Rabbenu Gershom Meor Hagolah

Features of Rabbenu Gershom Meor Hagolah

Rabbenu Gershom, the renowned tenth century Talmudist known to his contemporaries as Meor Hagolah - Light of the Diaspora, is caught in a web of misfortune that tests his faith and ingenuity to the utmost. His story takes us to the magnificent city of Constantinople. Here, as a talented physician and craftsman, he wins the admiration and confidence of the royal family. He also gains a dangerous enemy, and discovers treachery within his own home. Later in life, Rabbenu Gershom instituted the decree which bears his name: that a Jew may not have more than one wife.