Biography
Rav Eliezer ben Yitzchak ha-Gadol (c. 4750/990–4820/1060) was among the leading chachamim of Ashkenaz at the beginning of the eleventh century. Orphaned young, he was raised in the home of his kinsman Rav Shimon of Mainz, one of the great chachamim of the generation, and he learned under Rabbeinu Gershom Meor HaGolah, whom he seems to have regarded as his foremost rebbi.
He headed the yeshiva in Mainz together with Rav Yaakov ben Yakar, and among his talmidim were Rav Yitzchak ben Yehuda and Rav Yitzchak HaLevi. Rashi cites his teachings in his commentary on Tanach and on the Gemara, though it appears Rashi did not learn directly under him. In the generation of his talmidim’ talmidim he was given the titles “ha-Gadol” and “the Gaon” — and because Rashi calls him at times Eliezer ha-Gadol and at times Eliezer Gaon, the Chida was led to consider them two separate men.
Rav Menachem di Lonzano attributed to him the Orchot Chayim, also called Tzavaat Rabbi Eliezer ha-Gadol. His grandson was Rav Kalonymus ben Yitzchak HaZaken, a chacham of Ashkenaz at the close of the eleventh century.
Where traditions differ. Some early sources held that Rav Eliezer was a teacher of Rashi, though Rashi himself does not say so. The Orchot Chayim attributed to him is ascribed by others to the tanna Rabbi Eliezer ha-Gadol, and some hold the attribution to this rishon mistaken.
רבי אליעזר הגדול בן יצחק היה מגדולי חכמי אשכנז בתחילת המאה ה-11.
Eliezer ben Isaac ha-Gadol was a German rabbi of the eleventh century. He was a pupil of his cousin R. Simon ha-Gadol of Mainz and of R. Gershom Me'or ha-Golah. David Conforte, relying on the statement in the tosefta to Shab. 54b, says that Eliezer ha-Gadol was the teacher of Rashi; but Rashi himself, in citing Eliezer, does not say so. In Rashi's quotation he is sometimes called Eliezer ha-Gadol and sometimes Eliezer Gaon, which induced Azulai to consider them as two separate persons.
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