In recent years, historical scholarship has increasingly turned to the literature of the
Tosafists and other medieval talmudists and halakhists in order to establish or support trends
in religious observance among the laity. However, the extraction of accurate societal patterns
from these rabbinic writings, which is a most welcome development, must take into account
the often complex thought processes, methods, and proclivities of the authors, along with the
precise textual histories and scope of the literature itself. This methodological study provides
examples of the possible pitfalls that can emerge if interpretive strategies, textual provenance,
and breadth of erudition are not fully considered.

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• On the Nuances of Reading Tosafist Literature and Other Medieval Rabbinic Texts for Trends in Religious Observance