Vilna Gaon + Russia In The 1800s

Question 1

What was the Vilna Gaons real name

Answer 1

R’ Eliyahu of Vilna

Question 2

When was he born
When did he die
(Where)

Answer 2

Born - 1720
Die - 1798
Vilna, Lithuania

Question 3

How were jews of lithuania living

Answer 3

Generally very poor - aside from 2 large cities

They lived mostly in small towns and villages

Question 4

What was The Jew’s greatest accomplishment?

Answer 4

Torah knowledge and most parents dreamed of their sons becoming great Torah scholars

Question 5

What was the city of Vilna called? Why?

Answer 5

1. the Jerusalem of Lithuania

2. For its tremendous number of Torah scholars and Jewish life

Question 6

What was Vilna Gaon known as from a young age?

Answer 6

Genius (memorized all of Chumash)

Question 7

What was well known through by his early 20s?

Answer 7

One of the greatest Torah scholars of the generation

Question 8

How did he sleep from the age of 20-70?

Answer 8

He did not sleep more than two hours in any 24 hr period

And not for more than 30 mins (took 4 cat naps)

Question 9

what was one of Vilnas main accomplishemnts?

Answer 9

correcting mistakes he found in many of the major books of judaism including Gemara

Question 10

How were most of his corrections done? When were they confirmed?

Answer 10

Through his vast knowledge at all areas of Torah

Later on - when manuscripts were discovered

Question 11

What did he do in his 30s?

Answer 11

Traveled throughout Eastern Europe for 3 yrs and spent a lot of time searching in libraries and storage rooms

Question 12

What was he doing while he was traveling around?

Answer 12

He made ppl aware of local scholars who are otherwise unknown

Question 13

What else was he an expert in? How did he know this?

Answer 13

Many areas of secular knowledge: philosophy, math, and many of the sciences
A lot was self taught through Torah knowledge

Question 14

What was he the greatest expert at in his time?

Answer 14

Kabbalah

Question 15

What did he think abt Kabbalah? How was this seen later on?

Answer 15

He was against it for the common people

That was one of his main complaints of chassidus

Question 16

What was his fight against chassidus based upon?

Answer 16

Things that were told to him

Question 17

What was he afraid abt chassidus? So what did he do?

Answer 17

That it might break off from Judaism and become a Jew religion
Everything he could to keep that from happening including signing the חרם (ban against them)

Question 18

What happened after Vilna’s death?

Answer 18

Many books were written after his death by his students

Quoting thousands of his original explanations of the Torah

Question 19

Where did Vilna try to move?

Answer 19

A number of times to Eretz yisrael but each time he received some sign from heaven that he should return home

Question 20

Who was his most famous student?

Answer 20

R’ Chaim of Volozhin

Question 21

What did R’Chaim of Volozhin do?

Answer 21

He founded the modern yeshiva system

Question 22

What did many of Vilnas students do?

Answer 22

Moved to Israel and helped start the ashkenaz community in yerushalim

Question 23

When and where did Vilna die and where did he get buried?

Answer 23

In 1798 on chol hamoed sukkos and buried in Vilna

Question 24

How was the population like during the 1800s in Eastern Europe?

Answer 24

It exploded. In the 1800s there were one and half million Jews in europe
By 1900s - 9 1/2 million

Question 25

where had jews been living? what was currently happening at that time?

Answer 25

in small towns and villages for hundreds of yrs | now they began moving into cities looking for opportunities to make their lives better

Question 26

there was a …..

Answer 26

mass migrartion of jews both from country to another and within the same country

Question 27

what had these changes bring into jewish life?

Answer 27

disruption and unpredictability

Question 28

what happened when napolean invaded russia?

Answer 28

most jews stayed loyal to rusia

Question 29

whayt was their “reward” (jews for staying loyal 2 Russia)

Answer 29

the russian gov issued a series of harsh decrees against the jews

Question 30

what did one of the russian ministers say?

Answer 30

hat 1/3 of the jews should imigrate 1/3 should be exterminated 1/3 should convert

Question 31

1st decree = creation of pale settlement?

Answer 31

this was only area in russian in which jews were allowed to live

Question 32

what happened to the jews that lived outside of that area?

Answer 32

were forced to move and 100,000 of them became refugees

Question 33

how did forbidden cerain cities affect jews?

Answer 33

they were forbidden for jews which made it difficult for Jews to earn a living and support themsleves

Question 34

2nd Decree = where were jews banned? what ha dthe russians happen to do?

Answer 34

from being involved in traditional jewish business | the russians happened to encourage jews to either leave or convert

Question 35

3rd decree - Cantonist Decree - when did it go into effect

Answer 35

1827

Question 36

what did the 3rd degree ask of boys?

Answer 36

young boys age of 8-12 were taken 2 military skool for training and then drafted to army 4 25 yrs

Question 37

what would happen if the quota wasnt filled?

Answer 37

children of town leaders were taken or the leaders or even the whole town would be sent into exile

Question 38

how would the jewish community fill the quota needed?

Answer 38

chose by lottery | took orphaned children or who had sick or poor parents

Question 39

what had been developed

Answer 39

black market of kidnapped children developed and kids were sold from 1 town to another

Question 40

what would wealthy jews do?

Answer 40

bribe russian officials to have their children set free

Question 41

what did many jews develop? why?

Answer 41

hatred towards wealthy jews as well as towards religion | bc of the things that these ppl were doing

Question 42

what did many rabbis do? what abt others

Answer 42

they protested and as a result they were fired | others resigned in protest and many kept quiet

Question 43

what were many of these cantonist children forced to do? what did some do?

Answer 43

convert usually after tortue some committed sucide to avoid this

Question 44

what were the results fo teh cantonist decree like? How many survived How many remained religious

Answer 44

sevre few survived less remained observant jews

Question 45

how long was it in effcet for? was it consistently enforced? how many jewish children were affected? Cantonist Decree

Answer 45

1. for aound 30 yrs 2. not 3. 50,000

Question 46

Decree #4 - what did teh russian gov decree in 1835

Answer 46

that jews take last names

Question 47

what were the last names meant to do?

Answer 47

to give the govt the authority to keep track of the jews

Question 48

what did many jews do to avoid the govt? what did this also utilize

Answer 48

more than 1 last name | avoid having their sons drafted into the army

Question 49

where did some jews take their last names?

Answer 49

from tombstones

Question 50

decree 5 - what did the Russian govt made illegal?

Answer 50

to dress in their traditional style

Question 51

what did all these decrees create?

Answer 51

an attitude amongst jews of not trusting govt which was the only way to survive