The Ran ר״ן
his commentary on the Rif is printed in the Talmud; his Derashot is on the nature of authority
Nissim ben Reuven of Gerona worked in Barcelona. The sources differ on his dates — from "about 1290" to "about 1320" for his birth; his death is usually put at 1376.
His commentary on Alfasi's code is printed in standard editions of the Talmud and remains one of the principal tools of halakhah: it explains not only the conclusion but why the Rif decided as he did.
Separate from this stand the Derashot HaRan — twelve homilies in which he discusses matters unusual for the Jewish literature of his time. The central idea of the eleventh: a people has two distinct orders. There is the court of the Torah, whose task is truth and justice, bound by strict rules of evidence. And there is the law of the king, whose task is that the country not fall apart; it may act where the Torah's court is tied. Both are needed, and they must not be confused.
This is among the most cited passages in Jewish political thought, and it is still invoked when the relation of halakhah to state law is discussed.
On the timeline
Sources
Rishonim
- Derashot HaRan, homily 11 — the court of the Torah and the law of the king — two distinct orders
- The Ran's commentary on the Rif — printed in standard editions of the Talmud
Basis: documents and evidence.