RASHI
10401105
The main distinguishing characteristic of Rashi's commentary is
a compromise
between the literal and the midrashic Interpretations.
SIFTEI HAKHAMIN
1641-1718
A super-commentary on Rashi, Siftei akhamim (1680)
SFORNO
c. 1470c. 1550 Italian biblical commentator and physician. He
searched for the literal meaning
of the text and occasionally incorporated medical ideas.
RAMBAN
11941270
Spanish rabbi and scholar and one of the leading authors of
talmudic literature
in the Middle Ages; philosopher, kabbalist, biblical exegete,
poet, and
physician. His commentaries are concerned mainly with the
sequence of the
biblical passages and with the deeper meaning of the Bible's
laws and narrative,
combining pshat, midrash and kabbalistic insights.
BAAL HA-TURIM
1270 - 1340)
He added his own opinions to explain the reason for a Torah law
or mitzvah,
containing the best expositions of the peshat ("literal
meaning")
HATAM SOFER
17621839
Authoritative halachic decisor, rabbi, teacher, commentator,
leader -- the range
of his activity is breathtaking
KLI YAKAR
1550 1619
Rabbi, poet and Torah commentator, best known for his Torah
commentary Kli
Yakar. The work provides a homiletic interpretation of
Torah.
REBBE NACHMAN
1772 1810
Was the founder of the Breslov Hasidic movement. Blending
far-reaching
insight with eminently practical advice, the Rebbe turns the
time-honored
books of Jewish tradition into contemporary manuals for personal
success.
TORAH TEMIMAH
1902
The Torah of Hashem is perfect. The object of which was "to show
the interrelationship between the Oral and Written Law. In so
doing, Rabbi
Epstein "weaves together related halachos and Aggadah together
with concise
explanations of the text. Rabbi Epstein's method was "to quote
comments and
interpretations from the vast Rabbinical literature on each
Biblical verse
[(Bavli, Yerushalmi, Sifra, Sifre, Tosefta and Mechilta)] and to
then provide his
own analysis of how the interpretations were deduced"
BERESHIT RABBAH
4th & 5th CE
Genesis Rabbah is the commentary on the book of Genesis produced
by the
Rabbinic sages of the fourth and fifth centuries C.E. It
provides the Judaic
reading of the book of Genesis in light of historical events of
that critical
period, when the Roman Emperor, Constantine, legalized
Christianity.
SHADAL
1800-1865
A generally rational Italian Bible commentator. Luzzatto's
approach to biblical
exegesis on the basis of peshat, which he believed to be the
sole correct
interpretation of bible. In his view, peshat implies first
examining the linguistic
meaning of the text according to the rules of grammar;
subsequently, on the
basis of this linguistic substrate, one should examine the
content of the text
within its literary and historical contexts. Three different
features of Luzzatto's
exegesis are considered in the paper and examples of each are
given: context-
based interpretation; secondary meanings (ambiguity); the
problem of "Torah
and Science" in the context of peshat-based interpretation.
ABARBANEL
1437-1509
Abarbanels Bible writings were different from the usual biblical
commentaries because he took social and political issues of the
times into consideration. His
commentaries are arranged in problem/solution fashion. his
primary focus was
pshat but also incorporated midrashim that he found
acceptable.
MIDRASH
TANCHUMA370 CE A collection of interpretations of the Torah
originally written in Aramaic by the
fourth-century Talmudic scholar Rabbi Tanchuma bar Abba.
CHIZKUNI
13th
century
The Chizkuni wrote a comprehensive commentary on the Torah, and
his style is very clear and accessible.
1) He collects all the explanations in keeping with the peshat
from the
works of the commentators who preceded him.
2) He explains Rashis commentary. 3) He writes an independent
commentary on the Torah, which is essentially
mystical.
BEN ASHER
1263-1340
Torah commentator which incorporates literal, allegorical and
kabbalistic
interpretations, often cited in Chassidic discourses
OR HA HAYIM
16961743
Rabbi and Kabbalist His most important work is the Or ha-ayyim
(1742), a commentary on
Torah. He combines textual analysis with talmudic and
kabbalistic insights.
RALBAG
1288-1344
Philosopher, mathematician, astronomer, and Bible commentator,
who practiced medicine.
Diverse questions of a philosophical or theological nature are
discussed by him, such as the problem of providence, miracles, and
the Messiah.
From each book of the Bible, Levi extracts the ethical,
philosophical, and religious teachings that may be gleaned from the
text
IBN EZRA
1092 - 1167
Grammarian, translator, philosopher, astronomer, and astrologer.
Ibn Ezra's commentary is devoted to precise and multifaceted
linguistic
clarifications, He had a tendency to apply the rules developed
by his
predecessors with extreme caution and stringency. He focus on
literary
aspects of bible
RADAK
1160-1235
Born in Narbonne, France, Author of a Hebrew grammar &
dictionary (Mikhol & Sefer ha-Shorashim)
Kimhi used the methodology of Ibn Ezra and the elder Kimhis
stressing scientific analysis. He stroves for clarity and
readibility
He was strongly influenced by the rationalism of Ibn Ezra and
Maimonides.
RASHBAN
1080-1170
Grandson and student of Rashi, and brother of Rabeinu Tam.
His
commenatry is focused on the literal meaning of the text.
RABBENU CHANANEL
975-1057
His commentary on the Pentateuch, in which there is much
directed against
the Karaites. Rabbenu Hananel was believed to transmit many of
the
traditional interpretations of the Babylonian "Ge'onim," the
heirs to the
Babylonian academies in the post-Talmudic era.Rather than offer
complete
explanations of every detail, Rabbenu Hananel presents a
paraphrased
summary of the main arguments. He omits most of the non-legal
sections
(Aggadah) HAKETAV
VE'HAKABBALAH
1785-1865
Mecklenberg demonstres the authentic textual and linguistic
basis for
traditional interpretation.
ALSHICH
15081593
He emphasizes first and foremost the Mussar, the moral ethical
lessons, that
can be gleaned from the Torah.
