Home / Scholars / R' Eliyahu of Vilna R' Eliyahu of Vilna Early Acharonim · ashkenazi · 1720–1797 CE (5480–5557)
621 opinions327 topics
R' Eliyahu ben Shlomo Zalman (1720-1797), known as the Vilna Gaon or GRA, was the preeminent Lithuanian Jewish scholar and halakhic authority of the 18th century. He revolutionized the study of halakha through his precise textual analysis and comprehensive supercommentaries on the Shulchan Aruch, establishing the Litvak yeshiva tradition. His influence on Jewish legal scholarship and biblical interpretation shaped Ashkenazi Jewish learning for generations.
Works & Contributions (14) Beuer HaGra Beur Ha-Gra Beur HaGra on Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 248:4:4–5 Maaseh Rav (cited in Biur Halacha) + 10 more Origin Vilna, Lithuania
1720–1797 CE (5480–5557)
Historical Context 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000 1720-1797
Lineage Students R' Chaim of Volozhin
R' Shlomo Zalman of Vilna
Decisional Profile Opinions recorded by category
Topic Coverage Each square represents a topic. Darker squares indicate more opinions recorded in that topic.
Rulings (621) All (621) After-Blessings on Mezo… (1) Agriculture on Shabbat (1) Al HaMichyah (1) Alleyway Entrance Shapes (1) Animals on Shabbat (3) Anointing on Shabbat (2) Answering Amen During P… (1) Aseret Yemei Teshuvah P… (2) Asher Yatzar After Bodi… (3) Ashrei and U'Va L'Tzion (2) Assisting Childbirth on… (2) Avinu Malkeinu on Yom K… (2) Bandaging and Wound Car… (2) Baruch She'amar and Its… (3) Bathing Before Shabbat (4) Bathing and Immersion B… (2) Bathing on Yom Tov (3) Bathroom Conduct and As… (1) Bedtime Shema (1) Birchot Kriat Shema Det… (6) Birkat HaGomel (1) Birkat HaMazon Additions (2) Birkat HaMazon — Furthe… (1) Blessing on Fragrance (2) Blessing on Water and O… (1) Blessings for Scents an… (1) Blessings on Drinks (1) Blessings on Fragrances… (1) Blessings on Fruits (6) Blessings on Haftarah (1) Blessings on Natural Ph… (1) Blessings on Natural Wo… (2) Blessings on News (1) Blessings on Processed … (1) Blessings on Torah Study (6) Bowing During Prayer (3) Bread Prepared by Non-J… (1) Bread and Meal Boundaries (2) Building Structures on … (1) Building and Demolishing (2) Building the Sukkah (2) Burial on Second Day of… (1) Burning Chametz (4) Business Activities Bef… (1) Calculating Eruv Techumin (1) Candle Lighting (1) Candle Lighting and Tos… (1) Carrying on Yom Tov (1) Chametz Cosmetics and O… (1) Chametz Mixtures (6) Changing Location Durin… (1) Childbirth on Shabbat (2) Chol HaMoed (1) Circumcision for Conver… (1) Circumcision on Shabbat (4) City Limits for Shabbat… (2) Communal Fasts (2) Concluding Repetition a… (1) Conduct While Wearing T… (2) Conduct in a Synagogue (2) Converting Tefillin and… (2) Converts and Slaves — Y… (1) Cooking on Shabbat (3) Cooking on Yom Tov (1) Covering the Head and C… (2) Cross-Beam Construction… (1) Delivering Shrouds on Y… (3) Desecrating Shabbat for… (2) Distance Measurements f… (1) Doubtful Blessings (3) Drunkenness and Prayer (1) Drying Hands After Wash… (2) Eating the Etrog After … (3) Emergency Beyond Shabba… (2) Erev Pesach Matzah and … (1) Erev Yom Kippur (3) Erev Yom Kippur Meal an… (1) Erev Yom Kippur Mikveh … (1) Errors in Shemoneh Esrei (1) Eruv Chatzeirot (2) Eruv Chatzeirot Contrib… (3) Eruv Chatzeirot — Court… (1) Eruv