Rashi's daughters
Encyclopedia
Joheved, Miriam, and Rachel (11th-12th century) were daughters of the great medieval Talmud
ic scholar, Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, better known by the acronym, Rashi
, who had no sons. These women married three of their father’s finest students and were the mothers of the leaders of the next generation of French Talmudic scholars.
Many of their descendants were known as Baalei Tosafos (Tosafists) who wrote critical and explanatory glosses on the Talmud. In all printed versions of the Talmud, the commentary of Rashi appears on the inside column (next to the binding) and that of the Tosafists on the outside column.
Joheved and Miriam were born in Troyes
, France
(capital of the province of Champagne
) between the years 1058 and 1062. It is not known which is the eldest. Rachel was probably born in Troyes around 1070. Some believe there was a fourth daughter who died young.
of nearby Ramerupt. They had four sons: Isaac ("Rivam
"), Samuel ("Rashbam
") (1080–1174), Solomon the grammarian, and their youngest child, Jacob ("Rabbenu Tam") (c. 1100-1171). Despite the modern Ashkenazi
naming custom, Joheved's son Solomon was born during her father’s lifetime.
Samuel became head of the Troyes yeshiva
after the death of his grandfather, Rashi, while Jacob established a second school at Ramerupt. Isaac died during his parents’ lifetime, leaving seven orphans.
Joheved and Meir had at least two daughters who married Rashi’s students. Hannah, a teacher of laws and customs relevant to women, married Samuel ben Simcha. Their son, Isaac of Dampierre
("Ri"), became the leading Talmudic scholar of his generation. Another daughter, whose name is unknown, married Samson ben Joseph.
Joheved died in 1135 in Ramerupt. Meir died there a few months later.
and had a daughter, Alvina, a learned woman whose customs served as an example for other Jewish women. Miriam’s son, Yom Tov, later moved to Paris and headed a yeshiva there, along with his brothers, Samson and Eliezer. Miriam may have had other daughters whose names are unknown. She is assumed to have died in Troyes, her birthplace, but her date of death is not recorded.
discusses the case of his young daughter losing a valuable ring at a time when Joheved and Miriam were adults, so there was clearly another daughter much younger than her older sisters. In addition, Rashi is mentioned as having a grandson, Shemiah, and a granddaughter, Miriam, whose mother was neither Joheved nor Miriam. Judy Chicago, in her compendium of significant women in history, lists Rachel (b. 1070), daughter of Rashi, as a learned woman who acted as his secretary and took his dictation when he was infirm.
Some scholars, based on a responsa that details how Rashi mourned for a little girl during a Jewish festival even though such mourning is prohibited, have postulated that he was mourning the death of his own young daughter, who would have been younger than Rachel.
The most well-known, and most likely to be true, states that they were learned in Torah
and Talmud
at a time when women were forbidden to study these sacred texts. While it seems impossible for girls with a yeshiva in their home to grow up without knowledge of Torah, there is more evidence than this. A responsum of Rashi notes that he is too weak to write so he is dictating to his daughter, which indicates that she was capable of understanding and writing complicated legal issues in Hebrew. Interestingly, there are two versions of this responsa, the other stating that Rashi was dictating to the "son of my daughter" instead of just "my daughter." However, it seems unlikely that Rashi would use the awkward expression, "son of my daughter" instead of, "my grandson," and more likely that "son of" was added in later. There is also evidence that Rashi’s daughters and granddaughters taught Torah to local women and served as models for the proper performance of Jewish rituals.
While there is no evidence that Rashi’s daughters themselves wore tefillin
, we know that some women in medieval France and Germany did, and that Rabbenu Tam, Rashi’s grandson, ruled that a woman doing any mitzvah
that she is not obligated to, including tefillin, must make the appropriate blessing. Thus it seems logical that if some women prayed with tefillin, certainly Rashi’s daughters, with their high level of scholarship and ritual observance, would have done so.
