Rashi´s Bible Interpretation in Yalkut Shimoni on Psalms.

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Dagmar Börner-Klein
• Subject Area: Religious Studies and Jewish Studies
• Term: from 2019 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 429532817

Both the author of the Yalkut Shimoni, a monumental biblical commentary on the entire Hebrew Bible, and Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo ben Yitzhak, died 1105), the most important Jewish commen¬tator on the Bible, use Talmud and Midrash as their source in their biblical interpretation. It is generally believed that the Yalkut Shimoni originated after Rashi. Since Rashi offers a selection of Talmud and Midrash in his commentary on the Hebrew Bible and presents these sources not literally but condensed, it is striking that there are similarities in the presentation of rabbinic sources in Rashi and in the Yalkut Shimoni. Since the author of the Yalkut names his sources from Talmud and Midrash, but he does not name Raschi as a source, there is a need to clarify whether there is a direct dependence of the Yalkut on Rashi. It therefore needs to be clarified how Rashi and the author of the Yalkut refer to the traditional Jewish literature. Where and why do they agree and in what do they differ relying on rabbinic literature. The proposed project will be of fundamental importance for the history of interpretation of the Hebrew Bible as well as for Jewish cultural history, since both Rashi and Yalkut are the most widely read Jewish interpretations of the Bible in Ashkenas, but little is known about their influence on each other.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Austria
• Cooperation Partner: Professorin Dr. Ursula Ragacs