Materials and Coll… (1) Eruv Tavshilin Procedure (2) Eruv Techumin Food Requ… (2) Eruv and Carrying (1) Eruv with Non-Jews in C… (1) Extended Kedushah Pract… (1) Eye Pain and Minor Ailm… (1) Fast Day Customs and Co… (1) Fast Day Prayers (1) Fasting While Traveling (1) Fasting on Rosh Chodesh… (1) Fasting on Yom Tov (2) Feeding Animals on Shab… (2) Finding Chametz on Pesach (5) Flour and Matzah (10) Four Cups of Wine at th… (1) General Rules of Brachot (2) Grinding Spices on Yom … (2) Haftarah (2) Haircuts on Chol HaMoed (5) Hallel on Sukkot (1) Handling Muktzeh Indire… (1) Handling Multiple Sacre… (3) Hanukkah — Origins (1) Harvesting on Shabbat (1) Havdalah (3) Havdalah on Motzei Yom … (2) Holiday and Fast Additi… (1) Honoring and Enjoying S… (2) How to Put On Tefillin (4) How to Read Megillah (1) Instructing a Non-Jew (… (2) Insulating Food (Hatman… (2) Insulating with Heat-Ge… (2) Intent During Shema (4) Intent and Pronunciatio… (4) Interruptions in Prayer (1) Interruptions in Second… (4) Items Exempt from Bless… (1) Items That Become Muktzeh (1) Kaddish (1) Kaddish Laws and Respon… (3) Karpas and Salt Water (1) Kashering Chametz Vessels (1) Kavvanah in Prayer (4) Kiddush Before the Meal (1) Kiddush Order on Second… (1) Kiddush Wine Disqualifi… (1) Kiddush on Friday Night (3) Kiddush — Wine Selection (2) Killing Insects on Shab… (1) Kindling Fire on Yom Tov (1) Kneading on Shabbat (5) Korech — Sandwich (2) Lag BaOmer (1) Lag BaOmer Customs (1) Last Days of Pesach (1) Laundering on Shabbat (3) Laws of Karmelit (1) Laws of Mezuzah (3) Laws of Reciting Shema (4) Laws of Shavuot (3) Laws of Shofar Blowing (1) Laws of Tzitzit (3) Leather Shoes on Yom Ki… (1) Lechem Mishneh — Two Lo… (3) Lechi and Korah for All… (2) Lifting the Torah (Hagb… (4) Lulav During Hallel — S… (1) Lulav Ownership Require… (1) Lulav Species Validity … (2) Maariv (3) Maftir Aliyah Laws (1) Maggid — Telling the Pe… (1) Marital Relations (3) Marital Relations on Yo… (2) Maror (4) Mashiv HaRuach — Wind a… (4) Matanot LaEvyonim (1) Materials for Tzitzit (1) Matzah Regulations (2) Matzah Thickness and Sh… (1) Medical Remedies on Sha… (1) Medical Treatment on Sh… (1) Milking on Yom Tov (1) Modim and Responsive Pr… (1) Morning Blessings (5) Mourning on Chol HaMoed (6) Moving Muktzeh for Its … (1) Neilah (1) Non-Jew Operating Equip… (1) Non-Jew Performing Work… (4) Non-Jew's Work for a Je… (1) Non-Jew's Work on Yom Tov (2) Nullification of Chametz (2) Omer Mourning Practices (1) One Who Cannot Concentr… (2) Open Alleyway Configura… (2) Order of Shofar Blasts (1) Order of the Seder (4) Passing Objects Between… (2) Pausing and Timing in S… (1) Personal Fast Days (1) Personal Grooming for S… (2) Personal vs. Garment Ob… (2) Pesukei D'Zimra (5) Place of Prayer and Min… (1) Placement and Number of… (1) Post-Circumcision Care … (1) Posture During Shema (2) Prayer Additions During… (1) Prayer Near Flowing Wat… (2) Prayer and Exposed Skin (4) Praying with Proper Att… (2) Pregnant/Nursing on Yom… (1) Preparing for Shabbat (3) Priestly Blessing (2) Prohibited Uses of Cham… (1) Proper Pronunciation of… (4) Purchasing Tzitzit from… (1) Qualifications of Praye… (2) Rain Prayers (4) Rain Request (V'Ten Tal… (1) Reading by Candlelight (3) Reading by Candlelight … (1) Reciting Shema While Im… (1) Reciting Shema in Impur… (1) Reclining