A young teenage customer visiting the store, had taught himself Ladino from scratch and stocked up on literature in Ladino that he can take with him for his scheduled hospital stay following a surgery
An Alien visiting the USA on the evening of Feb 3 would have seen an entire nation watching the superbowl and 5 people in Mizrahi Bookstore digging through piles of books, oblivious to my insisting that I need to leave
A regular customer asked to order a new pair of tefillin and have it expedited in time to be able to give them as a gift for his wife for her birthday
I overheard a Rabbi and a Seventh-Day Adventist Pastor in the store discussing the merits of Islam and the dearth of critical readings of the Koran by Muslims
A frantic sounding caller requested I find a Jewish Bible of the version that is traditionally used for a Goral Hagra, insisting that the order was time-sensitive
I received a request for a miniature mezuzah, the customer needed it placed on a necklace to be worn for protection
The buyer of an Artcroll Shas I sold discussed with me his intentions to study the Talmud with his wife every evening
A loyal customer devoted his entire tax refund to his book collection, asking me to set things aside in the weeks before, with payment to follow once the refund is received
A first edition of Making of a Godol was purchased and gifted by a husband for his wife's birthday, stating that he was sure she would appreciate it much more than she would appreciate jewelry
a long term customer from overseas let me in on his secret: He was the long-awaited Messiah and will soon be revealed to the world. He emailed me the following:"Have you heard about the Rabbis looking for the Messiah? Gee, i wonder who that man is,
Moreover i really feel sorry for all those who knew who he was, ant yet they chose not to proclaim him, unless you still have my letter, it will bring you millions in an auction when a Kabbalist a rabbi from Israel will announce me. Kol toov and Purim Sameah"
I received a request for a specific book of Segulot, the person requesting stated that he recalled having seen in the volume a Segulah that would help his son overcome his anxiety from his college exams
A Bride stopped by the shop a few hours before her wedding to pick up a copy of the prayerbook published for a Kallah, with prayers to be recited on the day of her wedding
I acquired a collection of several thousand volumes, all of which were housed in a small apartment, with each and every book with no exception shelved within a ziploc bag
A customer berated me for offering for sale books on the Ba'al Shem Tov whom he labeled as the Ba'al Shem Ra
Hearing a customer describe his collection sounded to me like a laundry list, he owned the Hat of Rav Yitzchak Kaduri, the cane of Baba Sali and a Tzitzit of Rav Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg
A day before his scheduled conversion, the yet to be Jew came in to stock up on all the Breslov classics before he makes the plunge
A ten year old utilized the snow-day off from school to come in and spend his birthday present money on an 18th century Hebrew book and several old postcards
An order came in for several Hasidic Hebrew books with a request that the books be inscribed with a prayer in the memory of her grandmother in honor of her Yahrtzeit
A grandmother paying for her grandson's order remarked how she would much rather be buying books than pay for the tattoos and earrings that her other grandchildren were getting
Wednesday, March 13, 2019
The Maggid Revealed: Guest post by Zalman Alpert
Guest Post by Zalman Alpert, Judaica Reference Librarian at the Gottesman Library of Yeshiva University from 1982–2014
In recent years I have grown particularly interested in rabbinic works with frontispieces of their authors. There were few such portraits until after WWI. In the introductory remarks to his biography of the Maharsha, Toldos Adam, Rav Reuvein Margolies lists the classic sefarim with such portraits among them Lechem Shomayim by the Yaavetz, I have never seen this book and was unaware that a portrait of R Emden was extant.
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| R. Reuven Margolies in his introduction to Toldot Adam, 1912 discussing portraits of Rabbis |
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| R. Reuven Margolies in his introduction to Toldot Adam, 1912 discussing portraits of Rabbis |
In the US it was not uncommon for many rabbinic texts to include portraits of the authors, thus even important Rabbinic figures, such as R Tobias Geffen of Atlanta, R Binyamin Fleischer of the Lower East Side, Rabbi Saul Silber of Chicago and others included their portraits in their printed works.
