Professor Marty Lockshin ’s primary area of scholarly expertise and writing is the history of Jewish biblical interpretation, particularly the interplay between tradition and innovation. Most of his research has been centred on those medieval biblical commentators who valued tradition intellectually, who lived traditional lives and who still innovated unabashedly in their understanding of the Bible. The largest part of his scholarship has been about Samuel ben Meir (12th century Northern France), a traditionalist Bible commentator with an uncanny knack for offering new understandings of biblical texts—his conclusions are often strikingly similar to the “discoveries” of biblical critics seven or eight hundred years later. Marty has published a 4-volume English annotated translation of Rashbam’s major work and also a 2-volume annotated Hebrew edition. His interest in biblical interpretation has led him to study Jewish-Christian relations, since Jews and Christians over the ages had both competitive and (at times) cooperative approaches to the study of their sacred Scripture.
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Marty has served in the past as Chair of the Division of Humanities and as Director of the Centre for Jewish Studies. He has taught a wide array of Humanities courses connected to Judaism, or to Judaism and Christianity, and has taught many “text” courses in Hebrew in the Department of Languages, Literature and Linguistics. Even in lecture courses his favourite kind of teaching involves close reading of texts together with the students.
Outside of the academy Marty is also interested in tradition and innovation. He writes widely in the popular Jewish press about the phenomenon of Jewish “modern Orthodoxy” in North America and Israel. Marty is retired and lives in Jerusalem.
Degrees
PhD, Brandeis University
MA, Brandeis University
BA, Touro College
Professional Leadership
Chair, Division of Humanities, 2000-2001, 2005-2006, 2012-2015
Director, Centre for Jewish Studies 2001-2005
Coordinator, Religious Studies 1990-1992, 1996-1999
Coordinator Jewish Teacher Education Program 1985-1996
Community Contributions
Chair, Senate Committee on Academic Standards, Curriculum and Pedagogy 2010-2012
Member of York Senate: 2000-2007, 2009-2015
Member of York's Board of Governors, 2012-2014 Member, Association for Jewish Studies
Member, Board of Toronto Partnership Minyan
Chair, Board of Licence and Review, Centre for Jewish Education Toronto
Member: Toronto Board of Rabbis, Rabbinical Council of America, and International Rabbinic Fellowship
Research Interests
Religion
, Medieval Studies, History of Jewish Biblical Interpretation, Biblical Interpretation, Tradition and Innovation
Current Research Projects
lockshin
A History of Peshat (Jewish 'plain-meaning' Bible Exegesis)
Description:
I am investigating the phenomenon of the quest for the "simple" or "plain" or "contextual" meaning of the Bible among pre-modern Jews. Most biblical commentaries written in pre-modern times (and many that were written in modern times, too) were meant to strengthen the faith of the (Jewish or Christian) faithful and not primarily to explain what the Bible meant in its original context. However, over the ages a number of Jews and Christians rose above confessional considerations to write "plain" Bible commentaries. Jews referred to such commentaries as "peshat." Much of my scholarly work over the last two decades has centred on the phenomenon of peshat in the 12th century. In this study I will expand my research considerably and try to trace the history of Jewish "peshat" from the 2nd to the nineteenth centuries. Careful attention will be placed on comparisons with Christian exegetes who were also, from time to time, overcoming confessional interests and striving for the "sensus litteralis" of the biblical text.
See more
Professor Marty Lockshin ’s primary area of scholarly expertise and writing is the history of Jewish biblical interpretation, particularly the interplay between tradition and innovation. Most of his research has been centred on those medieval biblical commentators who valued tradition intellectually, who lived traditional lives and who still innovated unabashedly in their understanding of the Bible. The largest part of his scholarship has been about Samuel ben Meir (12th century Northern France), a traditionalist Bible commentator with an uncanny knack for offering new understandings of biblical texts—his conclusions are often strikingly similar to the “discoveries” of biblical critics seven or eight hundred years later. Marty has published a 4-volume English annotated translation of Rashbam’s major work and also a 2-volume annotated Hebrew edition. His interest in biblical interpretation has led him to study Jewish-Christian relations, since Jews and Christians over the ages had both competitive and (at times) cooperative approaches to the study of their sacred Scripture.
