The Seforim Blog – Page 129 – All about Seforim – New and Old, and Jewish Bibliography

Benefits of the Internet: Besamim Rosh and its History

April 26, 2010 admin Comments 3 comments

Benefits of the Internet: Besamim Rosh and its HistoryBy: Dan Rabinowitz & Eliezer Brodt In a new series we wanted to highlight how much important material is now available online. This, first post, illustrates the proliferation of online materials with regard to the controversy surrounding the work Besamim Rosh (“BR”). [We must note at the outset that recently a program has been designed by Moshe Koppel which enables one, via various mathematical algorithims, to identify documents authored by the same…

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More on Chaim Bloch

April 22, 2010 admin Comments 3 comments

More on Chaim Bloch By Marc B. Shapiro In a previous post I mentioned how the non-Jewish Austrian minister Leon Bilinski was descended from the rav of Posen, R. Samuel ben Moses Falkenfeld, the Beit Shmuel Aharon. More information about Bilinski’s Jewish roots is found in Chaim Bloch’s Ve-Da Mah she-Tashiv (New York, 1943), p. 74 n. 1. In general, I have found that when Bloch is reporting about other people’s biographies and history in general, he is very reliable….

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Seforim for Sale, List II

April 19, 2010 admin Comments 54 comments

Seforim for Sale, List II by: Eliezer Brodt This is the second list of out-of-print seforim. At the end of the list I provide suggestions, divided by subject matter. Additionally, where appropriate I have provided information about specific titles. Most of the titles mentioned here are out of print and, for some of the listed titles; there are only a few copies available. For example, for-some of the titles there are only two copies available for sale while others there…

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Marc Shapiro: R. Kook on Sacrifices & Other Assorted Comments

April 15, 2010 admin Comments 2 comments

R. Kook on Sacrifices and Other Assorted Comments by: Marc B. Shapiro 1. At the beginning of my previous post (the Gurock review) I mentioned R. Solomon Isaac Scheinfeld (1860-1943). The source of the comment I quote is his Olam ha-Sheker (Milwaukee, 1936), p. 77.1 Scheinfeld was the unofficial chief rabbi in Milwaukee, arriving there in 1902 and serving until his death in 1943. Here is his picture. He had a traditional education, having studied for three years in the…

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Marc B. Shapiro – Review: Orthodox Jews in America

April 13, 2010 admin Comments 0 Comment

Orthodox Jews in America reviewed by Marc B. Shapiro This is the first part of a four part post. It begins with a review I was asked to write that in the end was never published. The format of the review was not designed for the arcane stuff and numerous footnotes that are usual fare for the Seforim blog. Yet have no fear, these will return in parts 2-4. Jeffrey S. Gurock, Orthodox Jews in America…

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Bein hashemashot: A Reevaluation of the Texts Part II

April 7, 2010 admin Comments 0 Comment

Bein hashemashot: A Reevaluation of the Texts Part II by: Dr. William Gewirtz This is the second of a sequence of posts (the first post can be found here), from a draft of a forthcoming monograph by Dr. William Gewirtz that addresses the period of bein hashemashot. Each post briefly summarizes about 20 pages of the monograph and contains 4 – 6 critical pages from that section as well. The monograph addresses the period of bein hashemashot, the most fundamental…

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