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Towards a Bibliography of Coronavirus-related Articles & Seforim written in the past month (updated): Black Weddings and others Segulot

Towards a Bibliography of Coronavirus-related Articles & Seforim written in the past month (updated): Black Weddings and others Segulot

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When the lockdown began in Israel a few weeks ago, a friend of mine e-mailed me an article about plagues he was about to complete, asking if I had anything to add. Upon checking my collections of material, I found I had nothing special marked down in my indexes about the topic. At the time I had no plans of writing anything about it. However, a few weeks later, when I started preparing my e-mail of reading material which I…

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The Segulah of Kiddush Levanah

The Segulah of Kiddush Levanah

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The following is an excerpt from a forthcoming article of mine on when to say Kiddush Levanah. This is particularly timely, as this it deals with the segulah attributed to this tefiilah, and its possible connection to plagues. סגולת ברכת הלבנה1 בתחילת המאמר הבאתי דברי המגן אברהם בשם מגיד מישרים: “כ’ המגיד, כשמקדשין הלבנה במוציא שבת תהיה הצלחה. וכשתתכסה ולא תוכלו לברך אותו החדש לא יהיה מוצלח. דוק ותשכח”. והבאתי מה שכתב ר’ חיים אלעזר שפירא: ועיין במגן אברהם… ולמאן…

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Highlights of the Mossad HaRav Kook Sale of 2020, New Rabbi Tovia Preschel volume

Highlights of the Mossad HaRav Kook Sale of 2020, New Rabbi Tovia Preschel volume

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For over thirty years, beginning on Isru Chag of Pesach, Mossad HaRav Kook publishing house has made a big sale on all of their publications, dropping prices considerably (some books are marked as low as 65% off). Each year they print around twenty new titles and introduce them at this time. They also reprint some of their older, out of print titles. Some years important works are printed; others not as much. See here, here and here for review’s, of…

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Towards a Bibliography of Coronavirus-related Articles & Seforim written in the past month

Towards a Bibliography of Coronavirus-related Articles & Seforim written in the past month

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Many of us have been under lockdown for over a month – some of us for less, some for more. However, this has not silenced the ‘voice of the Torah’; all kinds of Shiurim & classes on a wide range of topics have been made available via various methods. Otzar Hachochmah has made their database available free of charge as have others. Others have chosen to spread Torah by putting digital pen to Digital paper. The truth is, like almost…

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Pesach and Haggadah Themed Posts 2020

Pesach and Haggadah Themed Posts 2020

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Here’s a roundup of Pesach and Haggadah-themed posts at the Seforim Blog. Illustrations and the Haggadah I. Racy Title Pages Update II 12.01.2005. Discusses the title page of the Prague Haggadah of 1526. This particular Haggadah used an illustration of a nude woman in the Haggadah’s quotation of Ezekiel 16:7 (“I cause you to increase, even as the growth of the field. And you did increase and grow up, and you became beautiful: you breasts grew, and your hair has…

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A Gift for Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Azulay: On R. Yaakov Shimshon Senigallia, author of the Machshirei Pischa haggada, and his relationship with Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Azulay,‘the Chida’.

A Gift for Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Azulay: On R. Yaakov Shimshon Senigallia, author of the Machshirei Pischa haggada, and his relationship with Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Azulay,‘the Chida’.

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Every antique sefer collector has his specialty. Some collect first prints, some collect classic editions and some collect the prints from a specific European press. The genres vary as well, with some focusing more on Kabbalah while others focus more on polemical literature. Yet, every collector will tell you, that each sefer has a story, and when you examine the individual characteristics of the sefer, the personalities involved with the sefer – whether it be the author or previous owner…

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Mysteries of the Magical Fifth Passover Cup (II): The Great Disappearing Act

Mysteries of the Magical Fifth Passover Cup (II): The Great Disappearing Act

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Years ago, as a Yeshiva Bochur, a Rabbi explained to me that, according to the GRA, the Cup of Elijah at the Passover Seder is really the Fifth Cup mentioned in the Talmud which there is a doubt about Thus, it is Elijah’s cup because when he returns to herald the redemption, every Talmudic tequ will be solved. I found that the elusive Fifth Cup is not actually mentioned in the Talmud as we have it, but by most of…

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To Censor or Not to Censor, that is the Question

To Censor or Not to Censor, that is the Question

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Legacy Auction’s latest auction will take place on March 26, 2020. Their catalog provides us the opportunity to discuss a few items of interest to bibliophiles. There are many examples of the phenomenon of censoring or declaring forgeries of teshuvot and other halakhic rulings especially when those rulings are contrary to contemporary practices. Nonetheless, there is at least one example where the urge to suppress contrary halakhic rulings was rejected. R. Yehiel Mikhel Halevi Epstein of Novogrudok is most well-known…

