Scholars

Their Virtues and their Suffering

Rashi greatly honoured scholars, considering them to be the most exalted of men. They ensure the continued existence of the world, which is based on the study of Torah and observance of its commandments. We have already seen, in connection with Rashi's adulation of the Torah, how deeply ingrained this idea was in his consciousness. He recognized that the scholars bore much of the brunt of leadership in the Jewish communities of the time, and he believed it was their strength and steadfastness that ensured the continuation of Jewish life in the diaspora. But his writings make clear that he had more than this practical aspect in mind and that he contemplated an idealized world in which Torah was the value shared by all people, and the bearers of Torah—that is, the scholars—occupied a central place: ‘Scholars, to whom the Holy One, Blessed Be He, gives eyes with which to illuminate the world’ (Rashi on S. of S. 5: 12, following Song of Songs Rabbah 5: 9–11).

This attitude in itself is not novel, for the various genres of rabbinic literature contain hundreds of statements in praise of scholars and their teachings. But Rashi does more than merely reiterate an accepted idea; his comments flow from a profound inner conviction regarding the great merit of scholars and attest to his desire to persuade others to adopt this attitude themselves. Three principal objectives can be identified in Rashi's writings on the matter: (1) encouraging scholars to remain steadfast in dedicating all their might and energy to Torah study, despite the difficulties they confront in doing so; (2) promoting affection for scholars on the part of all people; and (3) suggesting how scholars should study, a subject treated in Chapter 9. Two sorts of evidence clearly attest to these objectives: biblical verses that are interpreted with reference to scholars even where that is not their plain meaning and generalizations as to the merits of scholars that are drawn on the basis of isolated details. Let me offer two examples, one from his biblical commentary and one from his talmudic commentary.

The first example appears in the commentary on Psalm 45.