Questions tagged [geonim]
Questions pertaining to the Geonim and the Geonic Period.
42 questions
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Did Chazal ever divorce?
I'm wondering, out of pure interest, if we know of any Tannaim, Amoraim, Savoraim, Geonim or Rishonim who divorced their wives?
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Do we no longer practice the blessing on virginity and when did it go away?
In the responsa of Rav Hai Gaon (4:8) there is a record of a ceremony conducted after a marriage is consummated wherein the sheet displaying virginal blood is produced and a blessing (or perhaps ...
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Anti-Karaite reactionary basis for increased tefillin observance?
In this blogpost the contention is made, based on many rabbinic sources, that unfortunately the observance of the miswa of tefillin was weakly observed during various historical periods. The author of ...
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What influence was present to convince Israel to accept the Babylonian Talmud as the basis to Halacha?
In the times of the Gaonim, Yehudai Gaon and Pirqoi ben Baboi seem to have tried to convince Israel to follow the Babylonian Talmud in the wake of earliest codified halachic works.
What other ...
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Is there an Ashkenazi equivalent to the Rambam's introduction to the MT?
In the Rambam's introduction to the Mishneh Torah, he claims he received a direct transmission of the true rabbinic tradition from the academies of Babylonia to him and traces it.
For Ashkenazim, is ...
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Z'man of Rabbeinu Tam - when does science determine a psak?
I recently read a very well-researched sefer about the machlokes Rabbeinu Tam and the Gaonim about when is tzeis hakochavim: When does halachic night begin, 72 minutes after sunset or when the sun ...
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Why didn't the Tana'im or Amoa'im write a commentary on Tanach?
To the best of my knowledge the first time we have a verse by verse pshat (ie simple or basic authorial intent meaning) commentary on Tanach is from the Geonic period (even if the commentary is not on ...
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Books on Geonic Period
Looking for books discussing aspects of the Geonic Period, whether it be analysis of the Responsa, a historical outline/discussion.
Thanks
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Halachot Gedolot from Spain
Tosfot in Pesachim 30a paragraph Amar Rava quotes a rule from the Halachot Gedolot from Spain.
ובה"ג של אספמיא פסק דחתיכה בחתיכות בנ"ט ומייתי מדרבא בפ' גיד הנשה
The Tosfot in Chulin 97a ...
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The qualifiers given by the Meiri
Following this post, quoting several qualifierss given by the Meiri to the Rabanim whose opinions he reports, I am interested to know if we have an exhaustive list, because some of are not reported in ...
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Rav Hai Gaon Visiting Italy
I’d like to know if Rav Hai Gaon actually visited Italy in the end years of his life. I remember reading that somewhere in the Mordecai it is written. Are there any other sources that mention his ...
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Sources for Rav Saddia Goan on set days for Pesach
Rashi in Pesachim 58b mentions and rejects an opinion that in the days of the Tannaim the rules for which day of the week Pesach and (Rosh Hashana) can fall out, לא בד"ו פסח, were already in ...
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Why are the Geonim the only group of scholars with a positive name?
The other groups, Tannaim, Amoraim, Savoraim, Rishonim, Achronim, all have names that are neutral. Only the Geonim are called a positive thing, "geniuses." Is this because they were ...
user24268
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List of Tosafists or Geonim?
I went through a list of Master Profiles of my ancestors on Geni.com and I saw many profiles which said "tosafist" in their title or description, as well as many which said "Gaon of ...
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Origins of "Kaddish Yachid"
I was recently introduced to the concept of a "Kaddish Yachid," attributed to Rav Amram Gaon. A few fairly unreliable sources online discuss it as some form of a stand-in for when Kaddish can't be ...
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Source for Geonic division of mitzvos
The Rambam and those who follow suit divide the 613 mitzvos into two groups, 248 positive mitzvos and 365 negative mitzvos. This is sourced from Makkos 23b.
However, many of the Geonim (for example: ...
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Is there an English translation of Siddurei Geonei Rav Amram and / or Rav Sa'adiah?
I enjoy exploring the history of the Siddur. Rav Amram and Rav Sa'adia's siddurim are two of the oldest.
One of them, from what I recall has loads of "instructions" some of which explain halachot and ...
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Has anyone learned the Sheiltot of R. Achai Gaon with the Netziv's commentary?
Would you recommend it? I really enjoy learning anything with the Netziv and I like the idea of halachic midrashim on the parsha with some ethical messages. It seems like it's a great way to learn ...
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Gaonic correspondence with Kiev
In a lecture here (@ 4:25) the speaker claims that we have responsa from Gaonim sent to Kiev, Ukraine.
My hunch is that he is (mistakenly) referring to R. Moshe of Kiev, a contemporary of Rabbeinu ...
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Where does R. Achay Gaon say it's a mitzva to eat meat?
Deuteronomy 12:20, with Rabbi Kaplan's translation:
When God expands your borders as He promised you, and your natural desire to eat meat asserts itself, so that you say, 'I wish to eat meat,' you ...
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Was the Sheiltot of Rav Achai Gaon ever translated?
Does anyone know if the Sheiltot was ever translated into English?
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When were these fasts observed?
