Acharonim - Definition and Overview

Acharonim (Hebrew - sing. Acharon) literally "the later ones", is a term used in Jewish law and history, to signify the leading Rabbis and Poskim living from roughly the 16th century to the present. The acharonim follow the Rishonim, the "first ones". The Rishonim are the Rabbinic scholars between the 13th and the 16th century following the Geonim and preceding the Shulkhan Arukh. As Jewish law is hierarchic and precedent-based, the opinions of the acharonim are valid insofar as they as based on those of a Rishon.

See also

• Rabbinic literature
• Eras of history important in Jewish law
• List of rabbis

Some Acharonim

• Isaac Abendana, 17th century Sephardic scholar in England
• Jacob Abendana, 17th century Sephardic rabbi in England
• Bezalel Ashkenazi, ( Shittah Mekubetzet), 16th century Talmudist
• Yair Bacharach, (Havvot Yair), 17th century German Talmudist
• Hillel ben Naphtali Zevi, (Bet Hillel), 17th century Lithuanian scholar
• Moshe Isserles, (Rema), 16 century Polish legal scholar, author of Hamapah component of the Shulkhan Arukh.
• Yosef Karo, (Mechaber), 16th century Spanish and Land of Israel legal codifier of the Shulkhan Arukh code of Torah Law
• Isaac Luria, (Ari), 16th century Holy Land mystic, founder of Lurianic Kabbalah
• Judah Low ben Bezalel, (Maharal), 16th century Prague mystic and Talmudist
• Obadiah ben Jacob Sforno, (Sforno), 16th century Italian scholar and rationalist
• Obadiah ben Abraham of Bertinoro, (Bartenura) 15th century commentator on the Mishnah
• Sforno, 15th, 16th, and 17th century family of Italian Torah scholars and philosophers
• Elijah ben Solomon, (Gra), 18th century Talmudist and mystic, Lithuanian leader of the Mitnagdim, opponent of Hasidim
• Jacob Emden, 18th century German Talmudist and mystic
• Moses Chaim Luzzato, (Ramchal), 18th century Italian philosopher, mystic, and moralist
• Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin, (Netziv ; Ha'emek Davar) 19th century head of Volozhin yeshiva in Lithuania
• Yechiel Michel Epstein, (Aruch ha-Shulchan) 19th-20th century halakhist and posek (decisor)
• Samson Raphael Hirsch, 19th century German rabbi, founder of the Torah im Derech Eretz movement
• Malbim, Meir Lob ben Jehiel Michael, (The Malbim), 19th century Russian preacher and scholar
• Yisrael Lipkin Salanter, 19th century Lithuanian ethicist and moralist
• Moses Sofer, (Chatam Sofer) 19th century Eastern European rabbi
• Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler, (Michtav Me'Eliyahu) 20th century religious philosopher and ethicist
• Baruch Epstein, (Torah Temimah), 20th century Lithuanian Torah commentator
• Moshe Mordechai Epstein, ( Levush Mordechai), 20th sentury Talmudist and co-head of Slabodka Yehiva
• Nosson Zvi Finkel, (Alter / Sabba), early 20th century founder of Slabodka Yeshiva, Lithuania. Disciples opened major yeshivas in US and Israel
• Moshe Feinstein, (Igrot Moshe), 20th century Russian-American legal scholar and Talmudist
• Yitzchok Hutner, (Pachad Yitzchok), 20th century European-born, American and Israeli Rosh Yeshiva
• Yisrael Meir Kagan, (Chofetz Chaim), 20th century Polish legalist and moralist
• Abraham Isaac Kook, 20th century philosopher and mystic, first chief rabbi of Palestine
• Meir Simcha of Dvinsk, (Ohr Sameiach ; Meshech Chochmah) Lithuanian-Latvian Talmudist and communal leader

External links and references

• faqs.org: The different rabbinic eras (http://www.faqs.org/faqs/judaism/FAQ/03-Torah-Halacha/section-52.html)
• Mini-Biographies from chaburas.org
  • 16th Century (http://chaburas.org/16cent.html)
  • 17th Century (http://chaburas.org/17cent.html)
  • 18th Century (http://chaburas.org/18cent.html)
  • 19th Century (http://chaburas.org/19cent.html)
  • 20th Century (http://chaburas.org/20cent.html)

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