Question
What is the book Sifsei Chachamim?
Answer
It was written by Rabbi Shabsai Bass in Amsterdam in 1680. It is a clear, concise commentary on Rashi’s commentary on the Torah, containing explanations collected from many sources, and also giving the sources of verses or other statements cited by Rashi. It was very popular and has been published many times in editions of the Torah with Rashi’s commentary. Many of these editions contain not the entire Sifsei Chachamim but on abridgement of it, under the name “Ikar Sifsei Chachamim”.