The Vilna Gaon (Rav Eliyahu ben Shlomo Zalman)

The Vilna Gaon, Rav Eliyahu ben Shlomo Zalman, was born on 15 Nisan (1720). He became one of the greatest Torah scholars in Jewish history, mastering all areas of Torah, Talmud, halachah, Kabbalah, and the sciences. His analytical methodology revolutionized Torah study. He authored commentaries on nearly every major Jewish text and was the acknowledged leader of the Mitnagdic (non-Chassidic) movement in Lithuania.