I see that many issues of Kathedra, a journal devoted to the history of Eretz Yisroel can be found online. I especially recommend Michael Silber's article on R' Akiva Yosef Schlesinger which can be found here. (Dr. Silber is currently working on a full-length biography of RAYS - see here)

And just in time for Pesach, the JSIJ has added an extensive article "ON THE ORIGINAL STRUCTURE AND MEANING OF MAH NISHTANNAH AND THE HISTORY OF ITS
REINTERPRETATION"

I found one:

R' Jesaja Berlin, Eine Biographic Skizze

End letter - אגרת המיוחס הר"י אייבשיץ על האגדות

From here:

I now see that the episode in question and this letter is already mentioned in the Shefer translation of Graetz, in Zinz's Gedulot Yehonoson V. 2 pgs. 135ff, 214 and in YY Greenwald R Yonoson Eibschutz pg. 57 ff (the last two books can be found at hebrewbooks.org, Zinz especially has a lot of good material on R' Yonason Eibschutz.)

[Update:Prof. Shnayer Leiman was kind enough inform me of his article in Or Ha-Mizrach 29(1981), pp. 418-428 containing the short commentary to Aggadot mentioned in the above letter.

(He also informed me that: "After I published that essay, the Perush Li-Kzat Aggadot appeared in print several times. You will find it easily in a large volume that gathers together color reproductions of the sha'ar blatt of the major editions of shas through the ages.")

The following excerpt:

complements Eliezer's point in his recent Seforim blog post:

"Besides for these two Gedolim opposing Copernicus, R. Yonsan Eybshutz who was also knowledgeable in Astronomy was also opposed as he writes in 1779:

ועבור זה נתטפשו הרבה מתוכנ' קופרניקוס וסעייתו באמרם שהארץ מסבב אבל שקר נחלו והאמת עד לעצמו כי הארץ לעולם עומדת... (יערות דבש, חלק א, דרוש ד, דף לו ע"א).

(Neher, idem, p. 253, is incorrect when he writes that Eybshutz was positive towards Copernicus' theory). "

See also here on the well known explanation of R' Yonoson Eibschutz that the Tower of Bavel was actually some sort of proto-rocketship. I'm not certain which books he refers to -וכבר חברו בזה חיבורים איך לעשות ספינה כזה לילך לכדור הירחי

(although a Google search might be useful here)

but his rocket sounds a bit like the one in Jules Verne - "From the Earth to the Moon" (written decades after RYE's passing).

A footnote on Jewish footnotes

For Menachem:




See also R Y Nissim Yayn HaTov 1: YD 11 for a discussion of R' Yaakov Meir's acceptance of the cross of honor (or some other type of Medal). And R Y Messas Mayim Chaim 2:YD 74 who insists that the cross doesn't count as a religious symbol unless a man is attached to it [!!!] and that in any event it has been clarified from Christian and their sources that the Cross is only as a reminder of the crucifixion and is not a religious symbol[?].

Continuation

From here

המשך יבוא

A letter from R' Yonoson Eibschutz regarding a little known polemic in the Emden-Eibschutz controversy

RK is Raphael Kirscheim. I am also puzzled that this letter hasn't been republished to my knowledge even until today.

From Hamagid - 9 May, 1877

המשך יבוא

Wanted:anyone who can decipher a German text in Gothic letters

If someone could give me some idea of what the following scans (my apologies for the poor quality) has to say concerning te friendship between R SR Rapoport and R Z Frankel, I'd be most appreciative.

perhaps this one is a bit clearer:

טוב שבאסיים...

There has been a good deal of talk surrounding Rachel Elior's hypothesis that Josephus invented the Essenes from whole cloth (later qualified,etc.) No-one in the English side of the blogosphere has yet cited Meir Bar Ilan's devastating review on Elior's earlier foray into Qumran studies - here.

While we will not be able to really judge Elior's hypothesis until it is actually presented to us in its book form, I'd like to make a couple of comments. First, that Josephus's portrayal of Essenes (and Pharisees, and Sadducees) is somewhat problematic is well known. As you can see here, Josephus did attempt to have the various Jewish sects correspond to Greek philosophies for apologetic reasons and he was not above manipulating some of the details to suit his purposes.

Most of Eliors arguments , in her note here seem to arguments from absence. The lack of references to Essenes in Rabbinic literature or the NT is of no more significance then the lack of references to the "Na-Nach's" on this blog.

R Reuvein Margoliyot did try to find an indirect reference to the Essenes in the Talmud, I think he is wrong but its worth repeating anyway. On the statement (end of tractate Kiddushin) טוב שברופאים לגיהנים - Margoliyot suggests rather cryptically that one who understands the history of the beginning of the group of Essenes will understand. I think he is making some type of connection between the word אסיא - healer and Essenes but I don't think it works.

The Occident reports on the Candidates for Chief Rabbi of England

Chess in Jewish theology and practice

The Jewish Encyclopedia s.v. chess has a fantastic overview of some of the discussion involving chess in Jewish literature (EJ just copies that entry and adds little). I thought I would update this with some more references.

