Musings of a Jewish Bookseller: Rabbi Yitzchak Ashkenazi, son of R. Asher Anshel: An Unusual case of father-son plagiarism

In 1903 a volume titled שמן ראש Shemen Rosh was published in Munkatch, containing Responsa and Sermons by R. Asher Anshel Ashkenazi. At the end of book, appears a section titled בשמים ראש containing the author's sermons, followed by the will and testament of R. Moses David Ashkenazi, R. Asher Anshel’s grandfather.

R. Asher Anshel ben Mordecai Ashkenazi (1833-1901) was a grandson of the renowned R. Moses David Ashkenazi (c. 1780–1856) who was born in Galicia where his father Asher served as rabbi. From 1803 to 1843 R. Moses David Ashkenazi was the rabbi of Tolcsva, Hungary, thereafter he settled in Ereẓ Israel where he became a rabbi of the Ashkenazi community in Safed, a position he held until his death in 1901. R. Asher Anshel was also the ancestor of R. Yoel Teitalbaum, the Satmar Rebbe, and his cousin and well known gabbai for many years, R. Yosef Ashkenazi.

Title page of Shemen Rosh, 1903 Munkatch

Besamim Rosh section at end of Shemen Rosh, 1903


Final page of 1903 Edition

During WWI, Rabbi Yitzchak Ashkenazi, the son of R. Asher Anshel, was displaced and found himself in Frankfurt. During his stay, he published just the portion containing the sermons, a total of 30 pages, titled Besamim Rosh, stating on the title page:
"הלא הוא זה הקונטרס האחד הניצל מלהט החרב המתהפכת בעירנו והחלק הנדפס מעיד על הכל הנתפס!"
translating as: "Behold this is the one portion of the work saved from the flaming thrashing sword of war that engulfed our hometown, this printed portion, shall serve as a testimony to the balance of the work"

and on the bottom of the title page it states
" כעת בשעת חירום וחרבן האדרעססע של הרב המחבר המו"ל היא: ... Rabb. Isaac Aschkenasy, Frankfurt a.M. "
translating as "Currently, during this period of emergency, the address of the author and publisher is.."

As can be seen in the photos of the title page below, the sermons are now clearly attributed to the author's son and not to his father!

A possibly theory can be, that the son R. Yitzchak Ashkenazi found himself in dire needs during the turmoil and displacement of the great war, that this was an attempt to attain enough recognition, to be able to find the financial and physical support needed to survive the horrors of the war.