The State Library in Moscow holds hidden secrets: Today, while all of Russian Jewry is experiencing an unparalleled flourishing, the sensational discovery that was recently revealed in the heart of the Russian capital proves once again that the eternality of Israel will not lie - even if it is stored away for long years in the dark basements of Soviet archives.
The historical discovery was made by researcher Israel Dobitsky during his intensive work on the 'Ginzburg Collection' stored in the State Library.
This is an ancient and rare manuscript with a commentary on the Torah written by one of the great Rishonim, Rabbi Shmuel ben Meir - the Rashbam, the grandson of the holy Rashi, who lived in France at the height of the Rishonim period, and was known for his clear commentaries that place special emphasis on the simplicity of the scriptures, while relying rarely on the rules of grammar and syntax of the Hebrew language. Sometimes, as Torah scholars know, his commentary even disagrees with the words of his great grandfather.
The manuscript that has now been discovered, known to the research community as 'Manuscript No. 103' from the Jewish Theological Seminary in Breslau, once served as the main basis for preparing the first printed edition of the Rashbam commentary in 1881. However, surprisingly, after its publication, all traces of it were lost, and it was considered lost for many decades.
Now it turns out that at the end of World War II, it was rolled over and reached the Soviet Union, where it was assimilated into the archives. The researchers note that the manuscript was mistakenly classified for decades as a commentary by Rashi, both because it was missing the title page and because the text began right in the middle of the Book of Genesis.
The discovery of the manuscript is considered a historic event and of unparalleled importance for the study of the history of medieval biblical interpretation.
Upon hearing the news, the Chief Rabbi of Russia, Rabbi Lazar, said: "It is precisely in an orphaned generation like ours that we suddenly see such lights emerging, a light that adds to the understanding of the Torah and gives us strength to live with the Torah, the Torah of Life and the Torah of Light that give us light in life. Israel is not a widow, from above we are given a special light to encourage us and give us strength to continue working and spreading the Torah everywhere and to every Jew.".
The chairman of the Jewish Museum in Moscow and head of the Lechaim publishing house, Rabbi Baruch Gorin, commented on the discovery, noting with satisfaction that it is a dramatic revelation for the entire Jewish people: "We are following with anticipation and curiosity in order to examine the findings closely. Every letter from the words of our first rabbis that sees light is a reason for excitement, and we await the full details from the researcher in order to understand the magnitude of the treasure that has fallen to our lot.".
