Rashbam

Samuel ben Meir (Troyes, c. 1085 – c. 1158), after his death known as "Rashbam", a Hebrew acronym for RAbbi SHmuel Ben Meir, was a leading French Tosafist and grandson of Shlomo Yitzhaki, "Rashi". He was born in the vicinity of Troyes, in around 1085 in France to his father Meir ben Shmuel and mother Yocheved, daughter of Rashi. He was the older brother of Solomon the grammarian as well as of the Tosafists Isaac ben Meir (the "Rivam") and Jacob ben Meir ("Rabbeinu Tam"), and a colleague of Rabbi Joseph Kara. Like his maternal grandfather, the Rashbam was a biblical commentator and Talmudist. He learned from Rashi and from Isaac ben Asher ha-Levi ("Riva"). He was the teacher of his brother, Rabbeinu Tam, and his method of interpretation differed from that of his grandfather. Rashbam earned a living by tending livestock and growing grapes, following in his family tradition. [dubious] Known for his piety, he defended Jewish beliefs in public disputes that had been arranged by church leaders to demonstrate the inferiority of Judaism. Few details of Rashbam's life are known. He is said to have been so modest that he always walked with downcast eyes. Mordecai ben Hillel says that he was so absent-minded that once, while traveling, he almost climbed into a wagon loaded with cattle. It is also known that around 1150, he taught in Rouen (Hebrew רדום - Rodom, capital city of Plantagenet Normandy Duchy) at the Yeshiva whose remains were discovered in 1976. There, he probably met the great Spanish Scholar Avraham Ibn Ezra, who stayed in Rouen between 1150 and 1158. In or around 1160, a synod was held in Troyes as part of the Takkanot Shum. This synod was led by the Rashbam, his brother, Rabbeinu Tam, and Eliezer ben Nathan (the Ra'avan). Over 250 rabbis from communities all over France attended as well. A number of communal decrees were enacted at the synod covering both Jewish-Gentile relations as well as matters relating internally to the Jewish community. His commentary on the Torah is renowned for its stress on the plain meaning (peshat) of the text.