[Avodah] gaon

[Micha Berger via Avodah]

On Sun, Feb 05, 2017 at 09:20:31AM -0800, saul newman via Avodah wrote:
: in childhood , probably effected by modern hebrew, gaon meant 'genius'
: in current usage 'harav hagaon' , is it to mean genius above others, or
: just an honorific with no particular implication?  [i wonder if anyone who
: opens a yeshiva and thus becomes RY, automaticlaly gets this title]

Yecheqeil 7:20, Tehillim 47:5 and Amos 6:8 use the word ga'on, the
latter two referring to Hashem desiring "ge'on Yaaqov" [asher aheiv,
selah -- Tehillim].

In Yechezqeil, the topic is Benei Yisrael taking pride in their jewelery,
which was made into tzalmei to'avasam shequtzeihem, so HQBH will give
it to enemies.

Well, is there a *title* "gaon" before the Roshei Yeshiva of Sura
(Neharda'ah) and Pumbedisa? Odds are it's identifying the poseiq hador as
"ge'on Yaaqov" -- Jacob's Pride.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

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