The Influence of Mendelssohn's Commentary on Qohelet on Nineteenth-Century Orthodox Jewish Commentators in Eastern and Western Europe

Abstract

The importance of Mendelssohn’s commentary to Qohelet lies, inter alia, in its influence on nineteenth-century Jewish commentators and more precisely in its reception among eastern and western Europe’s Orthodox commentators, who adopted, explicitly or implicitly, his unique form of scriptural interpretation. In this article, I demonstrate unique characteristics in Mendelssohn’s commentary on Qohelet and the ways in which these were adopted by later biblical commentators, shedding light on features of Mendelssohn’s writings, reputation, and influence.