Gadol

The term gadol hador refers to the "great/est (one of) the generation" denoting one rabbi who is presumed to be even greater than the others. Other variations of the term are Gadol Yisrael or a Gadol BeYisrael (plural: Gedolei Yisrael), meaning "great one of the Jewish people".

A similar title is Rashkebahag, which is an acronym for "Rabbon shel kol bnei hagolah" (The sage and teacher of the entire Jewish diaspora). Another term is Manhig Yisroel (plural: Manhigei Yisroel), literally "leader of Israel".

The title gadol hador is usually only given to one Jewish Sage at a time, while the title "Rashkebahag" can be given to a few, and the term Gedolei Yisrael collectively refers to all leading rabbis in the Haredi community.

The term is generally applied to rabbinic leaders since World War I. Major rabbis from earlier generations are known as Rishonim or Achronim.

Often, a gadol functions as a rosh yeshiva (the head of a yeshiva Talmudical school), and/or can be a Hasidic Rebbe. A gadol is quite often also a posek (a decisor of Halakha - Jewish law) and may be the author of rabbinic literature and responsa.

Adherents of Haredi Judaism often presume that a gadol has some degree of ruach hakodesh ("divine spirit"); the gadol's teachings and statements therefore become the crux of Daas Torah.

According to Rabbi Nota Greenblatt, posek and rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva of Memphis, a true gadol is far more than a great Talmid Chakham; he is someone that has wisdom, concern for others, and has fully developed his middos.{{cite news|author=Devorah Klein|title=Midwest Agudath Israel council annual conference|work=Hamodia|publication-date=Jul 29, 2015}}

Rabbi Chaim Epstein has been quoted as saying:{{quote|We do not vote for gedolim. We know someone is a gadol if he is accepted by the Torah world, if he is accepted by the lomdei Torah.Ami (203): 61. Jan 28, 2015.}}

In Hebrew halachic texts, gadol is also used as a term for a Jewish boy who turns thirteen, and is viewed as an adult regarding to his obligation to practice the 613 commandments. This is the age of Bar Mitzvah. When a Jewish girl reaches the age of twelve, according to Jewish law, she is called a gedolah (the feminine form of gadol).

Kohen Gadol refers to the high priests in the Jewish Temples. Shabbat Hagadol is the Shabbat prior to Passover.

In modern Hebrew, gadol as slang is used as an interjection to mean something is extremely cool, out of this world, superb, awesome, absurdly funny or hilarious. For example, upon hearing a funny joke one might interject "Gadol!"

In English writing, the transliterated word "gadol" generally refers to a prominent rabbi.

File:הרב קנייבסקי לומד בערב שבת.jpg]]

The following are names of rabbis of the non-Hasidic communities that were or are widely recognized to be the gadol hador:

