Liepman Philip Prins- His Scholarly Correspondence, which was published by Ktav some time ago, presents us with the story and scholarly correspondence of an extraordinary man: A layman steeped in learning (Ba’al Bayit Lamdan), who published Divrei Torah and corresponded with prominent rabbis and scholars.
Prins was a prince in Israel in the full sense of the word. Ba’alei Battim Lamdanim were not uncommon in Eastern Europe. In the West, where “enlightenment” and assimilation had estranged large parts of our people from Torah and Mitzvot, they were a rare phenomenon. Prins was a devoted son of his people. Though a man of means, he felt the pain of the poor and was ever ready to help.
Though residing in countries where there was no official discrimination against Jews and where Jews lived in relative security, he became an early follower of political Zionism, because it held out hope to the poor and oppressed masses of the East. Moreover, he saw in Zionism much more than a great humanistic endeavor. He believed that the irreligious Jews, who had abandoned assimilation in order to espouse the return and rebuilding of Zion, would eventually accept the entire teachings of Judaism. He regarded Zionism as a precursor of the Messianic era.
The publication of the Hebrew-English volume was initiated by Charles and Els Bendheim of New York. Els Bendheim, a granddaughter of Prins served as general editor of the book. The letters were edited and annotated by Rabbi Dr. Mayer Herskovics, a fine scholar, who before his aliya to Eretz Yisrael in 1978, taught at Yeshiva University. Several other people– whose names are mentioned – assisted in editing and translating.
Prins was born in Arnhem, Holland in 1835. He received an excellent Jewish and secular education. When he grew up, he joined the family’s carpet firm, but continued to devote many hours to the study of Torah. At the age of 21, he married the former Henrietta Jacobson of Amsterdam. One daughter and five sons were born to them.
In 1876 he and his family moved to Amsterdam. There, he devoted most of his time to Torah studies and communal activities. His home became a meeting place of scholars, where shiurim and lectures were given. There was also a regular minyan. Prins studied with Rabbi Joseph Zvi Hirsch Duenner, Chief Rabbi of Amsterdam, Rabbi Jacob de Leeuw and Rabbi Mordecai Sohlberg.
He was chosen a leader of the “Pekidim and Amarkalim of the Holy Land,” the Amsterdam organization founded in 1809, for the purpose of collecting money on behalf of the Jews in the Land of Israel. In 1880 – at the age of 45 — Prins was elected Parnass of the Ashkenazi community of Amsterdam.
In 1887, after he lost his wife and mother, Prins established himself in Frankfurt where he married a second time. He and the former Sarah Lob-Federman had three daughters and one son.
In Frankfurt — where he lived until his death in 1915- Prins continued to immerse himself in Torah studies and to be active in communal affairs. He became a member of the central committee of the Zionist Federation of Germany upon its formation in the autumn of 1897. In 1904 he addressed an open letter to Rabbi Yeshaya Silberstein, rabbi of Vac, Hungary, who was associated with the rabbinic journal Tel Talpiyot, criticizing rabbis and religious Jews who condemned Zionism and pleading with them to support the movement. An abbreviated version of the letter was published in German in the Frankfurter Israelitisches Familienblatt. An English translation of the German article, prepared by Gertrude Hirschler, appears in the volume before us.
Prins was a great bibliophile. He started building his library while still in Arnhem. Eventually it became the largest Jewish private library in Germany. Mrs. E. Bendheim relates in her preface to the English part of the volume, “A Granddaughter’s reflections,” that her grandfather “retained the full time services of an expert bookbinder, whose task was to maintain each and every volume in perfect condition,
In 1930 Prins’ library was transferred to the Mizrachi (now R. Eliezer Meir Lipschuetz) Teacher’s Seminary in Jerusalem, where it served students and scholars. For many years, the late Rabbi Dr. Akiva B. Posner, who wrote a booklet about Prins, was in charge of the rich collection.
Forty years ago when many of the books of the National and Hebrew University Library were still on Mount Scopus, which was then inaccessible, I would go to the Prins library. Whenever I went there, I would always wonder whether I would find the books I was looking for. As far as I can remember, I was never disappointed.
Continued next week
The Jewish Press’ Friday, October 15, 1993
L. P. Prins contributed to Jewish periodicals in Hebrew, Dutch and German.
He was of help to the Romm Printers of Vilna in acquiring the personal Talmud set of Rabbi Yaakov Emden, studded with the latter’s handwritten notes.
