רבינו בחיי

This year I’ve decided to learn the commentary of רבינו בחיי of Spain. He lived roughly seven hundred years ago and he was a student of the Rashba.

Rabbeinu Bechaye’s commentary included the four methods of interpretation: פשט, simple interpretation, רמז, that which was learned by hints, דרש, learning things through seeking things out, and סוד, the secrets of Torah. All four are incorporated in his commentary, making it difficult to understand.

We will do our best this year to glean from the wisdom of this great Torah sage.

Legend has it that the commentary of רבינו בחיי would have never been uncovered if not for one of the Anussim (those who practiced Christianity on the outside during the Inquisition and Judaism in private) who decided to stop the charade and not be ashamed of his Jewishness. As a result, he stumbled upon the original transcript of Rabbeinu Bechaye and revealed it to the world.