Most rabbinic texts published in the US prior to 1945 were in the category of drash that is homiletics and the target audience were other rabbis, shochetim and reverends of all sorts, and were generaly in Hebrew. A sub-group were books with Yiddish language sermons aimed at baale batim (laymen) who enjoyed a nice vort or were called on to say a few words of Torah at a family occasion etc.
There were more than a few maggidim in the US in the days before 1945, though most have been forgotten by now, despite being very famous in their day. A few were more modern preachers מטיפים, preaching Zionism like the Rev Zvi Hirsch Masliansky who had thousands of listeners, and Rabbi Milikowski, the grandfather of Israels current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Others like the Bialistoker Maggid Rabbi Majrim (Meir) Hillel Rappaport, even accepted pulpits, he served as a rabbi in New Haven and in Washington Hts at my shul Beth Medrash Hagadol.
As an aside, snippets of R Rappoports sermons can be heard on a link on the YU web page, its' really wonderful material, all said with a classic niggun (tune). Many years ago Rav Efraim Oschry the Kovner Rav asked me a rhetorical question whats the difference between a zoger and a maggid, the great writer R Ben Zion Alfes was a zoger in Vilna, who knew the answer, Rav Oschry told me a maggid darshened with a niggun (tune) a zoger without !!
I suspect the reason for including portraits included vanity, following the style in the non Jewish world and as a selling point. Several years ago I purchased a sefer by R Yehuda Leib Lazarov (1875-1939) called Der Yiddisher Redner containing 160 sermons in Yiddish. My copy bears the stamp of Rev Zvi Berkowsky the Shochet (ritual-slaughterer in Monticello, NY.
Rabbi Lazarov 1868-1939. a maggid and rabbi based in Brooklyn was a native of Lithuania who published numerous books in Hebrew and Yiddish and a few sport his portrait. Der Yiddisher Redner includes a frontispiece and the author is indeed impressive with a long beard and Lithuanian style yarmulka, it was worth buying just for the portrait! In his forward R Lazarov is very apologetic for including his picture and says its not because of pride, if that were the case he would have included it in his classic work Divre Yehuda, but he did not.
So why then did he indeed include it ?
He writes that more than one person traveling about selling his book has claimed to be its author, Rabbi Lazarov. In Boston, such a man was found drunk in the street, in the West another supposed R Lazarov misled his audience and sold tickets to his drashoth, so to prevent future identity theft, he printed his picture for all to see לעיני כל ישראל.
As with All good maggidus this book has much humor, page 128 has a great story of a bear learning how to daven which is still very nogaya (relevant) to even Orthodox Jews.
A discussion of R. Lazarov's speech-giving style and a live reading of one of his sermons can be heard here, starting at minute 19.
a Selection of Famous Rabbinic Portraits and their Origins part II
This is a revised version of an article I originally published in the Jewish Press
Rabbinic portraits have been treasured by generations of Jews, for some, as a way to remember someone they revered, for others, to be kept as amulets, or as a method to popularize his teachings. The Rabbis in the portraits themselves though, often objected to having their image taken and some took great lengths to prevent their dissemination. In some instances, the portraits were a method used by a publisher to promote the sales of the Rabbi's published work, at times reverting to creating an artist's rendition if no authentic portraits were available. Below is a look in to some portraits of famous Rabbis and their origins.
Rabbi Elazar Rokeach (c. 1665—1742)
Rabbi Elazar Rokeach was born in Cracow, and after serving as Rabbi in Rakow and Brody, was offered the Rabbinate in Amsterdam in 1735. Upon his arrival, A medal was designed in his honor, one side of which exhibited his head in relief, surrounded by the words: "Eleazar ben Samuel, Rabbi of Brody" (in Hebrew), the other side containing chosen verses from Tehillim. The appearance of his portrait in a medal, brought to life a lengthy discussion on it's permissibly in Rabbinic responsa of the time, with R. Yaakov Emden stating that it would be forbidden and suggesting that it was done without the knowledge of R. Elazar Rokeach.
