One of the greatest and most important 12th-century Ashkenaz rabbis is also relatively unknown: Rabbi Shimshon ben Avraham of Sens, France, known in Judaic scholarship as “Rash Mishantz,” since Rash (ר”ש) is an acronym for Rabbi Shimson and Shantz (שאנץ) is the Jewish version of Sens. An immense scholar whose leadership bridged the 12th and 13th centuries, he was venerated and influential in his day, and his impact remains equally significant now.

Twelfth-century France saw the rise of the Tosafists, successive generations of scholars who pioneered a novel approach to interpreting the Talmud. The movement’s key founder and figurehead was Rabbeinu Yaakov Tam. Although he developed the approach, he left little in writing. He was, however, blessed with outstanding students – talented scholars in their own right – including his recognized successor, Rabbeinu Yitzchak the Elder (known as Ri). Ri systematized and recorded his teacher’s approach and disseminated it widely.

Ri similarly produced a large number of impressive students. Foremost among them, and the one who would be recognized as the leader of the third generation of Tosafists, was Rabbi Shimshon of Sens (Shantz), named for the location of the yeshivah he maintained after studying for decades under his mentor, Ri.

Rabbi Shimshon was born around 1150 in the city of Falaise, in the Normandy region of France.1 We know of two sons, both of whom were rabbis. The younger one, Shlomo, also established himself as a great scholar. Rabbi Shimshon passed away in 1230 in the city of Acre (Akko) in the Land of Israel, and lies buried at the foot of Mount Carmel, together with other outstanding greats, such as Ramban (Nachmanides), and his own two sons.

In addition to being known as Rash Mishantz, he is occasionally referred to by the acronym Rashba, as well as the moniker Hasar Mishantz, meaning “the Count of Sens.” How did he get the name (since he definitely wasn’t a count!)? The illustrious Chida (Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Azulai) found an ancient manuscript explaining that since Rash (the acronym for Rabbi Shimon) also means ‘poor’ in Hebrew, which is unflattering, they reversed his acronym, which then read as sar, meaning “count.”2

Rash’s opinions carried enormous weight. Rabbi Yitzchak of Vienna, one of the great halachic authorities in the succeeding generation, described Rash as “unique in his generation for his scholarship and wisdom.” 3 Several generations later, Rabbeinu Asher, one of the greatest halachic authorities of his time, wrote, “Rabbeinu Tam, Ri, and Rabbeinu Shimshon, upon whose scholarship most of our scholarship is based.”4

As we shall see, he used his influence wisely and to good effect.

Tosafot Commentary

Since 1484, the Talmud has (almost always) been printed with a Tosafot commentary on the outer margin of the page, complementing Rashi’s commentary on the center margin. This has produced the iconic design of the Talmud. A great deal of the Tosafot commentaries to the 37 tractates of the Babylonian Talmud are derived from the version of Tosafot composed by Rash. Undoubtedly, the work of Rash in arranging the Tosafot into a well-organized commentary is what made the distribution of the Tosafot across Europe and beyond so successful.

The text that appears in today’s printed Talmud is typically an edited-down version of Rash’s own commentary, which once covered the entire Talmud. This was done in the generation following Rash for brevity, resulting in a sometimes cryptic text that is difficult to decipher. While most of the original writings from which our current Tosafot commentaries were drawn have been lost, we do still have the original commentary of several tractates, published under the name Tosafot HaRash Mishantz.5

Given the dense and complex nature of the Tosafot, thousands of explanatory commentaries arose. By contrast, Rash’s own version is fuller and clearer, resolving many of the knotty problems that generations of scholars worked to address.

In addition, Rash’s version is richer, revealing fascinating details about how the discussions unfolded in Ri’s academy. What may sometimes be limited to a punchline in the printed Tosafot is presented as a blow-by-blow account in Rash’s version. Rash’s commentary also incorporates broader implications of the discussion, even when not strictly relevant to the immediate topic at hand. For example, in a discussion about whether beer is chametz (and thus forbidden for consumption on Passover), Rash discusses the appropriate blessing to be said when drinking beer.6

Rash was not the originator of Tosafot, nor the systemizer, but he was the ultimate compiler, popularizer, and disseminator. As a gifted teacher and communicator, he turned the Tosafot approach of his predecessors into a reliable commentary on every page of the Talmud.

