The Ofeq Institute of Euclid Ohio, which is devoted to the research and publication of rabbinic literature, has recently published Tosefot HaRosh on Tractate Hagiga, Rabbi Asher Ben Yehiel’s supercommentary on that tractate. The edition is based on a manuscript preserved in the Baron David Guenzburg Collection in the Russian State Library in Moscow.
The manuscript was edited and provided with source references, explanations and commentary by Rabbi Avraham Shoshana, a well-known Talmudic scholar who has to his credit excellent editions from manuscripts of a variety of Talmudic and rabbinic works. Rabbi Shoshana is the founder and head of the Ofeq Institute.
On the basis of the aforementioned Moscow manuscript, Rabbi Shoshana already published, several years ago (first edition, 1997; second edition, 1999), Rabbi Asher ben Yehiel’s supercommentary on Tractate Pesahim.
The manuscript does not mention the author of these supercommentaries, but Rabbi Shoshana, in his introductions to his editions of these commentaries proves beyond the shadow of a doubt that the Rosh authored them. He also notes the interesting fact that Rabbi Bezalel Ashkenazi, in his Shittah Mekubbetzet on Tractate Hullin, cites this supercommentary on Tractate Hagiga, explicitly calling it Tosefot HaRosh, and that he is the only author to do so.
In the introduction to Tosefot HaRosh on Tractate Hagiga, Rabbi Shoshana discusses the close relationship between Tosefot HaRosh on that tractate and the Tosafot featured in the printed editions of Tractate Hagiga, both being based on the Tosafot of Rabbi Elhanan ben Isaac of Dampierre and Rabbi Judah ben Isaac Sir Leon of Paris. Rabbi Shoshana points out that because of the affinity between these two supercommentaries, Tosefot HaRosh proves very helpful in clarifying obscure passages of the Tosafot as printed in the Talmud editions and also in correcting scribal or printers’ errors which disfigure the text of Tosafot.
Rabbi Shoshana’s edition of Tosefot HaRosh On Tractate Hagiga also contains several additional chapters, two of which should be mentioned here.
The Ofeq Institute is presently preparing for print Yihusei Taannaim VeAmoraim, a lexicon of Tannaim and Amoraim (until R. Kruspedai) authored by Rabbi Yehuda ben Kalonymus, who lived in Speyer Germany in the 12th century. Parts of the book have been published by various scholars including Rabbi Raphael Nathan Nata Rabbinovicz, the author of Dikdukei Sofrim. In 1991 the Ofeq Institute published Rabbi Judah ben Kalonymus’ extensive commentary on the Baraita of Rabbi Yishmael included in his Yihusei Tannaim veAmoraim.
On the occasion of the publication of Rabbi Shoshana’s edition of Tosefot HaRosh on Tractate Hagiga, the Ofeq Institute selected passages from Yihusei Tannaim VeAmoraim that relate to Tractate Hagiga and appended them, with notes and source references to the new volume.
The Ofeq Institute is also preparing for print Rabbi Shlomo Sirillo’s large work on Tractate Eduyyot. Rabbi Sirillo, who is primarily known for his commentary on the Jerusalem Talmud, left his native Spain following the expulsion of Jews in 1492 and lived for a while in Turkey. He eventually settled in the Land of Israel and was active there unitl his death. His work on Eduyyot has not been printed before, but Rabbi Hayyim Joseph David Azzulai, who saw it in manuscript, praised it greatly. Segments of the work that deal with matters discussed in Tractate Hagiga, provided with notes and explanations, have been included in Rabbi Shoshana’s new volume for the benefit of students of Tractate Hagiga.
In his introduction to Tosefot HaRosh on Tractate Hagiga, Rabbi Shoshana thanks all those who collaborated with him on the new volume, including Rabbi Nissim Revivo, Av Beth Din of Paris, Rabbi Yaakov David Ilan, Rabbi Shalom Shapira, Rabbi Yisrael Schneider, Benjamin Richler, Rabbi Meir Rabinovitz and others. Rabbi Joseph Epstein who is in charge of Ofeq’s Institute’s activities in Israel supervised the printing of the book in Jerusalem. The publication of the new volume, as well as Tosefot HaRosh on Tractate Pesahim, was made possible by the publication fund of Huti and Jay Pomerenze, friends and patrons of the Ofeq Institute.
The Jewish Press, Friday, Dec. 13, 2002