Tolaat Yaakov by R. Meir Ibn Gabai; does the ד in פרד"ס stand for דרש or דין ?

The title page of Tola'at Yaakov throughout the editions, describe the book as a commentary based on פרד"ס   

interestingly, the title page does not use the standard פשט, רמז, דרש, סוד rather substituting  דרש with דין. I found no record of anyone using this version elsewhere, though I imagine it was used just to make it fit in with    פרד"ס as the author did not use Derash.

What's interesting is that the Koenigsberg (1859) edition's publisher changed it to דרש  presumably thinking the original edition had it in error.

THE 1793 ZHOLKVA EDITION

THE 1859 KOENSIGSBERG EDITION

a translation of the Torah to British שפת בריטניה זכה

In 1908 Shapiro and Vallentine published a set of Chumashim, with English translation. The translation is described as שפת בריטניה זכה Pure British. I have never heard English being called such and technically the British Language  has been extinct for many centuries. It seems they got a bit overboard with their patriotism here.

The 1838 Printing of a commentary on Iyov by R. Simhah Arye b. Ephraim Fishel ha-Levi of Hurbisov, and the reason behind it.

R. Simhah Arye of Hurbisov published an extensive commentary on Iyov in 1834 in Lvuv. 4 years later, he reprinted the commentary in Warsaw, 1838. On verso of title page the author states that he still has 800 copies of the first edition which have not been sold, but as the government forbids him to import the books to his current home in Warsaw, he is reprinting them.

In his introduction the author gives three conditions to anyone who wants to read his work.
1. You are forbidden to read the book unless you have read the introduction in it's entirety.
2. You can not skim through or jump around the commentary, you must read it straight through, as all of the commentary is one continuous message.
3. You must first make sure to understand the translation of the Biblical text before reading the commentary.

Interesting Statement printed at end of the book Nes Pach Hashemen נס פך השמן 1893

Nes Pach Hashemen was printed in Vilna in 1893. It is a polemic against all those who believe that the miracles in the Bible and Rabbinic Literature are not to be taken literally.
At end of book is a curious statement: seen in the photo above, with the author talking to his book, telling him how (loosely translated) "the world is full of gangsters and enemies of the religion, but he shall not fear to go out alone because we have many with us... and you shall fight the anti-miracle Jews, and then the light of faith shall shine.."

Gangster Heaven

This photo was taken in the Bialystoker Synagogue's, New York  rear wall memorial plaque. Bugsy Siegel and his father Max are memorialized right next to one another

On the plaques above see the name Max Siegel, Bugsy Siegel's father, whose Hebrew name is "Mordechai Dov B"R ['Ben Reb', son of Mister] Beirush HaLevi" (from the Hebraic tribe of the Levites) and the one for Bugsy whose Hebrew name is "Bairush HaLevi B"R Mordechai Dov HaLevi"; implying that Bugsy was named after his grandfather who predeceased his birth.

I wonder how much was paid for the plaque just following Siegel's, knowing how much Jews care about good neighbors in death, not much I suppose.

Book censorship is back ! IDF Officially Bans Hilchot Mezuzah Sefer

The Israeli Government has now joined the long standing Catholic tradition and hobby of banning Jewish Religious works. Unfortunately, throughout history, it was often apostates who were working for the censors who were the force behind the censorship throughout history, being exercised as late as 1901 on the first volume of the Jewish Encyclopedia, in which a passage relating to Alexander III. was blotted out in copies admitted into the czar's dominions. In the latest case, it was Anti-religious Jews who brought about the censorship as well.

The banned book, published by the IDF titled ספר מזוזה בצה"ל discussing the Halakhot of Mezuzah in the IDF, apparently did not fit the views of some of the Israeli public.The offending parts included a discussion on the requirement of a Mezuzah on a room that is used by non-Jewish soldiers as well, and a discussion regarding women affixing Mezuzot.

