רשב"ם

Rav Shmuel ben Meir (c. 4845/1085–c. 4918/1158), the Rashbam, was a pashtan of the first rank and one of the early Baalei HaTosafos, a grandson of Rashi. He was born in Ramerupt in northern France to Rav Meir ben Shmuel and to Yocheved, a daughter of Rashi, and was an elder brother of Rabbeinu Tam and of the Rivam, Rav Yitzchak ben Meir. He learned from his father, from his grandfather Rashi, and from Rav Yitzchak ben Asher HaLevi, the Riva, and like his family earned his living tending flocks and growing grapes. He was known for great humility — it is told that he walked always with his eyes lowered.

The Rashbam’s commentary on the Torah is known above all for its close adherence to pshat, the plain sense of the text, even where this led him away from derash and from his grandfather’s reading; he records that he argued the point with Rashi, who granted that he would revise his own commentary had he the time. The commentary was preserved almost complete in a single manuscript. In his exegesis he drew on his knowledge of language and of the sciences, and he was among the first French commentators to engage directly with Christian readings of the pesukim.

In Talmud his best-known work is his commentary on Bava Batra: where Rashi’s commentary breaks off in the third perek, the Rashbam’s takes its place, and it is printed in every edition of the Shas as the principal commentary on the masechta. He likewise wrote the commentary on the last perek of Pesachim, Arvei Pesachim, composed Tosafot on the Rif, and wrote on grammar; many of his other rulings are cited throughout the Talmud in the Tosafot.