Yom Tov Asevilli

Who was Yom Tov Asevilli?

Yom Tov ben Avraham Asevilli, commonly known by the Hebrew acronym as the Ritva, was a medieval rabbi and Halakhist famous for his commentary on the Talmud. The name "Asevilli" is a Hebrew rendering of the Arabic Isbili, meaning "from Seville".

Asevilli was born in Seville, Spain in 1250. He learned in the North of Spain and became the Rabbi of Saragossa. He died in 1330. He was the student of the Ra'ah and the Rashba and the teacher of Rabbi Yitzchak ben Manor.

His commentary on the Talmud is extremely concise and as such is one of the most frequently referred to Talmudic works until today. Many sections of the commentary have been subject to debate regarding their actual authorship, but the majority of the work has remained free from controversy. He also wrote commentaries on the writings of Alfasi and certain works of Nahmanides.