It turns out, that the halakhic views now have to be politically correct to be published. Zahava Gal-On a Meretz Knesset Member said "the problem with the Megalomaniacs in the IDF Rabbinate is, that they forget that they are still under the rule of the Israeli law and don't live in the Halakhic country which they fantasize about". The fact that the book is a halakhic work and not a world constitution is lost on her it seems. And this comes from a woman, who declared herself to be of "very liberal and pluralist views".

It will be seen in time if this will become a new trend in Israel, and we might perhaps be able to get back to those nostalgic middle ages, we all so miss. Other great candidates for censorship might include the Mishneh Torah ( stoning of Sabbath decorators), the Book of Joshua (Yehoshua killing Canaanites), the Talmud (very racist) etc.

R. Mordecai b. Zevi Hirsch Klatchko (c.1858-1932) Photos of him before and after arriving in America

In 1932, just after the author's death, his work Techelet Mordechai was published. Interestingly, preceding the title page is 2 photos of the author, one before he arrived in America and one after his arrival in Boston.

Notice the different hats, and the loss of the "Brisker Peyos"

R. Mordecai b. Zevi Hirsch Klatchko (c.1858-1932) was born in Vilna and educated in Volozhin. He served for many years in Bangor before moving to Boston (1928?)

Interesting Collection of Telegrams sent from Chabad Shluchim in 1949-1950 to Rabbi Shlomo Aaron Kazarnovsky

I just cataloged a nice collection of 41 telegrams sent to Rabbi Shlomo Aharon Kazarnovsky, one of the Most famous Shluchim of old, very close to the former and last Rebbes of Lubavitch.
Many of the telegrams came from famous shulchim throughout America and other notables.
The telegrams were sent on the engagement of his son, Rabbi Moshe Kazarnovsky, in 1949.
Below are some of the names the telegrams came from:
RABBI MENDEL SCHNEERSOHN
REBBETZIN CHANA SCHNEERSOHN
RABBI AND MRS Z SCHNEERSOHN
RABBI AND MRS SOLOMON HECHT-CHICAGO
RABBI BAUMGARTEN-KANSAS CITY
RABBI AXELROD-BALTIMORE
MIZRACHI WOMEN OF BORO PARK
RABBI A. POOCK, PRINCIPAL OF BETH RIVKA SCHOOLS
RABBI CUNIN
RABBI SHOLOM RIVKIN- ST LOUIS
DINAH SCHNEERSOHN
RABBI SHUSTERMAN-CHICAGO
PINCHOS ZLATA ALTHAUZ-TEL AVIV
YETTA AND MOE KESTENBAUM
RABBI SHOLOM GORDON-NEWARK
LADYS (SIC) AUXILIARY YESHIVA OHEL MOSHE
RABBI AND MRS ABRAHAM HECHT 25
An interesting look in to the early days of Chabad in America.

Fascinating Kethubah from NYC, dated 1885, written on 4 pages.

Above is a  fascinating early American Kethuba I discovered recently. Bound at end of Sepher Likute Tzvi, collected ethical prayers and readings, is an AMERICAN KETHUBAH in a square Ashkenazic script dated, NY 1885.

The Sefer Likute Tzvi was published in Sulzbach in 1802.

The two leaf ketubah is written in brown ink in a cursive script with the names of the bride and groom penciled in a cursive script. The final leaf of the Ketubah is pasted on the final index of the end of the work. The names of the witnesses are signed in ink at end of Kethubah. The place of the Marriage is recorded in the Ketubah as being Cong. Shaare Beracha, in the city of NY BeMedinat Amerika.

Following Ketubah is a loose page with one side containing the blessings to be said under the Huppah and on reverse in pencil is recorded the actual date and place of the wedding, Sunday, 14th day of Kislev, 5649, Victoria Hall, NYC. The groom is identified as Harry Simons. Unfortunately the page is cut at edges so balance of information is lost. This last page may be recording a different marriage than the one the Kethubah was used for. The Book and the appended kethubah measure just 5x3"

I highly doubt that this Kethubah would pass the Halakhic standards of today.