The Tur (Orach Chayim 580), quoting the Bahag (Laws of the Ninth of Av), gives a list of days on which to fast. This list is copied or mentioned by some other rishonim (as quoted in the footnote to ...
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Purim as the time of "receiving the Torah" according to the Gaonim?
In a recent interview, Rabbi Hershel Schachter is quoted as saying:
In the days of the second Beis HaMikdash, there were many yamim tovim d’rabanan, all of which were batul after the churban ...
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What is the relation of the Savoraim, Geonim, and Masoretes?
I was taught that in the era immediately after the redaction of the Talmud, the Masoretes made what is now the final determination of which writings constituted the Tanach (for example, the book of ...
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Where does Rav Hai Gaon explain the meaning of the phrase צורבא מרבנן?
In the Steinsaltz Edition of Masechet Bava Metzia perek Eilu Metziot there is a side note that רב האי גאון explains the shoresh of צ-ר-ב as meaning a rock, stone (from Arabic).
This root is more ...
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When the רא״ש refers to "הגאון", who is he referring to?
A friend posted on Facebook the following question, and I couldn't solve it based on any context, so I thought I'd bring it here.
When the רא״ש refers to "הגאון", who is he referring to?
Is there ...
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Authorship of Mevo Hatalmud
Who authored the Mevo Hatalmud? It is commonly assumed to have been authored by R. Shmuel Hanagid, and this is assumed by R. Ishtori Haparchi in his Kaftor Vafreach (ch. 5) and by the Chida in Shem ...
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Is there a free copy of this early (earliest?) siddur online?
A footnote in the Rosenfeld selichot book said Rav Amram Gaon was approached by Spanish Jews in the 800's with a request to allow the writing down the daily prayers, something that was prohibited by ...
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Authorship of Rabbenu Gershom's Commentary to Talmud
Who authored the commentary attributed to Rabbenu Gershom to tractate Temurah and other tractates such as Bava Batra?
I recall reading some who doubted the traditional attribution, or suggesting that ...
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Ein Halakha K'niflag
This article cites a principle in the name of R. Saadya Gaon and Rambam that אין הלכה כנפלג. He cites כתבים לגר"י קאפח, ח"ב עמ' 557.
Where can this be found in the writings of the Geonim or Rambam?
...
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What happened to the blessing "Who raises the fallen"?
In both the siddur of Rav Saadia Gaon and the seder of Rav Amram Gaon, there is a blessing in the morning, magbiah shefalim, for sitting up in bed.
Yet, it is conspicuously absent from the Rambam (...
user3342
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Are there any jokes in the Geonim or Rishonim?
Inspired by this question are there any recorded jokes in the works of the Geonim or Rishonim? Please cite sources
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Did any of the early Rabbis encounter Mohammed?
Mohammed, the prophet of Islam, lived in Saudia Arabia, mainly in Mecca and (later) Medina. He lived from 570-632CE.
According to this wikipedia article there were Jews in Saudia Arabia at that time:
...
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Do any Geonim or Rishonim adopt/incorporate teachings from Philo?
Do any early commentators from the geonim or rishonim periods cite any teachings from Philo Judeas by name?
user5092
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How can one achieve k'fitzat hadereh (miraculous speedy travel)?
Rav Hai Gaon in תשובות הגאונים החדשות, מהד' עמנואל סי' קטו, עמ' 125 states that there are books which contain the practical kabbalistic methods for achieving k'fitzat hadereh (miraculous speedy travel)...
user5092
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Why was Yam Suf necessary according to Rabenu Chananel?
What is Rabenu Chananel's explanation for the reason Hashem couldn't just take the Jewish people through the short route and took them on the long journey through the desert?
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Waiting Between Meat & Dairy According To The Geonim
It seems as though the Geonim - although disparate and diverse in their opinions on many issues - seem to be rather united on the understanding of the Gemara on the subject of waiting after meat ...
user3342
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What are Geonim's definitions of Attiphath Yishma'elim?
I would like to specifically know what the definitions of attiphath yishma'elim were among the Geonim. The opinions of the Rishonim on the subject seem to be convoluted (i.e. no one really knew what ...
user3342
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Why is there seemingly such a disconnect between the Geonim and the Rishonim?
It seems that there was a disconnect or upheaval of some kind between the times of the Geonim and the times of the Rishonim and the hakhamim that these two eras contained. Shittoth regarding tefila, ...
user3342
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Tzeit HaKokhavim According To The Gr"a & Geonim
I have been investigating the various shitoth regarding sheqiah ("sunset") and sseth ha-kokhavim ("tzeit ha-kokhavim" or, when three stars are visible) and cannot find certain info regarding the ...
user3342
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Was Rav Hai Gaon a kabbalist?
In a recent conversation a friend indicated that Rav Hai Gaon was a well known kabbalist, while another friend pointed to his teshuva [teshuvas ha'geonim 115] to indicate that he was not [and ...
user2110
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Why is it Ok to have tzizit without techelet?
The Mishna in Menachos 4:1 says that the mitzvah of the white tzizit is not gone if there is no techelet, and the mitzvah of the techelet is not gone if there is no white. That seems a straight ...
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