Rishonim (; ; sing. ראשון,
Rishon, "the first ones") were the leading
Rabbis and
Poskim who lived approximately during the 11th to 15th centuries, in the era before the writing of the
Shulchan Aruch (Hebrew: שׁוּלחָן עָרוּך, "Set Table", the code of Jewish law, 1563 CE) and following the
Geonim (589-1038 CE). Rabbinic scholars subsequent to the
Shulkhan Arukh are generally known as "
Acharonim ("the latter ones").