Rav Zerachyah ''HaLevi'' was born in 1135 in Gerona, Spain and passed away in 1186 in Lunel, Provence. His work ''[[''Sefer HaMaor]]'']] was written when he was only nineteen years old, and contained his criticisms of the ''[[''Sefer HaHalachot]]'']] of [[Rif]]. He prefaced this work with comments justifying his ability to criticize [[Rif]] despite his young age. This work was heavily attacked, most notably by [[Ramban]] in his ''[[''Milchamot Hashem]]'']] ("The Wars of The Lord") and by [[Raavad]].
