R. Isaac Arama, R. Kook, Mordecai Kaplan, and more by Marc B. Shapiro 1. In the last post I discussed R. Isaac Arama. In his Conversos, Inquisition and the Expulsion of the Jews from Spain, p. 53, Norman Roth states that Arama was not a “great scholar.” If he means to say that Arama wasn’t a great talmudist (as has been stated about Ibn Ezra and Abarbanel), then perhaps he has a point (although I am sure this would be debated). But I…
RAV AHARON LICHTENSTEIN’S Minchat Aviv: A REVIEW Aviad Hacohen Minchat Aviv: Studies in Talmudic Topics (Hebrew) HaRav Aharon Lichtenstein Editor: Rav Elyakim Krumbein Jerusalem: Maggid Books and Yeshivat Har Etzion, 2014 xvi + 659 pages; source and subject indexes Available here. A person must exert considerable effort before producing words of Torah and wisdom. Toiling in Torah can be compared to toil in working the land: one must plow and sow, irrigate and fertilize, hoe and aerate, develop and cultivate,…
Yaakov Shmuel Spiegel’s new book has just appeared, as announced here. It is titled Amudim be-Toldot ha-Sefer ha-Ivri: Be-Sha’arei ha-Defus. The Seforim Blog is happy to present this selection from pages 84-90. Those interested in purchasing a copy of the book should contact Eliezer Brodt at eliezerbrodt@gmail.com י. חכמים מעודדים כתיבה ופרסום דברי תורה של צעירים מן הראוי לדעת כי היו חכמים שעודדו כתיבה תורנית של תלמידי חכמים צעירים, וראו בכך מנוף להכשרתם לעתיד. ר’ יונה נבון רבו של החיד”א…
New Book Announcement: Amudim be-Toldot ha-Sefer ha-Ivri (Volume Three) By Eliezer Brodt I am very happy to announce the recent publication of an important work, which will be of great interest to readers of the Seforim blog. The third volume of, Amudim be-Toldot ha-Sefer ha-Ivri by Professor Yaakov Shmuel Spiegel, of Bar-Ilan University’s Talmud department. As I have written in the past, Professor Spiegel is one of the most prolific writers in the Jewish academic scene, authoring of over 160…
The Creative Craftsman: Adorning The Torah, One Crown At A Time By Olivia Friedman Olivia Friedman received her M.A. in Bible from the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies. Based in Chicago, she is a Judaic Studies teacher, tutor, writer, and lecturer and can be reached at oliviafried-at-gmail-dot-com. It’s not surprising that there are many overlooked biblical commentators. However, R’ Zalman Sorotzkin’s is one who ought to be rescued from relative obscurity. Sorotzkin’s biography and tumultuous history helped shape…
AN INCIDENT OF “PILEGESH B’GIVAH” IN 19TH CENTURY GERMANY by Eli Genauer I recently purchased an antique Hebrew book for less than the price of a dinner at a moderately priced restaurant. This particular edition is what some would call a “common” — meaning it is the 36th edition (the fourth edition of a revised version) of this book and it was printed in the mid-19th century. Generally, the market does not assign a high price for books like these,…
