New Volume by Lev Sameah Institute
The latest publication of the Lev Sameah Institute of Jerusalem – in time for the High Holidays – is a volume featuring a new edition of Tossafot Yeshanim on tractate Yoma and several descriptions and explanations by early authorities of the High Priest’s Temple service on Yom Kippur (Avodah).
The Tossafot Yeshanim on Yoma were composed in a great measure by Rabbi Yehudah ben Yitzchak (Judah Sir Leon of Paris). They were edited and adapted by his disciple Rabbi Moshe of Coucy (author of Semag).
Printed for the first time in 1716, this worked abounded in copying and printing mistakes. In later printings, attempts were made to weed out the errors. The new Lev Sameach edition -prepared and annotated by Rabbi Avigdor Arieli of Jerusalem, who made use of manuscripts and emendations by earlier scholars offers the Talmud student a greatly improved text.
Since the destruction of the Second Temple, Jews have been reciting on Yom Kippur (during Mussaf) descriptions of the Avodah (The High Priest’s Temple Service).
As long as the Temple stood, the sacrifices atoned for the sins of Israel. Now, when there is no Temple the recital and study of the Temple service takes the place of the actual service.
Different versions of the Avodah, based on the Mishna and Talmud of tractate Yoma, were compiled by different early scholars and poets and they were used by different communities. One of the most popular versions has been Yossi Ben Yossi’s Piyut, Atta Konanta Olam MeRosh.
In the volume before us are featured several versions and explanations of the Avodah:
The Seder Avodah by an anonymous scholar. According to Rabbi Avigdor Arieli, who prepared for print and annotated the differed versions of the Avodah assembled in the book, the author seems to have lived in 13th century Barcelona.
A commentary on Rabbi Yitzhak Ibn Ghayya’ts Seder Avodah by an anonymous scholar, who – according to Rabbi Arieli seems to be identical with the 13th century author of the aforementioned Seder Avodah. R. Yitzchak Ibn Ghayyat was a poet as well as Halahic authority. He lived in Lucena Spain.
The Seder Avodah of Rabbi Menachm ben Shlomo HaMeiri, which is included in his Hibbur HaTeshuva. The Seder Avodah composed by a student of Rabbi Shlomo ben Abraham Adret.
Rabbi Yosef Nahmias’ commentary on Atta Konanta Olam Merosh. Nahmias was a student of Rabbi Asher ben Yechiel (Rosh ) in Toledo and the author of commentaries on books fo the Bible and on Pirket Avot as well as other works.
Rabbi David Abudrahah’s commentary on Atta Konanta.
Of the six works enumerated, only the anonymous Seder Avodah and the commentary of Yitzchak Ibn Ghayyat’s Avodah were never published before and are presented in our volume for the first time. Rabbi Arieli, a very careful and erudite scholar, used manuscripts even in the preparation of his excellent new edition of those texts which had been previously published.
Jews love to recite the Avodah. Rav Hai Gaon states in a responsum, that the Avodah should be said at the Mussaf service, “but the Jews of Baghdad because of their love for the Avodah also recited it at Shacharit.” (Otzar HaGeonim, Yoma p. 41).
We may assume that not only the Jews of Baghdad, but also other Jews who recited the Avodah, only at Mussaf, loved the Avodah very much. Earlier generations, whose souls were filled with longing for the building of the Temple and the restoration of its service, loved to recite the Avodah. The recital transferred them mentally — at least for a short time — to the longed for — and dreamt of holy and inspiring atmosphere of the Temple. May it be rebuilt, speedily in our days.
Correction
The volume of Midrash Rabba HaMevo’ar on Devarim mentioned in last week’s article contains the entire Midrash Devarim Rabba (not only part of it.)
The name of Rabbi Shmuel Eisenstein should be added to the names of those who participated in the preparations of volumes of Midrash Rabba Ha’Mevo’ar.
The Jewish Press, Friday, Sept. 24, 1993 p.40.