Menachem Mendel

Part of the Braginsky Collection of Hebrew books and manuscripts is now online. It is worth a visit. (hat tip)

Posted on January 14th, 2010 under Bibliography, Book Collecting, Hebrew Printing, History of Books, Manuscripts. Comments: None

The Hill Museum and Manuscript Library has a nice exhibition posted online, Book Marks: The Trail Readers Leave Behind. (hat tip) This image may be of interest to those who like illustrated haggadot. See more here on similar images in haggadot.

Posted on January 6th, 2010 under Bibliography, Book Collecting, Manuscripts. Comments: 1

Can anyone offer any help?
Kitsur SMaK?:
The following question was received at the library’s reference email:
The Kitzur Sma’k (which I’m sure you won’t confuse with the Kitzur Sma’g) was compiled by a Christian Hebraist, and for that reason is of no interest to Jews and is not found in any university library that I have [...]

Posted on January 4th, 2010 under Bibliography, Manuscripts. Comments: 1

I am not sure if this is old and I just never noticed it, but the JNUL seems to have a new web page which has links to many of the important MSS and early printed editions that they have on their website in one place.

Posted on December 16th, 2009 under Bibliography, Manuscripts, Online resources, Rabbinic Literature, Talmud. Comments: None

It seems that Otzar ha-Hochma knows no rest. It was apparently a typo. See here for a previous round of criticism.

Posted on December 2nd, 2009 under Bibliography, Computers, Halakhic Literature, Online resources, Rabbinic Literature. Comments: 2

Part I, Part II

Found throughout the literature which discusses whether a blessing is recited over the lighting of shabbat candles, there are a number of “phantom sources,” sources which aren’t found in the extant literature. The first example of a “phantom sources” is from Abraham ha-Yarhi’s Sefer Ha-Manhig. In Yitzhak Rafael’s edition this [...]

Posted on December 2nd, 2009 under Bibliography, Halakhic Literature, Responsa, Shabbat, Talmud, Textual Studies. Comments: None

There is a disagreement among scholars as to the author(s) of the Geonic work Halakhot Gedolot. See this post for a discussion of the question. I just saw this in a flyer from Mechon Yerushalayim, so I guess that we know to some extent how they answer the question.

Posted on November 23rd, 2009 under Bibliography, Halakhic Literature, History of Books, Rabbinic Literature, Uncategorized. Comments: None

BibliOdyssey has posted images from a 15th c. illustrated travel diary of a German knight who journeyed to Jerusalem. The JNUL has posted online many maps of the Land of Israel/Holy Land and Jerusalem.

Posted on October 15th, 2009 under Bibliography, Israel, Manuscripts. Comments: 1

October 6: Jewish Theological Seminary Library Open House, New York: “Please join JTS library staff on Tuesday, October 6th from 4:30-6 pm on the 5th floor of the Library for an exploration of the High Holidays through our holdings of manuscripts, rare books, broadsides and archival material, as well as our digital collections. The [...]

Posted on September 14th, 2009 under Bibliography, Book Collecting, Public Events. Comments: None