Marty has served in the past as Chair of the Division of Humanities and as Director of the Centre for Jewish Studies. He has taught a wide array of Humanities courses connected to Judaism, or to Judaism and Christianity, and has taught many “text” courses in Hebrew in the Department of Languages, Literature and Linguistics. Even in lecture courses his favourite kind of teaching involves close reading of texts together with the students.
Outside of the academy Marty is also interested in tradition and innovation. He writes widely in the popular Jewish press about the phenomenon of Jewish “modern Orthodoxy” in North America and Israel. Marty is retired and lives in Jerusalem.
Degrees
PhD, Brandeis University
MA, Brandeis University
BA, Touro College
Professional Leadership
Chair, Division of Humanities, 2000-2001, 2005-2006, 2012-2015
Director, Centre for Jewish Studies 2001-2005
Coordinator, Religious Studies 1990-1992, 1996-1999
Coordinator Jewish Teacher Education Program 1985-1996
Community Contributions
Chair, Senate Committee on Academic Standards, Curriculum and Pedagogy 2010-2012
Member of York Senate: 2000-2007, 2009-2015
Member of York's Board of Governors, 2012-2014 Member, Association for Jewish Studies
Member, Board of Toronto Partnership Minyan
Chair, Board of Licence and Review, Centre for Jewish Education Toronto
Member: Toronto Board of Rabbis, Rabbinical Council of America, and International Rabbinic Fellowship
Research Interests
Religion
, Medieval Studies, History of Jewish Biblical Interpretation, Biblical Interpretation, Tradition and Innovation
Current Research Projects
lockshin
A History of Peshat (Jewish 'plain-meaning' Bible Exegesis)
Description:
I am investigating the phenomenon of the quest for the "simple" or "plain" or "contextual" meaning of the Bible among pre-modern Jews. Most biblical commentaries written in pre-modern times (and many that were written in modern times, too) were meant to strengthen the faith of the (Jewish or Christian) faithful and not primarily to explain what the Bible meant in its original context. However, over the ages a number of Jews and Christians rose above confessional considerations to write "plain" Bible commentaries. Jews referred to such commentaries as "peshat." Much of my scholarly work over the last two decades has centred on the phenomenon of peshat in the 12th century. In this study I will expand my research considerably and try to trace the history of Jewish "peshat" from the 2nd to the nineteenth centuries. Careful attention will be placed on comparisons with Christian exegetes who were also, from time to time, overcoming confessional interests and striving for the "sensus litteralis" of the biblical text.
Project Type:
Funded
All Publications
Book Chapters
"Why is Holiness not Contagious?" in Holiness in Jewish Thought, ed. Alan L. Mittleman (Oxford: Oxford University Press), 54-66.
2018
“Bible Studies,” in The Cambridge History of Judaism, volume 6 (The Middle Ages: The Christian World), edited by Robert Chazan (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2018), 555-581.
2018
“Peshat in Genesis Rabbah,” in Genesis Rabbah: Text and Context, edited by Sarit Kattan Gribetz, David M. Grossberg, Martha Himmlefarb and Peter Schäfer (Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2016), 213-242.
2016
“An Unlikely Prayer,” in Kaddish edited by David Birnbaum and Martin S. Cohen, (New York: New Paradigm Matrix, 2016) pp. 341-352.
2016
“Twice Told Tales in Medieval Jewish Bible Commentaries,” in Twice-Told Tales: Truth Fiction and Authority (= Parcours Judaique 13) ed. by Daniele Paycha and Bernard Zelechow (Paris: Université Paris Ouest, 2016).
2015
“Is Holiness Contagious?” in Purity, Holiness and Identity in Judaism and Christianity: Essays in Memory of Susan Haber, ed. C. Ehrlich, A Runesson and E. Schuller (Mohr Siebeck: Tubingen, 2013), 253-262.
2013
“Peshat or Polemics: The Case of Genesis 36,” in New Perspectives in Jewish-Christian Relations (in Honor of David Berger), edited by Elisheva Carlebach and J.J. Schachter (Brill: Leiden, 2012), 437-453.
