In the Middle Ages, as today, writing a book was difficult, and it was even harder to retract or amend things that had already been written and made public. Could an author ensure that the revisions made to their work would reach everyone who held a copy? In the book Postscript: Three Medieval Authors Correcting Their Own Books , the author examines the revisions made to their works by three medieval scholars—Rabbi Isaac Alfasi (the Rif), Rabbi Zedekiah of Rome, and Rabbi Hillel ben Eliakim—and the extent of their success in updating the text of their books across the entire Jewish diaspora. Based on all known manuscripts of the three works, the book investigates which copies preserve the revised version and which ones transcribe the initial text, which the author himself had already rejected and sought to replace.

Rabbi Joseph Rosen (1858–1936), known as "the Rogatchover," author of the Zaphnath Paaneah books of Lomdus, was a revered Talmudic genius, a rabbi of a Hasidic community, an original Halakhic authority, and one of the most colorful rabbinic figures in modern Europe. The Zaphnath Paaneah: Lomdus Meets Philosophy is the first academic study dedicated to his thought, and it deals with the fascinating interaction in his writings between Talmudic scholarship and Halakhic analysis (Lomdus) on the one hand, and ideas from philosophical and academic sources on the other. This interaction developed in his work largely through his engagement with Maimonides' Guide to the Perplexed and its commentators. In its scope, richness, systematic nature, and originality, this interaction is unprecedented in the history of rabbinic literature. Alongside the prominent influence of Aristotelian and Maimonidean philosophy, the Rogatchover's learned Halakhic thought engaged in direct dialogue with additional schools of thought and a broad spectrum of thinkers: the Mutakallimun, Averroes, Moses Narboni, Spinoza, and figures from the Haskalah movement – Isaac Satanow, Salomon Maimon, and Samuel David Luzzatto (Shadal). The Zaphnath Paaneah: Lomdus Meets Philosophy examines the diverse modes of affinity and discourse at the intersection of these two realms, revealing extraordinary ideas that emerge from this encounter.

Sefer Eshkol Ha-Kofer ("The Book of the Cluster of Henna Blossoms"), written by the Karaite Sage Judah ben Elia Hadassi the Mourner in Constantinople in the mid-twelfth century, is unique in the annals of Hebrew literature, in terms of both content and style. The book is a monumental composition which includes more than 350,000 words, consisting of approximately 400 rhymed acrostics. Eshkol H a-Kofer is devoted principally to legal discussions, organized according to the order of the Ten Commandments, and it analyzes all facets of Karaite religious life, usually presenting strict interpretations of the law. Included as well are numerous arguments against Rabbinic Judaism, theological, scientific and grammatical discussions, biblical exegesis, and much more. The book is a veritable treasure trove whose contents have been investigated by scholars of both Karaite and Rabbinic Judaism for much valuable information. It is a major source of knowledge of Karaism, but its importance for Rabbinic literature is also considerable. The only previous edition, completed 190 years ago, was quite deficient, censoring many passages and omitting almost all the Judaeo-Greek words and phrases that Hadassi used. A new edition, based on the best manuscripts, has long been a scholarly desideratum, and the present edition is intended to fill that need.

Over the past few decades, South Korea has astonished the world with its remarkable transformation. From one of the world's poorest countries, it has emerged as a global economic power, a vibrant democracy, and a leading force in technology, innovation, and popular culture. Korea: Between Tradition and Innovation takes readers on a fascinating journey through the history, society, and culture of the Korean Peninsula. From the legendary founding of Korea in 2333 BCE and the rise of its royal dynasties to the Japanese colonial period, the division of the peninsula, and the contrasting paths of North and South Korea, the book provides a comprehensive perspective. Focusing primarily on South Korea, it explores the country's transition from military rule to democracy and from postwar poverty to global prominence. The book also examines the enduring influence of Korean religions and philosophies, social changes, education, and economic development, alongside the challenges of modernization and globalization. The book also focuses on the global phenomenon of the Korean Wave (Hallyu), highlighting the worldwide impact of K-pop, cinema, television dramas, cuisine, and cosmetics. This book is an essential guide for students, scholars, business professionals, diplomats, travelers, and anyone seeking a deeper understanding of Korea's unique journey from tradition to innovation.

These volumes contain most of Prof. Yaakov Zussman's essays. The essays include complex and extensive discussions in all areas of Talmudic literature from its beginnings to its scholars in recent centuries. Their collection in one book, accompanied by detailed indexes, presents to the reader the entirety of Prof. Zussman's research work, and at the same time makes it possible to locate and include discussions in distant places that were previously hidden from view.

Emotions and emotional life have come to assume an important place in the study of religion and the humanities, but little attention has yet been given to considering the kabbalistic and hasidic traditions. This volume aims to fill that gap. Ranging historically from the thirteenth century to contemporary times, it touches on a broad selection of Jewish mystical movements. The theoretical and methodological approaches adopted are similarly diverse, drawn from fields including history, psychology and psychoanalysis, literary and cultural studies, and the history of religion. The range of emotions covered includes shame, guilt, sadness, anger, awe and fear, joy, compassion, and love. How have different teachers and communities conceived of and articulated emotional life? To what extent do emotions play a role in attaining spiritual and moral perfection, and what practices have been encouraged in the pursuit of these ideals? What is the relationship between notions of ethics, interpersonal relations, and emotions? When we speak of ‘emotional life’ we think not only of ideas about emotions, but also the complex, dynamic role that emotional experience plays in the actual lives of individuals and communities. A substantial introduction to the volume addresses these broad questions in the context of religious literature and culture.

