A Tale of Two Zionist Siddurim in Exile

A Tale of Two Zionist Siddurim in Exile

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A Tale of Two Zionist Siddurim in Exile Seth (Avi) Kadish   Zionist Siddurim and Modern Orthodoxy Modern Orthodoxy today, in America and throughout the diaspora, is largely a Zionist world. It is, in a sense, the English-speaking wing of Religious Zionism outside of Israel.[1] It is a world of synagogue communities with very close ties to Israel. Most people in Modern Orthodox synagogues have visited Israel, have family and friends who live in Israel, and support Israel. They see…

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An Example of Three “Mahadurot” of Rashi

An Example of Three “Mahadurot” of Rashi

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Rashi on Shemot 28:6 and 40:38 “אִם בָּאתִי לְפָרֵשׁ” or “לְפִי שֶפֵרַשְתִי” An Example of Three “Mahadurot” of Rashi Eli Genauer Shemot 40:38 Shemot 28:6 One of the most informative and endearing comments in Rashi can be found in Parshat Tetzaveh. In trying to explain to us the various בגדי כהונה, Rashi makes a preemptive move and describes all of them together so that his readers will be able to make more sense of the total package. He introduces this…

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Azariah de’ Rossi’s Annotations on Sefer ha-Kuzari: Identification and Preliminary Analysis

Azariah de’ Rossi’s Annotations on Sefer ha-Kuzari: Identification and Preliminary Analysis

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Azariah de’ Rossi’s Annotations on Sefer ha-Kuzari: Identification and Preliminary Analysis Yehuda Seewald Abstract This article presents the identification of annotations on a 1547 Venice edition of Sefer ha-Kuzari (The Kuzari) as the work of the Italian-Jewish scholar Rabbi Azariah de’ Rossi (min ha-Adummim). The identification is based on detailed paleographic comparison between these annotations and de’ Rossi’s verified notes on a manuscript of Maimonides’ Guide for the Perplexed (Paris, BnF MS hebr. 691). The article examines the nature of…

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Book announcement: New work on Tefilah

Book announcement: New work on Tefilah

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Book announcement:  New work on Tefilah By: Eliezer Brodt דוד הנשקה, לבקש תפלה: תפילות הקבע בתלמודם של חכמים, ב‘ חלקים, 1304 עמודים I am very happy to announce the publication of an important work (in time for reading over Pesach) which I have been eagerly awaiting; Professor David Henshke of the Talmud Department at Bar Ilan University’s Livakeish Tefilah. The books were published by Magnes Press. Back in 2016 I announced his work on the Leil Haseder. If you did not get…

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AI Killed the Purim Torah Star

AI Killed the Purim Torah Star

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We have previously discussed Jewish literature and the genre of parody, which arguably began with Maseches Purim and inspired many other works that use Purim as a catalyst. The genre further developed, with parody being employed in various contexts, such as the disputes between traditionalist Litvaks and the nascent Hasidic movement, the Haskalah, or during the mass emigration of Jews to the United States, which highlighted the religious laxity of many immigrants. (For some of our previous discussions, see “Purim…

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“Why are the Books of Ruth and Esther so much alike?”

“Why are the Books of Ruth and Esther so much alike?”

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Reuven Kimelman/Brandeis University וְנַהֲפוֹךְ הוּא “Why are the Books of Ruth and Esther so much alike?” No title is more intriguing than “Why are the Books of Ruth and Esther so much alike?” for a study of two biblical books ostensibly having nothing in common besides the featuring of a heroine. Otherwise, there are hardly two narrative biblical books seemingly more unalike.[1] The Book of Ruth takes place in rural Judea, in Bethlehem, in the period of the Judges, before…

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