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Some Observations Regarding Approbations for Hebrew Books

Some Observations Regarding Approbations for Hebrew Books

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Haskamot (rabbinical approbations) to Hebrew books have an very interesting history.  There are a few different forms of haskamot, perhaps the most important form is that which granted the author and/or publisher a copyright. Typically, the haskamah would prohibit republishing the particular book for a period of ten or fifteen years, etc.  In some instances, it was not only the particular book but any book in the field. For example, the haskamah to R. Yom Tov Lipmann Heller's edition of…

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Upcoming December Auctions

Upcoming December Auctions

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In the next few weeks there are a bunch of auctions. First, is Sotheby's auction of the "Delmonico" collection.  This collection, of an anonymous collector, is amazing.  It includes fifty incunabula with the balance of the auction being 16 and 17th century books.  Included in the later portion are volumes of the first edition Bomberg Talmud printed on blue paper.  These are the only known copies of these volumes. The incunabula includes the first edition of the Rambam's commentary on…

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Dr. Lange’s Commentary on Koheleth

Dr. Lange’s Commentary on Koheleth

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In a recent post, Dr. Leiman noted that Rabbi Dr. Dovid Tzvi Hoffmann's commentary on Shemot is being translated into Hebrew and printed in the near future.  While the volume on Shemot will be published, a commentary of one of R. Hoffmann's student on Koheles has recently been translated and printed.  Indeed,  there are two editions of the same commentary that have been recently been printed.  The fact that someone who has been ignored for a while then merits to…

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Shnayer Leiman: Notes on Rabbinic Epitaphs I

Shnayer Leiman: Notes on Rabbinic Epitaphs I

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Notes on Rabbinic Epitaphs: I by Shnayer Leiman The newly recovered tombstone of R. Yosef Trani (1568-1639), the Maharit, among the greatest of the early aharonim,[1] is a truly remarkable event. The discoverer, the noted bibliophile and book dealer R. Shlomo Epstein, had searched all the Jewish cemeteries in Istanbul (formerly: Constantinople), but could not locate the Maharit’s grave. On a recent visit to Safed, where he went to pray at the tomb of R, Moshe Alshekh (circa 1520-1593), he…

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Can A Segulah Free an Agunah? Jewish Beliefs and Practices for Locating a Drowned Body

Can A Segulah Free an Agunah? Jewish Beliefs and Practices for Locating a Drowned Body

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Can a Segulah Free an Agunah? Jewish Beliefs and Practices for Locating a Drowned Body By Bency Eichorn Bency Eichorn learns in kollel and, on the side, has been researching about various segulos. For his wedding he authored a book, Simchas Zion, discussing the segulah of keeping the afikomom from year-to-year. The post below is a small part of a much larger project on this segulah and has been adapted for the blog. In light of the recent drowning of…

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Akiva Leiman: Gravely Mistaken

Akiva Leiman: Gravely Mistaken

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Gravely Mistaken by Akiva Leiman R. Leiman teaches high school at the Yeshiva of Greater Washington in Silver Spring, Maryland. Additionally, he leads trips to sites of Jewish interest in Eastern Europe. This is his first contribution to the Seforim blog. One hardly need go far to find errors in published materials, but when even moderate research would suffice to unearth correct information lack of such an effort would seem egregious. Jewish burial sites have often been lost: Nazis or…

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