of results, since his commentaries do not arrest the
march of science, as witness his disciples who enlarged
and enriched the ground he had ploughed so vigorously,
and whose fame only adds to the lustre of Rashi's name.
The field he commanded was the entire Jewish culture
of France--of France, which for a time he turned into
the classic land of Biblical and Talmudic studies. "In
him," says M. Israël. Lévi, "is personified the Judaism
of Northern France, with its scrupulous attachment to
tradition, its naïve, untroubled faith, and its ardent
piety, free from all mysticism." Nor was Rashi confined
to France; his great personality dominated the whole of
Judaism. Dr. M. Berliner writes: "Even nowadays,
after eight hundred years have rolled by, it is from him
we draw our inspiration,--we who cultivate the sacred
literature,--it is his school to which we resort, it is his
commentaries we study. These commentaries are and
will remain our light in the principal department of
our intellectual patrimony."

Doubtless Rashi is but a commentator, yet a com-
mentator without peer by reason of his value and
influence. And, possibly, this commentator represents
most exactly, most powerfully, certain general propen-
sities of the Jewish people and certain main tendencies
of Jewish culture. Rashi, then, has a claim, universally
recognized, upon a high place of honor in our history
and in our literature.

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