Today is the 198th yahrzeit of Rebbe Nachman of Bratslav zy"a, a great-grandson of R. Yisrael Ba'al Shem Tov (Besht), who passed away at the age of thirty-eight in 1810. As I recently mentioned in a previous post at the Michtavim blog, Tel-Aviv University's Prof. David Assaf has compiled several versions of a bibliographic scholarly survey of works related to Rebbe Nachman in David Assaf, Bratslav: An Annotated Bibliography - Rabbi Nahman of Bratslav, His Life and Teachings, the Literary Legacy of His Disciples, Bratslav Hasidism in Its Context (Jerusalem: Merkaz Zalman Shazar, 2000; Hebrew), with three updates available here.
For a very-recently-completed dissertation on R. Nosson of Bratslav -- Rebbe Nachman's faithful disciple and agent of culture, who only joined his master, in Rebbe Nachman's court, some eight years prior to the latter's death -- see Ariel Burger, "Hasidic Nonviolence: R. Noson of Bratzlav's Hermeneutics of Conflict Transformation," (PhD dissertation, Boston University, 2008), written under the guidance of Prof. Elie Wiesel. (Burger has been Wiesel's TA for the past several years.) I have already enjoyed reading chapter four "The Hasidic Culture of Controversy," (pp. 78-107).
For a very terrific work of scholarship, see Violet Lutz, "Romancing the Baal Shem tov: Martin Buber's appropriation of Hasidism in his two early Hasidic books, 'Die Geschichten des Rabbi Nachman' (1906) and 'Die Legende des Baalschem' (1908)," (PhD dissertation, University of Pennsylvania, 2006). For two theses about Rebbe Nachman recently completed in South Africa, see Yakov Shammai Azriel, "Quest for the Lost Princess in Rabbi Nachman of Braslav's Book of Stories from Ancient Times," (PhD dissertation, University of South Africa, 2004), available here (http://tinyurl.com/4f5x6n), and idem, "The Search for Redemption in Rabbi Nachman of Braslav's Story 'The Son of the King and the Son of the Maidservant Who Were Exchanged': An Analysis of Its Structure, Symbolism and Meaning," (MA thesis, University of South Africa, 2000).
On the extreme other side of the late 18th century ideological debate, this weekend is also the 211th yahrzeit of the Gaon of Vilna/ha-Gra, and as an appropriate marking of his yahrzeit, see several articles of interest to the Image of ha-Gra; specifically Immanuel Etkes, "The Gaon of Vilna and the Haskalah Movement: Image and Reality," Binah: Studies in Jewish History, Thought, and Culture 2 (1989): 147-175, which originally appeared in Immanuel Etkes and Yosef Salmon, eds., Studies in the History of Jewish Society in the Middle Ages and in the Modern Period presented to Professor Jacob Katz on his Seventy-Fifth Birthday (Jerusalem: The Hebrew University, Magnes Press, 1980; Hebrew).
For a discussion of the portraiture of ha-Gra, see Zusia Efron, "Portrait of the Gaon of Vilna, Two Centuries of Imagination," in Israel Lempertas, ed., The Gaon of Vilnius and the Annals of Jewish Culture (Vilnius: Vilnius University Publishing House, 1998), 164-168, Dov Eliach, HaGaon (Jerusalem: Machon Moreshet ha-Yeshivot, 2002), 3:1319-1328 (appendix six). For a whole discussion on the banning of R. Dov Eliach's three-volume HaGaon (including pashkevilin and pictures [!]), see the various posts at the Seforim blog, available here. For general background on rabbinic iconography, see Richard I. (Yerachmiel) Cohen, "The Rabbi as Icon," Jewish Icons: Art and Society in Modern Europe (Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1998), 115-153.
