Rav Paltoi Yishia ben Rav Abaye Gaon HaKohen (

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

: רב פלטוי ישעיה בר אביי גאון הכהן: – 858 ) was the Gaon of Pumbedita from 841 up until his death in 858. His time as Gaon would be defined by an idealistic and innovative tenure, which heralded a new era of prominence for the Gaonate of Pumbedita.

Biography

Born in about 820, his father Abaye ben Natronai, was the paternal grandson of the

Exilarch The exilarch was the leader of the Jewish community in Persian Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq) during the era of the Parthians, Sasanians and Abbasid Caliphate up until the Mongol invasion of Baghdad in 1258, with intermittent gaps due to ongoing ...

Mar-Zutra III. Despite that, his family were seen as poor. He was the youngest-ever Gaon, being appointed at just 21 years old, During his time as Gaon, his

Halakic ''Halakha'' (; he, הֲלָכָה, ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws which is derived from the written and Oral Torah. Halakha is based on biblical commandm ...

authority and influence stretched beyond just Babylon, reaching communities in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

and

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

. At one point, a community in Spain sent a letter to Rav Paltoi, requesting that he "write the Talmud and its explanations for them" on the bases that no one in their community would be knowledgeable enough to do so. Rav Paltoi vigorously protested against this, stating that "They are not acting correctly, and it is forbidden to do this. They thereby cause a decline in the study of the Torah, causing it to be forgotten." This exemplifies the idealistic attitude that defined him and the future of the Pumbedita Academy. His

responsa ''Responsa'' (plural of Latin , 'answer') comprise a body of written decisions and rulings given by legal scholars in response to questions addressed to them. In the modern era, the term is used to describe decisions and rulings made by scholars i ...

, can be found in most collections of Geonic responsa, as well as being quoted in the works of the posekim. Although this represents a minority of those he wrote. Although young, Rav Paltoi could be incredibly strict at times, excommunicating communities for disobedience of Halakha. Rav Paltoi died in 858, and was succeeded by Aha Kahana ben Mar Rav. Paltoi's son Zemah ben Paltoi was the Pumbedita Gaon from 872 - 890.

References

{{Geonim Date of birth uncertain 858 deaths 800s births 9th-century Jews Geonim 9th-century rabbis Rabbis of Academy of Pumbedita