The Seforim Blog – Page 91 – All about Seforim – New and Old, and Jewish Bibliography

New Book Announcement: A critical edition of R’ El‘azar HaKalir’s Piyyutim of Rosh Hashanah, by Shulamit Elizur and Michael Rand

September 15, 2014 admin Comments 0 Comment

New Book Announcement: A critical edition of R’ El‘azar HaKalir’s Piyyutim of Rosh Hashanah, by Shulamit Elizur and Michael Rand By Eliezer Brodt רבי אלעזר בירבי קליר, פיוטים לראש השנה, ביארה והוסיפה מבוא, שולמית אליצור, התקין מכתבי היד מיכאל רנד, האיגוד העולמי למדעי היהדות, ירושלים תשע”ד, [מקורות לחקר תרבות ישראל, כרך יח], 718 עמודים. I am very happy to announce the publication of an important work out just in time for Rosh Hashanah, a critical edition of all of R’…

Read More Read More

R. Isaac Arama, R. Kook, Mordecai Kaplan, and more

September 10, 2014 admin Comments 0 Comment

R. Isaac Arama, R. Kook, Mordecai Kaplan, and more by Marc B. Shapiro 1. In the last post I discussed R. Isaac Arama. In his Conversos, Inquisition and the Expulsion of the Jews from Spain, p. 53, Norman Roth states that Arama was not a “great scholar.” If he means to say that Arama wasn’t a great talmudist (as has been stated about Ibn Ezra and Abarbanel), then perhaps he has a point (although I am sure this would be debated). But I…

Read More Read More

Book Review: Rav Aharon Lichtenstein’s Minchat Aviv

September 8, 2014 admin Comments 0 Comment

RAV AHARON LICHTENSTEIN’S Minchat Aviv: A REVIEW Aviad Hacohen Minchat Aviv: Studies in Talmudic Topics (Hebrew) HaRav Aharon Lichtenstein Editor: Rav Elyakim Krumbein Jerusalem: Maggid Books and Yeshivat Har Etzion, 2014 xvi + 659 pages; source and subject indexes Available here. A person must exert considerable effort before producing words of Torah and wisdom. Toiling in Torah can be compared to toil in working the land: one must plow and sow, irrigate and fertilize, hoe and aerate, develop and cultivate,…

Read More Read More

Chapter from Y. S. Spiegel’s Amudim be-Toldot ha-Sefer ha-Ivri (Volume Three)

September 3, 2014 admin Comments 0 Comment

Yaakov Shmuel Spiegel’s new book has just appeared, as announced here. It is titled Amudim be-Toldot ha-Sefer ha-Ivri: Be-Sha’arei ha-Defus. The Seforim Blog is happy to present this selection from pages 84-90. Those interested in purchasing a copy of the book should contact Eliezer Brodt at eliezerbrodt@gmail.com י. חכמים מעודדים כתיבה ופרסום דברי תורה של צעירים מן הראוי לדעת כי היו חכמים שעודדו כתיבה תורנית של תלמידי חכמים צעירים, וראו בכך מנוף להכשרתם לעתיד. ר’ יונה נבון רבו של החיד”א…

Read More Read More

New Book Announcement: Amudim be-Toldot ha-Sefer ha-Ivri (Volume Three)

August 29, 2014 admin Comments 0 Comment

New Book Announcement: Amudim be-Toldot ha-Sefer ha-Ivri (Volume Three) By Eliezer Brodt I am very happy to announce the recent publication of an important work, which will be of great interest to readers of the Seforim blog. The third volume of, Amudim be-Toldot ha-Sefer ha-Ivri by Professor Yaakov Shmuel Spiegel, of Bar-Ilan University’s Talmud department. As I have written in the past, Professor Spiegel is one of the most prolific writers in the Jewish academic scene, authoring of over 160…

Read More Read More

The Creative Craftsman: Adorning The Torah, One Crown At A Time

August 24, 2014 admin Comments 1 comment

The Creative Craftsman: Adorning The Torah, One Crown At A Time By Olivia Friedman Olivia Friedman received her M.A. in Bible from the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies. Based in Chicago, she is a Judaic Studies teacher, tutor, writer, and lecturer and can be reached at oliviafried-at-gmail-dot-com. It’s not surprising that there are many overlooked biblical commentators. However, R’ Zalman Sorotzkin’s is one who ought to be rescued from relative obscurity. Sorotzkin’s biography and tumultuous history helped shape…

Read More Read More