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The period of exile was a difficult period from beginning to end

[throughout the whole of its duration]: The Jewish People underwent
persecutions, suffering, poverty and want. But in a certain period that was

called „the golden age‟, the Jews in Spain enjoyed freedom and good
economic conditions. In these years (900-1,200 A.D.), Arab Caliphs ruled
Spain, and relations of respect and appreciation existed between them and

the Jews. The good conditions brought with them cultural prosperity for
the Jewish poets in Spain as well.

Judah HaLevi
In the Middle Ages they had yet to hold the Eurovision competition, but

there were already poem contests. In Spain at that time they liked to listen
to poets‟ poems. People were in the habit of inviting poets to parties,

banquets and other ceremonies, so that they will read out (some) of their
poems. One of the favoured culture events back then was poem contests
and poem writing contests.

A young and anonymous poet by the name of Judah HaLevi stumbled

upon one of these important contests. In that contest he showed his ability
in poem writing, and from an anonymous poet he became one of Spain‟s
greatest poets. Judah HaLevi wrote hundreds of pieces in Hebrew, among

them 700 poems. Despite the fact that some 1,000 years have passed
since, his poems are considered to this day one of the peaks of Hebrew

creation.

Rashi
In the exact same period that the poets of Spain flourished, there lived in
France (in the years 1040-1105) a different Hebrew poet. His name was

Rabbi Shlomo Yizhaki – Rashi. Although he was a great poet, his chief
publicity stemmed from his commentary to the Torah. Indeed, Rashi was

only one of those who wrote commentaries to the Torah in those times,
but his commentary became [enjoyed being] the most favoured and

accepted of all.
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It is no wonder that when print was invented in the 15 century, the first
book that was printed in the Hebrew language was the Rashi

Commentary to the Torah.
By the way, “Rashi Script” – the special letters in which the Rashi

Commentary is written – was not invented by Rashi. This was the

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