud]], which had been almost entirely neglected for centuries. 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 Volozhin opened the yeshiva in [[Volozhin]] after the death of the Vilna Goan in 1803.
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Under his influence, in 1777 one of the first mass [[excommunication]]s against the Hasidim was launched in Vilnius. A letter was also addressed to all of the large Jewish communities, exhorting them to deal with the Hasidim following Vilinius' example, and to put the Hasidim under surveillance until they had recanted. The letter was acted upon by several communities, resulting in the Hasidim closing the Hasidic houses of worship and a temporary retreat of their evangelical efforts. According to [[Chabad]] tradition, the Hasidic leader the [[Maggid of Mezeritch]] sent Rabbi [[Shneur Zalman of Liadi]] and Rabbi [[Menachem Mendel Horodoker]] to the Vilna Gaon to dialog with him, but the Gaon refused to meet with them.  
  
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==Ascetism==
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The persecution thus temporarily drove the Hasidic movement underground, but in 1781, when the Hasidim renewed their proselytizing work under the leadership of Shneur Zalman, the Vilna Gaon excommunicated the Hasidim again, this time publicly declaring them to be [[heretic]]s with whom no pious [[Jew]] might intermarry or associate.  
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[[Image:Vilna Gaon portrait.gif|right|framed|Elijah Ben Solomon, the ''Vilna Gaon'']]
 
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The Vilna Gaon led an [[ascetic]] life. 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''." This, of course, seems ironic, given his well known opposition to the [[Hasidism|Hasidic]] movement, though in fact the term is used in two different senses.
 
  
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The Gaon once started on a trip to the [[Land of Israel]], but for unknown reasons did not get beyond [[Germany]]. (In the early nineteenth century, three groups of his students, known as [[Perushim]], did manage the trip, settling mostly in [[Tzfat]] and [[Jerusalem]]). While at [[Königsberg]] he wrote to his family a letter which was published under the title ''Alim li-Terufah,'' [[Minsk]], 1836.
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After this, the Gaon went into retirement again, concentrating on his writing and teaching his select pupils. Eventually, a rumor spread he had changed his mind and had even repented of having persecuted the Hasidim. In 1796, the Gaon reacted to this by sending two of his pupils with letters throughout the Jewish communities of Greater [[Poland]], declaring that he had by no means changed his attitude in the matter. Neither the excommunications nor the Gaon's letters, however, could stop the tide of Hasidism, which remained a major trend throughout much of Eastern Europe.
  
 
==Works==
 
==Works==
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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 permit. 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 [[Talmud|Babylonian Talmud]] and ''[[Shulchan Aruch]]'' are known as ''Biurei ha-Gra'' ("Elaboration by the Gra"). His running commentary on the [[Mishnah]] is titled ''Shenoth Eliyahu'' ("The Years of Elijah"). Various [[Kabbalah|Kabbalistic]] works have commentaries in his name. His insights on the [[Torah|Pentateuch]] are titled ''Adereth Eliyahu'' ("The Splendor of Elijah"). Commentaries on the [[Book of Proverbs|Proverbs]] and other books of the [[Tanakh]] were written later on in his life.
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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.
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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. 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.
 
  
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==Influence==
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His glosses on the [[Talmud|Babylonian Talmud]] and ''[[Shulchan Aruch]]'' are known as ''Biurei ha-Gra'' ("Elaboration by the Gra"). His running commentary on the [[Mishnah]] is titled ''Shenoth Eliyahu'' ("The Years of Elijah"). Various [[Kabbalah|kabbalistic]] works also have commentaries in his name. His insights on the [[Torah|Pentateuch]] are titled ''Adereth Eliyahu'' ("The Splendor of Elijah"). Later in his life, he also wrote commentaries on the [[Book of Proverbs|Proverbs]] and other books of the [[Hebrew Bible]].
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[[Image:Gaon2.jpg|right|thumb|An older Vilna Gaon]]
 
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[[Image:Vilnius Synagogue.jpg|thumb|The Vilna Gaon monument in the site of the [[Great Synagogue of Vilna]]]]
 
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He was one of the most influential Rabbinic authorities since the [[Middle Ages]], and &ndash; although he is counted as an [[Acharonim|Acharon]] &ndash; 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 ''[[yeshiva]]s'', 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.  
 
