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