The Seforim Blog – Page 83 – All about Seforim – New and Old, and Jewish Bibliography

Notes on RASHI, ArtScroll Censorship, and Emendation of Rabbinic Texts

June 15, 2015 admin Comments 4 comments

Notes on RASHI, ArtScroll Censorship, and Emendation of Rabbinic Texts By David Shasha A new post on the Seforim blog by Professor Marc Shapiro discusses the problem of ArtScroll publishers and the way that it routinely censors rabbinical texts: http://seforimblog.com/2015/06/more-about-rashbam-on-genesis-chapter-1.html Shapiro looks at the issue of RASHBAM’s commentary to Genesis 1, a big problem for Orthodox literalists. Here is a post from Failed Messiah that explains the difficulty: http://failedmessiah.typepad.com/failed_messiahcom/2014/12/haredi-publisher-artscroll-censors-bible-commentary-of-leading-medieval-rabbi-678.html RASHBAM is the grandson of RASHI and the brother of Rabbenu…

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New Book sale 2015 – Sale #2

June 11, 2015 admin Comments 1 comment

New Book sale 2015 – Sale #2 By Eliezer Brodt This list consists of a few parts. Many of these titles are very hard to find. Some of the prices are better than others, butI think they are all very fair. Almost all the books are in good shape. E-mail your order to eliezerbrodt@gmail.com. I will than send you a bill based on what is available. Payment will be done via PayPal. Shipping is not included in the price; that depends…

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More About Rashbam on Genesis Chapter 1 and Further Comments about ArtScroll

June 8, 2015 admin Comments 0 Comment

More About Rashbam on Genesis Chapter 1 and Further Comments about ArtScroll By Marc B. Shapiro I had thought that I was done with ArtScroll’s censorship of Rashbam to Genesis chapter 1, but a number of people wanted some explanation about the manuscript of Rashbam’s commentary. This will also give me the opportunity to add some more comments about this distressing episode.[1] In my prior post on the topic, available here, I referred to Rabbenu Tam’s strong words against those who…

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Book week 2015

June 4, 2015 admin Comments 0 Comment

Book week 2015 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 and here). One should take advantage of this sale as a law was passed recently against sales on newly published books, for the first 18 months after…

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פיוט צרפתי לא-ידוע לחג השבועות

May 22, 2015 admin Comments 1 comment

פיוט צרפתי לא-ידוע לחג השבועות מאת גבריאל וסרמן לכל חובבי המחזורים של ד’ גודלשמידט וחתנו י’ פרנקל, “לפי מנהגי בני אשכנז לכל ענפיהם: כולל מנהג אשכנז (המערבי) מנהג פולין ומנהג צרפת לשעבר”, ידוע נוסח התפילה והפיוטים של יהודי צרפת בימי הביניים היה דומה, אך שונה, מזה של בני אשכנז וצאציהם היום. במנהג אשכנז (בחו”ל), אומרים שתי קדושתאות (מערכות פיוטים שמקשטות את תחילת העמידה עד הקדושה) בשבועות, אחת ביו”ט ראשון ואחת ביו”ט שני: “ארץ מטה” של ר’ אלעזר בירבי קליר, ו”אורח…

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“Be-Esek Atevata”: A Contextual Interpretation of an Elusive Phrase in Akdamut Millin

May 19, 2015 admin Comments 2 comments

“Be-Esek Atevata”: A Contextual Interpretation of an Elusive Phrase in Akdamut Millin by David S. Zinberg A centerpiece of the Ashkenazic liturgy for Shavuot, Akdamut Millin is an artistically sophisticated, epically dramatic, and emotionally charged piyyut. After nearly a millennium, the liturgical-narrative masterpiece of R. Meir ben Yitzhak Sheliah Tzibbur continues to intrigue and to inspire.[1] Towards the middle of the poem, the poet abruptly changes scenes. Speaking in his own voice, he announces that he will now praise God “before empires”: שְׁבַח ריבון…

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