Rishonim (ʁiʃoˈnim; ; sing. ראשון, Rishon) were the leading rabbis and poskim who lived approximately during the 11th to 15th centuries, in the era before the writing of the Shulchan Aruch (שׁוּלחָן עָרוּך, "Set Table", a common printed code of Jewish law, 1563 CE) and following the Geonim (589–1038 CE). Rabbinic scholars subsequent to the Shulchan Aruch are generally known as acharonim ("the latter ones").
The distinction between the and the is meaningful historically; in halakha (Jewish law) the distinction is less important. According to a widely held view in Orthodox Judaism, the Acharonim generally cannot dispute the rulings of rabbis of previous eras unless they find support from other rabbis in previous eras. On the other hand, this view is not formally a part of halakha itself, and according to some rabbis is a violation of the halakhic system. In The Principles of Jewish Law, Orthodox rabbi Menachem Elon writes that:
Eleazar of Worms (haRokeah), 12th century German halakhist.
Judah ben Samuel of Regensburg (Hasidim), 12th century German mystic and halakhist.
Abraham ben Nathan (HaManhig), 13th century Provençal Talmudist.
Moses de León (Zohar), 13th century Spanish Kabbalist.
Isaac ibn Ghiyyat (Me'ah She'arim), 11th century Spanish halakhist and commentator.
Moses ben Meir of Ferrara, 13th century Tosafist.
Eliezer ben Samuel of Metz (Yereim), 13th century Tosafist. (1140-1237)
Eliezer ben Samuel of Verona, 13th century Tosafist.
Immanuel of Rome, 14th century Italian poet (1261-1335)
Benjamin ben Judah, 14th century Italian exegete. (1290-1335)
Benjamin ben Isaac of Carcassonne, 14th century scholar.
Judah ben Benjamin Anaw, 13th century Italian halakhist and Talmudist (1215-1280)
Zedekiah ben Abraham Anaw (Shibbolei HaLeqet), 13th century Italian halakhist (1220-1280)
Benjamin ben Abraham Anaw, 13th century poet, exegete, and halakhist. (d.