Vilna Gaon + Russia In The 1800s Flashcards
What was the Vilna Gaons real name
R’ Eliyahu of Vilna
When was he born
When did he die
(Where)
Born - 1720
Die - 1798
Vilna, Lithuania
How were jews of lithuania living
Generally very poor - aside from 2 large cities
They lived mostly in small towns and villages
What was The Jew’s greatest accomplishment?
Torah knowledge and most parents dreamed of their sons becoming great Torah scholars
What was the city of Vilna called? Why?
- the Jerusalem of Lithuania
2. For its tremendous number of Torah scholars and Jewish life
What was Vilna Gaon known as from a young age?
Genius (memorized all of Chumash)
What was well known through by his early 20s?
One of the greatest Torah scholars of the generation
How did he sleep from the age of 20-70?
He did not sleep more than two hours in any 24 hr period
And not for more than 30 mins (took 4 cat naps)
what was one of Vilnas main accomplishemnts?
correcting mistakes he found in many of the major books of judaism including Gemara
How were most of his corrections done? When were they confirmed?
Through his vast knowledge at all areas of Torah
Later on - when manuscripts were discovered
What did he do in his 30s?
Traveled throughout Eastern Europe for 3 yrs and spent a lot of time searching in libraries and storage rooms
What was he doing while he was traveling around?
He made ppl aware of local scholars who are otherwise unknown
What else was he an expert in? How did he know this?
Many areas of secular knowledge: philosophy, math, and many of the sciences
A lot was self taught through Torah knowledge
What was he the greatest expert at in his time?
Kabbalah
What did he think abt Kabbalah? How was this seen later on?
He was against it for the common people
That was one of his main complaints of chassidus
What was his fight against chassidus based upon?
Things that were told to him
What was he afraid abt chassidus? So what did he do?
That it might break off from Judaism and become a Jew religion
Everything he could to keep that from happening including signing the חרם (ban against them)
What happened after Vilna’s death?
Many books were written after his death by his students
Quoting thousands of his original explanations of the Torah
Where did Vilna try to move?
A number of times to Eretz yisrael but each time he received some sign from heaven that he should return home
Who was his most famous student?
R’ Chaim of Volozhin