Rabbi Yaakov Emden was both a brilliant writer and a prolific author. There were not many rabbis in his generation who wielded a pen as facile as his and wrote in as various fields of rabbinic learning as he did. He wrote a commentary on the Mishna, notes on the Talmud, responsa, edited a Siddur (featuring Dinim, moral exhortations, a commentary on the prayers and more), notes on the Seder Olam and on Sefer Yuhasin, as well as other treatises. Add to these his anti-Shabbatean polemical works (as a matter of fact- most of his writings contain some polemics, criticism of certain phenomenon in Jewish life) and his very interesting autobiography (Megillat Sefer).
His was a very stormy life– “I never had a peaceful day,” he wrotes – and one sometimes wonders how he was able to study and create as much.
His first literary endeavor was his Mor UKetziah, a commentary on Tur Orach Chaim. He commenced this work, while still in his teens, writing notes in the margins of the Turim with Beth Yosef he had received as a wedding gift from his uncle.
The book which consists of two parts, was published only in the 1760s, towards the end of his life. Rabbi Emden died 1776 at the age of 79.
Though his commentary was well known and often quoted, it was not reprinted until our time. In 1953, Grossman (New York) published a reproduction of Mor Uketziah. Three years ago “Moznaim” (Jerusalem) issued a newly set edition.
A short time ago Machon Yerushalayim published Mor Uketziah HaShalem, a new edition of the book, free of typographical and other printing errors and featuring additional material, source references and explanatory notes, This edition was prepared by Rabbi Avraham Yaakov Bombach, who served as editor, and Rabbi Yaakov Yosef (Jacob J.) Schachter, who headed the editorial board. Both Rabbis Bombach and Schachter have been long time students of Rabbi Yaakov Emden’s books and are thoroughly familiar with all his writings.
Rabbi Jacob J. Schacter, who is rabbi of Manhattan’s “Jewish Center” and editor of Yeshiva University’s “The Torah U Madda Journal” describes in his excellent introduction, which is accompanied by lengthy, erudite notes, Rabbi Y. Emden’s work on the commentary. He also presents us with a characterization of the book, which discusses not only the decisions of the Tur and the Beth Yosef, but also those of the Shulhan Aruch and its commentators. The book reflects not only R. Y. Emden’s greatness in Torah– says R. Schachter – but also his wide knowledge in various sciences.
Rabbi Avraham Y. Bombach acquaints us in his prefaces with the sources of the new material included in the new edition.
In his personal copy of the printed book – preserved in the Rosenthaliani in Amsterdam – Rabbi Yaakov Emden noted down corrections of typographical errors as well as comments of his which had been omitted. To the reproduction, published in New York in 1953, were attached photographs of two pages of another printed copy, featuring corrections and additions in R.Y. Emden’s handwriting. This material- the notes found on the two pages as well as those found in the copy, now in Amsterdam- have been incorporated in Mor Uketziah HaShalem. Also incorporated were comments written by R. Y. Emden on the margins of his own Tur (now in the possession of Columbia University), which had not been included in the original edition.
Speaking of the notes which accompany the new edition, Rabbi Bombach writes that some represent remarks of his own; others mention Acharonim, who refer to Mor Uketziah(“in some instances I succeeded in refuting their objections”) others again call attention to other writings of R Y. Emden, where the same subject, is discussed.
(Continued next week)
The Jewish Press, Friday, March 14, 1997