Prins’ own notes on Hullin were printed by the Vilna publishers in their edition of that tractate.
His notes on the Siddur were printed in Otzar Tefillot under the title Damesek Eliezer.
Prins published from manuscript and annotated Tashlum Abudraham which contained Abudraham’s commentary on Yossi ben Yossi’s Avoda and other Piyutim ((Berlin, 1900) and reprinted with an introduction R. Mikhal’s Maraptshik’s Seder Berakoth, which was originally published in 1582 in Cracow (Frankfurt, 1910).
After the death of R. Marcus Lehmann, founder and editor of Der Israelit, Prins completed his commentary on Pirket Avot and on Perek Shira, Prins also assisted in the final editing of the Lehmann Haggadah.
A note, appended to the bibliography of Prin’s writings, published in the volume before us, advises that in judging Prins’ wide erudition, one should take into account — in addition to his published writings– the numerous learned notes he wrote in the margins of his books (his notes on Baer’s Avodat Yisrael Siddur are reproduced in the volume pp. 453-455).
Prins’ wide erudition as well as his interest in all fields of traditional learning, including Dikduk, Targumim and research of customs are also reflected in the scholarly correspondence presented in the new volume.
Altogether, nearly 200 letters have been assembled by the editors. Most of them were written in Hebrew. The few, originally written in German or in Dutch, are presented in Hebrew translation.
Following, is a partial list of the illustrious correspondents, rabbis and scholars of note: The “Hafetz Hayyim,” Rabbi Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin, Rabbi Yaakov Schor, Rabbi Yaakov Ettlinger, Rabbi S. R. Hirsch, Rabbi Azriel Hildesheimer, Rabbi Chaim Berlin, Rabbi Marcus (Mordechai) Horowitz, Rabbi David Zvi Hoffman, Rabbi Meir Yonah, commentator of Sefer HaItur, Rabbi Nathan Adler of London, Rabbi Marcus (Meir) Lehmann, Rabbi Heinrich (Hanikh) Ehrentreu, Rabbi S.Z. Breuer, Abraham Berliner, Meir Friedmann, Solomon Buber and Dov Baer Ratner.
Prins wrote to Rabbi Yaakov Ettlinger, when he was still residing in Arnhem, inquiring about the Kashrut of a Lulav. His response is interesting. The “last Gaon of Ashkenaz” wrote that, generally, he didn’t reply to individuals who asked him questions of practical Halakha, for they should address themselves to the rabbis of their communities. He would however, answer Rabbi Prins’ inquiry because Sukkot was over and it was no longer a question of practical Halakha.
When Prins resided in Amsterdam, he planned the establishment of a school in which both Torah and general knowledge would be taught. He turned to Rabbi S.R. Hirsch to write him about the education institution he had founded in Frankfurt. In his reply Rabbi Hirsch described in great detail the development and educational program of his school. Hirsch writes that he was glad to hear of the intention of Prins and his friends to establish a school, which would stress the importance of the teaching of Torah and of general knowledge.
Prins avidly followed the publication of new books in the fields of traditional learning. He wrote to Rabbi Nathan Adler after he had received the latter’s Netina LaGer and the latter praised one of his observations. He wrote to Rabbi Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin asking him to clarify a certain passage in his Ha’amek Davar and requested Rabbi Meir Yona of Svisloch – inter alia– to point out to him the source of an Aggada mentioned in the Sefer HaIttur (Rabbi Meir Yona couldn’t name the source, since it was probably a Midrash which had not been preserved).
Solomon Buber asked Prins whether he knew of any manuscripts of Midrashim found in private or public collections in the Netherlands. In another letter, Buber informs Prins, at the request of the latter, about the source of a Midrash quoted by Ramban in his commentary on the Torah.
Prins corresponded for many many years with Rabbi Heinrich (Hanokh) Ehrentrau. The 15 letters filled with Divrei Torah, reproduced in the books are probably only a small part of their scholarly exchange of letters.
Space doesn’t permit us to elaborate further on Prins’ correspondence which which certainly will be read with great interest by rabbis and Torah scholars.
Conclusion next week
The Jewish Press, Friday, October 22, 1993
Conclusion
The letters have been well annotated by Rabbi M. Herskovic. In addition, each letter carries a short introduction — by Neria Gutel- about its writer and the contents. At the end of the volume, in a separate section are short biographies of the rabbis and scholars who corresponded with Prins. Very detailed indices of sources and subjects help the reader and student find scholarly matters of special interest to them.
