Hai ben Nahshon

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HAI BEN NAHSHON

HAI BEN NAHSHON , gaon of *Sura from 885–896. Both Hai's father and paternal grandfather, Zadok, had preceded him as geonim of Sura. In one of the few of his responsa which have been preserved he opposes the recitation of *Kol Nidrei on the eve of the Day of Atonement, since in his opinion authority for the granting of absolution from vows is no longer to be obtained. It seems that the Karaite al-*Kirkisani was referring to Hai b. Nahshon when he wrote that the gaon Haiand his father translated the Sefer ha-Mitzvot of Anan from Aramaic to Hebrew. If any credence can be given to this statement it can only mean that they subjected the work to a critical examination, or that they translated it in order to dispute with him and challenge his views.

bibliography:

S.J.L. Rapoport, Teshuvot Ge'onim Kadmonim (1848), 9a–b; J. Mueller, Mafte'ah Teshuvot ha-Ge'onim (1891), 151–7; Lewin, in: Ginzei Kedem, 2 (1923), 1–3; S. Assaf, in: Tarbiz, 4 (1933), 36, 199f.

[Mordecai Margaliot]

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Hai ben Nahshon

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