Rabbi Sholom Mordechai Schwadron, the Maharsham (1835–1911)
Only one photograph of the Maharsham exists, showing him with a siddur in hand, in the later years of his life. The origin of this photograph as retold in the family, is that the Maharsham was against his photograph being taken, and this one photo was taken against his wishes. On one Motsae Shabbat, during his reciting of Kiddush Levanah, the photograph was taken by one of his grandchildren, as he was reciting the prayers from the Siddur.
Rabbi Yaakov Abuhatzeira (1806-1880)
Rabbi Yaakov Abuhatzeira is known to have avoided having a photograph of his taken, and in his trip towards the holy land at the end of his life, he went to great lengths to obtaining a passport without the use of his photograph. The current portrait we have today, is said to have been made by an artist who studied his features at length and then proceeded to make the drawing in another location, without the Rabbi's knowledge. Shortly after his passing, the portrait was disseminated by his followers and printed alongside his published works.
R. Yehudah Aryeh of Modena (1571–1648)
The portrait of R. Leon Modena or Yehudah Aryeh Mi-modena, appeared on the title page of a book he published, Historia De Gli Riti Hebraici, being the first sefer in modern history attempting to explain the practices of Jews for a gentile readership. Published at the request of Sir Henry Wotton, English Ambassador to Venice, for presentation to King James I, it was translated into many languages. The portrait of Modena on the title page is one of the earliest portraits of a Jew. Surprisingly, the portrait shows him without a head-covering, R. Modena justified this practice, by stating that the majority of Jews in Italy did not wear a head covering, and addressed this issue in one of his many responsa.
R. Israel Meir Kagan, the Chofetz Chaim, (1839-1933)
In 1925, the Chofetz Chaim announced that he would make Aliyah and settle in Petah Tikvah, where his daughter and son-in-law, R. Aharon Hakohen resided. In order to obtain a passport, his photograph was taken, this photograph is the source of the familiar portrait we know today. It is said that the Chofetz Chaim requested from the photographer to destroy the plate after producing the picture, so as to prevent copies from being made, though a bachur from Radin convinced the photographer otherwise, and thus the portrait quickly disseminated.
Yaakov Emden, known as the Ya'avetz (1697–1776)
The portrait of R. Yaakov Emden that we have today, first appeared as a print in the late 19th century, long after the Ya'avetz's passing. Being that R. Yaakov Emden discusses his father's portrait being made and his objections to it, and that a mention of such a portrait of himself was not made in all his writings or in his auto-biography, scholars believe that the portrait was most likely a later invention.
R. Shmuel Eidels (1555 – 1631), the Maharsha
The Maharsha's portrait that we are familiar with today, shows him in his study, leaning over books and with long hair. The illustration incorporates the legend that the Maharsha had long hair, which he would tie to a nail in the ceiling while studying, to prevent him from falling asleep. This portrait first appeared in the 1814 edition of the Maharsha on the Talmud, printed in Vienna by by George Holzinger.
R. Yitzchak Alfasi. the Ri"f (1013–1103)
The illustration of the Ri"f, R. Yitzchak Alfasi is an artist rendition, which first appeared in an early 19th century edition of the Alfas, published in Vienna. The illustration quickly caught on, and by the 1850s, it appeared on sukkah decorations, and later on postcards published by Meir Kunstadt. By the 1920s, the portrait appeared in numerous editions of the Haggadah, accompanying the scene of Ma'aseh BeRabbi Eliezer.