  
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His main student Rabbi [[Chaim Volozhin]], founded the first [[yeshiva]] in his home town of [[Volozhin]], [[Belarus]]. The results of this move revolutionised [[Torah study]], and the results of this process are still felt in [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox Jewry]].
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The Vilna Gaon 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.
  
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In accordance with the Vilna Gaon's wishes, three groups of his disciples and their families, numbering over 500, made [[aliyah]] to the [[Eretz Yisrael|Land of Israel]] between 1808 and 1812. 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]]. They originally settled in [[Safed]], but after numerous devastating calamities there, including plague and earthquake, most moved to Jerusalem. Their arrival revived the presence of [[Ashkenazi]] Jewry in Jerusalem, which for over 100 years had been mainly [[Sephardi]].
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==Legacy==
  
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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 [[Kollel]]s, 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.  
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After his death in 1797, aged 77, the Vilna Gaon was buried in the Šnipiškės cemetery in Vilnius. The cemetery was closed by the tsarist Russian authorities in 1831 and partly built over. In the 1950s, Soviet authorities planned to build a stadium and concert hall on the site. They allowed the remains of the "Gra" to be removed and re-interred at the new cemetery.
  
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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. 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.  
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The Vilna Gaon was one of the most influential rabbinic authorities since the [[Middle Ages]]. Many ''[[yeshiva]]s'' today uphold the set of customs  that can be traced back to him, known as the ''minhag ha-Gra''. His main student, Rabbi [[Chaim Volozhin]], founded the first yeshiva in his home town of [[Volozhin]], [[Belarus]]. The results of this move revolutionized [[Torah study]] and are still felt throughout much of [[Orthodox Judaism]] today.
  
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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 ben Elijah of Vilna|Abraham]] was also a scholar of note.
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In accordance with the Vilna Gaon's wishes, three groups of his disciples and their families, numbering over 500, immigrated to the [[Eretz Yisrael|Land of Israel]] between 1808 and 1812. This movement is considered by some to be the beginning of the modern Jewish settlement of Israel. As a result of this movement, the teachings of the Vilna Gaon have had a considerable influence on Jewish thought and religious practice among the Ashkenazi community in Israel.
  
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==Death==
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There is a statue of the Vilna Gaon and a street named after him in the central city of Vilnius, the place of both his birth and his death.
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After his death in 1797, aged 77, he was buried in the Šnipiškės cemetery in Vilnius, now in [[Žirmūnai elderate]]. The cemetery was closed by the Tsarist Russian authorities in 1831 and partly built over.
 
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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.
 
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<ref>{{cite web
 
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| url = http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3440781,00.html
 
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| title = Jews protest to Lithuania over ancient cemetery
 
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| accessdate = 2007-08-22
 
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| last =
 
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| first =
 
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| date = August 22, 2007
 
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| publisher = [[Reuters]]
 
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}}</ref>
 
  
 
==See also==
 
==See also==
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*[[Schisms among the Jews#Hasidim and Mitnagdim|Hasidim and Mitnagdim]]
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*[[Orthodox Judaism]]
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*[[Lithuanian Jews]]
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*[[Hasidic Judaism]]
 
*[[Mitnagdim]]
 
*[[Mitnagdim]]
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==References==
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* Ackerman, C.D. (trans.). ''Even Sheleimah: The Vilna Gaon Looks at Life''. Targum Press, 1994. ISBN 0944070965.
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* Etkes, Immanuel, et al. ''The Gaon of Vilna: The Man and His Image''. University of California Press, 2002. ISBN 0520223942.
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* Freedman, Chaim. ''Eliyahu's Branches: The Descendants of the Vilna Gaon (Of Blessed and Saintly Memory) and His Family''. Avotaynu, 1997. ISBN 1886223068.
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* Landau, Betzalel and Rosenblum, Yonason. ''The Vilna Gaon: The Life and Teachings of Rabbi Eliyahu, the Gaon of Vilna''. Mesorah Pub., Ltd., 1994. ISBN 0899064418.
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*Schochet, Elijah Judah. ''The Hasidic Movement and the Gaon of Vilna''. J. Aronson, 1994. ISBN 9781568211251.
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* Shulman, Yaacov Dovid. ''The Vilna Gaon: The Story of Rabbi Eliyahu Kramer''. C.I.S. Publishers, 1994. ISBN 1560622784.
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
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* [http://www.jmuseum.lt/index.asp Biography from the Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum]
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All links retrieved February 13, 2024.
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* [http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/TalmudMap/ShA/ShAGra.html Biography (University of Calgary)]
 
