Peshat - Rabbinic Views and Usage

Rabbinic Views and Usage

Abraham Ibn Ezra is quoted in his writings as saying that the Rabbis of the Talmud were well-versed in Peshat, having built their Midrashic exegeses on it: "They knew peshat better than all the generations that came after them." In contrast, Rashbam, known for his ability in Peshat, felt that the early rabbis were not knowledgeable in Peshat, and instead used other strategies. However, both these Rabbis were led to opposing conclusions based on their opinion of the Talmudic Rabbis' abilities in Peshat: Rashbam concluded that the methods used by the Talmudic Rabbis should be regarded as a separate type of exegesis from Peshat. Ibn Ezra felt that the only proper exegesis would lead to his own conclusions, and therefore disregarded the midrashim of the Talmudic Rabbis as exegesis altogether. Regardless of these differences in opinion in reference to the Rabbis of the Talmud, both Ibn Ezra and Rashbam favored and promoted Peshat as a superior alternative to Midrashic methods.

One of Rashbam's students, Rabbi Eliezer of Beaugency, is noted as completely removing Drash from his exegetical strategies, relying solely on Peshat. In comparison to Rashbam's tendency to explain how his views would contrast with those of Talmudic Rabbis, Rabbi Eliezer is not compelled to do so, feeling that Peshat is the only proper way to look at text. As Peshat's methods rely often on the importance of context, Rabbi Eliezer's commentaries are known for their tendency to focus on the context of a given verse or text. His commentaries are integrated with text, rather than sitting separate from them, and he insists on ensuring that no verse loses its context during his discussions, in comparison to other methods, such as the "verse-by-verse approach of Rashi"

David Kimhi, known also as the Radak, was another Rabbi known for his ability in Peshat, and was influenced both by Ibn Ezra and Rashi. While Kimhi preferred Peshat methods over Derash, the influence of Rashi can be seen in some of his commentaries, in the inclusion of midrashic citations. Additionally, Kimhi lived among many famed proponents of Derash, such as Rabbi Moses the Preacher, who "undoubtedly had a substantial impact on Radak." Kimhi tended to go out of his way to reject the views of the Rabbis of the Talmud often, which has led to the theory that, although disagreeing with them, Kimhi fully acknowledged the tradition and authority of the Talmud Rabbis. In his commentaries, Kimhi labels his interpretation as Peshat, and that of the Talmudic Rabbis as Derash, creating a strict divide between the two in his writings.