Candles on Yom Kippur: Reinstating a Lost Minhag
…the lighting with the judgment of one’s soul Rosh’s immediate contemporary,R. Mordechai b. Hillel Ashkenazi in his Mordechai, (comment #723 to b. Yoma) provides an entirely different basis for this…
On the Times Commonly Presented for Birkat HaL’vana: Part 1
…declares that just like we, the Ashkenazim, follow the Rema, who said that the yard stick for measuring the last time of the blessing is me’et l’et, exactly half the…
Another Obvious Mistake, More Grammatical Points, Bubbe Mayseh, Apostates and the Zohar
…which in the medieval Ashkenazic context means the Christian world. The word “barking” is used in this song as throughout pre-modern Jewish literature dogs were portrayed in a negative way….
April Fools! Tracing the History of Dreidel Among Neo-Traditionalists and Neo-Hebraists
…“the Classic” and “common” reason, and many others. Not all were so taken with Hirshovitz’s work. R Shmuel Kraus published a highly critical article in Kiryat Sefer in 1933 that…
Review of Rabbi Eliezer Berkovits, Jewish Women in Time and Torah
…rabbinic ordination) from Rabbi Akiva Glasner (1885-1956), who took over as Chief Rabbi of Klausenburg when his father, Rabbi Moshe Shmuel Glasner (1856-1924) left for Israel. The latter – a…
The Rogochover and More: Excursus on Fasting
…In 2007, because it was very hot on Tisha be-Av, R. Eliyahu ruled that no pregnant women needed to fast.[20] 10. R. Shmuel Salant was very liberal when it came…
Interesting Legacy Judaica Auction lots
…Other items include, R. Aaron Shmuel Koidonover, Birkat ha’Zev’ah, Amsterdam, 1669 (lot 12). That book contains a number of bibliographical items of note. The title page indicates that the book…
Rashbam the Talmudist, Reconsidered
…could not, while the “Judges of the Exile” [Shmuel and Karna] held one could. When two of his students later heard a contrary ruling from Rav and asked about it,…
Dr. Samuel Vita Della Volta (1772-1853): An Underappreciated Bibliophile and his Medical “Diploma”tic Journey
…of Shmuel David Luzzatto, Joseph Almanzi and Lelio Della Torre,[39] and contributed an introduction to Shlomo Norzi’s Minhat Shai. But his bibliophilia did not stop at reading and writing; he…
Towards a Bibliography of seforim related to Shavous and Megilas Rus (new and old)
…his grandfather Rabbi Shmuel Hubner, author of the Nimukei Shmuel. [A few copies of this work are still available; email me for more details]. This year a few more important…
Towards a Bibliography of Coronavirus-related Articles & Seforim written in the past month (updated): Black Weddings and others Segulot
…Sussman-Cohen (1841-1907). They included letters with the Netziv, R’ Yitzchok Elchonan Spektor, R’ Shmuel Salant, R’ Yehoshua Leib Diskin, R’ Yisroel Salanter, R’ Shmuel Mohilever and, R’ Eliezer Gordon, just…
Towards a Bibliography of seforim related to Shavuos and Megilas Rus (both new and old) – updated
…He also reprinted some Teshuvos and articles related to Shavuos from his grandfather Rabbi Shmuel Hubner, author of the Nimukei Shmuel. [A few copies of this work are still available;…
The Religious-Zionist Manifesto of Rabbi Yehudah Leib Don Yahya
…son, Shmuel (Maharash), remained in Lubavitch and inherited control of that city. An older son, Yehudah Leib (Maharil), moved to the city of Kopyst, taking some of the Hasidim with…
On the Plagiarism of a Tach-ve-Tat Chronicle
…edition is exceedingly rare. According to Ya’ari, there is but one complete copy extant. (See Ya’ari, Kiryat Sefer, (16) 1939-40). This edition was published by R. Shmuel ben R. Shimson…
Bein hashemashot: A Reevaluation of the Texts Part III
…from the highest elevations around Jerusalem, Shmuel is consistent at least in a limited sense with R. Yosef but completely inconsistent with Rabbah. at 6 minutes, the opinion of R….