Toras Ashkenaz Online: Additional Important Works Now Available Free of Charge – תורת אשכנז על הרשת: שבעה ספרים נוספים לראיה והורדה בחנם

It is a pleasure to share the good news of the availability of a number of important works מבית מדרשו של מו”ר רבש”ה שליט”א, from the circle of Rav Hamburger, chaveirim, talmidim, and followers, online.

Firstly, the first six volumes of the highly esteemed journal ירושתנו, containing important Torah and research in various diverse areas and aspects of the heritage of יהדות אשכנז as well as כלל ישראל בכלל (h/t Friends of Machon Moreshes Ashkenaz), have recently been made available at the renowned Hebrewbooks.org website, to whom we owe a deep debt of gratitude.

Additionally, another interesting work, about a “Shabbos Chassunah”, שבת בריילפט – מנהגי ופיוטי שבת חתונה, in more detail חתונה שחופתה ביום ששי וסעודתה בליל שבת פיוטיה ומנהגיה by R. Noach Hofner, has also been posted at the same site, for a while.

Thanks to all involved in providing such treasures to the public.

Enjoy and be illuminated by the exquisite offerings.

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Rav Ovadia Yosef Praises Ashkenazim – הרה”ג חכם רב עובדיה יוסף שליט”א משבח האשכנזים

I was recently watching some video footage from a multi-part series that was aired in ארץ ישראל on one of the great gedolim of our time, הרה”ג חכם רב עובדיה יוסף שליט”א.

The series in general was quite interesting, but one thing, relevant to the subject matter focused on here, especially caught my attention, in one of the segments.

It is when his daughter says, regarding her father, as follows:  אתה יודע מה? פעם אבא התבטא והוא אמר שהאשכנזים יודעים יותר טוב מהספרדים להעריך מה זה תלמיד חכם. Which the accompanying English rendering gives as “You know what? One time my father stated that the Ashkenazi people know better than the Sephardic how to appreciate a wise student”. Now it is clear that they erred by translating תלמיד חכם as ‘wise student’. It should rather be Torah scholar, or something similar. But however you translate the statement exactly, you still have the great Sepharadic Gaon and champion of the ספרדי mesorah and heritage paying a fine compliment to his Ashkenazic Jewish brethren. Very nice and interesting.

The segment can be seen here starting at 5:28

I wonder what the context of the remark was, by the way.

It reminds me of Rav Yosef Karo, the בית יוסף, and מחבר of the שולחן ערוך, bringing the famous תשובה of the רא”ש, where he says that the Ashkenazic mesorah is superior to that of ספרד, without taking issue with it (טור יו”ד סוף סימן פ”ב). Rav Ovadia is a big advocate of the authority of Rav Yosef Karo, who he calls מרן. And here, he is also doing a similar thing, by praising the Ashkenazim. It is also in the tradition of words of praise by the Rambam, Ramban, and other Sepharadic gedolim over the years, for the great Ashkenazic Torah heritage.

אשרי העם שככה לו, אשרי העם שה’ אלקיו

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New Issue of Machon Moreshes Ashkenaz Annual, Yerushoseinu 5772, Released – ירושתנו התשע”ב, ספר שנה של מכון מורשת אשכנז, יצא לאור

A new issue of the מכון מורשת אשכנז annual, ירושתנו, has recently been published.

As usual, it contains many interesting pieces, from a wide range of contributors. The English section contains an excellent, extensive (over seventy pages) article on  מורנו הרב לוי יוסף ברייער זצ”ל, Rabbi Dr. Joseph Breuer z”l, of Frankfurt and ק”ק קהל עדת ישורון, KAJ, of Washington Heights, by Rabbi Yaakov Lorch. The article is of great interest not only re the immediate subject, but also re his renowned ancestors, family members, kehilloh, etc. It is over seventy pages, and includes relevant photos, which most readers likely have not seen before.

All in all, highly recommended reading.

More info on this new Machon Moreshes Ashkenaz gem can be seen here. Many pages, from both the Hebrew and English sections, including the table of contents, are online for your sampling pleasure, and can be seen there as well.

יישר כחכם to all who labored to make the new work available.

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