Dr. Manfred Lehmann wears many hats. He is a successful businessman, a world traveler, a philanthropist, a bibliophile, a scholar and a publicist. He is not only good at business, but knows what to do with money. He is one of the great collectors of Hebrew manuscripts of our time. His treasures are not stored away, but have been put at the disposal of Jewish scholarship. He himself has edited and published many manuscripts of his collection and has encouraged and supported other scholars to do so.
Several years ago he planned the publication of his manuscripts. The entire project was called Ohel Hayim in memory of his son Hayim Menahem (Jamie) a lawyer by profession and a Jewish scholar by avocation, who had already published some important papers, when he suddenly passed away at the young age of 32.
The first volume of Ohel Hayim, describing Kabbalistic manuscripts was published about three years ago. The second volume appeared recently. It is devoted to Lehmann’s more than 200 Bible manuscripts, the majority of which are of Yemenite origin.
The manuscripts include complete books as well as fragments, consisting of one, two or more leaves. Some are written on parchments, others on paper. There are old ones from he 11th century – and much later ones. Some contain, in addition to the original text, the Targum Onkelos on the Torah, Targum Yonathan on the Prophets, the Targumim on the Five Scrolls, Saadiah Gaon’s Arabic translation of the Torah or Rashi’s commentary.
The catalog which features photographs of all manuscripts is divided into five sections.1) manuscripts with upper vocalization, reflecting the Babylonian pronunciation. 2) Manuscripts with upper vocalization reflecting the Yemenite pronunciation. This section also includes manuscripts, in which the Biblical texts are vocalized below the line whose Aramaic Targum is vocalized above. 3) Manuscripts which are vocalized according to the Tiberian system. 4) Manuscripts of Haftarot, 5) Fragments which contain only Saaadiah Gaon’s Arabic translation of the Torah.
Dr. Israel Yeivin, a well known expert on Biblical manuscripts, has painstakingly described the manuscripts, indicating most minute details, regarding the script, vocalization and accent signs, drawing attention to peculiarities and mentioning Masoretic notes or individual explanations found in the margins.
Manuscripts of the Samaritan Pentateuch and its Aramaic Targum are arranged in a separate section. They were described by Dr.Abraham Tal.
Mr. Shlomo Zucker of the manuscript department of the National and Hebrew University Library in Jerusalem established the age of the manuscripts and their countries of origin in cases where these were not known.
Ohel Hayim vol. two is, indeed, an unusually comprehensive catalog. Its use as a “tool” for scholars in various areas of Biblical research has been greatly enhanced by the large number of Indices (42) compiled by Rabbi Elazar Hurvits, the editor of the volume.
The catalog proper is preceded by an introduction by Dr. Israel Yeivin, presenting a general characterization of the manuscripts and their importance. This is followed by an essay by Rabbi Nathan Fried about the Haftarah manuscripts.According to Rabbi Fried the reading of the Haftarot (Haftariyot, called by the Yemenites) in Yemen underwent changes at various times. Rabbi Elazar Hurvitz, the editor, says in his preface that the Lehmann Library is in possession of Torah scrolls and fragments of Torah scrolls in which are found letters of unusual form. These scrolls and fragments will be described in a separate volume.
Dr. Lehmann himself wrote introductions both in Hebrew and in English. In the Hebrew introduction he speaks mostly of his activities as collector, editor and publisher. In the English introduction we read interesting details of Dr. Lehmann’s ongoing public campaign to pressure the Vatican to restore to the Jewish people precious books and manuscripts that the Church had stolen from us throughout the ages.
The Jewish Press, Friday, May 24, 1991 p. 50