For a sampling of other articles in Israel Lempertas, ed., The Gaon of Vilnius and the Annals of Jewish Culture (Vilnius: Vilnius University Publishing House, 1998) -- and with less than two dozen academic libraries worldwide that hold this volume, it is quite rare to purchase and/or even find! -- see Allan Nadler, "The Mithnagdim and the Haskala: A Reappraisal," (pp. 35-51) Immanuel Etkes, "The Gaon of Vilna and the Mitnagdim in the Eyes of the Hasidim," (pp. 81-87); Jay M. Harris, "Rabbinic Literature in Lithuania after the Death of the Gaon," (pp. 88-95); Adam Teller, "The Gaon of Vilna and the Communal Rabbinate in 18th Century Poland- Lithuania," (pp. 142-153); David E. Fishman, "Commemoration and Conflict: The Observance of the Vilna Gaon's 200th Birthday," (pp. 179-186); Shaul Stampfer, "The Gaon, Yeshivot, the Printing Press and the Jewish Community: A Complicated Relationship Between a Scholar and Society," (pp. 257-282); Izraelis Lempartas, "The Days of the Gaon in Lithuania," (pp. 371-383). See also Alan Brill, "The Mystical Path of the Vilna Gaon," Journal of Jewish Thought and Philosophy 3 (1993): 131-151; Sid Z. Leiman, "When a Rabbi is Accused of Heresy: The Stance of the Gaon of Vilna in the Emden-Eibeschuetz Controversy," in Jay M. Harris, ed., Me'ah She'arim: Studies in Medieval Jewish Spiritual Life in Memory of Isadore Twersky (Jerusalem: The Hebrew University, Magnes Press, 2001), 251-263; and Eliyahu Stern, "Modern Rabbinic Historiography and the Legacy of Elijah of Vilna," Modern Judaism 24:1 (February 2004): 79-90.
As Sukkot ebbs away and the holiday of Hoshana Rabbah will be upon us in but several days, see Chaim Rapoport, "Sleeping in the Sukkah in Legality and Lore," Heikhal HaBesht 1:4 (2004), and the (in)famous and interesting article by Elliott Horowitz, "Coffee, Coffeehouses, and the Nocturnal Rituals of Early Modern Jewry," AJS Review 14:1 (Spring, 1989): 17-46, regarding the connection between the rise of coffee and the popularity of Tikkun Leil Shavuot/Tikkun Leil Hoshana Rabbah. As Horowitz notes:
For a very-recently-completed dissertation on R. Nosson of Bratslav -- Rebbe Nachman's faithful disciple and agent of culture, who only joined his master, in Rebbe Nachman's court, some eight years prior to the latter's death -- see Ariel Burger, "Hasidic Nonviolence: R. Noson of Bratzlav's Hermeneutics of Conflict Transformation," (PhD dissertation, Boston University, 2008), written under the guidance of Prof. Elie Wiesel. (Burger has been Wiesel's TA for the past several years.) I have already enjoyed reading chapter four "The Hasidic Culture of Controversy," (pp. 78-107).
For a very terrific work of scholarship, see Violet Lutz, "Romancing the Baal Shem tov: Martin Buber's appropriation of Hasidism in his two early Hasidic books, 'Die Geschichten des Rabbi Nachman' (1906) and 'Die Legende des Baalschem' (1908)," (PhD dissertation, University of Pennsylvania, 2006). For two theses about Rebbe Nachman recently completed in South Africa, see Yakov Shammai Azriel, "Quest for the Lost Princess in Rabbi Nachman of Braslav's Book of Stories from Ancient Times," (PhD dissertation, University of South Africa, 2004), available here (http://tinyurl.com/4f5x6n), and idem, "The Search for Redemption in Rabbi Nachman of Braslav's Story 'The Son of the King and the Son of the Maidservant Who Were Exchanged': An Analysis of Its Structure, Symbolism and Meaning," (MA thesis, University of South Africa, 2000).
On the extreme other side of the late 18th century ideological debate, this weekend is also the 211th yahrzeit of the Gaon of Vilna/ha-Gra, and as an appropriate marking of his yahrzeit, see several articles of interest to the Image of ha-Gra; specifically Immanuel Etkes, "The Gaon of Vilna and the Haskalah Movement: Image and Reality," Binah: Studies in Jewish History, Thought, and Culture 2 (1989): 147-175, which originally appeared in Immanuel Etkes and Yosef Salmon, eds., Studies in the History of Jewish Society in the Middle Ages and in the Modern Period presented to Professor Jacob Katz on his Seventy-Fifth Birthday (Jerusalem: The Hebrew University, Magnes Press, 1980; Hebrew).
For a discussion of the portraiture of ha-Gra, see Zusia Efron, "Portrait of the Gaon of Vilna, Two Centuries of Imagination," in Israel Lempertas, ed., The Gaon of Vilnius and the Annals of Jewish Culture (Vilnius: Vilnius University Publishing House, 1998), 164-168, Dov Eliach, HaGaon (Jerusalem: Machon Moreshet ha-Yeshivot, 2002), 3:1319-1328 (appendix six). For a whole discussion on the banning of R. Dov Eliach's three-volume HaGaon (including pashkevilin and pictures [!]), see the various posts at the Seforim blog, available here. For general background on rabbinic iconography, see Richard I. (Yerachmiel) Cohen, "The Rabbi as Icon," Jewish Icons: Art and Society in Modern Europe (Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1998), 115-153.
