RASHBAM. Rabbenu Shemuel Ben Meer, commonly called, from his title and the initials of his own and his father’s names, Rashbam, was born at Rameru (Ramerupt near Troyes, in France) about 1080. He was almost the greatest Talmudist of his time, the only two excelling him till 1105 being Rashi and later on his own younger brother, Rabbenu Ya'akob, better known as Rabbenu Tham. In Bible criticism and exegesis, however, he excelled all the men of the 11th and 12th centuries, even if we include R. Menahem b. Helbo, R. Yoseph Bekhor Shor, and R. Yoseph Kara of the Franco-Ashkenazic school, and Abraham Ibn 'Ezra of the Sepharadic school. Rashbam was the son of Yokhebed, second daughter of Rashi (q.v.), and of Rabbenu Meir of Rameru (b. Shemuel). He sue-ceeded his grandfather Rashi as head of the Rabbinical college, and probably also of the congregation, of Troyes. Later, however, we meet him at other places, e.g., Caen, Loudun. He died about 1160.

Of his works the following are known. (1) Commentaries on the Bible: (a) his commentary on the Pentateuch, uncritically edited several times (ed. princeps, Berlin, 1705), and critically and most ably for the first time by Rosin of Breslau (1881, 8vo); ( b) commentaries on most of the other books of the Bible, the greater part of which are now lost, but the existence of which is in early times fully testified to. Those on Ecclesiastes and Canticles were published by Dr Jellinek at Leipsic (1855, 8vo); specimens of both books have been translated into English by Dr Ginsburg (Song of Songs, London, 1857, and Coheleth, London, 1861). (2) Com-...