• Vilna Gaon{{cite web |title=Vilna Gaon's 300th Yartzeit|url=https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/279101 |website=israelnationalnews.com |date=23 April 2020 |access-date=23 March 2021 |quote=The GRA, the father of the Lithuanian stream in haredi Judaism, was called Gadol Hador...}}
• Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin{{Cite web |last=Frand |first=Rabbi Yissocher |date=2021-04-15 |title=Tzaraas Teaches a Major Life Lesson About Negiyus -- Personal Bias |url=https://torah.org/torah-portion/ravfrand-5781-tazria-metzorah/ |access-date=2025-03-24 |website=Torah.org |language=en-US}}
• Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik (Beis Halevi){{Cite book |last=Krohn |first=Paysach J. |title=Around the maggid's table: more classic stories and parables from the great teachers of Israel |date=1989 |publisher=Mesorah Publications |isbn=978-0-89906-562-5 |edition=1st |series=The ArtScroll series |location=Brooklyn, N.Y}}
• Rabbi Akiva Eger{{cite web |title=Leilão Bidspirit-Rabbi Akiva Eiger's Personal Copy |url=https://uk.bidspirit.com/ui/lotPage/source/catalog/auction/12058/lot/129603/Rabbi-Akiva-Eiger-s-Personal-Copy?lang=pt |website=uk.bidspirit.com |access-date=14 February 2021 |quote=Close your eyes and imagine the gadol hador of three centuries ago, Rabbi Akiva Eiger, sitting in his study during the late night hours and studying by the light of ...}}{{cite web |title=Born In Vilna |url=http://www.eilatgordinlevitan.com/vilna/vilna_pages/vilna_born.html |website=eilatgordinlevitan.com}}
• Rabbi Moses Sofer (Chasam Sofer){{Cite web |last=Doe |first=John |date=2016-08-24 |title=The Hidden World of Shidduchim - Mishpacha Magazine |url=https://mishpacha.com/the-hidden-world-of-shidduchim/ |access-date=2025-03-24 |language=en-US}}
• Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik (Chaim Brisker){{Cite web |last=devcontent |date=2018-09-12 |title=And Seal Us for Life - Mishpacha Magazine |url=https://mishpacha.com/oneg-shabbos-and-seal-us-for-life/ |access-date=2025-05-12 |language=en-US}}
• Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor{{Cite web |title=Why 1840? |url=https://18forty.org/podcast/why-1840/ |access-date=2025-03-24 |website=18Forty |language=en-US}}
• Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan{{cite web |title=And how can Zionists go against the Chofetz Chaim? |url=https://www.truetorahjews.org/qanda/un2 |website=truetorahjews.org |access-date=14 February 2021 |quote=We know that the Chofetz Chaim was the gadol hador....}} (the Chofetz Chaim)
• Rabbi Aharon Kotler{{Cite web |last=Scarr |first=Cindy |date=2023-11-14 |title=In Sights: Issue 986 - Mishpacha Magazine |url=https://mishpacha.com/in-sights-issue-986/ |access-date=2025-03-24 |language=en-US}}
• Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski{{Cite web |title=Living Legacy: Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzenski, zt"l {{!}} Boro Park 24 |url=https://www.boropark24.com/news/living-legacy-rav-chaim-ozer-grodzenski-zt-l |access-date=2025-03-24 |website=www.boropark24.com}}
• Rabbi Avrohom Yeshaya Karelitz (the Chazon Ish){{Cite web |last=Slifkin |first=Natan |title=On Criticizing Gedolim |url=https://www.rationalistjudaism.com/p/on-criticizing-gedolim |access-date=2025-03-24 |website=www.rationalistjudaism.com |language=en}}
• Rabbi Yosef Eliyahu Henkin{{Cite web |last=Henkin |first=Rabbi Yehuda-Herzl |date=2003-09-05 |title=“A Generation That Knew Not Yosef”: Remembering a Gadol Hador on His Thirtieth Yahrzeit |url=https://www.jewishpress.com/indepth/opinions/a-generation-that-knew-not-yosef-remembering-a-gadol-hador-on-his-thirtieth-yahrzeit/2003/09/05/ |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com |language=en-US}}
• Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetsky{{Cite web |last=Elinsky |first=Kate |date=2022-04-06 |title=On Re-Reading a Banned Book: Nathan Kamenetsky's Making of a Godol |url=https://jewishreviewofbooks.com/bible/12270/on-re-reading-a-banned-book-nathan-kamenetskys-making-of-a-godol/ |access-date=2025-03-24 |website=Jewish Review of Books |language=en-us}}
• Rabbi Moshe Feinstein{{cite web |title=Hidden in plain sight, more from Rav Moshe Feinstein |url=https://www.thejewishstar.com/stories/hidden-in-plain-sight-more-from-rav-moshefeinstein,2029 |website=thejewishstar.com |date=7 October 2010 |publisher=The Jewish Star |access-date=14 February 2021}}{{cite web |title=Rabbi Moshe Feinstein |url=https://hevratpinto.org/tzadikim_eng/174_rabbi_moshe_feinstein.html |website=hevratpinto.org |access-date=14 February 2021}}
• Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach
• Rabbi Yitzchak Hutner{{Cite journal |last=Kirzner |first=Yisroel Mayer |date=December 1981 |title=By the Writing Desk of the Master: Reflections on "Pachad Yitzchok: lgaros Ukesavim" |url=https://agudah.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Rabbi-Yitzchok-Hunter.pdf |journal=The Jewish Observer}}
• Rabbi Elazar Shach{{cite web |title=Filling the Void |url=https://mishpacha.com/filling-the-void/ |website=mishpacha.com |publisher=Mishpacha Magazine |access-date=14 February 2021 |date=Feb 20, 2019}}{{cite web |title=Easy Does It |url=http://www.berdichev.org/easy_does_it.html |website=berdichev.org |access-date=14 February 2021 |quote=Rav Shach and his talmid got into the car, and the aged gadol hador and his young talmid headed towards Yerushalayim.}}
• Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv{{cite book |last1=Kirschner |first1=Binyomin |title=The Gadol Hador: An Inside Glimpse of Maran HaGaon HaRav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv zt"l |date=2015 |isbn=978-1598261349 }}
• Rabbi Ovadia Yosef{{cite web |title=Where Do We Go From Here? Remembering Rav Ovadia Yosef |url=http://www.5tjt.com/where-do-we-go-from-here-remembering-rav-ovadia-yosef-ztl/ |website=5tjt.com |date=10 October 2013 |access-date=14 February 2021}}{{cite web |last1=Jachter |first1=Rabbi Chaim |title=Hacham Ovadia Yosef – The Most Accomplished Rav of Recent Generations |url=https://www.koltorah.org/halachah/hacham-ovadia-yosef-the-most-accomplished-rav-of-recent-generations-part-one-by-rabbi-chaim-jachter |website=koltorah.org |date=7 August 2018 |access-date=14 February 2021}}
• Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel{{Cite web |url=https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/149553 |access-date=2025-03-24 |website=www.israelnationalnews.com |title=One Hundred Thousand at Mir Rosh Yeshiva Funeral }}
• Rabbi Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg{{Cite web |last=Hoffman |first=Rabbi Yair |date=2020-06-08 |title=An Interesting Story With Rav Yeruchem and Rav Scheinberg - VINnews |url=https://vinnews.com/2020/06/08/an-interesting-story-with-rav-yeruchem-and-rav-scheinberg/ |access-date=2025-03-24 |language=en-US}}
• Rabbi Aharon Leib Shteinman{{cite web |title=A Glimpse Into The Life Of The Gadol Hador, Maran Hagaon HaRav Aron Leib Shteinman ZATZAL |url=https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/518679/glimpse-life-gadol-hador-maran-hagon-harav-aron-leib-shteinman-zatzal.html |website=theyeshivaworld.com |date=12 December 2017 |access-date=14 February 2021}}
• Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky{{cite web |title=Tehillim for the Gadol Hador |url=https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/featured/1906466/tehillim-gadol-hador-harav-chaim-kanievsky-tested-positive-for-covid-19.html |website=theyeshivaworld.com |date=2 October 2020 |publisher=Yeshiva World News |access-date=14 February 2021}}{{cite web |title=Important Letter From the Gadol Hador, Rav Chaim Kanievsky Shlita |url=https://matzav.com/important-letter-from-the-gadol-hador-rav-chaim-kanievsky-shlita/ |website=matzav.com}}
• Rabbi Gershon Edelstein{{Cite web |last=Dov |first=Yehuda |date=2023-05-30 |title=Rabbi Gershon Edelstein: Biography Of a Gadol - VINnews |url=https://vinnews.com/2023/05/30/rabbi-gershon-edelstein-biography-of-a-gadol/ |access-date=2025-03-24 |language=en-US}}
• Rabbi Dov Lando{{Cite web |date=2025-04-17 |title=Incredible Anivus: Hagaon Harav Dov Landau Asks For Mechila. Here’s Why [See the Video] |url=https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/israel-news/2389134/incredible-anivus-hagaon-harav-dov-landau-asks-for-mechila-heres-why-see-the-video.html |access-date=2025-05-09 |website=www.theyeshivaworld.com |language=en-US}}

• Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook{{Cite web |last=Sylvetsky |first=Rabbi Avraham Y. |title=An introduction to Rav Kook's concept of teshuva |url=https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/287476 |access-date=2025-05-09 |website=Israel National News |language=en}}
• Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik ("the Rav"){{Cite web |date=2017-11-12 |title=It Might Be Worth It |url=https://yucommentator.org/2017/11/it-might-be-worth-it/ |access-date=2025-05-09 |website=The Commentator}}
• Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein{{Cite web |last=Griffith |first=Brad |date=2015-04-22 |title=In Memory of Rav Aharon Lichtenstein, zt”l |url=https://www.wexnerfoundation.org/in-memory-of-rav-aharon-lichtenstein-ztl/ |access-date=2025-05-09 |website=The Wexner Foundation |language=en-US}}
• Rabbi Jonathan Sacks{{Cite web |last=Sacker |first=Dan |date=2020-11-12 |title='It was the honour of our lives to work for Rabbi Lord Sacks' |url=https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/it-was-the-honour-of-our-lives-to-work-for-rabbi-lord-sacks/ |access-date=2025-03-24 |website=Jewish News |language=en-US}}

• Gedolim pictures

{{Reflist}}

• {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20041110063951/http://www.tzemachdovid.org/gedolim/index._alphabetical.html Biographies of Gedolim: Alphabetical Index]}}

Category:Orthodox rabbinic roles and titles