Musings on the Piyut היום הרת עולם By Joseph Wertzberger The following post is based in part on a lecture by Rabbi Ben Greenfield, newly installed Rabbi of the Greenpoint Shul, and several of its key ideas are his. * * * The poem היום הרת עולם is a very early piyut by an unknown author, appearing in writing as early as Siddur Rav Amram Ga’on, and is very widely recited after each of the sets of Tekiyot during the…
The Fish Motif on Early Hebrew Title-Pages and as Pressmarks by Marvin J. Heller Fish are a symbol replete with meaning, among them, in Judaism, representing fertility and good luck, albeit that fish are not an image that, for most, quickly comes to mind when considering Jewish iconography. Created on the fifth day of creation, fish symbolize fruitfulness, and, as Dr. Joseph Lowin informs, the month of Adar on the Hebrew calendar (February-March, Pisces) is considered “a lucky month for the Jews (mazal dagim).”…
Copies of Marc Shapiro’s recent work Iggerot Malkhei Rabbanan mentioned here, are now available for purchase in Israel. To purchase contact Eliezerbrodt@gmail.com.
Legacy Judaica is holding an auction on Monday, September 23rd, and a few items of note. The Viennese Schmidt press produced two books with rather striking portraits. One of R. Shmuel Eidels, Maharsha, and other of R. Yitzkah Alfasi, Rif, which is at lot 54. Rif is depicted wearing robes and a turban with a long white beard. Of course, there are no contemporaneous portraits of Rif, and this is a 19th century creation. (For more on rabbinic portraits see…
You are cordially invited to the following shiurim/lectures by the noted author, Rav Yechiel Goldhaber, whose respected research and scholarship is well-known. 1. The next shiur will take place Monday, September 16th, 8 PM at Lakewood Courtyard Simcha Room 8:00 pm Yiddish/English. 2. Tuesday, September 17th the shiur will take place in Monsey at 20 Forshay Rd at בית המדרש אור החיים פארשעי At 12:30 it will be in Yiddish and 8:30 it will be in English. 3. Wednesday September 18th The…
A Newly Discovered Work of the Rambam? By Eli Genauer I recently purchased a Chumash which was printed in Sulzbach in 1741 by Meshulam Zalman ben Aharon Fraenkel Marvin Heller succinctly sums up the history of Hebrew printing in Sulzbach as follows: “This small Bavarian community was for over two centuries the site of Hebrew presses that printed many important titles. Duke Christain-Augustus due to his interest in Kabbalah, permitted the opening of Hebrew print shops in the 1660’s. Sulzbach…