For a sampling of other articles in Israel Lempertas, ed., The Gaon of Vilnius and the Annals of Jewish Culture (Vilnius: Vilnius University Publishing House, 1998) -- and with less than two dozen academic libraries worldwide that hold this volume, it is quite rare to purchase and/or even find! -- see Allan Nadler, "The Mithnagdim and the Haskala: A Reappraisal," (pp. 35-51) Immanuel Etkes, "The Gaon of Vilna and the Mitnagdim in the Eyes of the Hasidim," (pp. 81-87); Jay M. Harris, "Rabbinic Literature in Lithuania after the Death of the Gaon," (pp. 88-95); Adam Teller, "The Gaon of Vilna and the Communal Rabbinate in 18th Century Poland- Lithuania," (pp. 142-153); David E. Fishman, "Commemoration and Conflict: The Observance of the Vilna Gaon's 200th Birthday," (pp. 179-186); Shaul Stampfer, "The Gaon, Yeshivot, the Printing Press and the Jewish Community: A Complicated Relationship Between a Scholar and Society," (pp. 257-282); Izraelis Lempartas, "The Days of the Gaon in Lithuania," (pp. 371-383). See also Alan Brill, "The Mystical Path of the Vilna Gaon," Journal of Jewish Thought and Philosophy 3 (1993): 131-151; Sid Z. Leiman, "When a Rabbi is Accused of Heresy: The Stance of the Gaon of Vilna in the Emden-Eibeschuetz Controversy," in Jay M. Harris, ed., Me'ah She'arim: Studies in Medieval Jewish Spiritual Life in Memory of Isadore Twersky (Jerusalem: The Hebrew University, Magnes Press, 2001), 251-263; and Eliyahu Stern, "Modern Rabbinic Historiography and the Legacy of Elijah of Vilna," Modern Judaism 24:1 (February 2004): 79-90.
As Sukkot ebbs away and the holiday of Hoshana Rabbah will be upon us in but several days, see Chaim Rapoport, "Sleeping in the Sukkah in Legality and Lore," Heikhal HaBesht 1:4 (2004), and the (in)famous and interesting article by Elliott Horowitz, "Coffee, Coffeehouses, and the Nocturnal Rituals of Early Modern Jewry," AJS Review 14:1 (Spring, 1989): 17-46, regarding the connection between the rise of coffee and the popularity of Tikkun Leil Shavuot/Tikkun Leil Hoshana Rabbah. As Horowitz notes:
"The vigils of Shavuot and Hoshana Rabbah, previously limited in their appeal and relatively brief in duration, came to be widely observed as allnight affairs. This was due more to the availability of coffee than to the habit of frequenting coffeehouses, but the vogue achieved by the midnight rite of Tikkun Hazot would seem to have been equally linked to the latter." (p. 44)
At the end of a truly historic Simchat Beit ha-Shoeva last evening in Jerusalem, I borrowed a copy of the extremely important, yet timeless, and "most comprehensive" volume by Avraham Yaari, Toledot Chag Simchat Torah (Jerusalem: Mosad ha-Rav Kook, 1964) -- which I had been long wanting to in-depthly study following a bout of reference-tracking several years back and I would like to eventually own my own copy -- and, over the next few days, I will be preparing a shiur on "Little Known Aspects of Simchat Torah" to deliver on the final day (of two) of Sukkot, on Simchat Torah, at the Gruss Kollel in Jerusalem (email me if you require automobile parking). Related to Simchat Torah, as well, see the recently-published article that begins with the famous recounting of Samuel Pepys' visit to a London synagogue, just 345 years ago, in Adena Tanenbaum, "Arrogance, Bad Form, and Curricular Narrowness: Belletristic Critiques of Rabbinic Culture from Medieval Spain and Provence," in Daniel Frank and Matt Goldish, eds., Rabbinic Culture and Its Critics: Jewish Authority, Dissent, and Heresy in Medieval and Early Modern Times (Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 2008), 57-81.
And lastly, at the request of one reader of the Michtavim blog: Does anyone have any insight into the folk history and theological implications of the recitation of Mazel Tov and/or Mabrouk? (The standard encyclopedic resources have already been consulted and, quite surprisingly, have no relevant information.)
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