Acharonim
Acharonim (; "Aḥaronim"; sing. , "Aḥaron"; lit. "last ones") in Jewish law and history, are the leading rabbis and poskim (Jewish legal decisors) living from roughly the 16th century to the present, and more specifically since the writing of the "Shulchan Aruch" (Hebrew: , "Set Table", a code of Jewish law) in 1563 CE. The "Acharonim" follow the "Rishonim", the "first ones"—the rabbinic scholars between the 11th and the 16th century following the "Geonim" and preceding the "Shulchan Aruch". The publication of the "Shulchan Aruch" thus marks the transition from the era of Rishonim to that of Acharonim. Consequences for Halakhic change . The distinction between the "Acharonim", "Rishonim" and "Geonim" is meaningful historically. According to the widely held view in Orthodox Judaism, the Acharonim generally cannot dispute the rulings of rabbis of previous eras unless they find support from other rabbis in previous eras. Yet the opposite view exists as well: In "The Principles of Jewish Law" Orthodox Rabbi Menachem Elon wrote: "Hilkheta Ke-Vatra'ei" can be interpreted in a way such that the Orthodox view does not constitute a contradiction, with an appeal to understand it within the greater context of Torah. While authority may go to the scholars of  a later generation "within" a particular era, the Talmud does not allow scholars of a later era to argue with scholars of an "earlier" era without support from other scholars of an earlier era. This is displayed in “hundreds of instances" in the Talmud in which Amora’im are challenged by Tanna’itic sources with the term מיתיבי and the Amorai'm unable to “deflect the challenge”. An Amora called Rav is challenged by Tannai’tic sources “and is vindicated by the statement, "Rav tanna hu upalig”-" “Rav is a Tanna and disagrees (in "Eiruvin" 50b, "Kesubos" 8a, and elsewhere). Similar case for Rav  China, a borderline Tanna in "Bava Metzia" 5a"." This clearly implies that the only reason they are able to get away with disagreeing is because they are Tannaim. There are “only a handful of possible exceptions [to the rule] that the "Amora’im" did not, in fact argue with the "Tanna’im.”" The question of which prior rulings can and cannot be disputed has led to efforts to define which rulings are within the Acharonim era with precision. According to many rabbis the Shulkhan Arukh is from an Acharon. Some hold that Rabbi Yosef Karo's "Beit Yosef" has the halakhic  status of a work of a Rishon, while his later "Shulkhan Arukh" has the status of a work of an Acharon. Notable Acharonim. "Note: This is list is incomplete and is only intended to provide a small selection from the broad list of prominent rabbinic figures of the Acharonic era."