In the introductory statement to Hilchos Chanuka in Mor U' Ketziah , R' Yakov Emden writes:

meaning that many had the custom to spend the nights of Chanuka playing chess, dominoes (?), cards (See R' Brodt's post on cardplaying here),

[The rest of the statement is hard to follow (I am surprised that Prof. Schacter didn't add some explanatory note) although the same expression appears in Yaavetz's commentary to Avot:

המרימים קולם בחלוק ובלוק בערמה • באסקינדרי איטללו בנרדשיד וגורייתא . הללו מכלי עילם . עושין מעשי זמרי ומבקשין שכר כפנחס • חוטאים ומחטיאים וממלאים הארץ זמה ]

The same custom of playing chess on Chanuka can also be found in the book of Minhagim of Worms that forbids gambling except in the case of chess (see v. 1 pg. 343). R' Yaakov Emden in the additions to his siddur forbids his descendants to play any game of skill except for chess in order to sharpen the mind a bit (but for no longer then an hour).

The Maharal also knows of the benefits of chess in sharpening the mind anin one of his famous polemics against pilpul (Tiferet Yisroel pg. 168) he writes:

People believe that one can develop into a Torah scholar only through the mental gymnastics of pilpul, which posits theories of halakha and then analyzes these empty contrived hypotheses. They create new explanations of Torah that are unfounded, claiming that this method is necessary to sharpen the mind. How can they think like that? A person should tear his heart out over this practice of turning truth into falsehood in order to sharpen the mind! Such a thing should not be found in Israel - to sharpen the mind with falsehood or to even spend time on falsehood - for the Torah is a Torah of truth. Indeed, as a result, they become more foolish, rather than wiser. It would be better to learn carpentry or another trade, or to sharpen the mind by playing chess. At least they would not engage in falsehood, which then spills over from theory and into practice...

Chavos Yair mentions chess in his Mekor Chaim (siman 338 - cited in the excellent notes to the Minhag book):

but I have not yet had a chance to follow his references. I think this means - שיק צום פעלד - send (the army) to the field (of battle) but see aforementioned notes.

One of the more interesting aspects of Chabad theology is a lengthy dissertation on Chess as an allegory for Avodas HaShem that can be found in Yemei Bereishis pg. 337 ff. which also has a pictures of the Lubavitcher Rebbe Z"l and his Father in law, deeply engrossed in a game of chess on the night of Nitel.

More on "Discomfort with Kabbalah"

Menachem Mendel posts on Elon's Discomfort withe the Zohar. Menachem has a great post on some of the scholarship on Rabbi Joseph Karo, Lawyer and Mystic but I think the distinction of being the first to attampt a separatation between the Lawyer and the Mystic belongs to my favorite scholar, Shir, Igrot Shir pgs. 207-208:

Don't eat fatty foods, don't overdo it with the baths and write home more often

New seforim from hebrewbooks.org

1 - Jewish phrenology (who is לאפאטר)

[Update: S. informs us that this refers to Johann Capar Lavater inventor of the "science" of phrenology. He is infamous for his famous attempt to convert Mendelssohn. According to A. Altmann, he diagnosed Mendelssohn as being essentially a Christian based on the shape of his forehead (or something like that - I don't have the book before me.) There are (unreadable) notes on the sefer (from one of the Rebbes?). Chochmas HaPartzuf is considered a big thing by Mekubbalim. I certainluy hope that the Rebbe/s don't give advice based on Lavater's science!!!!!]

2 - Limud Arukh -from son of R S. B. Bamberger (R' S. B. added some comments). Note his backwords reference to Shir as author of Toledot R' Nosson. (R' Berel Wein seems to think there was some sort of dispute between Shir and R' Bamberger but I don't see any record of this. Anyone know what he refers to?) see also Moreh L'Zovchim by the same.

3 - L' Chaker Sheiltos R' Achai - B M Levin

4 - A polemic against Shulchan Melachim - a commentary on Kitzur Shullchan Arukh by R Moshe Tzvi Landau - by R Yitzchak Sternhall (his Kokhvei Yitzchak is also on Hebrewbooks.org) who was a bit of a character.

5 - למען השבת - from R' Herzog

6 - S'ridei Eish's - L' Perakim - first edition (there were some slight changes in the second edition - will try to post later)

7 - Rashba's Maamer Al Yishmael with biography - Does Naor know of this edition?

8 - Y N Epstein's mammoth Mevo L' Nusach HaMishna 1, 2 and on Tosefta (correction (thanks to andy - not Albeck but R Shlomo Friedlander - the Cheishik Shlomon). Cf. Chanoch Albeck Mechkarim.

9 - Y A Modena - Magen V' Tzinah (against Christianity)- Geiger edition

10 - on the Rashi to Bereishis Rabbah

11 - Intro to Perek Chelek (where the Ikkarim are first formulated)

12 - R' Dovid Tzvi Hoffmann - Midrash HaGadol 1, 2 (he reconstructed Mekhilta D' Rashbi using the Midrash HaGadol) also his Midrash Tannoim

13 - R S Lieberman's Midrashei Teiman.

14 - Pedagogical Sefer on Talmud from R C Hirschenson

and many more

[15 See also commentary on R Y Eibschutz's Kreisi U Pleisi - with notice from the learned censor Karl Fischer]

The positive-historical Maharshah vs. the Hirschian Rashash

An important chapter in the question of the Rabbinic biography involve R' Hirsch's hassagot on Graetz's History of the Jews.

Somewhat interesting in this regard is the following comment of Maharshah to Shabbos 140b:

and the following response of Rashash:

Update: Paamei Yaakov 67 has a nice article by R' Yitzchak Ratzabi on this Gemara]

Ironic