Rashi
French rabbi
Died when: 65 years 141 days (784 months)Star Sign: Pisces
Shlomo Yitzchaki (Hebrew: ??? ???? ??????;Latin: Salomon Isaacides;French: Salomon de Troyes, 22 February 1040 – 13 July 1105), today generally known by the acronym Rashi (see ), was a medieval French rabbi and author of a comprehensive commentary on the Talmud and commentary on the Hebrew Bible (the Tanakh).
Acclaimed for his ability to present the basic meaning of the text in a concise and lucid fashion, Rashi appeals to both learned scholars and beginner students, and his works remain a centerpiece of contemporary Jewish study.
His commentary on the Talmud, which covers nearly all of the Babylonian Talmud (a total of 30 out of 39 tractates, due to his death), has been included in every edition of the Talmud since its first printing by Daniel Bomberg in the 1520s.
His commentary on Tanakh—especially on the Chumash ("Five Books of Moses")—serves as the basis for more than 300 "supercommentaries" which analyze Rashi's choice of language and citations, penned by some of the greatest names in rabbinic literature.
Rashi had no male descendants; his three children were all girls.He invested himself in their education; his writings and the legends surrounding him suggest that his daughters were well-versed in the Torah and Talmud (in a time when women were not expected to study those) and would for instance help him when he was too weak to write.
His daughters would marry his disciples; most present-day Ashkenazi rabbinical dynasties can trace their lineage back to his daughters Miriam or Yocheved.
Rashi was also one of the first authors to write in Old French (the language he spoke in everyday life, which he used alongside Hebrew), as most contemporary French authors instead wrote in Latin.
As a consequence, theology aside, his work is also valued in the present day for the insight it gives into the language and culture of Northern France in the 11th century.
