ענין הריגת עשו והמסתעף Shlomo (Steven) Flamer is a fourth-year medical student at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He previously studied at Yeshivas Ohr Hachaim (Queens, NY), and holds an M.A. in Jewish Studies from Touro College רש”י לפרשת ויחי (מט, כא) ד”ה הנותן אמרי שפר מביא דברי חז”ל אודות מיתת עשו, ז”ל רבותינו דרשוהו על יום קבורת יעקב כשערער עשו על המערה במסכת סוטה דף יג עכ”ל. ובאמת יש לכל הפחות ד’ דיעות מי הרג לעשו: (א) חושים…
Gelatin, Supposed Retractions, and Abraham Goldstein, Part 1 Marc B. Shapiro In my last post I quoted something from Mesorat Moshe and wondered whether R. Moshe Feinstein could have actually said that which is attributed to him. While the Mesorat Moshe series is quite valuable, whenever one deals with “table talk” there is always going to be the issue of how much authority do you give to such reports, especially compared with written texts of R. Moshe. Here is an example of what I…
Shnei Zeitim: Two Olive Branches Piyut by Solomon Ibn Gabirol Translated & Annotated by Ben Zion Katz[1] Two[2] olive branches[3] cut down in the garden[4] will again produce fresh, pure olive oil[5], For the leaders of the Kohatites[6] and the Ephratites[7] will be crowned as one[8]. They will shine[9] like candles on the holy Menorah[10]- There in the camp opposite the menorah, they shined![11] The son of Ephrat[12] whose ornament[13] was cut off and then dried up[14] Has now become…
“Seeing the Infinite in Torah”: A Memorial to the Gaon Rabbi Shelomo Fisher (Author of Beit Yishai) By Rabbi Bezalel Naor ANCESTRY Rabbi Shelomo Yehonathan Yehudah Fisher was born in Jerusalem in 1932 to Rabbi Aharon and Devorah Fisher. He was named after his paternal grandfather, Shelomo Fisher (1852-1932), Rabbi of Karlsburg, Siebenbürgen. Rabbi Shelomo Fisher the Elder, an Oberlander, was a disciple of Rabbi Abraham Samuel Benjamin Schreiber of Pressburg (Ketav Sofer) and of Rabbi Isaac Dov (Seligmann Baer)…
Haftaros of Vayetze and Vayishlach – A Mistake Rectified[1] By Eli Duker There had been one practice throughout the Jewish world concerning the Haftara of Vayishlach until the print revolution. The book of Ovadia is the Haftara listed in every Haftara list, including the one in the Rambam’s Seder HaTefillos in the Mishneh Torah, MS Ginsburg Moscow of the Machzor Vitry,[2] Etz Chaim (written in London on the eve of the Edict of Expulsion),[3] Abudarham,[4] and the list of Rabbi…
Daf Yomi: Seforim on Masseches Taanis By Eliezer Brodt Daf Yomi just started learning Masseches Taanis this week. Earlier today I had a conversation with Rabbi Moshe Schwed of All Daf. The purpose of the conversation was for me to briefly highlight some of the Rishonim and Achronim “out there” on this masechtah, adding some tidbits of interest about them. A nice amount of the conversation was devoted to discussing if Rashi on Taanis is by Rashi or not. We…