2012
“Jesus in Medieval Jewish Tradition,” in The Jewish Annotated New Testament, edited by Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler (Oxford University Press: New York, 2011), pp. 581-582.
2011
'Rashbam as a Literary Exegete.'
With Reverence for the Word. Ed. Jane McAuliffe, Barry Walfish and Joseph Goering. Oxford, 2003. 83-91.
2003
'Teaching Torah to Gentiles in Jewish Law and Jewish History.'
The Holy and the Worldly: Studies in Cultural Meaning. Ed. B. Zelechow and D. Paycha. Cergy-Pontoisee, 2001. 84-99.
2001
'Judaism, Christianity and Jewish Christianity.'
Cult and Culture: Studies in Cultural Meaning. Ed. B. Zelechow and D. Paycha. Cergy-Pontoise, 1999. 137-148.
1999
'Pursuing Opportunities for Shalom in the World.'
World Order for a New Millennium: Political, Cultural and Spiritual Approaches to Building Peace. Ed. A. Walter Dorn. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 1999. 186-195.
1999
'Introduction.'
Creating the Jewish Future. Ed. B. Lightman and M. Brown. Altamira, 1998.
1998
'Judaism: The Rabbinic Era.'
Civilizations: A Cultural Atlas. Ed. A. Haberman. Toronto: Gage Publishing, 1994. 42-47.
1994
'Translation as Polemic: The Case of Toledot Yeshu.'
Minhah le-Nahum (The Nahum Sarna Festschrift). Ed. M. Brettler and M. Fishbane. Sheffield Press, 1993. 226-292.
1993
'Truth or Peshat: Issues in Law and Exegesis.'
Law Politics and Society in The Ancient Mediterranean World. Ed. B. Halpern and D. Hobson. Sheffield Press, 1993. 271-279.
1993
'Tradition or Context: Two Exegetes Struggle with Peshat.'
From Ancient Judaism to Modern Israel. Ed. J. Neusner and E. Frierichs. Vol. 3. Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1989. 173-186.
1989
Book Reviews
April 2013, “Rashi: Exegete or Educator,” review of Avraham Grossman’s Rashi, translated by Joel Linsider (https://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=37358)
2013
H-Net review, “Lockshin on Fudeman, ‘Vernacular Voices: Language and Identity in Medieval French Jewish Communities’ (http://h-net.msu.edu/cgi-bin/logbrowse.pl?trx=vx&list=H-Judaic&month=1012&msg=XDbv2YUyg4bzvfWDftr0Bg)
2010
Rev. of
The Nations That Knew Thee Not: Ancient Jewish Attitudes Toward Other Religions, by Robert Goldenberg.
Shofar (Winter 2000).
2000
Rev. of
Peshat and Derash: Plain and Applied Meaning in Rabbinic Exegesis, by David Weiss Halivni.
Hebrew Studies 23 (1992).
1992
Rev. of
A Tree of Life, by A. Rosett and E. Dorff.
The Journal of Religion 69.2 (April 1989).
1989
Rev. of
The Myth of Ritual Murder: Jews and Magic in Reformation Germany, by R. Po-chia Hsia.
Shofar 8.1 (Fall 1986).
1986
Rev. of
Stephen Speisman's Jews of Toronto. Journal of Canadian Church History (1982).
1982
Rev. of
Isaac Klein's Guide to Jewish Religious Practice. Tradition 18.2 (1980).
1980
Books
Peirush ha-Rashbam al ha-Torah. 2 vols. Choreb: Jerusalem, 2009.
2009
Rashbam’s Commentary on Deuteronomy: An Annotated Translation. Brown University Judaic Studies Series/Society of Biblical Literature, 2004.
2004
Rashbam on Leviticus and Numbers: An Annotated Translation. Brown University Judaic Studies Series/Society of Biblical Literature, 2001.
2001
Rashbam’s Commentary on Exodus: An Annotated Translation. Brown University Judaic Studies Series/Society of Biblical Literature, 1997.
1997
Rabbi Samuel ben Meir's Commentary on Genesis: An Annotated Translation. Edwin Mellen Press, 1989.
