Editing Rashi (section)

===Influence in non-Jewish circles===
[[File:MJK 82356 Raschitor (Worms).jpg|thumb|The [[Rashi Gate]] in the city fortifications of [[Worms, Germany|Worms]]]]
Rashi's commentaries on the Bible, especially those on the Pentateuch, circulated in many different communities. In the 12th–17th centuries, Rashi's influence spread from [[Provinces of France|French]] and [[Provinces of Germany|German]] provinces to [[Spain]] and [[Eastern world|the east]]. He had a tremendous influence on [[Christians|Christian]] scholars. The French monk [[Nicholas de Lyra]], who was known as the "ape of Rashi",<ref name="Skolnik, Fred 2007">{{cite EJ|title=Rashi|volume=17}}</ref> relied on Rashi's commentary when writing his ''Postillae Perpetuate'', one of the primary sources used in [[Luther Bible|Luther's translation of the Bible]]. He believed that Rashi's commentaries were the "official repository of Rabbinical tradition"<ref name=solomon>{{cite web|title=Rashi (Solomon Bar Issac)|publisher=Jewish Encyclopedia.com.|date=27 February 2013|url=http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/12585-rashi-solomon-bar-isaac|access-date=28 February 2013|archive-date=21 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130121001546/http://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/12585-rashi-solomon-bar-isaac|url-status=live}}</ref> and significant to understanding the Bible. Rashi's commentaries became significant to [[Humanism|humanists]] at this time who studied grammar and exegesis. [[Christian Hebraist]]s studied Rashi's commentaries as important interpretations "authorized by the Synagogue".<ref name=solomon/>

Although Rashi had an influence on communities outside of Judaism, his lack of connection to science prevented him from entering the general domain, and he remained more popular among the Jewish community.<ref name="Skolnik, Fred 2007"/><ref name=solomon/>

In his book ''[[Demystifying Islam]]'', Muslim [[apologetics|apologist]] Harris Zafar cites Rashi for the view that the [[Song of Songs]] is not an [[Erotic poetry|erotic poem]] narrated by a man about a woman, but is instead a poem narrated by God about the people of Israel, a point of importance to Muslims because of their belief, which Zafar summarizes, that the Song of Songs, at Chapter 5, Verse 16, mentions Muhammad by name, a supposition that might be problematic if the mention were in an erotic context.<ref>Harris Zafar, ''Demystifying Islam'', [https://archive.org/details/demystifyingisla0000zafa_w3n8/page/24/mode/1up?view=theater p.24], Dev Publishers & Distributors, New Delhi, 2014.</ref>