Chacham Zvi, Rabbi Zvi Ashkenazi (1658-1713)
R. Zvi Ashkenazi, the Chacham Zvi, was offered the Rabbinate in London, by the Sephardic Community ,and it was during this period, that his portrait was made. His son R. Yaakov Emden writes of the portrait in his responsa: He was greatly adored by the community, and they wanted to commission a portrait of him, offering all the love and honor in the world to him if he would permit it. He did not heed their words and refused to allow it, despite it being permitted under Jewish Law. Despite this, they did not contain themselves and had a master artist create a painting that was a perfect resemblance of his father. R. Yaakov Emden writes how copies of the portrait were made and they commanded a high premium from his friends and acquaintances. R Emden remarked on the striking similarity between the portrait and his father, stating "All that is missing is the breath of life"
Isaac Leeser (1806-1868)
Rev. Isaac Leeser was an American Jewish Leader, though not ordained, he led several communities in the United States. He was the first to published a Jewish Translation of the Bible to English and published comprehensive Hebrew-English Prayerbooks in the New World. His familiar portrait was drawn by Leeser's friend Solomon Nunes Carvalho, a famous American Jewish Painter and Photographer. Nunes is best remembered as an explorer who traveled through the territory of Kansas, Colorado and Utah with John C. Frémont.
The Ben Ish Hai, Rabbi Yosef Hayyim (1835-1909)
The famed portrait of the Ben Ish Hai, was photographed approximately in 1877, when R. Yosef Hayyim was 42 years old. The original photograph, which numerous artist's renditions are based on, was sent by the Ben Ish Hai personally to the Iraqi Jewish Philanthropist Saliman David Sassoon as a memento. The Ben Ish Hai's thoughts regarding the permissibility of photographs was recorded in his book, Rav Berachot, where he writes that it is permitted to take photographs, though women are recommended to prevent their photographs being taken, to promote modesty.
a very partial list of Sources used: :
Ben Ish Hai: בן איש חי - תולדותיו קורותיו ומורשתו לדורות page 103, Rav Berachot מערכת צ אות א
Maharsham: Oral family tradition as retold by Rebbetzin Yocheved Friedman, née Fuchs
Rabbi Yaakov Abuhatzeira: As heard from his great-grandson, מסעור אזרוואל
Isaac Leeser: Isaac Leeser and the Making of American Judaism by Lance J. Sussman
Chacham Zvi: שאילת יעבץ ח"א סימן קע
R. Yaakov Emden: heard from Prof. Shnayer Leiman, who owns the original 19th century portrait
Chofetz Chaim: heard from his great-grandchild, who remarked that while authentic, the portrait does not reflect the Chofetz Chaim's demeanor
R. Yehudah Aryeh of Modena: אוצר הכיפה volume II
Rabbi Elazar Rokeach: שאילת יעבץ ח"א סימן קע
Doveve Sifte Yeshenim and the case of Morocco and Galicia cooperation
Living in an age when copyright infringements can lead to multi-million dollar settlements and accusations of using a business or institutions name can lead to much strife, I was delighted to find an occurrence in the early 1900s, with the opposite results.
Rabbi Refael Ahron Ben-Shimon was born in Rabat, Morocco in 1848, moved with his family in 1854 to Jerusalem and served in several prestigious Rabbinic posts in his life, including as Chief Rabbi of Cairo. During the years 1888-1890, he traveled throughout Morocco as an Emissary for Jerusalem's Jews, a visit which left a lasting impression on both him and the Jewish residents of Morocco. During his travels, he noticed that the writings of great Moroccan Rabbis from previous generations were being lost over time, in light of the fact that no printing press existed in Morocco. He wrote of his experience, how the Moroccan Jews, living in their isolation hadn't thought that it was feasible to bring manuscripts in their hands to print, as knowledge of the outside world was minimal and very few Moroccan Jews traveled widely enough to reach a place where Hebrew Printing existed.
To encourage the printing and dissemination of Moroccan Jewish Rabbinic writings, he founded a society named Doveve Sifte Yeshenim דובבי שפתי ישנים, to whom much credit is to be given from saving many works from oblivion and bringing to the forefront the importance of saving and preserving these works. In the introduction to one of their first publications, being Mishpat Utzedaka BeYaakov of R. Yaakov Ibn Sur, R. Ben-Shimon writes how he became aware, that a second group with a similar mission of preserving and publishing works was founded in Husyatin, Galicia, under the same name of Dovev Sifte Yeshenim.
