The Effect of Rashi on Judaism
WORK AS A JUDGE/RABBI
His rulings on Halachah law set legal precedences that continue today. Jews with moral dilemnas will still sometimes refer to Rashi's rulings to provide guidance and legal interpretations.
His rulings in favour of women set a pattern or tradition against the oppressive patriachal Jewish community at the time. His rulings protected a woman's rights in her marriage and often upheld the covenant between husband and wife if the husband was unjustly seeking a get (divorce).
For example:
A husband sort to be released from his marriage without paying the marriage contract because she had sores all over her face which she hid on the wedding day with cosmetics. He sought the ruling that the marriage was not binding. Rashi ruled that the husband was not acting like a true descendant of Abraham as he was not showing compassion to all humankind, least of all his wife with whom he had entered into a covenant. The husband was obliged to honour his wife and live with her in love and fellowship.
This type of ruling had ongoing effects in Judaism as women were more protected in their marriages against trivial divorces due to Rashi's example.
YESHIVOT
Rashi established his first yeshiva at 25, then went onto establish other yeshivot and this tradition then continued through his tosafots (students and grandsons).
After studying in Mainz and Worms (both centres of Jewish academic excellence at the time) as a young man, he took this learning and academic tradition back to Troyes.
His schools earned reputation of academic excellence and educated many young men - FROM ALL ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL BACKGROUNDS - in Torah scholarship and Halachah (Jewish law).
In doing this he established the tradition of Torah scholarship in Judaism for generations to come and this is a tradition that still exists today. The tradition was initially carried on by the Tosafots but continues into modern times. There is even the "Rashi School of Learning" in Boston, USA today.
His education and Yeshiva meant that many young men who would otherwise have not been educated and would have remained ignorant of the laws and teachings of their own faith, could be schooled in Torah and Halachah and take this learning back to their own families to further their understanding of Torah and strengthen their faith.
COMMENTARIES:
In nearly 1000 years, Rashi's commentaries have not been superceded. This is how complete, thorough and effective Rashi's works are.
The commentaries are still published in all copies of the Talmud today, his commentaries found in the inside column of a page of the Talmud, the column closest to the spine of the book. His work and his interpretations, as well as his encouragement of his students to disagree and argue with his meanings, inspired his Tosafots (grandsons and students) to also write commentaries, often contradicting Rashi's commenaries. These commentaries are also published in each edition of the Talmud, being found in the outside column of each page.
His commentaries are also included in each copy of the Chumash, a printed copy of the Torah scroll found in the synagogue. This allows for modern interpretation of current issues using Rashi to understand and apply Torah scripture.
Rashi wrote the first comprehensive commentary on the Talmud. He gave full explanation of all words and oral laws.
His commentaries were simple and concise and often used analogies to convey meaning so that people of all educational backgrounds could understand. This was very important as it mean that all people could access Torah - not just the educated few (before this, Torah and Talmud study was previously restricted to the educated few who could read and speak Hebrew and Aramaic).
Rashi translated the text into the common language of the time (French) which meant all people could read and understand the words of the TeNaCh and Talmud.
His commentaries also allowed for non Jews (mostly Christians) to be able to read and understand the teachings of Judaism which helped to ease tensions between the two religious communities at the time (many tense interactions between Christians and Jews at the time, around the time of the Second Cruisade, when Jews were being persecuted for their beliefs).
Even today, people do not study Torah without using Rashi's words to guide them.
It was said of Rashi, shortly after his death: "His lips were the seat of wisdom. Thanks to him, the law... has come to life again."
EFFECTS ON WOMEN
Rashi was a champion of women's rights in Judaism and his example has had an ongoing efftect on the way women were treated and seen in Judaism.
His rulings as a judge protected a woman's rights in her marriage (previously noted in earlier post- Rashi's contributions).
Rashi educated his own daughters in matters and teachings of the Torah which set an example for other women to also be treated the same and educated.
He made changes to rulings and interpretations of Halachah law that allowed women more of a role in synagogue and enabled women to perform and observe particular mitzvot that were previously closed off to them.
This had a lasting effect on women in Judaism as they were then better able to understand the teachings of their own religion and have a more active role in living out their faith.
He wrote prayers especially for women (see previous post - Rashi's contributions) for example, changing the words of the prayer over the shabbat lamp to allow women to recite them.
OTHER EFFECTS:
Through his efforts to make Torah more accessible, he brought Christians and Jews closer together as he increased their understanding of Judaism through his commentaries.
Christian scholars were also in awe of his intelligence, his commitment to scholarship and his academic reputation and work.
Through this, there was less segregation and persecution of Jews at the time as more people were able to understand Judaism through his interpretations.
