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…
אמירת פיוטי ‘אקדמות’ ו’יציב פתגם’ בחג השבועות by Eliezer Brodt The following post tracing many aspects of the famous Piyut 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’…
Daily Birkat Cohanim in the Diaspora * By Rabbi Daniel Sperber Question: May Cohanim outside the Land of Israel give the priestly blessing (Birkat Cohanim, or Nesiat Kapayim) on weekdays and on regular Shabbatot? Answer: The Torah explicitly requires the Cohanim to bless the people (Numbers 6:23), but does not tell us where or when they should do so. Rambam (Sefer ha-Mitzvot, Mitzvat Assei 26) who gives no details, but refers us to B. Megillah 24b, Taanit 2b, and Sotah…
:As The Kohen Exits The Sancta A New Edition of Reb Zadok ha-Kohen of Lublin’s Tzidkat ha-Tzadik By Josh Rosenfeld Josh Rosenfeld is the Assistant Rabbi at Lincoln Square Synagogue and on the Judaic Studies Faculty at SAR High School. This is his fourth contribution to the Seforim Blog. Tzidkat ha-Tzaddik Commentary, Notes, & Excurses Ne’imot Netzah by R. Aharon Moseson 2 Vols. 532 + 564 pp. Arad: Makhon Ne’imot ha-Tzedek, 2015 “The Books of the ‘Kohen’, written by the…
R. Yair Hayyim Bachrach as a Writer of Romance?, A Non-Jewish Song Made Holy, Love (and More) Before and After Marriage, and Memoirs that Maybe Tell Too Much Marc B. Shapiro Continued from here There is an interesting responsum of R Yair Hayyim Bacharach, Havot Yair, no. 60, that deals with a man and woman who were in love and get married despite the strong opposition of the woman’s father. The story is quite romantic. It describes how during an epidemic in…
Some Recollections of R. Jehiel Jacob Weinberg, Love Before Marriage, and More Marc B. Shapiro 1. In my last post I mentioned R. Nosson Zvi Finkel, the Alter of Slobodka, so let me add the following. There is a transcript of a 1965 taped conversation between R. Jehiel Jacob Weinberg and R. Yaakov Herzog.[1] Herzog had come to Montreux to speak to R. Weinberg, and here is a picture from that meeting which appears in Michael Bar-Zohar, Yaacov Herzog: A Biography. R. Weinberg,…