The Roman philosopher Seneca wrote the treatise on anger for his brother Novatus, who was not a philosopher but a statesman. The brother, governor of the province of Asia during the time of Emperor Nero, asked his philosopher brother to help him with practical advice on how to govern better and improve his relationship with his subjects, and in particular how to moderate and restrain anger, a disturbing emotion and sometimes even frightening in its outbursts. Seneca, as is evident from the treatise he wrote, thought that the best way was to prevent the outbreak of anger and the impulse that always accompanies it – to take revenge. The work sheds new light on the universal human emotion that dominates people of all times and generations, describes anger and its consequences, offers suggestions for controlling this harmful emotion with reason, and gives advice for preventing circumstances that may arouse anger and the urge for revenge that stems from it. To illustrate his points, Seneca brings a selection of historical events about the behavior of rulers who can take revenge on their subjects as they please, and about the subjects' methods of survival.

In this volume: Eshbal Ratzon | The Qumran Calendar: a Historical Reconstruction Emmanuel Mastey | The Terms קלקלה ‘qlqlh’ and קלון ‘qlwn’ and the Meaning of Mishnah Horayot 3:7 Menahem Kahana z”l | The Status of Rabbi Ishmael and Rabbi Akiva in Their Schools Yonatan Sagiv z”l | Revisiting Midrash and Halakha in the Sifra Elnatan Chen | R. Jonah Ibn Janāḥ as Philologist and Text-Critic Moshe Idel | Gleaning from the Field of Kabbalah in Tarbiz Edward Fram | Groundwater Mikves: An Example of the Influence of Legal Ideas from the Sephardic World on Polish Rabbinic Culture at the End of the Sixteenth Century Tom Parnass | ‘The Soulless Body of the Torah’: The Sabbatean Quest for the ‘True Religion’ in the Eighteenth Century in Context

Within the Babylonian Talmud are dozens of stories depicting sharp confrontations between the Amoraim, the Talmudic sages. These narratives portray the charged relationships among the sages, the emergence of conflict, and the profound emotional harm that results from it. Why do conflicts among the creators of Talmudic literature occupy such a central literary place? This book examines these stories as a distinct literary corpus. The analysis shows that the conflicts consistently center on one domain: injury to personal honor. They are also marked by a characteristic plot structure, in which conflict develops unintentionally and escalates uncontrollably, leading to a rupture between the characters. Using tools from narrative theory and comparative poetics, the book explores how these stories operate. They draw the reader into a web of misunderstandings and communicative failures, making simple moral judgment difficult. Instead, they direct attention to the inner and interpersonal worlds of the characters, and to the literary construction of the Talmudic study house as a space of mutual dependence and identity formation.

The Jewish communities of Speyer, Mainz, and Worms (known collectively as ShUM), the ancient center of Torah scholarship in Ashkenaz, produced many generations of scholars who wrote glorious chapters in the history of Jewish culture. Particularly prominent was the distinguished circle of sages active there at the turn of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, including Rabbi Yehudah ben Kalonymos of Speyer, Rabbi Yehudah ben Kalonymos of Mainz, Rabbi Shmuel the Pious and his son Rabbi Yehudah the Pious, Rabbi Simcha of Speyers and Rabbi Eleazar of Worms. Even though the names of the sages of ShUM appear countless times throughout rabbinic literature, only a very small portion of their work in the fields of Talmud and halakhah has come down to us. For centuries, the only works available in print were Sefer ha-Rokeach by R. Eleazar of Worms and Sefer Raban. Even the great surge in the critical publication of texts from the nineteenth century onwards has only slightly increased that number. The present volume seeks to fill this gap to some extent. It presents the full text of Rabbi Eleazar of Worms’s Sermon for Passover , and the introduction describes two additional halakhic works by him that have been discovered in manuscript. The Sermon provides the earliest evidence for several well-known Ashkenazic customs—among them the dripping of sixteen drops of wine during the Passover Seder, the prohibition of eating legumes (kitniyot) on Passover, and the eating of dairy foods on Shavuot. A first edition of the Sermon was published twenty years ago; it is now republished with additions and corrections.

Islamic Enlightenment in a Radical Age opens a window to trends of innovation and openness in modern Islam in the mid-twentieth century, a period marked by decolonization, the rise of centralized regimes, and the emergence of Jihad organizations. Important agents in the development of the reformist discourse were Mustafa al-Saba'i and the "Muslim Brotherhood" in Syria from 1946 to 1964. Under al-Saba'i's leadership, the Muslim Brotherhood strove to establish an Islamic Enlightenment that sought to elevate the stature of believers and integrate them into the wider world, while preserving their indigenous identity. Al-Saba'i's rich intellectual and public work has been neglected in the scholarly literature, and this book brings him to the forefront and does him historical and historiographical justice. Al-Saba'i called for the revival of the heritage of Islam and its connection to universal values ​​of freedom and justice, humanism and brotherhood, democracy and nationalism. He served as a voice for the voiceless in society through a commitment to public education, social legislation, and support for women's rights, subject to moral reservations. By promoting a dynamic version of Islam—attentive and responsive to key issues on the public agenda—Al-Saba'i and his movement contributed to preserving the diversity of Islamic thought in an era of puritanism, radicalization, and violence.

Kobez Al Yad , an annual of the Mekize Nirdamim Society, is a forum for the publication from manuscript sources of ancient texts in Jewish studies that are shorter than book-length. The articles in this issue: Menahem Eisenberg | Qerovot for the 17th of Tammuz Attributed to Rabbi El’azar berabbi Qillir Sarah Cohen | Tokhehah poems according to the model of ‘Shikḥi yegonekh’ by Shelomo ibn Gabirol Simcha Emanuel | Additional Glosses of Rabbi Samuel ben Meir (Rashbam) to Alfasi Chen Maaravi and Adam Afterman | A Unique Version of the Kabbalistic Collections Ascribed to the Unpublished Fourth Part of ‘Sha‘arei Kedushah’