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Category: History

Tzevi Hirsch of Nadworna’s Sefer Alpha Beta

Tzevi Hirsch of Nadworna’s Sefer Alpha Beta

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Tzevi Hirsch of Nadworna’s Sefer Alpha Beta by Marvin J. Heller[1] By the riches of the sea they will be nourished, and by the treasures concealed in the sand. (Deuteronomy 33:19). Sefer Alpha Beta (1799) Nowy Dwor Courtesy of the National Library of Israel A primary component of the corpus of Hebrew literature is ethical works. The Torah is replete with examples of virtuous deeds, such as the patriarch Abraham’s numerous acts of kindness, and moral principles and commandments are…

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Rav Gorelick, the Rav, and Revision by Omission

Rav Gorelick, the Rav, and Revision by Omission

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Rav Gorelick, the Rav, and Revision by Omission By: Yaacov Sasson Many readers of the Seforim Blog no doubt remember Dr. Shapiro’s post from 2009, in which he documented a back-and-forth from the pages of the journal Or Yisrael, regarding whether Rav Yerucham Gorelick zt”l taught Gemara at Yeshiva University.[1] As a refresher, Or Yisrael (Num. 50, Tevet 5768, p. 39) published a summary of a shiur given by Rav Mordechai Leib Gorelick (son of Rav Yerucham), regarding the publication…

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The Medical Training and Yet Another (Previously Unknown) Legacy of Rabbi Dr. Abraham J. Twerski, zt”l

The Medical Training and Yet Another (Previously Unknown) Legacy of Rabbi Dr. Abraham J. Twerski, zt”l

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The Medical Training and Yet Another (Previously Unknown) Legacy of Rabbi Dr. Abraham J. Twerski, zt”l by Edward Reichman and Menachem Butler Rabbi Dr. Edward Reichman is a Professor of Emergency Medicine and Professor in the Division of Education and Bioethics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He writes and lectures widely in the field of Jewish medical ethics. Mr. Menachem Butler is Program Fellow for Jewish Legal Studies at The Julis-Rabinowitz Program on Jewish and Israeli Law at…

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More on “New Notes Added in the Koren Talmud”

More on “New Notes Added in the Koren Talmud”

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More on “New Notes Added in the Koren Talmud” Shalom Z. Berger In what seems like another lifetime but was just over a year ago, the Jewish world celebrated the 13th Daf Yomi Siyum HaShas. The beginning of the 14th cycle led to a revisiting of the Koren Talmud Bavli that had appeared in print for the first time in concert with the previous cycle. In a Seforim Blog post, Chaim Katz pointed out that the new English edition included…

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Picturing Pandemic Prayer

Picturing Pandemic Prayer

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Picturing Pandemic Prayer Edward Reichman (with invaluable assistance and inspiration from Menachem Butler and Sharon Liberman Mintz) Among the precious items recently offered by Sotheby’s at its auction of important Judaica (December 17, 2020) was a richly illustrated miniature book of prayers written and illustrated by Nathan ben Samson of Meseritch, 1728 (here). Nestled among the spectacular illustrations and prayers reflecting all aspects of life we find the page below:[1] This largely forgotten prayer recited upon seeing one recently recovered…

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Is there a rotten apple in the Tu-BeShevat Fruit Basket?

Is there a rotten apple in the Tu-BeShevat Fruit Basket?

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Is there a rotten apple in the Tu-BeShevat Fruit Basket? By Dan Rabinowitz and Eliezer Brodt [This post is heavily updated from an earlier Seforim Blog post – here] Some claim that the origins of the custom to celebrate Tu-beShevat as a holiday that includes eating fruits and other rituals, is Sabbatean. In the main, this assertion is based upon identifying  the work Hemdat Yamim as the source for Tu-beShevat as a holiday and eating fruit and other rituals.  Thus,…

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