Rabbeinu Chananel
From Wikinoah English
The earliest of the Talmudic commentaries to be printed on the standard page of Talmud, he lived in North Africa and became head of the academy at Kairouan. He lived from 980 until 1050, and was one of the first Rishonim (as a distinct group from their immediate predecessors, the Geonim). His commentary incorporates opinions handed down from the academies in Babylonia and Italy, as well as excerpts from the Jerusalem Talmud and halachic decisions. He learned under his father, Chushiel, as well as Rav Hai Gaon, and he was the teacher of Rav Yitzchak Alfasi (the Rif).