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Notice on the passing of R. Shlomo Biegeleisen

Notice on the passing of R. Shlomo Biegeleisen

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All אוהבי ספר join in mourning the passing of R. Shlomo Biegeleisen, זכרונו לברכה. One of the most knowledgeable Jewish bookdealers in recent Jewish history, he did not merely sell books. He proffered sound advice, introduced customers to each other, and – in general – provided a congenial setting for תלמידי חכמים, scholars, collectors, bibliophiles, and “ordinary” Jews to meet and exchange ideas. Many a חידוש and scholarly article resulted from a conversation that took place (or: was overheard) at…

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The Breadth of Rabbinic Opinion Regarding Mosaic Authorship of the Torah in the Middle Ages

The Breadth of Rabbinic Opinion Regarding Mosaic Authorship of the Torah in the Middle Ages

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Arguably, Orthodox theology today is much narrower than what was acceptable in the Middle Ages. For example, ArtScroll is editing Rashbam’s (Rabbi Samuel ben Meir, ca 1080 -1174) more radical comments out of their new edition of the Rabbinic Bible (Mikraot Gedolot). In this paper, I will discuss a dramatic example of Biblical exegesis, which could even be considered within the realm of so-called “higher Biblical criticism”, and the implications of this exegesis re medieval Jewish theology. Numbers 21:1-3 describes…

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Reuven Elitzur, Saul Lieberman, and Response to Criticism, part 2

Reuven Elitzur, Saul Lieberman, and Response to Criticism, part 2

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Since I mentioned R. Reuven Elitzur in my post here, let me note two other interesting items from his posthumously published book, Degel Mahaneh Reuven. On pp. 304-305 we learn that when Elitzur studied in Ponovezh, one of the students joined the Irgun. When some other students found out about this, they grabbed the Irgun student one night, covered his head with a blanket, and beat him terribly. The result of this was that the student not only left the…

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The Maharsha’s Map of Yerushalayim – A Taus Sofer? Berakhot 61b

The Maharsha’s Map of Yerushalayim – A Taus Sofer? Berakhot 61b

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“ברכות סא: “הנפנה ביהודה רש”י – ירושלים בארץ יהודה היא בצפונה של ארץ יהודה בגבול שבין יהודה לבנימין By Eli Genauer תנו רבנן, הנפנה ביהודה לא יפנה מזרח ומערב אלא צפון ודרום, ובגליל לא יפנה אלא מזרח ומערב. ורבי יוסי מתיר, שהיה רבי יוסי אומר לא אסרו אלא ברואה ובמקום שאין שם גדר ובזמן שהשכינה שורה. וחכמים אוסרים Explanation of Rabbi Steinsaltz per Sefaria, the William Davidson edition of the Talmud In this context, the Sages taught: One who defecates…

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Review of Mada Toratekha: Studying Gemara in Broad-based Depth 

Review of Mada Toratekha: Studying Gemara in Broad-based Depth 

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Review of Mada Toratekha Rav Yehuda Zoldan: Studying Gemara in Broad-based Depth ר’ יהודה ברנדס מדע תורתך מסכת ברכות, מכללת הרצוג, אלון שבות תשעט The Following post is a short review on a new work from Rabbi Professor Yehuda Brandes on Berakhot. For another recent article of Rabbi Brandes about Learning Gemara see this issue of Hakirah. For a sample chapter of this new work or to purchase this work email Eliezerbrodt@gmail.com Over the years, a variety of different styles…

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Four New Books

Four New Books

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In this post I would like to briefly describe four new (well, newish) works. For a short time, copies of these works can be purchased through me for a special price. Part of the proceeds will be going to support the efforts of the Seforim Blog. Contact me at Eliezerbrodt@gmail.com for more information. .תשובות ר’ יצחק בן שמואל מדמפייר, (ר”י הזקן), ההדירו והוסיפו מבואות פנחס רוט ואברהם (רמי) ריינר, הוצאת מקיצי נרדמים, ירושלים תש”ף, לט עמודים+ 331 עמודים The first…

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New Notes Added in the Koren Talmud Bavli

New Notes Added in the Koren Talmud Bavli

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I would like to thank Chaim Katz for his close reading of the Koren Talmud Bavli, focusing on the new notes that were added in Tractate Berakhot, which he shared in a recent post on the Seforim Blog. His post offers an opportunity to share some of the background to the changes in the new English edition as compared to the original Steinsaltz Talmud Hebrew edition. Perhaps the most important thing to clarify is the thinking that went into the…

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