The third and most obscure legend states that Rashi’s daughters wrote his commentary on the Talmud on Tractate Nedarim. There are several "Rashi" Talmudic commentaries that were obviously not written by him, some of which have been attributed to his grandson, Samuel, and son-in-law, Judah. In fact, the true authors of all but one of these pseudo-Rashi commentaries have now been identified; only Nedarim’s author remains unknown. Perhaps his daughters did write it and their identities were later suppressed.
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
ic scholar, Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, better known by the acronym, Rashi
Rashi
Shlomo Yitzhaki , or in Latin Salomon Isaacides, and today generally known by the acronym Rashi , was a medieval French rabbi famed as the author of a comprehensive commentary on the Talmud, as well as a comprehensive commentary on the Tanakh...
, who had no sons. These women married three of their father’s finest students and were the mothers of the leaders of the next generation of French Talmudic scholars.
Many of their descendants were known as Baalei Tosafos (Tosafists) who wrote critical and explanatory glosses on the Talmud. In all printed versions of the Talmud, the commentary of Rashi appears on the inside column (next to the binding) and that of the Tosafists on the outside column.
Joheved and Miriam were born in Troyes
Troyes
Troyes is a commune and the capital of the Aube department in north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about southeast of Paris. Many half-timbered houses survive in the old town...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(capital of the province of Champagne
Champagne, France
Champagne is a historic province in the northeast of France, now best known for the sparkling white wine that bears its name.Formerly ruled by the counts of Champagne, its western edge is about 100 miles east of Paris. The cities of Troyes, Reims, and Épernay are the commercial centers of the area...
) between the years 1058 and 1062. It is not known which is the eldest. Rachel was probably born in Troyes around 1070. Some believe there was a fourth daughter who died young.
Joheved and family
Joheved married Meir ben SamuelMeir ben Samuel
Meïr ben Samuel, also known by the Hebrew acronym RaM for Rabbi Meir, was a French rabbi and tosafist, who was born in about 1060 in Ramerupt, and died after 1135. His father was an eminent scholar...
of nearby Ramerupt. They had four sons: Isaac ("Rivam
Rivam
Isaac ben Meir , also known as the Rivam after his Hebrew acronym, was a French rabbi and one of the Baalei Tosafos. He was the grandson of Rashi, and brother of the Rashbam and the Rabbeinu Tam. His father was Meir ben Shmuel and his mother was Yocheved, the daughter of Rashi...
"), Samuel ("Rashbam
Rashbam
Samuel ben Meir after his death known as "Rashbam", a Hebrew acronym for: RAbbi SHmuel Ben Meir, was a leading French Tosafist and grandson of Shlomo Yitzhaki, "Rashi."-Biography:...
") (1080–1174), Solomon the grammarian, and their youngest child, Jacob ("Rabbenu Tam") (c. 1100-1171). Despite the modern Ashkenazi
Ashkenazi Jews
Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim , are the Jews descended from the medieval Jewish communities along the Rhine in Germany from Alsace in the south to the Rhineland in the north. Ashkenaz is the medieval Hebrew name for this region and thus for Germany...
naming custom, Joheved's son Solomon was born during her father’s lifetime.
Samuel became head of the Troyes yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
after the death of his grandfather, Rashi, while Jacob established a second school at Ramerupt. Isaac died during his parents’ lifetime, leaving seven orphans.
Joheved and Meir had at least two daughters who married Rashi’s students. Hannah, a teacher of laws and customs relevant to women, married Samuel ben Simcha. Their son, Isaac of Dampierre
Isaac ben Samuel
Isaac ben Samuel the Elder, also known as the Ri ha-Zaken, was a French tosafist and Biblical commentator. He flourished at Ramerupt and Dampierre, France in the twelfth century.- Biography :On his father's side Isaac was a grandson of R...
("Ri"), became the leading Talmudic scholar of his generation. Another daughter, whose name is unknown, married Samson ben Joseph.
