Rashi
Rashi, in a comment on the first verse of Parashat Mishpatim, explains the curious phrasing of the pasuk as a lesson from God: God sends Moshe a message that Moshe shouldn't let the thought even cross…
Read more ›We look at the episode of Yaakov impersonating Esav, and focus on the issue of Yaakov lying. How could Yaakov lie to his father? We grapple with the problematic nature of a type of comment by Rashi. R…
Read more ›Parashat Vayigash introduces us to the Egyptian city of Raamses: "Yosef settled his father and his brothers, giving them holdings in the choicest part of the land of Egypt, in the region of Raamses, a…
Read more ›This shiur examines the famous mahloket (debate) between Rashi and Ramban regarding the chronology of Parashat Teruma. Is the command to construct the Mishkan given before or after Het Ha-Egel (the Si…
Read more ›Parashat Miketz begins with a description of Pharaoh's dreams, which Yosef will ultimately interpret as heralding the onset of seven years of surplus, which will be followed by seven years of drought.…
Read more ›How do I know when a peirush or comment is authentic? How do I know when it is an interpolation or later additon? In most cases, we check the manuscript, but when it comes to Rashi, we can't- we don't…
Read more ›A glance at Rashi's commentary reveals that Rashi was very aware of the world around him. Some of his comments relate to the world around him in different ways, be it Old French, situations of the tim…
Read more ›Despite the fact that Rashi's Bible Commentary is primarily culled from Midrashic and Talmudic literature, we will seek to detect Rashi's own values and ideals. We will implement certain principles th…
Read more ›Rashi often incorporates midrashim in his biblical commentary. He was the first commentator to draw a clear distinction between commentary on the level of peshat, and teachings on the level of derash.…
Read more ›Rashi, commenting to the first verse of the story of Migdal Bavel (11:1), writes that the people constructed the tower in an attempt to prevent another flood: “They said: Every 1,656 years, the sky co…
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