The Seforim Blog – Page 134 – All about Seforim – New and Old, and Jewish Bibliography

Mysteries of the Other World: Golems, Demons and Similar Beings in Jewish Thought & History

October 30, 2009 admin Comments 0 Comment

A recent article begins: While some Jewish families see Halloween as a pagan holiday that should not be observed, the fact is, Jewish tradition is itself no stranger to the otherworldly, with its own history of golem-makers, sorcerers, and demon wranglers, and throughout the centuries Jews have been as afraid of evil spirits as anyone else Indeed, for those interested in some of the discussions regarding demon wranglers and golem makers, see Dr. Leiman’s post on “Did a Disciple of…

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Review: Minhagei Lita

October 28, 2009 admin Comments 36 comments

Minhagei Lita, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Poliakoff, Baltimore: 2008, 116 pp. The author’s stated purpose is to “clarify for present generation the authentic customs of Lithuanian Jewry in prayer and in common Jewish practice” and highlight the Torah true approach and values that form the underpinnings” of those customs. Minhagei Lita at 3. Aside from the difficulty in determining what the author means by “common Jewish practice,” “Torah true approach” this book, unfortunately, has little value. This book, which is really…

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Some Assorted Comments and a Selection from my Memoir. part 1

October 26, 2009 admin Comments 21 comments

Some Assorted Comments and a Selection from my Memoir, part 1 By Marc B. Shapiro 1. Fifty years ago R. Jehiel Jacob Weinberg spoke about the fraudulence that was found in the Orthodox world. Unfortunately, matters have gotten much worse since his time. I am not referring to the phony pesakim in the names of great rabbis that appear plastered all over Jerusalem, and from there to the internet. Often the damage has been done before the news comes out…

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Interview with Professor Lawrence Kaplan

October 21, 2009 admin Comments 0 Comment

Interview with Professor Lawrence Kaplan Conducted by Baruch Pelta on December 22, 2008 at the 40th Association for Jewish Studies Conference Transcribed Using the Services of Olivia Wiznitzer Co-edited by Lawrence Kaplan and Baruch Pelta Lawrence Kaplan received his BA from Yeshiva College, his MA and PhD from Harvard University, and his rabbinical ordination from Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. He has taught at McGill University since 1972, and is currently Professor of Rabbinics and Jewish Philosophy in its…

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Wine, Women and Song – Part III

October 18, 2009 admin Comments 1 comment

Wine, Women and Song: Some Remarks On Poetry and Grammar – Part III by Yitzhak of בין דין לדין The previous two parts: Part I, Part II. Lasciviousness Rambam In the first part of this essay, we have discussed the offenses of literature against grammar; a far more incendiary issue is the question of lasciviousness. Judaism seems to have historically been somewhat ambivalent on the matter; it is an ineluctable fact that many of our most celebrated poets, particularly of…

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Shemot Hakhamim & Its Ommissions

October 15, 2009 admin Comments 1 comment

על ספר שמות חכמים, קיצור תולדות רבותינו הראשונים, אברהם מאיר וייס, בני ברק, תשס”טמאתעקביא שמש Abstract: A new book, a history of Rabbis and their books from the Geonic and Rishonim periods, Shemot Hakhamim, Kitzur Toldot Rabotenu ha-Rishonim, while attempting to be comprehensive falls short on that account. In particular, the failure of the author to use “academic” works diminishes the value of this book. While A. Shamesh is willing to cede that attempting to read the entire corpus of…

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