When Did Rashi Script Become "Rashi Script"
A while back I posted about the origins of the script which came to be known as “Rashi Script”. In the comments the question was raised as to when this script, Spanish semi-cursive, began to be identified by people as “Rashi Script”. According to Malachi Beit-Arié this name became common soon after the spread of Hebrew printing because of the use of this script for Rashi’s commentary on the Torah and Talmud (it should be noted that other commentaries were also written in this script). I tried to find some sources which actually include the designation of this script as “Rashi Script” and here are some which I found.
The first is from the apostate Samuel ibn Nahmias (1612-1687), later known as Giulio Morosini, in his book La via della fede (The Way of Faith, Rome 1683). In his discussion of the education of Jewish children Morosini describes how at a certain point in their education the older students learn from books without vocalization that include letters in “Rashi script”, which Morosini says that Christians call “Rabbinic script”. (Beit-Arié, 10; Assaf/Glick, 279)
Another source from Italy is that of R. Hanniah Hei HaCohen (1750-1834) who was a teacher in Reggio. In his book Hinuch LaNa’ar he describes how he had previously written a book for children 5-6 years old on practical halachah and had recently made some additions to the previous work. The additions were written in “Rashi script” with one of the goals being that the children will get used to reading in that type of script. (Assaf/Glick, 238)
A third source was kindly described to me by Francesca Bregoli. Through her research she found “a privilege…granted to the Florentine printer Francesco Moucke in 1734 by the Grand Duke of Tuscany Giovan Gastone de Medici, to print works in ‘Hebrew and Rashi characters’ in the entire Tuscan State.”
There are a few other sources which I would like to look at and which I will hopefully be able to do at some time in the future and there most probably are earlier sources. I would like to thank a number of people who gave me important bibliographical references and advice: David Sclar and David Wachtel of the JTS Library, Malachi Beit-Ari� of HU, Francesca Brigoli of UPenn, and Brad Sabin Hill of the YIVO Library.
Sources:
Simha Assaf/Shmuel Glick-Mekorot Letoldot Hahinuch beYisrael
Malachi Beit-Arié-Specimens of Mediavel Hebrew Scripts, v. 1
December 14th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
This would mean that the use of the term was somewhat later i.e. the 17th century. If so, it would follow that this designation could not be from the fact Rashi’s commentary was published in that script as a) why didn’t people immediatly use it and b) it doesn’t seem likely someone in the 17th century researched which book first had the script and then decided to use that book as the title of the script.
Dan Rabinowitz | Homepage | 05.12.06 – 3:25 pm | #
According to Beit-Arie it was soon after the spread of Hebrew printing but the only source he quoted was ibn Nahmias which was more to illustrate the possible origin of the term “Rabbinic script” in Christian circles. There are a few sources in Yiddish which someone might be kind enough to look over for me. If there’s anything there, I’ll be sure to update.
Menachem Mendel | Homepage | 05.12.06 – 4:19 pm | #
Doesn’t that seem to undermind Beit-Arie’s thesis if the first is so late?
Dan Rabinowitz | Homepage | 05.12.06 – 6:18 pm | #
He never said that this was the first source which mentions “Rashi script”. It might be, but from his comment I have a feeling that he knows of earlier sources, although I could be wrong.I am not sure if many people looked into this question but I’ll keep my eyes open for any earlier sources.
Menachem Mendel | Homepage | 05.12.06 – 6:51 pm | #