Both the English and the Hebrew parts of the volume feature biographies of Prins. He English part also contains a discussion of Prins’ Zionism, by Gertrude Hirschler, and a fine synopsis of the letters (probably due to some printing error, the letter by Rabbi Meir Yona is, in the synopsis, attributed to his son.)
The excellently edited and beautifully printed book, includes many photographs and facsimilies. The general editor, Mr. Els Benheim, Rabbi Mayer Herskovic and all those who assisted them, can justly be proud of this volume which introduces us to the life and learning of a great and devoted son of our people.
In the following we will have a closer look at Prins’ bibliography presented in the volume.
The send entry reads: Seder Berakhot by R. Yehiel b. R. Yedidya, with an introduction by L.P Prins (Franfurt, 1910).
The entry doesn’t tell us that the publication is a reprint of a work which originally appeared in Cracow in 1582. Moreover, the bibliographer’s statement. “Prins showed in his introduction that the author R. Yehiel be. R. Yedidya is identical with the man known as R. Mikhal Marapshik (Morawcyk) is not entirely correct.
Prins did not have to prove that R. Yehiel b. R. Yedidya was R. Mihak Marapshik . This is stated in the title page of the Cracow edition as well as at the end of the work!
Prins proves something else. Magen Avraham quote “(Seder) Berakhot R.M.M.
Some interpreted the initials R. M.M. as standing for Rabbi Moshe Mintz. Prins showed that their meaning was R. Mikhal Maraptshik. It was his Seder Berakot, whcih Magen Avraham referred to (See also Der Israelit, 1910 no. 35). The Seder Berakhot, with Prins’ article was reprinted more than 20 years ago.
Included in the bibliography is a note concerning the text of a blessing for the redemption of the firstborn, printed anonymously at the end of the Vilna edition of tractate Kiddushin
How do we know that Prins was the author of that note?
Prins mentions it is his notes on the Siddur printed in Otzar HaTefillot. The compiler of the bibliography, seemingly assumed that if Prins included it in his notes on the Siddur, – it must have been his!
This of course need not necessarily be so. The anonymous note, printed at the end of tractate Kiddushin, is very interesting and very important. Prins might have decided to make it better know by including it in his observations. He also mentions this note in his observations on Siddur Avodat Yisrael, published in the volume before us.
In this respect, Mr. Els Bendheim, the general editor of the book, has been more circumspect. She too, mentioned — in her “A Granddaughter’s Reflections”- the note printed at the end of tractate Kiddushin, remarking that “it may well have been” Prins, published anonymously.
I have reason to believe that Prins was not the author of the note. As we stated in our last article Prins and Rabbi H. Ehrentreu were very close friends. They corresponded for many years and exchanged divrei Torah. If Prins was, indeed, the author of the anonymous note, he must have told Rabbi Ehrentreu about it. It was an important note and he surely would have liked to hear Rabbi Ehrentreu’s opinion.
Rabbi Ehrentreu published in the Jahrbuch of the Frankfurt Juedish – Literarische Gesellschaft a series of brilliant Talmudic studies.In volume xi of the Jahrbuch (1916) he discussed the anonymous note printed in the Vilna Kiddushin volume, praising it as bearing the stamp of truth. No mention there of Prins, the supposed author of the note! Even if Rabbi Ehrentreu did not want to reveal the author who wanted to remain anonymous, he could have intimated– writing after Prins’ death– that the author had been his friend.
[Rabbi Ehrentreus’ Talmudic studies which appeared in the Jahrbuch, were published in Hebrew by Mossad HaRav Kook in 1978. Incidentally, Ehrentreu’s interpretation of Shabbat 118b, printed in one of his letters in the new volume (p. 148) was published by him in Jahrbuch, vol. viii.]
Moreover when searching for the author of an anonymous note published in the Vilna Talmud, one doesn’t have to look very far. Shafan ShaSofer (Shmuel Shraga Feiginson) tells us in his history of the Romm printing press (Yahadut Litta, vol 1) that the Romm family employed Gedolei Yisrael as proofreaders, and that some of them contributed notes and comments, which in accordance with their wishes, were printed anonymously. It may well have been one of those Gedolim, who authored the anonymous note.
I don’t mean to say that Prins couldn’t have authored the note; he certainly could have done so, but simply there is no proof he did.
The Jewish Press, Friday, Oct. 29, 1993
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