Ra'avyah

Eliezer ben Yoel Halevi (Ra'avyah) was a German rabbi, posek and Talmudic scholar. Wandering between communities in Germany and France, he refused to serve in a formal rabbinic position until poverty compelled him to accept a rabbinic position in Cologne, where he became famous. His halachic works were considered authoritative and indispensable to his and subsequent generations. His brother's martyrdom caused him to grieve so intensely that his vision was impaired, and he dictated his later works to students. He was also active as as one of the Ba'alei HaTosafot.