Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki • Rabbenu Shlomo • Parsandata • Salomon de Troyes
Rashi
Era of the RishonimRashi — Rabbi Shlomo ben Yitzchak — is one of the greatest commentators on the Written and Oral Torah in all of Jewish history, and a central figure of medieval French Jewry. His commentary on the Torah and the Babylonian Talmud is a cornerstone of Jewish study from his day to ou…
Biography
Rashi — Rabbi Shlomo ben Yitzchak — is one of the greatest commentators on the Written and Oral Torah in all of Jewish history, and a central figure of medieval French Jewry. His commentary on the Torah and the Babylonian Talmud is a cornerstone of Jewish study from his day to ours: nearly every printed edition of the Talmud is accompanied by his commentary, and it is commonly said in study halls and yeshivot that 'one cannot study without Rashi.' His method is characterized by a literal, clear and precise explanation — the peshat — using concise and lucid language while avoiding lengthy homilies. For this he was called 'Parsandata' — the interpreter of the faith. His work profoundly shaped the character of Ashkenazic Jewry and the methods of Torah study across all the Jewish diasporas.
Life Story
Childhood
Rashi was born in the city of Troyes in the Champagne region of France, around the year 1040. His father, Rabbi Yitzchak HaTzarfati, was among the scholars of Ashkenazic Jewry. Tradition recounts that his father gave his possessions to the poor, and in that merit was granted a son who would illuminate the eyes of Israel with his commentary. From childhood his extraordinary talent for study was evident, and in his youth he was sent to the great Torah centers in Germany to learn from the leading sages of the generation.
Teachers
Around the age of twenty, Rashi set out to study in the academies of the students of Rabbenu Gershom Me'or HaGolah in Worms and Mainz. His principal teachers were Rabbi Yaakov ben Yakar, Rabbi Yitzchak Segan Leviyah, and Rabbi Yitzchak ben Yehudah. From them he absorbed the foundations of Ashkenazic commentary and halacha, upon which he built his unique method. After years of study in Germany he returned to his hometown of Troyes and founded a yeshiva there.
Students
His students were many, foremost among them his own family members and the leading scholars of the next generation who would continue his path. Among his most prominent students: his son-in-law Rabbi Meir ben Shmuel (father of the Rashbam), his son-in-law Rabbi Yehudah ben Natan (the Rivan), his grandson Rabbi Shmuel ben Meir (the Rashbam), Rabbi Yosef Kara, Rabbi Shemayah, and Rabbi Simcha of Vitry — who composed 'Machzor Vitry' and recorded within it Rashi's customs and rulings. This generation stood at the foundation of the Tosafist movement, which continued and developed his method.
Family
Rashi had no sons, but his three daughters were learned women who married outstanding scholars. His daughters — Yocheved, Miriam, and Rachel — married scholars from among his students. The descendants of his daughters became the great commentators of the following generations: the Rashbam, the Ri of Orleans, the Rivan, and others. His family became a dynasty of Torah that continued to lead French and Ashkenazic Jewry for generations.
Key Events
Upon returning to Troyes, Rashi founded a yeshiva that drew students from across France and Ashkenaz. Alongside leading the yeshiva, he devoted himself to writing his commentaries on the Torah and the Talmud — a labor that spanned many years and was accompanied by revisions and additions. Rashi lived during the transition between the Geonic and the Rishonic periods, and in his time the era of the Rishonim in France began. He operated in the heart of the Middle Ages, when the Jews of France lived under the County of Champagne, and he participated in community life and in halachic decision-making for his city and its surroundings.
Miracles
Jewish tradition preserved stories about Rashi and his family, including the tale of his father who handed a precious gem to a royal treasurer to redeem a Jew from punishment, and in that merit was granted a son who would illuminate the eyes of Israel. Such stories, though not from the earliest sources, reflect the admiration the following generations held for him and his place as a figure of virtue in Jewish consciousness.
Influence
Rashi's influence on the study of Torah and Talmud is without equal. His commentary on the Babylonian Talmud has been printed in nearly every edition since the dawn of printing, and accompanies the student on every page. His commentary on the Torah was the first to be printed in the Mikraot Gedolot, and it is studied throughout the Jewish world — from children in the cheder to the greatest of the Acharonim. His method of peshat and literal explanation formed the foundation upon which the commentaries of the Tosafot and all later Talmudic commentators were built. The Tosafists — his grandchildren and the students of his students — developed his method and turned it into the basis of the yeshiva world to this day.
Death
Rashi passed away in his city of Troyes on the 29th of Tammuz 4865 (13 July 1105), at the age of about sixty-five. In his final years he continued writing his commentary and leading his yeshiva, and the work of commentary was completed by his students and family after his passing. He was buried in Troyes, and his grave became a pilgrimage site for generations.
