Natronai ben Hilai

Natronai Ben Hilai HaKohen (Hebrew: נטרונאי בן הלאי or Natronai the Gaon, Hebrew: נטרונאי הגאון; Full name: Natronai ben Hilai ben Mari) was Gaon "head rabbi" of the Sura Academy of Rabbinic Judaism in Mesopotamia early in the second half of the 9th century. He held this post for ten years.^[1] He is responsible for more written responsa to queries posed to him by world Jewry than any of his predecessors, and maintained close contact with the Jews of al-Andalus (now Spain and Portugal).^[1]