Some Notes on Censorship of Hebrew Books

Some Notes on Censorship of Hebrew Books

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Some Notes on Censorship of Hebrew Books by Norman Roth Habent sua fata libelli (Books have their fate) One of the tragedies of the Inquisition and the Expulsions – both from Spain and Portugal– which has received very little attention is the destruction and loss of Hebrew manuscripts and books. Since the printing of Hebrew books in Spain began many years before the Expulsion, this loss involved printed books as well as manuscripts. Indeed, due to these losses, since only…

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A Third Way: Iyyun Tunisai as a Traditional Critical Method of Talmud Study

A Third Way: Iyyun Tunisai as a Traditional Critical Method of Talmud Study

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A Third Way: Iyyun Tunisai as a Traditional Critical Method of Talmud Study[1] by Joseph Ringel  The following is an excerpt from an article with the above title by Joseph Ringel. The full article, including the footnotes detailing the source materials, and the appendix, have been published in the Fall 2013 issue of Tradition (46:3), and is available for purchase at http://www.traditiononline.org/.           In recent years, scholars have taken a renewed interest in elucidating the specific methods used to study…

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The Jewish Reaction to the Livorno Earthquake of January 27, 1742

The Jewish Reaction to the Livorno Earthquake of January 27, 1742

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The Jewish Reaction to the Livorno Earthquake of January 27, 1742 by Ovadya Hoffman On January 27, 1742 (כב’ שבט תק”ב) an earthquake shook Livorno, Italy to its core. All through the preceding months rumbling shuddered throughout the city. Pasqual R. Pedini, a recognized cleric at the time, elucidated in a letter beginning with the incipient rumblings of Jan. 16 carrying on until 27th a vivid depiction of the earthquake’s manifestation and impact (The Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society…

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New book Announcement- Megale Temirin: Special sale

New book Announcement- Megale Temirin: Special sale

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New book Announcement- Megale Temirin: Special sale by Eliezer Brodt יוסף פרל, מגלה טמירין, ההדיר על פי דפוס ראשון וכתבי-יד והוסיף מבוא וביאורים יונתן מאיר, מוסד ביאליק.  ג’ חלקים. כרכים ‘מגלת טמירין’ כולל 345  עמודים +מח עמודים; כרך ‘נספחים’ עמ’ 349-620;  כרך ‘חסידות מדומה’ עיונים בכתביו הסאטיריים של יוסף פרל, 316 עמודים. Megale Temirin (Revealer of Secrets) ed. Jonatan Meir. Three volumes, Mosad Bialik, Jerusalem This is a short description of the work: Megale Temirin, was first published in Vienna…

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TU BISHVAT: TREE AND THOU

TU BISHVAT: TREE AND THOU

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TU BISHVAT: TREE AND THOU by Alan Zelenetz Rabbi Alan Zelenetz, M.Phil. has been professionally involved in Jewish education, academia, and independent scholarship for more than twenty-five years, including leadership positions as principal of Torah and General Studies of Yeshivah of Flatbush Middle Division and Director of Curriculum Development of Teachers College Innovations, Columbia University. DYNAMIC GREEN From their cosmic vantage point in outer space, NASA satellites orbiting our planet beam down real-time streaming video of Earth’s surface. They reveal…

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The Vilna Gaon, part 2 (Review of Eliyahu Stern, The Genius)

The Vilna Gaon, part 2 (Review of Eliyahu Stern, The Genius)

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The Vilna Gaon, part 2 (Review of Eliyahu Stern, The Genius) by Marc B. Shapiro Continued from here. Another reference by the Gaon to the Guide – in this case it is only attributed to him – is found in his comment to Bava Kamma 92b (commenting on (בירא דשתית מיניה לא תשדי בי קלא, which has been published in a number of different sources, most conveniently in the commentary Anaf Yosef to Ein Yaakov, Bava Kamma 92b. The Gaon quoted the Guide as saying that if you find one good thing in a…

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