This second group, was founded by R. Lipa Shwager, who was later joined by his brother-in-law, R. David Frankel. These 2 legendary booksellers of old, revolutionized the world of Hebrew books, with their publication of numerous important works from manuscript, their outstanding catalogs which contained invaluable information and their assistance in building many of the most important libraries of the day, such as the libraries of the Imrei Emes and the Admor of Sadigura.
When the 2 groups became aware of each other and their identical names, rather than fighting over the use of the name, attempted to join together and unite in to one organization due to their identical mission. The distance between them preventing this from becoming a reality, but a relationship was developed and members of the Moroccan society, became paying members of the Husyatin society and goodwill was exchanged between the groups.
The Societies agreed that to prevent confusion for the general public, each of the two societies would keep their name, but identify itself with it's hometown, the Moroccan one with the city of Fes and the Galician one with the city of Husyatin and indeed the future publications of the group do indeed state their city alongside the society's name.
Rabbi Refael Ahron Ben-Shimon was born in Rabat, Morocco in 1848, moved with his family in 1854 to Jerusalem and served in several prestigious Rabbinic posts in his life, including as Chief Rabbi of Cairo. During the years 1888-1890, he traveled throughout Morocco as an Emissary for Jerusalem's Jews, a visit which left a lasting impression on both him and the Jewish residents of Morocco. During his travels, he noticed that the writings of great Moroccan Rabbis from previous generations were being lost over time, in light of the fact that no printing press existed in Morocco. He wrote of his experience, how the Moroccan Jews, living in their isolation hadn't thought that it was feasible to bring manuscripts in their hands to print, as knowledge of the outside world was minimal and very few Moroccan Jews traveled widely enough to reach a place where Hebrew Printing existed.
To encourage the printing and dissemination of Moroccan Jewish Rabbinic writings, he founded a society named Doveve Sifte Yeshenim דובבי שפתי ישנים, to whom much credit is to be given from saving many works from oblivion and bringing to the forefront the importance of saving and preserving these works. In the introduction to one of their first publications, being Mishpat Utzedaka BeYaakov of R. Yaakov Ibn Sur, R. Ben-Shimon writes how he became aware, that a second group with a similar mission of preserving and publishing works was founded in Husyatin, Galicia, under the same name of Dovev Sifte Yeshenim.
This second group, was founded by R. Lipa Shwager, who was later joined by his brother-in-law, R. David Frankel. These 2 legendary booksellers of old, revolutionized the world of Hebrew books, with their publication of numerous important works from manuscript, their outstanding catalogs which contained invaluable information and their assistance in building many of the most important libraries of the day, such as the libraries of the Imrei Emes and the Admor of Sadigura.
When the 2 groups became aware of each other and their identical names, rather than fighting over the use of the name, attempted to join together and unite in to one organization due to their identical mission. The distance between them preventing this from becoming a reality, but a relationship was developed and members of the Moroccan society, became paying members of the Husyatin society and goodwill was exchanged between the groups.
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| From the Introduction to משפט וצדקה ביעקב - חלק ב regarding the two societies named דובב שפתי ישנים |
The Societies agreed that to prevent confusion for the general public, each of the two societies would keep their name, but identify itself with it's hometown, the Moroccan one with the city of Fes and the Galician one with the city of Husyatin and indeed the future publications of the group do indeed state their city alongside the society's name.
