Rashi (Jewish Encounters) (0805242546)

Editorial Review:

From Elie Wiesel, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, comes a magical book that introduces us to the towering figure of Rashi--Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki--the great biblical and Talmudic commentator of the Middle Ages.
Wiesel brilliantly evokes the world of medieval European Jewry, a world of profound scholars and closed communities ravaged by outbursts of anti-Semitism and decimated by the Crusades. The incomparable scholar Rashi, whose phrase-by-phrase explication of the oral law has been included in every printing of the Talmud since the fifteenth century, was also a spiritual and religious leader: His perspective, encompassing both the mundane and the profound, is timeless.
Wiesel's Rashi is a heartbroken witness to the suffering of his people, and through his responses to major religious questions of the day we see still another side of this greatest of all interpreters of the sacred writings.
Both beginners and advanced students of the Bible rely on Rashi's groundbreaking commentary for simple text explanations and Midrashic interpretations. Wiesel, a descendant of Rashi, proves an incomparable guide who enables us to appreciate both the lucidity of Rashi's writings and the milieu in which they were formed.

Customer Reviews:

Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0

Disappointing:

I looked forward to learning more about Rashi, after seeing his name mentioned numerous times in a variety of books based on Jewish theology. I looked forward to reading more of Elie Wiesel's religious commentary, which I find thought provoking. I was disappointed on both counts. Wikipedia has more information about the life of Rashi. There is nothing in this book that isn't already present in Wiesel's other commentaries. It would have made more sense to publish the manuscript as an essay. I want my money... more info

Too Short!:

Too short. Not enough material. I expected more. What there was of it was wonderful. With a combination of Rashi and Wiesel it should have been a terrific project. Oh well.
Leshalom Y

Light Introduction to Rashi:

I specifically chose this title as an introduction to Rashi, knowing that it would not be a full biography. Having said that, other titles in the series have gone in to more depth about the subject's background and influence (especially if background information is sparse, as with Rashi). Overall I enjoyed it but had to continue on to other books about Rashi to get a better feel for his influence.

Beginners and advanced students of the Bible will relish this explanation of his life and times:

Rashi is Rabbi Shlomo Yitzhak - a biblical and Talmudic commentator of the Middle Ages - and this book provides not just a biography of the man but a review of medieval European Jewry where scholars existed in closed communities surrounded by anti-Semitism. Scholar Rashi has been in every printing of the Talmud since the 15th century: beginners and advanced students of the Bible will relish this explanation of his life and times.

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