Browsed by
Category: History

Reading Over the Brisker Rav’s Shoulder

Reading Over the Brisker Rav’s Shoulder

Comments 30 comments

The Jewish Review of Books recently published its Fall issue, which features several excellent articles, including a discussion of the recently published Chaim Grade novel. Below is a reprint of an article from their Summer issue, “Golden Ledgers” by Dan Rabinowitz, with a short postscript. Seforim Blog readers can get a 50% discount on a subscription to the Jewish Review of Books by using this link.  Golden Ledgers by: Dan Rabinowitz To get to the Judaica Research Centre archives in…

Read More Read More

Eli Genauer: The Evolution of a “רש״י ישן” as Presented by Artscroll Rashi Breishit 12:2 – “ואעשך לגוי גדול”

Eli Genauer: The Evolution of a “רש״י ישן” as Presented by Artscroll Rashi Breishit 12:2 – “ואעשך לגוי גדול”

Comments 4 comments

The Evolution of a “רש״י ישן” as Presented by Artscroll Rashi Breishit 12:2 – “ואעשך לגוי גדול” Eli Genauer The term “רש״י ישן” in printed editions often appears after a comment recorded in parentheses. An example of this is Rashi in Breishit 12:2. Here is how it looks in the first edition of the Artscroll Stone Chumash printed in November 1993 Rashi’s comments are recorded as follows Comment #1 ואעשך לגוי גדול. לְפִי שֶׁהַדֶּרֶךְ גּוֹרֶמֶת לִשְׁלֹשָׁה דְבָרִים, מְמַעֶטֶת פְּרִיָּה וּרְבִיָּה…

Read More Read More

Eli Genauer: Breishit 9:18 – Noach’s Family or Noach’s Drunkenness?

Eli Genauer: Breishit 9:18 – Noach’s Family or Noach’s Drunkenness?

Comments 3 comments

Breishit 9:18 – Noach’s Family or Noach’s Drunkenness? Eli Genauer   וַיִּֽהְי֣וּ בְנֵי־נֹ֗חַ הַיֹּֽצְאִים֙ מִן־הַתֵּבָ֔ה שֵׁ֖ם וְחָ֣ם וָיָ֑פֶת וְחָ֕ם ה֖וּא אֲבִ֥י כְנָֽעַן׃ “The sons of Noach who came out of the ark were Shem, Cham, and Yefet; and Cham was the father of Canaan.” Rashi: וחם הוא אבי כנען. לָמָּה הֻצְרַךְ לוֹמַר כָּאן? לְפִי שֶׁהַפָּרָשָׁה עֲסוּקָה וּבָאָה בְּשִׁכְרוּתוֹ שֶׁל נֹחַ שֶׁקִּלְקֵל בָּה חָם וְעַל יָדוֹ נִתְקַלֵּל כְּנַעַן, וַעֲדַיִן לֹא כָתַב תּוֹלְדוֹת חָם, וְלֹא יָדַעְנוּ שֶׁכְּנַעַן בְּנוֹ – לְפִיכָךְ הֻצְרַךְ לוֹמַר…

Read More Read More

Reflections & Two Hespedim: R’ Eliyahu Greensweig & R’ Dovid Kamenetsky

Reflections & Two Hespedim: R’ Eliyahu Greensweig & R’ Dovid Kamenetsky

Comments 2 comments

Reflections & Two Hespedim: R’ Eliyahu Greensweig & R’ Dovid Kamenetsky By Eliezer Brodt A few months ago, I launched my new podcast, Musings of a Book Collector, a deep dive into the world of rare and fascinating Jewish books (information can be found here). Some episodes are available to enjoy for free (here and here), while exclusive content is reserved for subscribers. You can also purchase individual episodes here. Any form of Sponsorship is helpful and appreciated (here). Over…

Read More Read More

This High Holidays: Are we Praying to be Raised or Praying to be Lowered?

This High Holidays: Are we Praying to be Raised or Praying to be Lowered?

Comments 5 comments

This High Holidays: Are we Praying to be Raised or Praying to be Lowered? Yaakov Jaffe The high note of the Yamim Noraim service, both literally and figuratively, growing up, was the two-word phrase “mi yarum,” “who will be raised,” halfway through the U-Netaneh Tokef piyyut. These two words proceed the congregation’s cry of the now-anthem of the day “Repentance, prayer, charity can remove[1] the evil of[2] the decree,” and the two-word phrase carries a special intensity.[3] “Who will be…

Read More Read More

From Medina Raḥamim to Elul Seliḥot: Toward a Prehistory of Nocturnal Penitential Prayer

From Medina Raḥamim to Elul Seliḥot: Toward a Prehistory of Nocturnal Penitential Prayer

Comments 0 Comment

From Medina Raḥamim to Elul Seliḥot: Toward a Prehistory of Nocturnal Penitential Prayer Aton M. Holzer Shulamit Elizur, the undisputed doyenne of piyyut scholarship, published in 2016 a characteristically magisterial study on the origins of the seliḥot liturgy.[1] This liturgical category – like the prayerbook as a whole – is not attested before the eighth and ninth centuries. The great payyetanim of late antique Eretz Israel – Yose ben Yose, Yannai, and R. Eleazar ha-Qalir – composed qinot, qerovot, and…

Read More Read More

image_pdfimage_print