Next week, Oct. 27, Kestenbaum & Co. is having an auction, and the catalog is availalbe online. Obviously, there are many items worth highlighting but I want to focus upon one general topic and select those lots that are relevant. The focus of this post is on translations and the vernacular. Lot 7 is the first book using Hebrew fonts to teach Hebrew to an American audience. This book, Grammar of the Hebrew Tongue, written by Judah Monis, was a…
“‘Uman, Uman Rosh ha-Shana’: R. Nahman’s Grave as Erez Yisrael” Shaul Magid Indiana University/Bloomington Professor Shaul Magid is the Jay and Jeannie Schottenstein Chair of Jewish Studies at Indiana University. This text below was originally a talk delivered in Winnipeg, Canada, in commemoration of the 200th yahrzeit of R. Nahman of Bratslav. A revised and expanded version will hopefully be included in Interpreting Hasidism: Essays in Hasidic Textuality from The Baal Shem Tov to the Present. Special thanks to the…
Kindler of Hearts and Illuminator of Letters: An Essay in Memory of Reb Levi Yitzhak ben Sara Sasha of Berdyczów by Ariel Evan Mayse For my wife Adina, whose illuminating words never fail to inspire. Relatively few Hasidic masters have enjoyed the enormous and enduring popularity of Reb Levi Yitzhak ben Sara Sasha of Berdyczów (1740-1809), perhaps with the exception of the Ba’al Shem Tov himself. Beginning in the nineteenth century and continuing to the present day, written texts and…
On the Kashrut of Modern Etrogim Sukkot is fast approaching. For many this means selecting a “mehudar” etrog. Depending upon where one is this task can involve not only selecting an etrog with or without a pitum, bumpy or smoother, with or without a gartel, or a host of other considerations, but also selecting which type, Berman or Hazon Ish. Indeed, today, there are variety of types of etrogim identified by the farm or personalities that have ostensibly certified them…
Some Recently Published Seforimby: Eliezer Brodt Here is short list of some recently published seforim on the market. This is only a partial list but we wanted to highlight some notable seforim. 1. The Safari commentary, Mishnayot Mishnat Eretz Yisroel, on Meschect Yoma. This is but one of the many new volumes of this commentary that are coming out at a rapid speed. I hope they continue coming out at such speeds.2. Zohar Amar’s Esrogei Eretz Yisroel. This volume is…
No Hell Below Us? The Controversy Over Rambam’s Stance On Punishment In the Afterlife by Yitzhak, of בין דין לדין From this morning’s סליחות: עזב-נא בן-אדם עזב-נא. עזב יקר עולם נודד נדוד. כי ערוך תפתה, בכל להב וכידוד. … עזב-נא בן-אדם עזב-נא. עזב נחת העולם הזה ושמחה. בטרם נוד רוחך, בכל פנה ורוחה. ועיניך תראינה גיהנם פתוחה. ושם תהיה נפשך שרופה וגם כסוחה. … Rabbi Natan Slifkin recently claimed: (By the way, according to Rambam, there is no such…