Editing Chananel ben Chushiel (section)

==Biography==
Rabbeinu Chananel (c. 980–1055) was probably born in Southern Italy,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gil |first=Moshe |title=In the Kingdom of Ishmael |year=1997 |edition=4 vol. |location=Tel Aviv |pages=doc. 30 |language=Hebrew}}</ref> likely [[Bari]],<ref>According to Abraham Ibn Daud's ''Sefer ha-Kabbalah'' (12th century), Rabbeinu Chananel was born in Kairouan; he gives Bari as the point of origin for his father, R. Chushiel ben Elchanan. See Gerson Cohen, ed., ''Sefer ha-Qabbalah'' (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1967), English, p. 64, Hebrew, p. 47.</ref> an important rabbinic center in the late [[geonic period]]. Around the year 1005, his father [[Chushiel]] travelled to North Africa with the intention of making his way to Egypt.<ref>Ta-Shma, Israel Meir (1999). "הספרות הפרשנית לתלמוד". Vol. 1, p. 123</ref> While waiting for his son to join him, Chushiel settled instead in [[Kairouan]] (modern Tunisia), at the time under the rule of [[Zirid dynasty|Zirid Emirs]] on behalf of the Fatimids. R. Chananel studied under his father, who became head of the Kairouan [[yeshiva]], and through correspondence with [[Hai Gaon]]. He is closely associated with [[Nissim Ben Jacob]] in the capacity of rabbi and [[Rosh yeshiva]] of Kairouan. His most famous student is [[Isaac Alfasi]]. According to [[Abraham ibn Daud|R. Abraham Ibn Daud]], R. Chananel was also successful in business and was said to be very wealthy and had nine daughters.<ref>Cohen, ed., ''Sefer ha-Qabbalah,'' Eng. pp. 77-78, Heb. pp. 57-58.</ref>