Home

Nachmanides

Nachmanides, also known as Ramban, was a prominent medieval Jewish scholar, biblical commentator, and halakhic authority, traditionally dated to 1194–1270. Born in Girona, in what is now Catalonia, Spain, he became a leading figure of the Sephardic scholarly world and a bridge between rationalist and mystic strands of Jewish thought.

One of his most famous episodes was the disputation held in Barcelona in 1263, where he defended

Nachmanides is best known for his Torah commentary on the Five Books of Moses, a work that

His legacy lies in shaping medieval Jewish thought by synthesizing rational inquiry with a strong spiritual

Judaism
against
Christian
polemics
and
argued
for
the
divine
origin
of
the
Torah
and
the
integrity
of
Jewish
law.
Following
this
dispute,
he
undertook
a
journey
to
the
Land
of
Israel,
an
important
symbol
of
Jewish
restoration
in
his
era,
and
he
died
during
or
shortly
after
this
voyage
in
the
Holy
Land.
integrates
peshat
(plain
meaning)
with
midrashic,
philosophical,
and,
to
some
extent,
Kabbalistic
elements.
His
writings
extend
beyond
biblical
exegesis
to
legal
and
homiletic
discourses,
and
he
authored
various
responsa
and
polemical
and
ethical
treatises.
His
method
and
style
influenced
subsequent
rabbinic
interpretation
by
emphasizing
a
rigorous
engagement
with
the
biblical
text,
as
well
as
the
liturgical
and
philosophical
dimensions
of
Jewish
law
and
belief.
and
exegetical
approach.
He
is
regarded
as
one
of
the
central
authorities
of
his
era,
whose
Torah
commentary
remains
a
foundational
text
in
both
traditional
study
and
modern
biblical
scholarship.
He
is
traditionally
believed
to
be
buried
in
the
Land
of
Israel,
with
a
tomb
venerated
by
many
in
Jerusalem.