Upcoming Auction Review

Upcoming Auction Review

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Upcoming Auction Review: By Dan Rabinowitz and Eliezer Brodt In recent years a number of auction houses specializing in Hebrew books, manuscripts and ephemera have opened.  In some instances, these have displaced and surpassed more well-established houses and certainly provide more opportunities for the collector. A new house, Legacy Auctions, is holding its first auction on April 13. One can view their complete catalog here [There is also a link to a PDF if one scrolls down here.] As we…

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Book Announcement: Gabriel Wasserman’s Haggadah

Book Announcement: Gabriel Wasserman’s Haggadah

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Book Announcement: הגדה של פסח “אשירה ואשננה בחשיקות” מאת גבריאל וסרמן You may purchase a copy here. Every year, many haggadot are published, with various features, but almost all of them have the nearly identical Hebrew text. Yes, Ashkenazic haggadot have a few songs at the end that are not in most Sephardic haggadot, and some Sephardic haggadot may have a few kabbalistic passages that are not in Ashkenazic haggadot, but by and large the texts are well-nigh identical. In…

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Lecture Announcement: Rabbi Yechiel Goldhaber

Lecture Announcement: Rabbi Yechiel Goldhaber

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The readership of the Seforim Blog is invited to a shiur that will be taking place this Sunday April 3, at 7 PM. The shiur will be given by the noted scholar and author Rav Yechiel Goldhaber of Eretz Yisroel (link). He has authored many wonderful articles and works on a wide range of topics, notably Minhagei Kehilos about customs, Kunditon (link) about the Titanic, and the Cherem on Spain, and two volumes of Ginzei Yehuda, a collection of assorted…

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The Pros and Cons of Making Noise When Haman’s Name is Mentioned: A historical perspective (updated)

The Pros and Cons of Making Noise When Haman’s Name is Mentioned: A historical perspective (updated)

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The Pros and Cons of Making Noise When Haman’s Name is Mentioned: A historical perspective (updated) By: Eliezer Brodt Severalweeks before Purim, one can already see children of various ages playing with cap guns and other loud noisemakers. All of this is done in the spirit of preparing for the laining of the Megillah and the noise that will be made whenever the name of Haman is mentioned—sort of like reviewing the halachos of Yom Tov 30 days before the…

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Traditional Jewish source for the “Seven Deadly Sins”

Traditional Jewish source for the “Seven Deadly Sins”

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Traditional Jewish source for the “Seven Deadly Sins”  By Chaim Sunitsky In Christianity as well as in western culture there is a well-known concept of “Seven Deadly Sins” usually enumerated as: pride, covetousness, lust (understood as illicit sexual desire), envy, gluttony, anger and sloth. In particular this theme is well known through the art of Hieronymus Bosch. Even though there is no clear biblical source for this particular list of sins, in general the number seven plays a major role…

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New book announcement: Professor David Henshke’s work on the Seder Night

New book announcement: Professor David Henshke’s work on the Seder Night

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Book announcement:  New work on the Seder Night By Eliezer Brodt דוד הנקשה, מה נשתנה: ליל הפסח בתלמודם של חכמים, מגנס, 626 עמודים I am very happy to announce the publication of an important work (in time for Pesach) which I have been eagerly awaiting; Professor David Henshke of the Talmud Department at Bar Ilan University’s long awaited volume, Ma Nishtanah: Leil HaPesach BiTalmudam shel Chachamim. The book was printed by Magnes Press. Why am I excited about this work? A few years…

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