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Tag: Bibliographical Oddities

Simchat ha-Nefesh: An Important But Often Ignored Work on German Jewish Customs

Simchat ha-Nefesh: An Important But Often Ignored Work on German Jewish Customs

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Simchat ha-Nefesh: An Important But Often Ignored Work on German Jewish Customs By Eliezer Brodt While doing research for a forthcoming article on the topic of saying דרשות at wedding celebrations, I kept noticing secondary sources citing to the work שמחת הנפש. Yet, after obtaining many editions of the שמחת הנפש I was still unable to locate the quotes regarding wedding speeches! After a while, I came across a citation to a specific edition of the שמחת הנפש and came…

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A Look at Makhon Moreshet Ashkenaz’s New Journal: Yerushateinu

A Look at Makhon Moreshet Ashkenaz’s New Journal: Yerushateinu

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A Look at Makhon Moreshet Ashkenaz’s New Journal: YerushateinuBy Eliezer Brodt There is a new journal published by מכון מורשת אשכנז titled ירושתנו. This מכון is well known for producing some excellent works, amongst them זכרונות ומסורות על החת”ם סופר and the four volumes ofשרשי מנהג אשכנז . This journal they promise to put out once a year but only time will tell, as anyone familiar with this מכון knows; they do great work but it takes forever for the…

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Who Wrote the Mekore Minhagim?

Who Wrote the Mekore Minhagim?

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As I have previously discussed, there is a well known work on the sources and rationale for various customs titled Mekore Minhagim. Indeed, there are two works with that very same title – by two different authors – that cover the same material. The question is which author stole from the other? I hope that I can clear this up as there still appears to be a misconception about who is the plagiarizer. First, a brief history about prior attempts…

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A Forgotten Work on Chanukah: חנוכת הבית

A Forgotten Work on Chanukah: חנוכת הבית

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Rabbi Eliezer Brodt of Jerusalem has authored articles in the journals Ohr Yisrael and Yeshurun, both familiar to many readers of the Seforim blog, and is contributing what is hoped to be the first of many guest-posts. While learning הלכות חנוכה, I noticed that the very first מגן אברהם quotes a sefer called חנוכת הבית. I had never heard of the sefer before, and I was curious about it. I asked several people about the sefer until I found someone…

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The Chief Rabbi of Amsterdam: A Jewish Convert

The Chief Rabbi of Amsterdam: A Jewish Convert

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Converts have been involved with seforim in many capacities. But, there is one book which was actually authored by a convert – Zera Yitzhak, Amsterdam 1789. This book is on Pirkei Avot and was written by R. Yitzhak (b. Avraham) Graanboom. R. Yitzhak was born in Sweden a non-Jew. His father Jacob moved his family to Amsterdam in 1749. At age 69, after moving to Amsterdam, Jacob and his wife Leah converted to Judaism. At the time, Jacob took the…

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Benjamin Richler: “Putting the Pieces Together: The ‘discovery’ of Gershon b. Meir Heilprin (Heilbronn)”

Benjamin Richler: “Putting the Pieces Together: The ‘discovery’ of Gershon b. Meir Heilprin (Heilbronn)”

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What follows is an original contribution by noted scholar Benjamin Richler to the Seforim blog. Any typographical errors are my fault alone. — Dan Biographical blurb: Benjamin Richler was born in Montreal, graduated from Yeshiva University in 1960 and from the Hebrew University Graduate Library School in 1963. From 1965 to 1995, he served as the Librarian at the Institute of Microfilmed Hebrew Manuscripts at the Jewish National and University Library, on the Givat Ram Campus of the Hebrew University…

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