Achai Gaon (also known as Ahai of Shabḥa or Aha of Shabḥa,

Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...

: רב אחא �חאימשַׁבָּחָא) was a leading scholar during the period of the

Geonim ''Geonim'' (; ; also Romanization of Hebrew, transliterated Gaonim, singular Gaon) were the presidents of the two great Talmudic Academies in Babylonia, Babylonian Talmudic Academies of Sura Academy , Sura and Pumbedita Academy , Pumbedita, in t ...

, an 8th-century

Talmud The Talmud (; ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of Haskalah#Effects, modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cen ...

ist of high renown. He enjoys the distinction of being the first rabbinical author known to history after the completion of the

. Ahai of Shabha is the author of the ''

She'iltot She'iltot of Rav Achai Gaon, also known as Sheiltot de-Rav Ahai, or simply She'iltot (), is a rabbinic Halakha, halakhic work composed in the 8th century by Ahai of Shabha (variants: Aḥa of Shabha; Acha of Shabcha), during the geonic period. ''S ...

''. As he never actually became the Gaon of either of the two

academies An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...

, the description "Gaon" attached to his name is a misnomer. When the gaon of

Pumbedita Pumbedita ( ''Pūm Bəḏīṯāʾ'', "Mouth of the Bedita"See The river "Bedita" has not been identified.) was an ancient city located in modern-day Iraq. It is known for having hosted the Pumbedita Academy. History The city of Pumbedita was s ...

died, Aḥa was universally acknowledged to be the fittest man to succeed him. But a personal grudge entertained by the

exilarch The exilarch was the leader of the Jewish community in 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 polit ...

Solomon bar Ḥasdai induced the latter to pass over Aḥa, and to appoint Natroi Kahana ben Amuna, Aḥa's underling, a man considerably his inferior in learning and general acquirements. Angered by this slight, Aḥa left

Babylonia Babylonia (; , ) was an Ancient history, ancient Akkadian language, Akkadian-speaking state and cultural area based in the city of Babylon in central-southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq and parts of Kuwait, Syria and Iran). It emerged as a ...

and settled in

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

, about 752 or 753, where he remained until his death. Despite

Steinschneider Moritz Steinschneider (; 30 March 1816 – 24 January 1907) was a Moravian bibliographer and Orientalist, and an important figure in Jewish studies and Jewish history. He is credited as having invented the term ''antisemitism.'' Education Mo ...

's erroneous assertion that he died in 761, the exact date of his death is unknown.

Aḥa's ''Sheiltot''

The ''Sheiltot'' (שאלתות), also known as ''Sheiltot d’Rav Achai'' or ''Sheiltos'', is a collection of homilies (at once learned and popular) on

Jewish law ''Halakha'' ( ; , ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws that are derived from the Written and Oral Torah. ''Halakha'' is based on biblical commandments ('' mit ...

and ethics, written by Aḥa.

After R. Shemuel bar Mari there was R. Aḥa of Shabḥa and he was an exceptionally wise man, and who compiled his ''She'iltot'' (Inquiries), drawn from the entire commandments mentioned in the Torah. The book is, unto this day, found among us, and all those who came after him have examined it and scrutinized it, while we have heard that, unto this day, there is not found in it any error whatsoever. Even so, the said R. Aḥa of Shabḥa was not ordained as a Gaon because of the hatred borne to him by the
exilarch The exilarch was the leader of the Jewish community in 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 polit ...
in that same generation. Wherefore, he laid hands on (ordained) the underling of R. Aḥa whose name was R. Natronai, and R. Aḥa became angry t this appointmentand departed Babylonia to go up to the Land of Israel where he died.

References

Its bibliography: *Reifmann, in Bet Talmud, iii. 26-29, 52-59, 71-79, 108-117; *

S. Buber Salomon (or Solomon) Buber (2 February 1827 – 28 December 1906) was a Jewish Galicia (Central Europe), Galician scholar and editor of Hebrew literature, Hebrew works. He is especially remembered for his editions of Midrash and other medieval Je ...

, ibid. 209-215; *

Weiss, Dor Isaac (Isaak) Hirsch Weiss, also Eisik Hirsch Weiss () (9 February 1815 – 1 June 1905), was an Austrian Talmudist and historian of literature born at Groß Meseritsch, Habsburg Moravia. After having received elementary instruction in Hebre ...

, iv. 23-26, and the passages mentioned in the index; * A. Harkavy, Studien und Mittheilungen, iv. xxvi. and p. 373; * Isaac Halevy, Dorot ha-Rishonim, pp. 193, 211-214, Presburg, 1897; * J.L. Rapoport, Bikkure ha-'Ittim, x. 20 et seq.; *Fürst, Literaturblatt d. Orients, xii. 313; *

, Cat. Bodl. No. 4330; * A. Jellinek, ḳunṭres ha-Maggid, p. 20, Vienna, 1878; * S. Mendelsohn, in Rev. Ét. Juives, xxxii. 56-62. {{Authority control Geonim 8th-century rabbis Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown Authors of books on Jewish law Jewish texts in Aramaic

Aḥa's ''Sheiltot''

See also

References