Writings
Rashi's Commentary on the Torah
Biblical Commentary
A comprehensive commentary on the Five Books of the Torah, explaining Scripture through the peshat method — literal, translational, and midrashic explanation as needed. Considered the most fundamental commentary on the Torah, studied throughout the Jewish world since his time. Rashi himself reviewed and corrected his commentary several times.
Rashi's Commentary on the Babylonian Talmud
Talmudic Commentary
A commentary on most tractates of the Babylonian Talmud, explaining the sugyot in peshat and concisely, with attention to terminology and context. This commentary became an inseparable part of every printed edition of the Talmud, and is studied in every beit midrash. On some tractates his students completed the commentary after his passing.
His Way and Views
Torah Study
Rashi's method of Torah study is characterized by a simple and literal explanation — the peshat. He sought to explain Scripture at its plain level, with careful attention to grammar, precise translation, and context. Although he occasionally cited rabbinic midrashim, he did so only when they aligned with or complemented the peshat. This approach was designed to allow every student, even a beginner, to understand the verses with clarity.
Halacha
Rashi was a halachic authority for his generation, and his rulings and responsa are reflected in the writings of his students and the Tosafists. He relied on the halachic tradition of Ashkenaz that he received from his teachers, students of Rabbenu Gershom, and adapted it to the customs of French Jewry. His rulings are marked by simplicity and attention to practical application.
Faith
Rashi's faith was pure and simple, free of sophistry and mysticism. He saw in every verse and every teaching of the sages the straightforward word of God, and explained them with wholehearted faith. His commentaries reflect a deep love for Torah and mitzvot, and a vision of divine providence throughout the history of the people of Israel.
Ethics
In his character, Rashi was humble and modest, careful about honesty and truth. His way in commentary — avoiding unnecessary cleverness and disputes — reflects his measured and serene personality. He saw Torah as the supreme value, and himself as merely its servant.
Customs
Rashi preserved the customs of French and Ashkenazic Jewry that he received from his teachers, and established them in his yeshiva. His student Rabbi Simcha of Vitry documented many of his customs in 'Machzor Vitry,' thereby preserving the liturgy and practice of the French communities of his generation.
Character
Rashi was distinguished by humility, piety, and modest means. Despite his greatness in Torah he held no formal title, and led his community with modesty. He engaged in the wine trade for his livelihood, thus being a full partner in the practical life of his community while devoting the greater part of his time to Torah.
Public Role
Rashi led French Jewry in his generation — not by formal title but by the force of his Torah and his personality. He answered halachic questions from across France and Ashkenaz, and his yeshiva in Troyes became an important Torah center that drew students from all corners of the diaspora. His figure as a spiritual leader became a model for generations of modest yet influential Torah leadership.
Famous Quotes
"'There is no reishit but beginning' — from his commentary on Genesis"
"'Morasha — handed down from one to another, as our forefathers learned it and passed it on to us' — from his commentary on the Torah"
"'Scripture does not depart from its plain meaning' — the foundation of his method"
"'A Torah of lovingkindness — wherever the Torah is, there is lovingkindness' — from his commentary"
Famous Stories
Tradition tells that Rashi's father, Rabbi Yitzchak, possessed a precious gem that was coveted by the king's treasurer. When a Jew was condemned to death and a large ransom was demanded, Rabbi Yitzchak gave the gem to redeem him. In the merit of this act of lovingkindness, he was granted a son who would illuminate the eyes of Israel with his commentary.
Rashi earned his livelihood from the wine trade. He would tend his vineyards and press his wine, and in between his labors he would sit and write his commentaries. This combination of practical life and Torah study became a model for the Jewish scholar who is a partner in the life of his community while devoting his heart to Torah.
Rashi had no sons, but his three daughters were learned women who were knowledgeable in Torah. It is told that when Rashi was too weak to write, his daughters would assist him, and their husbands and sons became the great commentators of the next generation — the Rashbam, the Rivan, and the Tosafists.
Students
Teachers
Grave Site
Timeline
Birth of Rashi in Troyes, France
Departure to study Torah in Worms and Mainz under the students of Rabbenu Gershom
Return to Troyes and founding of his yeshiva
Composition of his commentaries on the Torah and the Talmud
Passing of Rashi in Troyes on the 29th of Tammuz
Legacy
Rashi's legacy is among the deepest and most enduring in the history of the Jewish people. His commentaries on the Torah and the Talmud are an inseparable part of all Jewish study: nearly every chumash and every page of Talmud is accompanied by his words, and in the yeshivot and study halls it is commonly said that 'one cannot study without Rashi.' His method of peshat formed the foundation for the commentaries of the Tosafot and all later Talmudic commentators. His family — his daughters and their descendants — continued his path and produced the great Rishonim of France and Ashkenaz. His figure as the fundamental, modest and precise commentator remains a symbol of Torah study in clarity and love, and continues to guide the methods of study across all the Jewish diasporas to this very day.