Rashi

Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo ben Yitzchak; 1040–1105) was a French Rabbi. His commentaries on the Bible and Talmud are still widely read today.

Commentary on Genesis

 * The flavour of a fish which comes out of the sea at Acre is not similar to the flavour of a fish which comes out of the sea in Spain.
 * Commenting on Gen. 1:10; why does it say "seas", not "sea" - because the nature of the sea varies from place to place.


 * We learn from here the humility of the Holy One, Blessed is He. Since man is in the likeness of the angels, and they would be jealous of him, for this reason, He consulted them.
 * Commenting on Gen. 1:26; why does it say "Let us make man"?


 * They were not aware of the way of modesty, to distinguish between good and bad. Even though there had been put in man knowledge to be able to call the animals names, there had not been put in him the drive towards evil.
 * Commenting on Gen. 2:25; they were both naked and they were not ashamed.


 * Even a blind man realises when he is naked. So why does it say "And they realised that they were naked"?  They had one commandment and were now naked of it.
 * Commenting on Gen. 3:7


 * God knew where he was, but he asked so as to start a conversation with Adam and avoid startling him too much to reply.
 * Commenting on Gen. 3:9; why should an omniscient God ask "Where are you?"


 * I come only to explain its simple meaning.
 * His philosophy in Biblical commentary, commenting on Gen. 3:23

Land of Israel
(The following text is based on Metzudah translation from http://www.tachash.org/chumash/pardate.html)


 * Eretz Yisrael is higher than all the countries. (Genesis 45,9)


 * So is the Land of Israel: It cannot sustain sinners (Leviticus 18,28)


 * I will make the land [so] desolate- This is [actually] a kindly measure for Israel, for their enemies will not find any satisfaction in their land, for it will be desolate of its inhabitants. (Leviticus 26,32)

Ethics

 * " [We learn] from this that we tell only part of a man's qualities in his presence, and all of them when he is not present." Genesis 7,1


 * " Yisrael camped there. As one person with one heart (mind)." Exodus 19,2


 * " From here [we derive] that one should not maintain a dispute." Numbers 16,12


 * " When they gather together as a single unit, and there is harmony among them--- then He is their king, but not when there is dissention among them." Deuteronomy 33,5


 * " A falsehood in which some truth is not stated at the beginning, cannot be maintained in the end." Numbers 13,27


 * " With your own blemish do not taunt your fellow." Deuteronomy 10,19