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| a poster of the Husiatyn Society, where their identifying as the society from Husyatin is stated |
A Judeo-Arabic Poetry Rhyming Dictionary Manuscript
In Eastern Europe, a custom developed, that weddings and other happy occasions often included the performance of a Badchen, being a Jewish Comedian who entertained the hosts and the guests, often with scholarly overtones. In North Africa and Yemen though, the hosts would often employ a Meshorer, an expert at Judeo-Arabic poetry who would spontaneously create elaborate poems and songs to entertain his guests. The Meshorer would walk between the guests and form humorous poems using the names of the guests and their features to the delight of all. While Badchenim can still be found at many Hasidic Weddings, the Meshorer has went the way of much of the Judeo-Arabic culture and mostly forgotten with time.
Between some Judeo-Arabic manuscripts I sold this week, I found a comprehensive cheating book for one such Meshorer. In alphabetical order, the manuscript listed rhymes for endless words and common last syllables of words for easy reference. One is left to wonder, who and when the owner of this manuscript performed and the outstanding effort it must have taken to compose such a work.
Between some Judeo-Arabic manuscripts I sold this week, I found a comprehensive cheating book for one such Meshorer. In alphabetical order, the manuscript listed rhymes for endless words and common last syllables of words for easy reference. One is left to wonder, who and when the owner of this manuscript performed and the outstanding effort it must have taken to compose such a work.
Jewish Bible inscribed by a US Chaplain during The Battle of Anzio Beach Italy, 1944
During WWII, roughly 500,000 American Jewish Men and Women served in the armed forces of the United States, which totaled 4.23 percent of all service members in the U.S. armed forces. Amazingly, this was higher than the Jewish percentage of the total U.S. population at that time, which was 3.3 percent. President Franklin D. Roosevelt praised the fighting abilities and service of Jewish men and women. General Douglas MacArthur in one of his speeches said, “I am proud to join in saluting the memory of fallen American heroes of Jewish faith.”
The United States Government published together with the Jewish Welfare Board several small pocket sized volumes specifically for the Jewish Soldiers. Some of their publications included an abridged Jewish Bible, an abridged Siddur and a book of Jewish Thoughts. The small format was intended to allow the young soldiers to carry these volumes with them to the battlefield, and serve as moral support and help uplift the soldiers during the heat of battle.
One copy of the Jewish Bible published for the soldiers that I just got in, had an inscription on the free-end from a chaplain to a soldier during a crucial battle against the Germans in 1944. The volume was inscribed by the Chaplain Rabbi Morris N. Kertzer and is dated May 1944, Anzio beach head Italy. Rabbi Kertzer left his Rabbinic post to join the army to serve as a Jewish Chaplain in World War II. During World War II Rabbi Kertzer was the only Jewish Chaplain at the Anzio beachhead, earning a bronze star for his services there. He entered Rome shortly after the liberation and spoke at the liberation ceremonies. He also served in Africa as well as Southern and Central France before returning home in 1945.
The Battle of Anzio took place in 1944, in May, when this book was inscribed, during which the Allies were finally able to break through the German opposition and take control of Rome, and eventually all of Italy.
The United States Government published together with the Jewish Welfare Board several small pocket sized volumes specifically for the Jewish Soldiers. Some of their publications included an abridged Jewish Bible, an abridged Siddur and a book of Jewish Thoughts. The small format was intended to allow the young soldiers to carry these volumes with them to the battlefield, and serve as moral support and help uplift the soldiers during the heat of battle.
One copy of the Jewish Bible published for the soldiers that I just got in, had an inscription on the free-end from a chaplain to a soldier during a crucial battle against the Germans in 1944. The volume was inscribed by the Chaplain Rabbi Morris N. Kertzer and is dated May 1944, Anzio beach head Italy. Rabbi Kertzer left his Rabbinic post to join the army to serve as a Jewish Chaplain in World War II. During World War II Rabbi Kertzer was the only Jewish Chaplain at the Anzio beachhead, earning a bronze star for his services there. He entered Rome shortly after the liberation and spoke at the liberation ceremonies. He also served in Africa as well as Southern and Central France before returning home in 1945.
The Battle of Anzio took place in 1944, in May, when this book was inscribed, during which the Allies were finally able to break through the German opposition and take control of Rome, and eventually all of Italy.
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