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* [http://members.aol.com/LazerA/VilnaGaon.htm Biography by Eliezer C. Abrahamson]
 
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* [http://www.ou.org/publications/ja/5759winter/leiman.htm Article on burial location]
 
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* [http://www.avotaynu.com/gaontree.html Family tree]
 
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* [http://www.muziejai.lt/Vilnius/zydu_muziejus.en.htm Vilna Gaon Museum in Lithuania]
 
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* [http://www.vdu.lt/~ktv/vilnagaon/ Biggest collection of Vilna Gaon links] and initiative of global portal dedicated to Vilna Gaon
 
  
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==Notes==
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* [http://www.ou.org/publications/ja/5759winter/leiman.htm Who is Buried in the Vilna Gaon's Tomb?] ''www.ou.org''
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{{reflist}}
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* [http://www.avotaynu.com/gaontree.html Family tree] ''www.avotaynu.com''
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* [http://www.muziejai.lt/Vilnius/zydu_muziejus.en.htm Vilna Gaon Museum] ''www.muziejai.lt''
  
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==References==
 
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* "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
 
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* "The mystical experiences of the Gaon of Vilna," in Jacobs, Louis (ed.). ''Jewish mystical testimonies'' (Schocken Books, NY, 1977) ISBN 0-8052-3641-4
 
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* Ackerman, C.D. (trans.) ''Even Sheleimah: the Vilna Gaon looks at life'' (Targum Press, 1994) ISBN 0-944070-96-5
 
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* Etkes, Immanuel, et al. ''The Gaon of Vilna: the man and his image'' (University of California Press, 2002) ISBN 0-520-22394-2
 
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* 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
 
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* 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
 
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* Rosenstein, Neil. ''The Gaon of Vilna and his Cousinhood'' (Center for Jewish Genealogy, 1997) ISBN 0-9610578-5-8
 
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* 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
 
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* Shulman, Yaacov Dovid. ''The Vilna Gaon: The story of Rabbi Eliyahu Kramer'' ( C.I.S. Publishers, 1994) ISBN 1-56062-278-4
 
  
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Latest revision as of 16:13, 13 February 2024

Elijah ben Solomon, the Vilna Gaon

Elijah ben Solomon, better known as the Vilna Gaon (April 23, 1720 – October 9, 1797), was the foremost intellectual leader of non-Hasidic Jewry in eighteenth century Europe. Among Jews, he is often referred to the The Gra—from the Hebrew acronym "Gaon Rabbi Eliyahu."

Born in Vilnius, Lithuania, the Vilna Gaon displayed extraordinary talent while still a child. By the time he was 20 years old, rabbis were reportedly submitting their most difficult halakhic (Jewish legal) problems to him for rulings. He was also a voluminous author, writing commentaries on virtually all of the classical sources of Jewish legal tradition.

Broad-minded but disciplined in his approach to Talmudic study and ascetic in his lifestyle, the Vilna Gaon pioneered a frank, critical examination of texts. He thus rejected the prevalent pilpul school, which went to great lengths to reconcile apparently contradictory precedents found in Jewish legal texts such as the Mishnah, the Talmud, the Shulchan Aruch, and later rabbinical rulings.

When the fervent enthusiasm of Hasidic Judaism became influential in Vilnius, the usually retiring Vilna Gaon joined with the rabbis who sought to repress Hasidic influence. As a result, one of the first mass excommunications against the Hasidim was launched in Vilnius in 1777. The Vilna Gaon continued persecuting the Hasidim, at intervals, throughout the rest of his life.

