A Devotee of Abraham ibn Ezra Reads Rashi The Case of Moses ben Jacob ‘the Exile’ of Kiev

While there is increased interest in the supercommentary tradition that came to surround Abraham ibn Ezra's Torah commentary, Oar Nemad by Moses ben Jacob of Kiev (1448-1520), an unusually comprehensive entry in this field, remains mostly terra incognita. This article explores interactions in Moses's pages with the commentator often seen as Ibn Ezra's Ashkenazic counterpoint, Rashi. Patterns include Moses's designation of Rashi as the unnamed negative stimulus spurring Ibn Ezra's comments and appeals to him as a purveyor of correct interpretation of biblical law when Ibn Ezra has lapsed on this score. Further study of Moses should spark insight into the Ibn Ezra supercommentary tradition and the receptions of Rashi's biblical scholarship in the East. It will also throw light on broader topics, including early phases of Rabbanite-Qaraite communion and dispute in Eastern Europe and Crimea, and the interplay of science and Kabbalah in late medieval times.