Sar Shalom ben Boaz

Rav Sar Shalom was elected to the Gaonate in 838, succeeding Kohen Tzedek ben Abimai. During his time as Gaon, Rav Sar Shalom established a close and extensive relationships with other Jewish communities, such as those in Rome, Spain and especially Kairouan with whom many of his responsum where addressed to. In many of said responsum, he warned the people not to establish halakic institutions which they would not be able to observe, and if he heard that a community had restricted itself by a vow which it later felt unable to comply with, he would use the authority of his office to rescind such an oath.[1] In almost all of his responsum to neighbouring communities, Rav Sar Shalom writes in a friendly and non condescending tone despite his esteemed position. In most halakic cases, he often points out the differences between Sura and Pumbedita, letting each community choose which academies view suits them the best. Furthermore, he would go onto explain in great detail his halakic reasoning, so that each community could learn the processes of poskening (halakic decision making). His responsum also clearly show that Rav Sar Shalom was very tolerant toward non-Jews, he explicitly prohibited taking advantage of, or in any way infringing upon, the rights of gentiles. Even when there was no Chillul Hashem. [2] Although, despite his midl and tolerant disposition, he adamantly against money lenders,[3] and encouraged the severe punishment of those men who treat their wives poorly or those women who are rebellious toward their husbands.[4] Rav Sar Shalom often interpreted the Bible kabbalisticly. In a particular case, he explained that the thirty cubits' length of the upper curtains of the Temple, represented the thirty generations from Isaac to the King Zedekiah, who witnessed the destruction of Solomon's Temple. Similarly, he also states that the temple Lampstand consisting of twenty-five parts symbolizes the twenty-five generations from Adam to Mose. In 853, Rav Sar Shalom was succeeded as Sura Gaon by Natronai ben Hilai, he shortly died after, passing away in either 859 or 864 in Sura. [5] [6] [7]