Between Ashkenaz and Sefarad: Tosafist Teachings in the Talmudic Commentaries of Ritva

Abstract

The extent to which leading rabbinic scholars of northern Europe (Ashkenaz) during the high middle ages were familiar with the writings of their counterparts in Spain (Sefarad) and points further east within the Moslem world remains an interesting area of scholarly research and conjecture. The popular (albeit fanciful) legend that describes a meeting between Rashi and Rambam notwithstanding,1 Shamma Friedman has recently provided pieces of evidence which suggest that Maimonides (in a revised version of his Mishneh Torah) was familiar with talmudic comments made by Rashi (who died thirty years or so before the birth of Maimonides).2 On the other hand, only if we presume that the ethical will attributed to Maimonides (in which he recommends the Torah commentary of Ibn Ezra for careful study) is authentic,3 do we have possible evidence for Rambam’s familiarity with the Torah commentary of Rashi (which is cited by Ibn Ezra on occasion).4