Take the Medieval Rabbis Quiz

In Response to Raymond from West Hollywood. This was a tricky quiz. Very few who are taking this quiz are thrilled with their score. I think Rabbi Menachem Posner made this quiz hard because he wants us to see our limitations, but also at the same time to believe in ourselves. We can all definitely learn more. Do it for the love of G-d. Not to be hard on ourselves and not to judge ourselves. Learn for the love of learning. And there is an endless amount to learn. Why be hard on ourselves? Also consider maybe a study partner, "A Chaver". You can ask at Chabad and they will guide you. Happy Chol Hamoed, Passover 2025. Reply

I am shocked. I scored only a 4/10!!! This is by far the lowest score I have ever received on these quizzes. What makes it even more horrifying than that, is that I had thought that this was an area in Jewish history that I knew a fair amount about. After all, everybody has heard of people such as Sa'adia Gaon, Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi, Rashi, the RambaM, the RambaN, the Abarbanel, Rabbi Joseph Cairo, the Arizal, the Holy Ba'al Shem Tov, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev, Rav Hirsch, and so on. Clearly I am not nearly as knowledgeable in Judaism as I had supposed myself to be Reply

Question #4 is unclear, as the "2nd half of the middle ages" would be after 1200CE. 1st half would be the period of the Geonim, am I wrong? Reply

Rabbi Menahem Posner, for me the Medieval Rabbis Quiz was a real tough one. Thank you for all the work you put into these quizes, and in such an uplifting way, and for the ability to make one not feel too bad about how little they know. Thank you. I know I have a lot of learning to do. Reply

Great quiz, 8/10 it was tough, but I'm learning. So glad Chabad is around to help me. Reply

This was a little difficult quiz. Number 10 was WHAT? I read they were Jewish fighters who traveled Japan. Maybe I need to go back a reread. There were Rabbis in Japan. Reply

Hard but good Reply

this felt like a 'yeshiva' quiz! I was doing so well, too! (8/10). I actually answered one question thinking that the answers belonged to a different question (focusing too hard), but I'd only ever heard of the term 'Rishonim' once or twice in the 5 years I've been studying/learning so I was caught off guard with that one... Great quiz! Reply

5/10. Not Jewish but I love you all. Reply

The first Rabbi who wrote the code of the Jewish law was Rav in Eruvin 21b:8. "My son, be careful to fulfill the words of the Sages [soferim] even more than the words of the Torah. For the words of the Torah include positive and negative commandments, and even with regard to the negative commandments, the violation of many of them is punishable only by lashes. Whereas with respect to the words of the Sages, anyone who transgresses the words of the Sages is liable to receive the death penalty."

How did this man choose to place G-d subservient to His dust-formed folks? Reply

9/10 Reply

6/10 I wasn't Chassidic, back when I was Jewish. I actually did a bissl better than I thought I would! Maybe the Pintele hasn't gone out. Reply

7/10 thank you Rabbi Reply

I got worked over by this quiz: 6/10. If there were rabbis in medieval England, who were they? Rebbe Dov Ber of Dover? Reply

very hard questions Reply

8/10
I surprised myself.
From what I recall, Rabbi Berel Wein's tetralogy on Jewish history covers many of these questions. Reply

If it was not for the Roach Hakodesh helping I would have fared much worse than 6/10 this was an excellent shiur. Thank you and Moshiach now, may the Lord G-d makes His face shine upon Jacov and give Israel peace. Reply

Challenging quiz. Makes one realize how much we do not know and how much we need to study. And not to be lazy. To enjoy learning Torah it takes effort. Thank you for putting together these wonderful quizes. A happy Rosh Hashanah to everyone at chabad and a happy and healthy and safe new year ahead. Thank you for all that you all do at chabad. Reply

בס"ד
that was fun, thanks !
7/10

2 possible suggestions:

8/10 answer says "Jewish ["Jews" or 'culture' or other word missing?] flourished...."

re: comment that Meshulam ben Kalonymus wasn't from Rome, may refer to the question of his birth place in Lucca (Tuscany), although he is, in any case, known as "The Roman" ... which may either mean the city or the entire geographical region/ 'country' (also, maybe, this was due to his reputation as a "foreigner" from the epistolary relations he maintained with ashkenazi Geonim: rabbeinu Gershom and shimon haGadol, as recorded in sefarim, etc) Reply

Rabbi Judah the prince was of Judea? What did you mean by Judea? Was he in the time of the second bais hamikdash? Reply