Another rabbi of Orleans,
Isaac ben Menahem (according to Gross,
Gallia judaica, pp.32-3, probably the father of Meir), was older than Rashi,
who quotes some of his Talmudic explanations, and some of the
notes written on his copy of the Talmud. There is nothing to
prove, as Gross maintains, that Rashi was his pupil. It is
not even certain that he knew him personally.
20 See p.77 for Rashi's relations to his teachers.
21 A Responsum signed by Rashi shows that he was the tutor of
the children of a certain Joseph, whose father had been
administrator of the community.
22 For a long time it was thought and said that once when Rashi
was sick, he dictated a Responsum to his daughter. As Zunz
was the first to show, this story about Rashi's secretary is
based upon the faulty reading of a text. Another legend
proved false! Science is remorseless. See
Sefer ha-
Pardes, ed. Constantinople, 33d, where one must read,
uleven bat (Vav Lamed Bet Final_Nun, Bet Tav) not
velajen biti (Vav Lamed Kaf Final_Nun, Bet Tav Yod) - See Zunz,
Zur Geschichte, p.567, and Berliner,
Hebraische Bibliographie, XI; also,
Monatsschrift, XXI.
23 As has been shown (chap. II, p.51) Rashi may have begun to
write commentaries upon the Talmud during his sojourn In
Lorraine.
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