Troyes celebrates 'hometown' boy Rashi
Rashi, arguably most famous and influential Torah commentator of all time, was born in Troyes, France, around 1040, and died in 1105, after founding Talmudic school. First Hebrew printed text, in 1475 in Italy, is Bible accompanied by Rashi commentary, with Hebrew alphabet 'Rashi script' created to identify his writings
Salomon of Troyes, the French Rabbi also known as Rashi, lived in the 11th century during a golden age for Jews living in the Champagne region. He was then freely cultivating his vineyards and writing commentaries on the Bible and the Talmud that are still authorities in today’s exegesis.
Milestone commentator
"He is the commentator of the Bible and the Talmud," said Rabbi Claude Sultan, director of the Rashi of Troyes University Centre. "He has a particular importance in biblical exegesis, not only in the Jewish world but also in the Christian exegesis."
Rashi’s writings are also an important step for anyone who is interested in the history of the French language, Sultan said.
The thousands of translations in Champagne’s dialect written in Hebraic characters in Rashi’s biblical and Talmudic commentaries are a precious source for the knowledge of the ancient French and its dialects.
Sultan stresses "the modernity of Rashi’s rhetoric, founded on tolerance, peace and humanism."
Rashi is the acronym of Rabbenu (our master) Shlomo (Salomon) Itshaki (son of Isaac). The first Hebrew printed text, in 1475 in Reggio di Calabre (Italy), is the Bible accompanied by Rashi commentaries. A specific Hebrew alphabet, known today as Rashi script, was created for it.
12th century France
Rashi was born in Troyes around 1040, and died in the city in 1105, after founding a Talmudic school already famous while he was still alive. Jews had then several agricultural and commercial activities in the Champagne region and Rashi himself cultivated his vineyards. Their relations with the Christians were good.
A text written by Rashi, quoted by a special edition of the magazine, "La vie en Champagne," (Life in Champagne) dedicated to the famous rabbi, mentions the case of a Christian who sent "according to French customs" eggs and cakes to his neighbor on the eighth day of Passover, but mistakenly before the end of the Jewish festival.
It was toward the end of the 12th and the 13th century that discrimination against Jews in Champagne began. Jews from Troyes and its region were saved from the First Crusade which triggered massacres against Jews and forced conversions in the Rhineland.
During the Second Crusade, in 1146, one of Rashi’s grandsons was injured. Bernard de Clairvaux, who called for this crusade, intervened in order to protect the Jews of Troyes.
Champagne, which was only integrated in the domain of the kings of France in 1285, stayed relatively shielded from anti-Jewish measures, like the wearing a distinctive sign imposed by the Church in 1215.
Reprinted courtesy of European Jewish Press
