(1288-1344; known by his acronym Ralbag or as Gersonides). Philosopher, talmudist, mathematician, astronomer, and exegete. He wrote a monumental commentary on the Pentateuch and on most of the rest of the Bible. As a philosopher, he followed the Aristotelian thinking of Maimonides. Gersonides was born and lived in Provence, France. He was on close terms with leading Church figures of his time and lectured on astronomy at the papal university and medical school.
Gersonides wrote a commentary on the first tractate of the Babylonian Talmud, Berakhot. He was also the author of a lengthy work on astronomy. His major work, though, which he wrote between 1317 and 1329, was Sefer Milḥamot Adonai ("The Book of the Wars of the Lord"), a philosophical treatise which the author saw as complementing those areas not sufficiently dealt with by earlier philosophers, especially Maimonides. In this volume, he deals with six major subjects, including the nature of the soul, Divine Providence, and the eternity of matter. After presenting the views of the philosophers who preceded him, Gersonides then proceeds to express his own opinions rationally. He also shows how his position is in keeping with the Torah. Nevertheless, Gersonides' views were attacked by later rabbinic authorities, in particular by Ḥasdai Crescas, who felt that some of his unorthodox ideas were heretical and should not be studied. Gersonides is quoted extensively in rabbinic literature.