In addition to voluminous rabbinical and mystical works, the Vilna Gaon also wrote on mathematics and encouraged his pupil, Rabbi Baruch of Shklov, to translate the works of Euclid into Hebrew. After his death, his primary disciple, Rabbi Chaim Volozhin, founded a yeshiva at Volozhin in 1803, which became a major influence on later Orthodox Jewry. Among non-Hasidic Jews, the Vilna Goan became one of the most influential rabbinic authorities since the Middle Ages. Many Ashkenazi Jewish authorities and yeshivas uphold Jewish customs and rites, known as the minhag ha-Gra, named for him. His followers were also among the first modern Jews to immigrate to the future land of Israel, where his influence continues to be strongly felt.

Youth and education

The Vilna Gaon's given Hebrew name was Eliyahu ben Shlomo Zalman. The term "Gaon" was an honorific title previously given to heads of major Jewish academies, sometimes translated as "genius." "Vilna" is simply the name of his city of Vilnius, in today's Lithuania. Ironically, the Vilna Gaon never headed a school, although his personal pupils became very influential and gave him the title of Gaon to honor his status as their teacher.

Legend holds that young Elijah be Solomon was a child prodigy who had committed the Hebrew Bible to memory by the age of three. He reportedly possessed a photographic memory. At seven he was taught Talmud by Moses Margalit, the influential rabbi of Kėdainiai. By eight, he was studying astronomy during his free time. From the age of ten, he continued his studies without the aid of a teacher, and at 11 he had reportedly committed the entire Talmud to memory.

By his teens, Elijah's intellectual gifts were already famous. He traveled in various parts of Europe, including Poland and Germany, as was the custom of the pious Jews of the time who could afford to do so. By the time he was 20, rabbis began submitting their most difficult halakhic problems to him. Scholars, both Jewish and non-Jewish, sought his insights into mathematics and astronomy. He returned to his native town of Vilnius/Vilna in 1748, having by then acquired considerable renown.

Methodology and character

Portrait of a young Vilna Gaon

The Vilna Gaon applied formal philological methods to study the Talmud and rabbinic literature. A proponent of intellect over emotion, he nonetheless took a broader approach than his predecessors of the pilpul school of Talmudism, which went to great trouble to attempt to reconcile apparent contradictions presented in Jewish legal texts. Instead, he engaged in a rigorous but frank critical examination and was more than willing to confront contradictions; nor was he unwilling at times to overthrow the decisions made by his rabbinic predecessors.

Not content to concentrate on the Talmud and subsequent commentaries alone, the Vilna Gaon devoted much time to the study of the Hebrew Bible and grammar. He was also knowledgeable in the secular sciences. Despite his later opposition to the mysticism of the [[Hasidim, the "Gra" was himself attracted to the study of Kabbalah. He was thus not opposed to mysticism per se, but emphasized the need for Kabbalah to be practiced only within the bounds of Jewish law and on the foundation of disciplined Talmudic study.

The Vilna Gaon rarely 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 private to a few chosen pupils. He was especially anxious to introduce them to the study of the Hebrew Bible, the midrashic literature, and the Minor Treatises of the Talmud, which were very little known by the scholars of his time. Unlike the other Jewish scholars, the Vilna Gaon also laid special stress on the study of the Jerusalem Talmud—in addition to the Babylonian version—which had been almost entirely neglected for centuries.

The Gra was reportedly very modest and objective in his personal attitude, eschewing both passion and public controversy. Despite his high authority, he declined to accept the office of Vilnius' chief rabbi, although it was often offered to him on the most flattering terms.

His life was an ascetic one, as he interpreted literally the words of certain Jewish sages that the Torah can be truly acquired only by abandoning all pleasures and cheerfully accepting suffering. Although this put him squarely at odds with the joyous, life-affirming tradition of the Hasidim, he was revered by many of his countrymen as a saint, being called by some of his contemporaries "the Hasid," meaning "pious one."

Antagonism to Hasidism

The Hasidic leader Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi
The Vilna Gaon was the leading opponent of the Hasidim of his time

The exception to the rule of the Vilna Gaon's humility and reservation came with regard to the spread of Hasidic Judaism. This movement had grown up in opposition to the dry intellectualism of the prevailing Jewish religious leadership, emphasizing instead a fervent personal relationship with God that made mystical experience more important than formal Talmudic study. When Hasidim became influential in his native Vilnius, the Vilna Gaon joined the Mitnagdim—the rabbis and heads of the neighboring Jewish communities opposed to Hasidism—and took direct steps to check the Hasidic influence.

