Five Takeaways From a Year with Rashbam
After a year of studying the Torah commentary of Rabbi Shmuel ben Meir (the Rashbam), grandson of Rashi, I offer five takeaway reflections.
Tag: peshat
Rashbam: Inheriting Punishment (Ki Teitzei)
Torah, they would say in the medieval period, is God’s law. It teaches us how to live. But what happens when two laws conflict? Rashbam harmonizes.
Rashbam: Master of Midrash (Behaalotcha)
Rashbam, not usually one to incorporate midrash into his Torah commentary, makes an exception in Behaalotcha. From Prince of Peshat to Master of Midrash.
Rashbam: A Stony Problem (Vayeitzei)
Jacob’s dream is famous for angels and ladders, but it contains as well an unassuming prop – a stone. Jacob,…
Rashbam: The Case of the Missing Manuscript (Lech L’cha)
We do not have Rashbam’s commentary to Genesis 2-17. It appears to have gotten lost along the way. Unlike other,…