The Commentary of R. Samuel ben Meir (Rashbam) on Qoheleth

by Sara Japhet (Editor and Translator), Robert B. Salters (Editor and Translator)

This book, designed for students of the Hebrew Bible and medieval exegesis, presents a small part of the work of R. Samuel ben Meir (Rashbam), the grandson of Rashi and one of the leading figures in Rashi's school of exegesis in nNorthern France. The authors show by their editing of the text, in translation and in introduction, the specific and unique contributions which Rashbam makes, not only to the understanding of Qoheleth, but to the text of the Hebrew Bible as a whole.

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1985

Reviews

[Michael Lewyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

About half of this book is an explanation of a commentary on the book of Qoheleth (aka Ecclesiastes), including an explanation of why the translators think it was written by Rashbam.
The second half of the book is the commentary itself; Rashbam (or more accurately, the author who may or may not be Rashbam), to a greater extent than some other commentators on Qoheleth, turns the latter into a pious Jew. For example, one passage states that God "will doom both righteous and wicked" (3:19) which on its face sounds a bit nihilistic. However, Rashbam interprets this to mean that God punishes both the righteous and the wicked for their sins. Rashbam also emphasizes the difference between practical and profound wisdom: practical day-to-day wisdom is good, while attempts to understand the infinite are futile.