Under his influence, in 1777 one of the first mass excommunications against the Hasidim was launched in Vilnius. A letter was also addressed to all of the large Jewish communities, exhorting them to deal with the Hasidim following Vilinius' example, and to put the Hasidim under surveillance until they had recanted. The letter was acted upon by several communities, resulting in the Hasidim closing the Hasidic houses of worship and a temporary retreat of their evangelical efforts. According to Chabad tradition, the Hasidic leader the Maggid of Mezeritch sent Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi and Rabbi Menachem Mendel Horodoker to the Vilna Gaon to dialog with him, but the Gaon refused to meet with them.

The persecution thus temporarily drove the Hasidic movement underground, but in 1781, when the Hasidim renewed their proselytizing work under the leadership of Shneur Zalman, the Vilna Gaon excommunicated the Hasidim again, this time publicly declaring them to be heretics with whom no pious Jew might intermarry or associate.

After this, the Gaon went into retirement again, concentrating on his writing and teaching his select pupils. Eventually, a rumor spread he had changed his mind and had even repented of having persecuted the Hasidim. In 1796, the Gaon reacted to this by sending two of his pupils with letters throughout the Jewish communities of Greater Poland, declaring that he had by no means changed his attitude in the matter. Neither the excommunications nor the Gaon's letters, however, could stop the tide of Hasidism, which remained a major trend throughout much of Eastern Europe.

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.

His glosses on the Babylonian Talmud and Shulchan Aruch are known as Biurei ha-Gra ("Elaboration by the Gra"). His running commentary on the Mishnah is titled Shenoth Eliyahu ("The Years of Elijah"). Various kabbalistic works also have commentaries in his name. His insights on the Pentateuch are titled Adereth Eliyahu ("The Splendor of Elijah"). Later in his life, he also wrote commentaries on the Proverbs and other books of the Hebrew Bible.

The Vilna Gaon 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.

Legacy

After his death in 1797, aged 77, the Vilna Gaon was buried in the Šnipiškės cemetery in Vilnius. The cemetery was closed by the tsarist Russian authorities in 1831 and partly built over. In the 1950s, Soviet authorities planned to build a stadium and concert hall on the site. They allowed the remains of the "Gra" to be removed and re-interred at the new cemetery.

The Vilna Gaon was one of the most influential rabbinic authorities since the Middle Ages. Many yeshivas today uphold the set of customs that can be traced back to him, known as the minhag ha-Gra. His main student, Rabbi Chaim Volozhin, founded the first yeshiva in his home town of Volozhin, Belarus. The results of this move revolutionized Torah study and are still felt throughout much of Orthodox Judaism today.

In accordance with the Vilna Gaon's wishes, three groups of his disciples and their families, numbering over 500, immigrated to the Land of Israel between 1808 and 1812. This movement is considered by some to be the beginning of the modern Jewish settlement of Israel. As a result of this movement, the teachings of the Vilna Gaon have had a considerable influence on Jewish thought and religious practice among the Ashkenazi community in Israel.

There is a statue of the Vilna Gaon and a street named after him in the central city of Vilnius, the place of both his birth and his death.

See also

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Ackerman, C.D. (trans.). Even Sheleimah: The Vilna Gaon Looks at Life. Targum Press, 1994. ISBN 0944070965.
  • Etkes, Immanuel, et al. The Gaon of Vilna: The Man and His Image. University of California Press, 2002. ISBN 0520223942.
  • Freedman, Chaim. Eliyahu's Branches: The Descendants of the Vilna Gaon (Of Blessed and Saintly Memory) and His Family. Avotaynu, 1997. ISBN 1886223068.
  • Landau, Betzalel and Rosenblum, Yonason. The Vilna Gaon: The Life and Teachings of Rabbi Eliyahu, the Gaon of Vilna. Mesorah Pub., Ltd., 1994. ISBN 0899064418.
  • Schochet, Elijah Judah. The Hasidic Movement and the Gaon of Vilna. J. Aronson, 1994. ISBN 9781568211251.
  • Shulman, Yaacov Dovid. The Vilna Gaon: The Story of Rabbi Eliyahu Kramer. C.I.S. Publishers, 1994. ISBN 1560622784.

External links

All links retrieved February 13, 2024.

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