Acharonim

Acharonim are Jewish rabbinic authorities and scholars from roughly the sixteenth century onward, following the Rishonim. Their writings interpret Jewish law and tradition for later generations.

Rishonim: Medieval Jewish rabbinic authorities and scholars whose works shaped Jewish law and interpretation. Acharonim followed this earlier scholarly period and built on its legal and interpretive works.
Mishnah Berurah: A six-volume commentary by Israel Meir Kagan on the Orach Chayim section of the Shulchan Aruch. It exemplifies how an Acharon interprets a legal code through earlier authorities.
Joseph Karo: A sixteenth-century rabbi and legal scholar who authored the Shulchan Aruch. His code became a central point of reference for later Acharonim.
Geonim: Jewish scholars who led the Talmudic academies of Babylonia, chiefly from the seventh through eleventh centuries. They belong to an earlier scholarly era, long before the Acharonim.
Yosef Karo: The Sephardic chief rabbi of Israel from 1973 to 1983, known for influential rulings and scholarship. His name echoes Joseph Karo, while his modern rulings show the continuing authority of later decisors.
Talmud: The central compilation of Jewish rabbinic debate, law, and interpretation, consisting of the Mishnah and Gemara. Acharonim repeatedly interpret Talmudic discussions when resolving later legal questions.
Aruch HaShulchan: A comprehensive late nineteenth-century work of Jewish law by Yechiel Michel Epstein. It presents legal rulings alongside their sources and development across generations.
Moses Isserles: A sixteenth-century Polish rabbi whose glosses adapted the Shulchan Aruch for Ashkenazi practice. His glosses established a major framework for Acharonim addressing Ashkenazi custom.
Sephardic Jews: A Jewish diaspora community with historical roots in the Iberian Peninsula and diverse later traditions. Sephardic legal customs form one major setting for Acharonim’s differing rulings.
Rabbinic ordination: Formal recognition that a person has received rabbinic training and authority to perform specified functions. Acharonic scholarship informs the legal expertise recognized in many forms of ordination.

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