Joheved died in 1135 in Ramerupt. Meir died there a few months later.
Miriam and family
Little is known of Miriam’s life. She married Judah ben NathanJudah ben Nathan
Judah ben Nathan, also referred to by the Hebrew acronym RIBaN, was a gifted French rabbi and commentator on the Talmud in the eleventh to twelfth century, best known for being the son-in-law and pupil of the great commentator Rashi, and to a great extent his continuator.It was Judah who completed...
and had a daughter, Alvina, a learned woman whose customs served as an example for other Jewish women. Miriam’s son, Yom Tov, later moved to Paris and headed a yeshiva there, along with his brothers, Samson and Eliezer. Miriam may have had other daughters whose names are unknown. She is assumed to have died in Troyes, her birthplace, but her date of death is not recorded.
Rachel and another daughter
Almost nothing is known about Rachel except for a letter that Rabbenu Tam wrote to his cousin, Yom Tov, in which he mentioned that their aunt Rachel was divorced from her husband, Eliezer. One of Rashi's responsaResponsa
Responsa comprise a body of written decisions and rulings given by legal scholars in response to questions addressed to them.-In the Roman Empire:Roman law recognised responsa prudentium, i.e...
discusses the case of his young daughter losing a valuable ring at a time when Joheved and Miriam were adults, so there was clearly another daughter much younger than her older sisters. In addition, Rashi is mentioned as having a grandson, Shemiah, and a granddaughter, Miriam, whose mother was neither Joheved nor Miriam. Judy Chicago, in her compendium of significant women in history, lists Rachel (b. 1070), daughter of Rashi, as a learned woman who acted as his secretary and took his dictation when he was infirm.
Some scholars, based on a responsa that details how Rashi mourned for a little girl during a Jewish festival even though such mourning is prohibited, have postulated that he was mourning the death of his own young daughter, who would have been younger than Rachel.
Legends
There are three legends about Rashi’s daughters, all suggesting that they possessed unusual piety and scholarship.The most well-known, and most likely to be true, states that they were learned in Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
and Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
at a time when women were forbidden to study these sacred texts. While it seems impossible for girls with a yeshiva in their home to grow up without knowledge of Torah, there is more evidence than this. A responsum of Rashi notes that he is too weak to write so he is dictating to his daughter, which indicates that she was capable of understanding and writing complicated legal issues in Hebrew. Interestingly, there are two versions of this responsa, the other stating that Rashi was dictating to the "son of my daughter" instead of just "my daughter." However, it seems unlikely that Rashi would use the awkward expression, "son of my daughter" instead of, "my grandson," and more likely that "son of" was added in later. There is also evidence that Rashi’s daughters and granddaughters taught Torah to local women and served as models for the proper performance of Jewish rituals.
While there is no evidence that Rashi’s daughters themselves wore tefillin
Tefillin
Tefillin also called phylacteries are a set of small black leather boxes containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah, which are worn by observant Jews during weekday morning prayers. Although "tefillin" is technically the plural form , it is loosely used as a singular as...
, we know that some women in medieval France and Germany did, and that Rabbenu Tam, Rashi’s grandson, ruled that a woman doing any mitzvah
Mitzvah
The primary meaning of the Hebrew word refers to precepts and commandments as commanded by God...
that she is not obligated to, including tefillin, must make the appropriate blessing. Thus it seems logical that if some women prayed with tefillin, certainly Rashi’s daughters, with their high level of scholarship and ritual observance, would have done so.
The third and most obscure legend states that Rashi’s daughters wrote his commentary on the Talmud on Tractate Nedarim. There are several "Rashi" Talmudic commentaries that were obviously not written by him, some of which have been attributed to his grandson, Samuel, and son-in-law, Judah. In fact, the true authors of all but one of these pseudo-Rashi commentaries have now been identified; only Nedarim’s author remains unknown. Perhaps his daughters did write it and their identities were later suppressed.