at the Seder (1) Relations and Modesty (1) Removing Tefillin and S… (2) Repetition of Amidah (2) Reshut HaRabbim — Publi… (2) Respecting Sacred Texts (1) Responding Amen During … (3) Responding During Shema… (2) Responding to Dvarim Sh… (1) Resting Place Determine… (4) Returning Food to Fire … (1) Rising in the Morning (1) Rooftops and Enclosures… (1) Rosh Chodesh Prayers (4) Rosh Hashanah Customs —… (4) Rosh Hashanah Mussaf St… (1) Salting and Pickling on… (1) Sandek and Circumcision… (5) Searching for Chametz (3) Seder Night Customs (2) Selling Chametz to a No… (1) Selling Synagogue Prope… (1) Semichat Geulah L'Tefil… (1) Seminal Emission and Pr… (1) Sending Gifts on Yom Tov (2) Separating and Selectin… (1) Seudah Shlishit — Third… (1) Shabbat Candle Materials (1) Shabbat Shemoneh Esrei (1) Shabbat Travelers and E… (5) Shaliach Tzibbur — Pray… (1) Shehecheyanu (2) Shehechiyanu on Tzitzit… (1) Shema Near Animal Waste (2) Shema at Night (2) Shema at Night and Its … (5) Shemini Atzeret / Simch… (2) Ships and Boats on Shab… (1) Shitufei Mevo'ot — Alle… (1) Side Beam Placement Rules (1) Sifting and Straining (1) Slaughtering on Yom Tov (2) Smoking and Incense on … (2) Special Fast Days Calen… (1) Squeezing and Juicing (1) Sukkah Height Requireme… (2) Sukkah Obligation in Rain (1) Sukkot Readings and Pra… (1) Sweating and Bathing Re… (1) Swimming and Water Acti… (1) Synagogue Sanctity (1) Ta'anit Bechorot — Fast… (1) Ta'anit — Public Fast D… (1) Tachanun (3) Tal — Prayer for Dew on… (1) Talking During a Meal (1) Tanning and Smoothing o… (1) Tefillin Obligation and… (2) Tefillin Scribe Qualifi… (2) Tefillin Storage and Ma… (6) Tefillin of Rabbeinu Tam (2) The Four Species — Lulav (2) Things That Invalidate … (1) Three Weeks Mourning Pr… (1) Throwing Between Domains (1) Times for Maariv (2) Times for Shacharit (6) Tisha B'Av Prayers (1) Torah Reading (Monday/T… (1) Torah Reading Errors an… (2) Torah Reading on Fast D… (1) Torah Reading on Shabba… (2) Torah Reading on Yom Tov (2) Torah Scroll Sanctity a… (2) Torah Study Obligations (3) Town Boundaries for Eru… (3) Trade on Chol HaMoed (1) Two-Day Yom Tov in Dias… (1) Tzitzit in Cemeteries (3) Uncertain Blessings (2) Used or Worn Out Tzitzit (1) Using Vessels on Shabbat (1) Walls and Partitions fo… (1) Washing Hands Upon Waking (2) Washing Vessels and Wat… (1) Washing on Yom Kippur (1) Weekday Prayer Variations (1) What Invalidates Tefillin (1) When Eruv Members Viola… (2) When Shabbat Begins (2) When Shabbat Falls on E… (3) When to Don Tallit (3) When to Put On Tefillin (3) When to Remove Tefillin (2) When to Stop Eating Cha… (1) When to Wear Tzitzit (1) When to Wear and Bless … (2) Who Counts for Zimmun (2) Who Is Obligated in Tzi… (1) Who May Place Eruv Tech… (1) Windows and Doorways Be… (2) Women and Birkat HaMazon (1) Women and Kiddush (4) Work Forbidden After Ca… (1) Work on Chol HaMoed (1) Work on Yom Tov (1) Writing on Chol HaMoed (1) Writing on Shabbat (1) Ya'aleh V'Yavo (1) Ya'aleh V'Yavo on Rosh … (1) Yom Kippur Additional P… (2) Yom Kippur Prohibitions (5) Yom Tov Candle Lighting (1) Yom Tov Meals and Joy (1) Zimmun (1) Zimmun and Joining Groups (1) Zimmun of Ten (1) Zimmun — Joining and Sp… (1)
Rising in the Morn… Should one visualize or contemplate standing before God at all times, including in private and when lying in bed?
