Rif
Acronym for Rav Yitzchak the son of Yaakov HaKohen Alfasi (al-fasi, or from Fez, Morocco).He was born in Algeria in 1013, moved shortly thereafter to Fez, and fled to Spain at the age of seventy-five, ultimately settling in Lucena. His major work is his Sefer HaHalachot, an abridged version of the Talmud that incorporates only the sections of the Talmud that deal most directly with the law, leaving out much of the lengthy discussions and anecdotes. Setting a precedent for many later codes of law, his work focused only on laws that were practical in his time, and thus the work does not cover a majority of Zeraim, Kodshim, and Taharot. His teachers included Rabbeinu Chananel and Rav Nissim, and his students included Rav Yehuda HaLevi (Author of the Kuzari) and Rav Yoseif MiGash (teacher of Maimon and His son, Rambam).
