The Vilna Gaon: Life, Genius, and Legacy of Rabbi Eliyahu of Vilna

Rabbi Eliyahu of Vilna, became known by exceptional titles such as “the saintly genius” (“ha-Gaon ha-Chasid”) or simply — “the Gaon.” His name is commonly abbreviated as “the Gra” (הגר״א), which we will use below.

A Young Genius

At the age of six, the Gra was recognized as a prodigy. In the Great Synagogue of Vilna, he delivered a deep Torah discourse — part of it a teaching he had heard from his father, and part of it an original insight he developed on his own. In his work Shenot Eliyahu, he records a Torah novelty he taught at the age of seven.

At nine years old he began studying Kabbalah, and by ten he was already learning independently without teachers. According to the testimony of his student, Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin, even before reaching the age of bar mitzvah, the Gra began creating a “golem,” but he stopped in the middle, as he was prevented from continuing by a decree from Heaven.

The Gra refused to accept any formal rabbinic position in Vilna or elsewhere, due to his humility and because he did not want to lose precious time from Torah study.

Practical Halacha

According to his son, the Gra intended to compose a new code of Jewish law — a Shulchan Aruch, that would resolve all halachic disputes with proofs so clear that no refutation would be possible. However, he was unable to complete this monumental project.

Despite his extraordinary sharpness, the Gra emphasized learning the straightforward meaning of texts, with the goal of clarifying practical Halacha. He himself possessed unparalleled breadth and mastery of all areas of Torah.

The Gra is the only sage of the recent 400-year period (the era of the Acharonim) whom leading authorities regard with halachic weight comparable to that of the early Rishonim.

Beyond Torah Knowledge

According to his students, the Gra was not only expert in Torah, but also in mathematics, engineering, biology, astronomy, geography, linguistics, and music. Nevertheless, he opposed involvement in general humanities because he did not believe they provided genuine benefit.

Desire to Settle in Israel

The Gra greatly desired to settle in the Land of Israel and even attempted to do so, but was unsuccessful. He strongly encouraged his disciples to make the journey, and many of them succeeded in immigrating and establishing communities in the Land of Israel.

A Great Student

The greatest of the Gra’s students was Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin, author of Nefesh HaChaim and founder of the renowned Volozhin Yeshiva — known as “the mother of all yeshivas”, where many of the leading Torah giants of the last generations were raised.