HAI (939—Io38), Jewish Talmudical scholar, was born in 939. He was educated by his father Sherira, gaon of Pombeditha (Pumbedita), whom he succeeded in this office in 998. He died on March 28, 1038. Hai is famous chiefly for his answers to problems of ritual and civil law, in which he stresses custom and tradition, provided no infringement of the law were involved, and was essentially conservative in theology. He also composed treatises on Talmudic law, commentaries on the Mishnah, a dic tionary of difficult terms in the Bible, Targum and Talmud and possibly a few of the poems which have since been attributed to him. He was well versed in Plato and Aristotle and in Arabic literature.
See Steinschneider, Hebr. (bersetz. and article in Jewish Ency clopedia.