is a project in Rabbinical studies which has started in February 2020 and is led by the P. I. Prof. Dr. Dagmar Börner-Klein, the author of several books and articles, among others on rabbinical exegesis, and the publisher of the book series on Yalkut Shimoni. The project is supported by the DFG (the German Research Foundation) and affiliated to the Jewish Studies the University of Düsseldorf in Germany. Dr. Vera Leininger is the project research scientist in the area of Jewish history.
Both, the author of the Yalkut Shimoni, a monumental biblical commentary on the entire Hebrew Bible, and Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo ben Yitzhak, 1040-1105 in Troyés), the most important Jewish commentator on the Bible, used Talmud and Midrash as their source in their biblical interpretation. It is generally believed that the Yalkut Shimoni originated after Rashi. Since Rashi offers a selection of Talmud and Midrash in his commentary on the Hebrew Bible and presents these sources not literally but condensed, it is striking that there are similarities in the presentation of rabbinic sources in Rashi and in the Yalkut Shimoni.
Since the author of the Yalkut names his sources from Talmud and Midrash, but he does not name Raschi as a source, there is a need to clarify whether there was a direct dependence of the Yalkut on Rashi. Therefore, it needs to be clarified how Rashi and the author of the Yalkut refer to the traditional Jewish literature. Where, and why do they agree and in what way they differ relying on rabbinic literature. The project is of fundamental importance for the history of interpretation of the Hebrew Bible as well as for Jewish cultural history, since both Rashi and Yalkut are the most widely read Jewish interpretations of the Bible in Ashkenas, but little is still known about their influence on each other.

Within the frame of the project Yalkut Shimoni, the comprehensive biblical commentary on Tanakh, will be compared with the work of Rashi, one of the most important Jewish commentators on the Bible and Talmud – in particular: Their commentaries on the Psalms. As both commentaries are of an extraordinary relevance for the history of the interpretation of the Hebrew Bible and its integrity within the Jewish culture and history, and formative for the literal and personal identities over generations and centuries, the humble goal of this project is none less than the comparison of the mutual influences embedded in their time and area of impact. These pages are to inform about the progress and sources relevant to our research.
SCIENCE EVENTS
& COMMUNICATION
November 2022
August 2022
July 2022
Fachverband Judaistik/Jüdische Studien/Jüdische Theologie in Deutschland e. V. – Aus laufender Forschung:
June 2022
Heinrich-Heine University – Scholarly communication: Jalkut Shimoni (update)

February 2022

programme: http://nodegoat.net from LAB1100; cut: Adobe Premiere Pro.
October 2021
Der Jalkut Schimoni
Eine jüdische Bibelauslegung aus Deutschland
Prof. Dr. Dagmar Börner-Klein (HHU)
Dr. Vera Leininger (HHU)
26. 10. 2021 19.00-20.30 (streamed)
Bürgeruniversität Haus der Universität
Eine Veranstaltung im Rahmen von 2021. Jüdisches Leben in Deutschland

Jalkut Shimoni and its Riddles (video)
August 2021
WER? WANN? WO? – WHO? WHEN? WHERE? (in English)


June 2021

May 2021
Riddle No. 2

April 2021
March 2021
Riddle No. 1


December 2020
AJS 52nd Annual Conference, December 13-17, 2020
13.1 – Theories on the Move – Session chair
Rashi’s Bible Interpretation in Yalkut Shimoni on Psalms
