“Why are the Books of Ruth and Esther so much alike?”

“Why are the Books of Ruth and Esther so much alike?”

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Reuven Kimelman/Brandeis University וְנַהֲפוֹךְ הוּא “Why are the Books of Ruth and Esther so much alike?” No title is more intriguing than “Why are the Books of Ruth and Esther so much alike?” for a study of two biblical books ostensibly having nothing in common besides the featuring of a heroine. Otherwise, there are hardly two narrative biblical books seemingly more unalike.[1] The Book of Ruth takes place in rural Judea, in Bethlehem, in the period of the Judges, before…

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Hayyim ben Benjamin Ze’ev Bochner: Kabbalist, Talmudist, and Grammarian

Hayyim ben Benjamin Ze’ev Bochner: Kabbalist, Talmudist, and Grammarian

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Hayyim ben Benjamin Ze’ev Bochner: Kabbalist, Talmudist, and Grammarian by Marvin J. Heller[1] Hayyim ben Benjamin Ze’ev Bochner (c. 1610–84), a multi-faceted individual, was the author of varied works reflecting diverse contemporary intellectual interests. His books are both independent works and commentaries on earlier titles. A Kabbalist, Talmudist, and grammarian, Bochner wrote on these subjects as well as annotating numerous other works. Born in Cracow, Bochner’s family was one of that city’s wealthiest Jewish families, owners of a stone mansion…

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The Identity of an unknown Yiddish Prayer Book (From Zürich to Zürich)

The Identity of an unknown Yiddish Prayer Book (From Zürich to Zürich)

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The Identity of an unknown Yiddish Prayer Book (From Zürich to Zürich) Dr Moshe Nathan Rosenfeld, London Moshe Rosenfeld has published books on Jewish printing in Augsburg, Wilhermsdorf and Karlsruhe as well as articles on Fuerth and Sulzbach prints. His most recent publication is the biography ‘The Rav of Fuerth’, highlighting Rav Dovid Kahana Spiro szl (1901-1970). His contact information is mnrosenfeld@gmail.com Yiddish printed books are the stepchildren of Hebrew bibliography. We have systematic bibliographies of Hebrew books from nearly 500 years…

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The Illusory Portrait of R. Yom Tov Lipmann Heller: Deceptive Art and Jewish Images in Vienna

The Illusory Portrait of R. Yom Tov Lipmann Heller: Deceptive Art and Jewish Images in Vienna

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The Illusory Portrait of R. Yom Tov Lipmann Heller: Deceptive Art and Jewish Images in Vienna By: Dan Rabinowitz For if I am deceived, I am. for he who is not, cannot be deceived; and if I am deceived, by this same token I am. Wolfgang Kemp after St Augustine of Hippo (Epigraph to Rembrandt Hoogstraten: Colour and Illusion) On October 8, 2024, Vienna’s Museum of Fine Arts, the Kunsthistorisches Museum, opened the exhibit “Rembrandt – Hoogstraten Colour and Illusion.”…

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Sale: Sefer on the Manna

Sale: Sefer on the Manna

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Sale: Sefer on the Manna By Eliezer Brodt This week, we read Parshas Beshalach, and one of its key sections focuses on the Manna. As is well known, we live in a generation where there’s an explosion of information, and it’s simply impossible to know or read it all. Countless seforim have been written on virtually every topic, and the subject of the Manna is no exception. In an upcoming podcast (to be released this week) from my Musings of…

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