Great Maimonides Dispute

While Rash was the leading Ashkenazic scholar in France, Maimonides was the leading Sephardic scholar in Egypt. As Maimonides’ major works became known, they aroused controversy. Leading rabbis took sides, either supporting or opposing Maimonides’ positions.

The leader of the critics was Rabbi Meir ben Todros Abulafia from Toledo, Spain. In particular, he objected to what he perceived as Maimonides’ questionable views about the Judaic belief in the eventual revival of the dead (techiyat hameitim). He also sternly objected to some of Maimonides’ more philosophical views, deeming them antithetical to traditional Torah teachings. Rabbi Meir Abulafia strove diligently to rally leading rabbis of France to support his position, with limited success.

Rabbi Meir attempted to convince Rash to come out openly against Maimonides, but Rash steadfastly refused to participate in the dispute. He insisted that while he agreed with the criticism, his great respect for Maimonides precluded him from speaking negatively. Eventually, Maimonides published a clarification about the most contentious of his views, and part of the dispute subsided.7

In this way, Rash helped to lower the flames of discord that threatened to inflame the entire Jewish community.

Notwithstanding his utmost respect for Maimonides, Rash was strongly critical of the way he omitted any sources in his vast halachic code, the Mishneh Torah. In his view, in the absence of sources, it was impossible to independently assess the validity of Maimonide’s rulings. He also considered this a sharp deviation from traditional norms.

Nevertheless, Rash maintained the utmost civility and respect while holding true to his views—a hallmark of his scholarship and leadership.

Love for the Land of Israel

Rash maintained a powerful interest in the Land of Israel. More than others before him, he heavily incorporated ideas from the Jerusalem Talmud into his writings. At that time, the Babylonian Talmud predominated, and the Jerusalem Talmud, representing the learning of the Land of Israel, was relatively unknown. Rabbi Shlomo Luria (Maharshal), the great sixteenth-century halachic authority, noted that Rash was proficient in the Jerusalem Talmud “more than anyone else we have heard of.”8

Rash wrote a pioneering commentary on the Mishnah, focusing on tractates with no Talmudic commentary. Those sections were also the ones most focused on the laws pertaining to the Land of Israel. To this day, Rash’s Mishnah commentary serves as a foundational text.

In 1211, Rash fulfilled his dream and traveled to the Land of Israel together with around 300 Tosafists and other Jewish notables from France and England. Part of his drive to leave France was due to anti-Jewish persecution instigated by Pope Ignatius the Third. Rabbi Moshe Isserles recalled, “When the persecution of the Jews of France intensified, he went up to Israel.”9 His choice of destination, however, was motivated by his longstanding interest in and passion for everything related to the Holy Land. No doubt, Saladin’s 1187 conquest of the land from the Crusaders meant the area was far safer for Jews, enabling him to settle there.

At first, he resided in Jerusalem, which earned him the moniker, “the Jerusalemite.”10 In 1229, Rash and his colleagues were forced to flee Jerusalem when it once again fell into the hands of the Crusaders. Rash moved to the Northwestern city of Acre (Akko), where he lived for 19 years. His descendants continued to reside in Acre for several generations. Eventually, the area was conquered by the Mamluk Muslims from Egypt, and Rash’s grandson is listed among those murdered.

Eight hundred years after Rash illuminated the world with his exceptional scholarship, we remain indebted to him. He not only made an outstanding contribution to Judaism in his day, but his legacy continues to live on in every Talmud student who benefits from his devotion and skill, faith and leadership. If you find yourself near Acre, make a point of paying your respects at his graveside on behalf of dozens of generations whose studies he immeasurably enriched.