The Gaon of Vilna: The Man and His Image
Immanuel Etkes
Abstract
A legendary figure in his own lifetime, Rabbi Eliahu ben Shlomo Zalman (1720–1797) was known as the “Gaon of Vilna”. He was the acknowledged master of Talmudic studies in the vibrant intellectual center of Vilna, revered throughout Eastern Europe for his learning and his ability to traverse with ease seemingly opposed domains of thought and activity. After his death, the myth that had been woven around him became even more powerful and was expressed in various public images. The formation of these images was influenced as much by the needs and wishes of those who clung to and depended on them ... More
Keywords: Rabbi Eliahu ben Shlomo Zalman, Vilna, Eastern Europe, Vilna Gaon, public images, Talmudic studies
Bibliographic Information
| Print publication date: 2002 | Print ISBN-13: 9780520223943 |
| Published to California Scholarship Online: March 2012 | DOI:10.1525/california/9780520223943.001.0001 |