The phrase 'I place God before me always' is a great principle of Torah, as stated in Berakhot 63b. …
Answering Amen Dur… Must one organize/prepare festival prayers (Mussaf and other infrequent prayers) before praying them, or is preparation unnecessary?
Interprets Mechaber as referring to Mussaf specifically; some debate whether the requirement applies…
Kavvanah in Prayer If one failed to concentrate during the Avot blessing, must one repeat the Amidah?
Cites the Yerushalmi where R' Chiya Rabbah and Shmuel acknowledge that they never managed to achieve…
Kavvanah in Prayer What is the proper voice level for reciting the Amidah — should one hear one's own voice?
The Zohar agrees with the Shulchan Aruch — 'voice not heard' means not heard by others. The Tosefta'…
Kavvanah in Prayer May one raise one's voice during the Amidah if one cannot concentrate while whispering?
The Rosh's interpretation (that R' Yonah prayed aloud to arouse kavvanah) permits raising one's voic…
Kavvanah in Prayer On Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, may one pray the Amidah aloud even in a congregation?
The permission on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is based on the Gemara at the end of Rosh Hashanah wh…
Errors in Shemoneh… If one was interrupted during prayer, must one return to the beginning or only to where one left off?
The Mechaber's ruling (requiring return to beginning if sufficient time elapsed) applies only when t…
Modim and Responsi… Are those exempt from Shema also exempt from prayer?
Those exempt from Shema are exempt from prayer, and Shema is biblical whereas prayer follows from it…
Rain Prayers What constitutes an 'innovation' (chidush) in a blessing when praying a voluntary prayer?
Following the Rosh, innovation means something has genuinely become new or different for that person…
Rain Prayers If one begins to pray thinking one has not yet prayed, but then remembers during the prayer that one already prayed, must one stop immediately?
Even in the case of evening prayer (which some hold is optional), one must stop once remembered that…
Rain Prayers May a congregation (tzibur) pray an additional voluntary prayer?
A congregation cannot pray voluntary prayer. However, various sources (Rosh, Tur) and even the Mecha…
Rain Prayers May one pray a voluntary prayer on Shabbat or a Yom Tov (holiday)?
Shabbat is different from weekdays: on Shabbat no voluntary prayers may be said because it is simila…
Who Is Obligated i… What is the required number of tzitzit strings per corner, and what happens if more are added?
The Gra agrees the law follows the Itur — there is no transgression of 'do not add' here. The Talmud…
Weekday Prayer Var… What is the minimum distance for which the traveler's blessing must be recited?
The main ruling is that less than a parsah does not require the blessing with closing formula. The r…
Shaliach Tzibbur —… Is the verse 'Hashem Sefatai Tiftach' (Lord, open my lips) considered an interruption between Redemption and the Amidah?
'Hashem Sefatai' is an integral part of the Amidah because the Rabbis established it as such; theref…
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