Sherira Gaon

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rav Sherira Gaon (Hebrew: רב שרירא גאון) was the head of the yeshiva in Pumbeditha. He wrote the Iggeret Rav Sherira Gaon, a comprehensive history of the composition of the Talmud. One of the most prominent Geonim of his period, he was the father of Hai Gaon.

The Iggeret was an answer to an enquiry from Kairouan about the authorship and composition of the Mishnah and Talmud, and in particular why earlier authorities are seldom cited by name and the authorities that are so cited do not seem to be chronologically continuous. It exists in two recensions. The "French" recension is in Aramaic, and is believed by scholars to be the original version. The "Spanish" recension contains a higher proportion of Hebrew, and is believed to be a paraphrase.

The two recensions appear to differ on the question of whether the Mishnah was recorded in writing by Rabbi Judah haNasi. The Spanish recension definitely says that it was. The French recension appears to say that it was not, and this was the traditional view among Ashkenazi Jews. However, the notes to the most recent edition of the French recension argue that the wording is consistent with the Mishnah having been written down.