“A Woman Is Not an Elephant”

“A Woman Is Not an Elephant”

“A Woman Is Not an Elephant” – Some Jewish, Islamic and Classical Perspectives On the Conflict Between Authority and Truth by Yitzhak of Bein Din Ledin Unusually Long (Human) Gestations: Islam The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) reports (hat tip: Rabbi Natan Slifkin): Egyptian Medical Doctor Criticizes the Phenomenon of Accepting Unscientific Islamic Beliefs, like the Notion that a Woman's Pregnancy Can Last Up to Four Years In an article on the liberal website Elaph, Dr. Khaled Montasser, a…

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Elliott Horowitz – “”Most of all you’ve got to hide it from the kids…’ Reading Esther before Bed”

Elliott Horowitz – “”Most of all you’ve got to hide it from the kids…’ Reading Esther before Bed”

Elliott Horowitz teaches at Bar Ilan University and is co-editor of Jewish Quarterly Review. This is his fourth contribution to the Seforim blog. We hope that you enjoy. “”Most of all you’ve got to hide it from the kids…’: Reading Esther before Bed” Elliott Horowitz “The problem of selecting Bible stories for the early grades is an especially difficult one,” wrote Emanuel Gamoran in his introduction to the first volume of Lenore Cohen’s Bible Tales for Very Young Children (2…

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Anim Zemorot: A Modern Purim Parody

Anim Zemorot: A Modern Purim Parody

Anim Zemorot:  A Modern Purim ParodyFor many centuries, parodies have been part of the Purim literature (see this post discussing their history).  One particularly popular genre of Purim literature has been the fake tefila.  Perhaps the best-known collection is the “Kol Bo” (first printed in L’vov, 1855 – see I. Davidson, Parody in Jewish Literature, n. 191 discussing this work, and a later example here) which runs the gamut of Kiddush to Yetziv Pitgam (de-Lot mi-S’dom) and Mareh Haman to…

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R. Shmuel Ashkenazi: "Gaon" Equals 60?

R. Shmuel Ashkenazi: "Gaon" Equals 60?

                                                  "Gaon" Equals 60?                      (Another chapter of R. Shmuel Ashkenazi's Latest Work) Unfortunately, the amount of responses regarding assisting the publication of R. Ashkenazi's was underwhelming (a total of one contribution) so it is still uncertain when the seforim will actually be published. Until then – here is another chapter. For more information to contribute (any amount is extremly helpful) contact me at eliezerbrodt-at-gmail.com. גאון בגימטריא ששים א. גאון = 60 כתב ר' זכריה סימנר בספר זכירה, שהדפיס בשנת תסט בהמבורג…

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Review: Kehilot Hungary

Review: Kehilot Hungary

Rabbi Baruch Oberlander is the rabbi in Budapest, Hungary, since 1989, and is the editor of Tel Talpiot. He has published many articles in the journal Ohr Yisroel and is the world's leading expert on the forged Yerushalmi Kodashim. כיצד כותבים את ההיסטוריה של יהדות הונגריה בישראל?הרב ברוך אבערלאנדעראב"ד בבודאפשט, הונגריה קהילות הונגריה – הקהילות החרדיות בהונגריה – תש"ד, מאת פרופ' שלמה שפיצר, מכון ירושלים, תשס"ט, 466 עמודים. החשיבות של כתיבה היסטורית נכונהכתיבה מדוייקת של דברי ימי הימים של עם ישראל חשובה…

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Bein hashemashot: A Reevaluation of the Texts

Bein hashemashot: A Reevaluation of the Texts

Bein Hashemashot: A Reevaluation of the Textsby: Dr. William GewirtzThis is the first of a sequence of posts, from a draft of a forthcoming monograph by Dr. William Gewirtz that addresses the period of bein hashemashot.  Each post very briefly summarizes about 20 pages of the monograph containing 4 – 6 critical pages.  Those wishing the entire section can download the associated PDF file.  The monograph addresses the period of bein hashemashot, the most fundamental area of dispute in the…

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