1989
Journal Articles
“Does Halakhah Really Uproot Peshat,” Diné Israel: Studies in Halakhah and Jewish Law, volume 32 (2018), 211*-226*.
2018
“Signs of Sensitivity to Peshat in the Collections of Midrash Halakhah” [Heb.], Michlol 1 (2016): 5-15.
2016
“Moses Wrote the Torah: Rashbam`s Perspective,” Hebrew Union College Annual 84-85 (2015), 109-125.
2015
“Obstetrics and the Curse of Eve,” Hakirah: Flatbush Journal of Jewish Law and Thought 16 (2013), 145-151 (with Seth Winberg).
2013
Review Essay, “An Unfortunate Coincidence: Jews, Jewishness, and English Law by Didi Herman, Osgoode Hall Law Journal 50:1 (2012), 283-290.
2012
'Ba-meh madlikin: Why Do We Still Say it.'
Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance Journal 8 (Spring 2009): 11-12.
2009
'Lonely Man of Peshat.'
Jewish Quarterly Review 99.2 (Spring 2009): 291-300.
2009
'Some Approaches to the Question of the Tension Between Peshat and Midrash Halakhah.'
Studies in Bible and Exegesis 8 (2008): 33-45.
2008
'Was Joseph Bekhor Shor a Peshat Exegete?'
Iggud 1 (2008): 161-172.
2008
'Jewish Studies, the State of Israel and Anti-Semitism on Canadian Campuses.'
Academic Matters (December 2007): 19-21.
2007
'Levirate Marriage: The Limits of the Law.'
Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance Journal 6 (Summer 2007): 18-19.
2007
'The Limits of Translation.'
Jewish Quarterly Review 96 (2006): 578-590.
2006
'Teaching Judaica Without Teaching Hebrew.'
Jewish Educational Leadership 6 (2005): 3-10.
2005
''Rashbam' on Job: A Reconsideration.'
Jewish Studies Quarterly 8 (2001): 80-104.
2001
'Zeev Falk's Attitude to Halakhah.'
The Reconstructionist 54.3 (1988): 25-28.
1988
'Be`inyan ha`ataqat tokhnah lelo reshut ha-meyatserim.'
Or Ha-mizrach 35.1 (1986).
1986
'Orthodox Intolerance: A Blessing?'
Sh'ma 17 (November 1986).
1986
'Hasidism and Orthodox Feminism.'
Viewpoints 13.6 (Summer 1985).
1985
'Jewish Teacher Training.'
The Canadian Jewish Educator 2.2 (Spring 1984): 9-10.
1984
Conference Papers
“Peshat in Mekhilta de-Rabbi Yishmael,” paper presented in Hebrew at the by-invitation-only Pardes Conference on Biblical Interpretation, Jerusalem, February 2015.
2015
“Twice Told Tales in Medieval Jewish Exegetes,” paper presented at Studies in Cultural Meaning Conference, Paris May 2014.
2014
“Peshat in Genesis Rabba,” paper presented at a by-invitation-only conference in Princeton, March 2013.
2013
“Peshat in Bereshit Rabba,” paper presented in Hebrew at World Congress for Jewish Studies, July 2013.
2013
“Creation in Medieval Jewish Bible Exegesis,” paper presented in the Studies in Cultural Meaning conference, Paris, France, May 2012.
2012
“Is Higher Criticism of the Bible or New Testament a Resident Alien, a Dangerous Enemy or a Neighbor in Jewish Studies Programs?” discussant on a panel at the conference of the Association for Jewish Studies, December 2012.
2012
“Nahmanides and peshat,” [in Hebrew], paper presented at an international conference on Medieval Biblical Exegesis, Haifa, Israel, May 2011.
2011
“Peshat or Polemics? Exegesis of Genesis 36,” [in Hebrew], invited conference presentation at an international conference on the exegesis of Rashbam in Ramat Gan, Israel, May 2011.
2011
“Nahmanides’ Attitude to Peshat,” paper presented at Association for Jewish Studies Conference, December 2011.
2011
“Who was the Audience for Medieval Jewish Bible Commentaries?” paper presented at Association for Jewish Studies Conference, December 2010.
