More than a year ago I wrote in The Jewish Press about Rabbi Jacob Gellis’ project to assemble from printed works and manuscripts all the Biblical comments and interpretations of the Tosafists and to arrange them systematically according to the Scriptural verses to which they apply.
Gellis is a well-known Jerusalem scholar and writer whose books include the important Minhagei Eretz Yisrael (Customs and lawas of the Jews of the Land of Israel throughout the generations, Mosad Harav Kook, 1968).
In 1982 he published the first volume of his Tosafot Hashalem of the Bible. It contained the Tosafists’ comments and interpretations on the Parashot of Bereshith and Noach. In the introduction to this volume, Gellis enumerated and discussed fifty-six printed works—including rare volumes, miscellanies and periodicals—as well as one hundred and seventy-two manuscripts which contain comments by the Tosafists on the Bible.
In 1983 appeared the second volume on Lech Lecha, Vayera and Chaya Sarah. It was followed a year later by Tosafot Hashalem on Parashot Toledoth, Vayetze and Vayishlach. In his short foreword to this volume, Gellis wrote that he had received additional manuscripts and that efforts were being made to get manuscripts from a “certain European country.”
Volume IV of Tosafot Hashalem on Parashot Vayeshev, Miketz and Vayigash was published several months ago. In the beginning of the book, Gellis lists 26 manuscripts some of which have already appeared in print that he received after he began publishing Tosafot Hashalem. Among these are several from Eastern Bloc countries. Gellis adds that an additional 34 manuscripts are being examined for Tosafist material on the Bible.
The Tosafists’ comments on the Bible are not all of the same genre. All types of Biblical exegesis—Peshat, Remez, Derash and Sod are represented. There are also questions and answers with the typical Tosafist “Vei’m Tomar” and “Veyesh Lomar.”
Gellis has added to the individual interpretations, where necessary, explicatory notes and source references. Each volume of Tosafot Hashalem also contains an index listing all Tosafists quoted or mentioned in the text.
Following are several quotations from the Tosafists comments contained in the latest volume.
“We all are the sons of one man..” (Genesis 42:11). Joseph’s brethren prophesied, but didn’t know what they prophesied (i.e. they described the true situation, without realizing it). They said: “We all are the sons of one man. We all, including you (Joseph).”
“And the goblet was found in Benjamin’s sack” (ibid. 44:12). Why did Joseph put the goblet into Benjamin’s sack causing more pain to him than to the others?
Joseph wasn’t sure that the new man the brothers had brought with them on their second coming to Egypt was, indeed, his brother Benjamin. He wanted, therefore, to test his brothers. If they would return to Egypt on account of the new man and plead for him—this was proof that he was their brother Benjamin. (See also Tosafot Hashalem on Genesis 44:2 and Chizkuni on that verse.)
“And Joseph said unto his brethren: Come near to me. I pray you. And they came near. And he said: I am Joseph your brother whom you sold into Egypt” (ibid. 45:4). Come near to me. Joseph had asked the Egyptians to leave him alone with his brethren, but he was afraid that they were listening from the outside. He didn’t want them to know that he had been sold by his brothers. For this reason he said to the latter to come near to him, so he could talk to them in whispers.
“Hasten ye and go up..” (ibid. 45:9). Here is an indication that the Israelites would leave the Egyptian exile before the foretold time of 400 years, remaining there only 210.
On Genesis 45:3 Rabbi Isaiah di Trani (The Elder) is quoted, but the quotation needs to be examined, for it mentions Joseph Solomon Delmedigo, who lived much later than Rabbi Isaiah. Probably only the first part of the quote should be ascribed to Rabbi Isaiah.
Tosafot Hashalem, which was awarded the Rabbi Kook Prize for Rabbinic Literature of the Tel Aviv municipality has been well received by rabbis and scholars in Israel and in other countries The beautifully printed and bound volumes have been published by Rabbi Chanoch Wagshall of Moznaim.
By Tovia Preschel
Jewish Press
January 3, 1986