New in the Library: Ramban's Commentary in English

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Sefaria's library hosts thousands of Jewish texts that span the millennia, and today, we are thrilled to announce the newest addition to our growing collection: an English translation of Ramban's commentary on the Torah.

About Ramban's Commentary on the Torah

Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman, also known as “Nachmanides” or by his Hebrew acronym, “Ramban,” was a medieval Torah scholar who lived in modern-day Spain before immigrating to Israel at the end of his life.

His Torah commentary weaves law, philosophy, and mysticism, and is unparalleled by his contemporaries in terms of its scope and influence on Jewish thought and practice. The Ramban often quotes and contends with the commentaries of his predecessors — Rashi, Ibn Ezra, and others. Unlike their work, however, his commentary does not focus on elucidating individual words or phrases, instead primarily explaining whole biblical passages, their context, and general issues connected to the text.

Rabbi Charles B. Chavel translated this important work between 1971 and 1976, and we're honored to make it accessible with an open license in perpetuity.

Thank you to all the donors who dedicated parshiot to make this addition to the library possible.

There are still sponsorships remaining! Email [email protected] for more information.