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It seems as if everyone and his brother-in-law is referred to as “HaGaon.” How many Gaonim are there in the world today?
My brother-in-law is a Gaon.
Not me though
There is no way to quantify this.
There are 36 hidden tzaddikim in the world. You can’t be a real tzaddik if you’re not also really a gaon, so I’d say there are at least 36 gaonim. But maybe there are also some geonim that are not big tzaddikim, so there might be many more than 36 geonim.
A rav I’m close to told me that back in Europe the bare minimum for being called a gaon was to know all of shas rashi/tosfos baal peh.
The term seems to pretty loosely be thrown around today which tends to cheapen it. I’ve seen a chaver knesset who has been referred to as “harav ######## shlita” Now this individual may very well have some sort of smicha and I’m sure he learns when he has the chance but the fact of the matter is what capacity does he function at day to day, or as he ever functioned at to really fill the description of a rav? I’m personally unaware of it (thought could be I’m just ignorant of his full situation) but for me it seems unfair compared to those who are in actual rabbanus
“You can’t be a real tzaddik if you’re not also really a gaon”
I’m not sure about that. I think the Chassidim may have a different perspective.
Also, can’t the 36 hidden tzaddikim be ladies? A lady definitely doesn’t need to be a Gaon in order to be a tzadeikes.
Less than Maran.
Maran HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky shlit”a, the son of Maran HaGaon HaRav Y.Y. Kanievsky, the Steipler Gaon
Maran HaGaon HaRav Shteinman, he should have a refuah shleima
Maran HaGaon HaRav Karelitz
Maran HaGaon HaRav Edelstein
Maran HaGaon HaRav Shternbuch
Mik5: are you sure they are the only ones? Better not to list any than only a partial list.
The term Gaon is being used very loosely as a title. The minimum knowledge should be all Shas with all Rashi, Tosefos, Maharsho. All Chumash with Rashi ans Ramban. All Rambam, all Tur and all Shulchan Orech. Thoroughly.
I was going to say that there are too many gaonim, but then I realized that since Hashem decides who is a gaon, the number must be exactly right.
Every regular person nowadays is referred to as Rav, semicha or not. Those who really have semicha have to be given a different title- hence the Gaon Harav. The real big rabbanim/gedolei hador have to be given an even greater title then- Maran Hagaon Harav.
My brother-in-law is a Rav.
Not me though.
There are those who say “hu rav im kulam”.
I once heard that if someone is called Harav Hagaon, all it tells you is that he’s male.
Tiawd, the leitzanei hador say that a Gaon is someone who never heard of Rashi or Tosafot.
learn your jewish history
the order was
ta’naim (compiled mishna)
amoraim (compiled gemara)
savora’im
GEONIM
Rishonim
Acharonim (the generation we are still currently in)
the generation of Geolim ended many hundreds of years ago
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