Works of the Geonim The
Geonim are the rabbis of Sura and Pumbeditha in
Babylon (650–1250 CE) : • ''She'iltoth of Acha'i [Gaon]'' •
Halachot Gedolot •
Halachot Pesukot, by Rav
Yehudai Gaon •
Emunoth ve-Deoth (
Saadia Gaon) • The
Siddur by Amram Gaon •
Responsa Works of the Rishonim (the "early" rabbinical commentators) The
Rishonim are the rabbis of the early medieval period (1000–1550 CE) • The commentaries on the Torah, such as those by
Rashi,
Abraham ibn Ezra, and
Nahmanides. • Commentaries on the Talmud, principally by
Rashi, his grandson
Samuel ben Meir and
Nissim of Gerona. • Commentaries on the
Mishnah, such as those composed by
Maimonides,
Obadiah of Bertinoro, and
Nathan ben Abraham • Talmudic novellae (
chiddushim) by
Tosafists,
Nahmanides,
Nissim of Gerona,
Solomon ben Aderet (RaShBA),
Yomtov ben Ashbili (Ritva) • Works of
halakha (
Asher ben Yechiel,
Mordechai ben Hillel) • Codices by
Maimonides and
Jacob ben Asher, and finally
Shulkhan Arukh •
Responsa, e.g., by
Solomon ben Aderet (RaShBA) •
Kabbalistic works (such as the
Zohar) • Philosophical works (
Maimonides,
Gersonides,
Nahmanides) • Ethical works (
Bahya ibn Paquda,
Jonah of Gerona)
Works of the Acharonim (the "later" rabbinical commentators) The
Acharonim are the rabbis from 1550 to the present day. • Important Torah commentaries include
Keli Yakar (
Shlomo Ephraim Luntschitz),
Ohr ha-Chayim by
Chayim ben-Attar, the commentary of
Samson Raphael Hirsch, and the commentary of
Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin. • Important works of Talmudic novellae include:
Pnei Yehoshua, ''Hafla'ah
, Sha'agath Aryei'' • Responsa, e.g., by
Moses Sofer,
Moshe Feinstein • Works of
halakha and
codices, e.g.,
Mishnah Berurah by
Yisrael Meir Kagan and the
Aruch ha-Shulchan by
Yechiel Michel Epstein • Ethical and philosophical works:
Moshe Chaim Luzzatto,
Yisrael Meir Kagan and the
Mussar Movement •
Hasidic works (
Kedushath Levi,
Sefath Emmeth,
Shem mi-Shemuel) • Philosophical/metaphysical works (the works of the
Maharal of Prague,
Moshe Chaim Luzzatto and
Nefesh ha-Chayim by
Chaim of Volozhin) • Mystical works • Historical works, e.g.,
Shem ha-Gedolim by
Chaim Joseph David Azulai. ==Mefareshim==
Mefareshim is a
Hebrew word meaning "commentators" (or roughly meaning "
exegetes"),
Perushim means "commentaries". In
Judaism, these words refer to commentaries on the Torah (five books of Moses),
Tanakh,
Mishnah,
Talmud, the
responsa literature, or even the
siddur (Jewish prayerbook), and more.
Classic Torah and Talmud commentaries Classic Torah and/or Talmud commentaries have been written by the following individuals: •
Geonim •
Saadia Gaon, 10th century Babylon •
Rishonim •
Rashi (Shlomo Yitzchaki), 12th century France •
Abraham ibn Ezra •
Nachmanides (Moshe ben Nahman) • Samuel ben Meir, the
Rashbam, 12th century France •
Gersonides, also known as Levi ben Gershom or Ralbag) •
David Kimhi, the Radak, 13th century France •
Joseph ben Isaac Bekhor Shor, 12th century France •
Nissim of Gerona, also known as Nissim ben Reuben Gerondi, or the RaN, 14th century Spain •
Isaac Abarbanel (1437–1508) •
Obadiah ben Jacob Sforno, 16th century Italy •
Acharonim • The
Vilna Gaon, also known as Elijah ben Solomon Zalman, 18th century Lithuania • The
Malbim, Meir Leibush ben Yehiel Michel Wisser Classical Talmudic commentaries were written by Rashi. After Rashi, the
Tosafot was written, which was an omnibus commentary on the Talmud by the disciples and descendants of Rashi; this commentary was based on discussions done in the rabbinic academies of Germany and France.
Modern Torah commentaries Modern Torah commentaries which have received wide acclaim in the Jewish community include: •
Haemek Davar by Rabbi
Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin • The
Chofetz Chaim •
Torah Temimah of
Baruch ha-Levi Epstein •
Kerem HaTzvi, by Rabbi
Tzvi Hirsch Ferber •
Sefat Emet (Lips of Truth), Yehudah Aryeh Leib of
Ger, 19th century Europe • The "Pentateuch and Haftaras" by
Joseph H. Hertz •
Uebersetzung und Erklärung des Pentateuchs ("Translation and Commentary of the Pentateuch") by
Samson Raphael Hirsch •
Nechama Leibowitz, a noted woman scholar •
HaTorah vehaMitzva ("The Torah and the Commandment") by Meïr Leibush, the "
Malbim" •
Ha-Ketav veha-Kabbalah by Rabbi
Yaakov Tzvi Mecklenburg • The
Soncino Books of the Bible • Richard Elliot Friedman's
Commentary on the Torah (2001)
Modern Siddur commentaries Modern Siddur commentaries have been written by: • Rabbi
Yisrael Meir Kagan HaCohen, ''The Chofetz Chaim's Siddur'' •
Samson Raphael Hirsch,
The Hirsch Siddur, Feldheim •
Abraham Isaac Kook,
Olat Reyia • The Authorised Daily Prayer Book with commentary by
Joseph H. Hertz •
Elie Munk,
The World of Prayer, Elie Munk •
Nosson Scherman,
The Artscroll Siddur, Mesorah Publications •
Jonathan Sacks, in the
Authorised Daily Prayer Book of the British Commonwealth (the new version of "
Singer's Prayer Book") as well as the
Koren Sacks Siddur. •
Reuven Hammer,
Or Hadash, a siddur commentary built around the text of
Siddur Sim Shalom,
United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism •
My Peoples Prayer Book, Jewish Lights Publishing, written by a team of non-Orthodox rabbis and Talmud scholars. ==See also==