Rashi - Linguist Despite Himself

Through a close reading of Rashi's commentary on "Deuteronomy" that deals with language, this book examines the extent and nature of his linguistic knowledge. The commentary on the "Torah" of the eleventh-century French rabbi, Solomon Yishaqi of Troyes (better known as Rashi), is one of the major texts of mediaeval Judaism.

Rashi's commentary has enjoyed an almost canonical status among many traditional Jews from mediaeval times to the present day. The popularity of his "Torah" commentary is often ascribed to Rashi's skillful combination of traditional midrashic interpretations of Scripture with observations on the language employed therein. In this respect, Rashi is often presented as a linguist or grammarian.

This book presents a critical reappraisal of this issue through a close reading of Rashi's commentary on the book of Deuteronomy. Falling into two major sections, Part One (Contexts) presents a theoretical framework for the detailed study in Part Two (Texts), which forms the main core of the book by presenting a detailed analysis of Rashi's commentary on the book of "Deuteronomy".

Over the last 30 years this pioneering series has established an unrivaled reputation for cutting-edge international scholarship in Biblical Studies and has attracted leading authors and editors in the field. The series takes many original and creative approaches to its subjects, including innovative work from historical and theological perspectives, social-scientific and literary theory, and more recent developments in cultural studies and reception history.