Rabbi Chaim Volozhin’s Motivation to Write Nefesh HaChaim

Rabbi Chaim Volozhin’s Motivation to Write Nefesh HaChaim

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Rabbi Chaim Volozhin’s Motivation to Write Nefesh HaChaim (Including a response to R. Bezalel Naor’s Review of Nefesh HaTzimtzum) Avinoam Fraenkel Avinoam Fraenkel’s new 2 volume work, Nefesh HaTzimtzum (Urim Publications), is a full facing page translation and extensive commentary on Nefesh HaChaim together with all related writings by R. Chaim Volozhin. It also presents a groundbreaking study on the Kabbalistic concept of Tzimtzum which is demonstrated to be the key principle underpinning all of Nefesh HaChaim. The following essay…

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Rav Avraham Chai Reggio Brings A Sefer To Life

Rav Avraham Chai Reggio Brings A Sefer To Life

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Rav Avraham Chai Reggio Brings A Sefer To Life By Eli Genauer Note: I would like to thank Rabbi Gad Bouskila of Congregation Netivot Israel in Brooklyn for helping me decipher Rav Avraham Reggio’s handwriting Rav Avraham Chai (Vita) ben Azriel Reggio  (1755-1842) was the Rav of Gorizia, in northern Italy for over forty years. During that time period, he answered Sha’aylot both locally and from abroad, wrote a Sefer Torah, performed 300 circumcisions, and gave many Drashot that changed people’s…

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אין חכמה לאשה אלא בפלך

אין חכמה לאשה אלא בפלך

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אין חכמה לאשה אלא בפלך מאת דוד פרקש* במדבר רבה (ט:מח) מטרונה שאלה את ר”א מפני מה חטייה אחת בעגל והם [בני ישראל] מתו בה ג’ מיתות, אמר לה אין חכמה לאשה אלא בפלכה דכתיב וכל אשה חכמת לב בידיה טוו. אמר לו הורקנוס בשביל שלא להושיבה דבר אחד מן התורה איבדה ממנו ג’ מאות כור מעשר בכל שנה? אמר לו, ישרפו ד”ת ואל ימסרו לנשים. קושייות המטרונה יותר ברורה בהמקביל ביומא (יומא סו:) שם הגירסא “שאלה אשה חכמה את…

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Engaged Couples, צעירים, and More

Engaged Couples, צעירים, and More

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Engaged Couples, צעירים, and More Marc B.Shapiro Continued from here 1. Regarding engaged couples having physical contact, this is actually the subject of a section of the book Penei Yitzhak by R. Hezekiah Mordechai Bassan. Here is the title page. This book was published in Mantua in 1744 by Menahem Navarra who was a descendant of R. Bassan. Navarra, who was at this time a doctor, not a rabbi, was nevertheless very learned in Torah matters. (He would later be appointed rabbi of Verona.[1])…

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Book week 2016

Book week 2016

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Book week 2016 By Eliezer Brodt Book week just began in Eretz Yisrael. As I have written in previous years every year in Israel, around Shavous time, there is a period of about ten days called Shavuah Hasefer – Book Week (for previous years lists see here, here, here, here, here, here, here,  here and here). Many of the companies offer sales for the whole month. Shavuah HaSefer is a sale which takes place all across the country in stores, malls and special places rented…

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אמירת פיוטי ‘אקדמות’ ו’יציב פתגם’ בחג השבועות

אמירת פיוטי ‘אקדמות’ ו’יציב פתגם’ בחג השבועות

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אמירת פיוטי ‘אקדמות’ ו’יציב פתגם’ בחג השבועות by Eliezer Brodt The following post tracing many aspects​ of the famous Piy​ut  Akdamot originally appeared in my recently completed doctorate פרשנות השלחן ערוך לאורח חיים ע”י חכמי פולין במאה הי”ז, חיבור לשם קבלת תואר דוקטור אוניברסיטת בר אילן, רמת גן תשע”ה  pp.341-353. This version is extensively updated with many corrections and additional information. The subject has been dealt with by many including here a few years back. אמירת הפיוטים ‘אקדמות’ ו’יציב פתגם’…

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