Rashi, one may say, is one of the fathers of rabbinical
literature, which he stamped with the impress of his
clear, orderly intellect. Of him it could be written:
"With him began a new era for Judaism, the era of
science united to profound piety."

His influence was not limited to scholarly circles. He
is one of the rare writers who have had the privilege
of becoming truly popular, and his renown was not
tarnished, as that of Maimonides came near being on
account of bitter controversies and violent contests. He
was not the awe-inspiring master who is followed from
afar; he was the master to whom one always listens,
whose words are always read; and the writers who imi-
tate his work--with more or less felicity--believe them-
selves inspired by him. The middle ages knew no
Jewish names more famous than those of Jehudah ha-
Levi and Maimonides; but how many nowadays read
their writings and understand them wholly? The
"Diwan" as well as the "Guide of the Perplexed"
are products of Jewish culture grafted upon Arabic
culture. They do not unqualifiedly correspond to present
ideas and tastes. Rashi's work, on the contrary, is
essentially and intimately Jewish. Judaism could re-
nounce the study of the Bible and of that other Bible,
the Talmud, only under penalty of intellectual suicide.
And since, added to respect for these two monuments,
is the difficulty of understanding them, the commen-
taries holding the key to them are assured of an exist-
ence as along as theirs.

Rashi's writings, therefore, extend beyond the range
of merely occasional works, and his influence will not
soon die out. His influence, indeed, is highly productive

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