The Besamim Rosh’s Son What Can Be Gleaned from an Introduction

The Besamim Rosh’s Son What Can Be Gleaned from an Introduction

Most books, and Hebrew books are no exception, contain introductions. The introduction may lay out the author’s vision for the book, or describe the motivation for publication. Additionally, it is not uncommon to find material which has little to nothing to do with the work which follows. One example, is the introduction to the third edition of the work Or Enayim.[1] This work by R. Shlomo b. Abraham Peniel discusses “the fine attributes of the Jews and the good that…

Read More Read More

Iggeres Ha’Mussar: The Ethical Will of a Bibliophile

Iggeres Ha’Mussar: The Ethical Will of a Bibliophile

Iggeres Ha’Mussar: The Ethical Will of a Bibliophileby Eliezer Brodt A few days ago, the sefer Iggeres Ha’mussar from R. Yehudah Ibn Tibbon, was reprinted. What follows is a short review of this beautiful work. R. Yehudah Ibn Tibbon was born in 1120. Not much is known about him but from this work one learns a few more things about him, he was a doctor, close to the Ba’al Ha’meor (pp. 50, 63). R. Yehudah appears to have been working…

Read More Read More

S.Z. Havlin – Additional Notes on the New Encyclopeadia Judaica

S.Z. Havlin – Additional Notes on the New Encyclopeadia Judaica

הערות על אנ”ימאת: ש”ז הבלין הרב הנקין הזכיר מכשול בערך מערכי האנצ”י, ואולי ראו להוסיף, כי אכן נכון הדבר, ואף הרב הנקין שליט”א בעצמו, נכשל בעבר בהסתמכו על מידע שלקח מאצ”י. באחת מחוברות ‘קושט’, עלון רבני שעורך הרב הנקין (לצערי איני זוכר את מס’ חוברת, ואף אני עכשיו רחוק מביתי ומארצי), ציין הרב כמקור ראשון ל’אני מאמין’ שבסידורים, את הגדת ונציה שכ”ו. פרט זה לקוח מהערך על י”ג העיקרים שבאנציקלופדיה יודאיקה (שכתב פרופ’ אלטמן מברנדייס). והנה לא זו בלבד שאין…

Read More Read More

No more Bentchers: A Review of a Sefer Given as a Wedding Gift

No more Bentchers: A Review of a Sefer Given as a Wedding Gift

No more Bentchers: A Review of a Sefer Given as a Wedding Giftby Eliezer Brodt A wedding carries with it many customs, one of which is an attempt to use this ceremony to disseminate Torah. There was an old custom in many communities for people to write poems in honor of the simchas chasan and kallah. Others even wrote plays in honor of the bride and groom. One example is the Ramchal who wrote the play Ma’ashe Shimshon (as well…

Read More Read More

Rabbi Yehuda Henkin — Opposite of Plagiarism

Rabbi Yehuda Henkin — Opposite of Plagiarism

Rabbi Yehuda Henkin is the author of Shu”T Bnei Banim in four volumes and the commentary Chibah Yeteirah on the Torah. He learned privately with his grandfather, Rabbi Yosef Eliyahu Henkin, and served as Area Rabbi of the Bet Shean Valley in Israel. He now lives in Jerusalem. Rabbi Henkin has two degrees from Columbia University, and has written extensively in English: Equality Lost–Essays in Torah Commentary, Halacha and Jewish Thought, (Urim Publications); New Interpretations on the Parsha (Ktav); Responsa…

Read More Read More

Prof. Marc B. Shapiro response to Rabbi Chaim Rapoport

Prof. Marc B. Shapiro response to Rabbi Chaim Rapoport

In response to Rabbi Chaim Rapoport’s recent response to Prof. Marc B. Shapiro’s response to Rabbi Zev Leff (see original review), Prof. Marc B. Shapiro has shared with the Seforim blog his original response to Rabbi Chaim Rapoport from several years ago. ועש”ק פרשת בא תשס”ד לכבוד ידידי אהובי הרה”ג החסיד המפואר, איש חמודות ונדיב לב, אוצר בלום לתורה ולחכמה, מוה”ר חיים ראפפורט שליט”א, אב”ד דק”ק אילפורד יע”אאחדשה”ט באהבה נאמנה תחילה אני מודה למע”כ על טירחתו לכתוב לי ולהעיר על…

Read More Read More