Rare Rashbam Manuscript Discovered in Moscow Library

A rare manuscript of a Torah commentary by Rabbi Shmuel ben Meir, Rashbam, one of the great medieval biblical commentators and the grandson of Rashi, has been discovered after decades in which it was believed lost. The manuscript was located in the State Library in Moscow, where it had been kept for years without being properly identified.

The discovery was revealed by researcher Israel Dubitsky during his work on the “Ginzburg Collection,” housed in the State Library in Russia. According to him, this is a rare manuscript of Rashbam’s commentary on the Torah, known to researchers as “Manuscript No. 103” from the Jewish Theological Seminary in Breslau, now Wrocław, Poland. Researchers say the manuscript served as a central basis for preparing the first printed edition of Rashbam’s commentary, published in 1881. After that, its trail was lost, and for many years it was considered a document that could not be located.

It is now clear that after World War II the manuscript reached Soviet territory, where it became absorbed into the archives of the State Library. For years it was mistakenly cataloged as a commentary by Rashi, in part because its title page is missing and the text begins in the middle of the Book of Genesis.

Rashbam, who lived in France in the 11th and 12th centuries, is considered one of the great figures of biblical interpretation in the Middle Ages. He was the grandson and student of Rashi, but was known for his unique approach that focused on the plain meaning of the text, using Hebrew grammar and syntax rules, and at times even disagreeing with his grandfather’s interpretation.

Chief Rabbi of Russia Berel Lazar responded to the discovery, saying it is an event of great importance for the study of medieval biblical interpretation. “It is precisely in our generation that we are privileged to see discoveries that add to our understanding of the Torah and strengthen our connection to it,” he said.

Baruch Gorin, chairman of the Jewish Museum in Moscow and head of the “L’chaim” publishing house, also welcomed the revelation. “Every letter from the words of our early sages that comes to light is a cause for excitement,” he said. “We await a full understanding of the scope of the discovery and its significance.”