2010
“Dueling Prayerbooks: ArtScroll, Koren, and Contemporary Orthodox Values,” paper presented at Association for Jewish Studies Conference, December 2009.
2009
'Attitudes to Rashbam in the Enlightenment.'
World Congress for Jewish Studies Conference. Jerusalem. August 2009.
2009
'Is Holiness Contagious?'
Association for Jewish Studies Conference. December 2008.
2008
'Harmonizing Peshat and Midrash.'
Association for Jewish Studies Conference. December 2007.
2007
'Joseph Bekhor Shor’s Attitude to Peshat and Midrash Halakhah.'
Bible Department of Bar Ilan University. Israel. June 2007.
2007
'Rashi and Rashbam: Who Borrowed from Whom?'
Association for Jewish Studies conference. December 2006.
2006
'Peshat at the End of the Twelfth Century.'
Association for Jewish Studies conference. December 2005.
2005
'Was Bekhor Shor a Peshat Exegete?'
Association for Jewish Studies conference. December 2004.
2004
'The Decline of Peshat.'
Association for Jewish Studies conference. December 2003.
2003
'Luzzatto’s Attitude to Midrash Halakhah.'
Association for Jewish Studies conference. December 2002.
2002
'Teaching Torah to Gentiles in the Middle Ages: Halakhic and Historical Perspectives.'
Thirteenth World Congress for Jewish Studies. Jerusalem. 2001.
2001
'Biblical Interpretation: Between Polemics and Cooperation.'
Safed (Israel) conference on Bible and Identity. Israel. March 2000.
2000
'Did Jews and Christians Study Bible Together in the Middle Ages.'
The Jews and the World: Interactions and Influences. Beersheba, Israel. May 2000.
2000
'The Allegorization of the Land of Israel in Rabbinic and Early Christian Literature.'
Bet Morashah conference. Israel. December 2000.
2000
'Teaching Torah to Gentiles.'
Studies in Cultural Meaning Conference. Cergy-Pontoisse, France. November 1999.
1999
'The Jewish Christian Debate and Medieval Bible Exegesis.'
Association for Jewish Studies Conference. Chicago, IL. 1999.
1999
'Rashbam as a Talmud Exegete.'
Association for Jewish Studies Conference. Boston. December 1998.
1998
'Judaism, Christianity and Jewish-Christianity in the Twenty-First Century.'
Cult and Culture Conference. Chantilly, France. November 1997.
1997
'Literary Sensitivity of Medieval Jewish Exegetes in Christian and in Moslem Countries.'
'With Reverence for the Word' Conference. University of Toronto. May 1997.
1997
''Enlightened' Opposition to Peshat.'
Association for Jewish Studies Conference. Boston. December 1997.
1997
'Rashbam as a 'Literary' Exegete.'
Beersheba Conference on Biblical Interpretation. Beersheba, Israel. 1996.
1996
'Medieval Jewish Bible Commentators and Their Sensitivity to Literary Issues in the Bible.'
Association for Jewish Studies Conference. Boston. 1994.
1994
'Intolerance and Jewish Unity: Are They Compatible.'
The Harry Crowe Memorial Conference. Toronto. 1989.
1989
'When Law is Divorced from Legal Institutions: Jews and the Bible in the Middle Ages.'
Conference on Law in Its Social Setting in the Ancient World. Toronto. 1988.
1988
'Bible and Archeology.'
Vanier College Bible Conference. Toronto, ON. 1982.
1982
'The Binding of Isaac in Rabbinic Literature.'
Religious Studies Conference. York University, Toronto, ON. 1981.
1981
'David in Rabbinic Literature.'
Religious Studies Conference. York University, Toronto, ON. 1980.
1980
'Science and Judaism.'
York Conference on Science and Religion. Toronto, ON. 1978.
1978
Conference Proceedings
'The Connection Between Rabbi Samuel ben Meir's Torah Commentary and Midrash Sekhel Tov.'
Proceedings of the Eleventh World Congress of Jewish Studies. Jerusalem. 1994. 135-142.
1994
Upcoming Courses
| Term |
Course Number |
Section |
Title |
Type |
| Summer 2025 |
AP/HUMA3831 3.0 |
A |
Torah and Tradition |
ONCA |
