Question : A pastor from a small Florida town requested the Jewish explanation of the obscure term “kesut einayim” in Genesis 20: 16. He also wanted an explanation of how 1,000 pieces of silver could clear Sarah’s reputation, and what was its significance in the context of ancient Near Eastern law and custom. Read More »

The above image was sent to the JTS Library. The sender did not know the source of the image. He wanted to know more about it and where it came from. Here is the analysis of the image that I wrote in response: The design contains two quotes in RaShi script. Read More »

The Bibliography As I mentioned in a post on 7/18/2011, I have prepared a preliminary bibliography of the works of the contemporary rabbinic scholar, Rabbi Yaakov Hayim Sofer (rosh Yeshivat Kaf ha-Hayim in Israel). See that post for more information about Rabbi Sofer’s writings and the methodology of the bibliography. Read More »

Question : I’m moving to a new house, and friends begged me to be sure previous owners had not remodeled, causing doors or windows to be closed up. They urged me not to make such door or window changes either — all because of Jewish law. I am not familiar with these laws, so please provide me with more information. Read More »

Introduction Rabbi Yaakov Hayim Sofer, rosh yeshivah of Yeshivat Kaf ha-Hayim in Yerushalayim (http: //kafhahaim.streenet.com/he/home.htm ), is a prolific author who writes on a myriad of topics relating to all aspects of Torah study (including important bio-bibliographic studies). Read More »

Question : How can I access a digital version of articles from the journal Beit Mikra , published by the World Jewish Bible Center? Answer : Electronic access to selected Beit Mikra articles from the 1960′s – 1980′s is available from daat.ac.il here (by date) and here (alphabetically by author). Read More »

Question : I have a 1937 pamphlet published by Temple Emanu-el of Boro Park, Brooklyn, the synagogue of my childhood. This pamphlet was published to mark an anniversary of the synagogue’s founding. Read More »

Question: Can you recommend research materials on the recent interest in studying classical Jewish texts among secular Israelis. Answer: The following resources focus your topic and have all been published within the last two years. Ackerman, Ari. Read More »

Question: I am searching for a rabbinic teaching in which God tells the angels not to rejoice over the destruction of the Egyptians at the Reed Sea. Would you help me locate an English translation of this teaching? Answer: The teaching can be found in the Babylonian Talmud , Tractate Sanhedrin , folio 39b. Read More »

Question: I am interested in the dots used to separate the various sections of Rashi’s commentary to Torah and Talmud. Read More »

Question : An ecumenical organization in our community is planning a Spring holiday event on April 13, and the Jewish part of the program will be a model seder. They would like to mention the significance of the number thirteen in connection with Passover, since the event is taking place on the 13th of the month. Read More »

Question : My Grandmother used to tell me how devout her mother in Europe was, frequently praying to the Almighty in Yiddish, in connection with major events in her life, in addition to the usual synagogue prayers. Read More »

Question : Our family has an illustrated encyclopedia, the Universal Jewish Encyclopedia . I seldom see references to this set and I wonder if it is of any use today. Read More »

Question: Would you suggest educational materials related to the Haftarot? Answer: Here is a list of some educational materials related to the Haftarot: – Chiel, Arthur A. Guide to Sidrot and Haftarot [New York : Ktav Pub. House, 1971]- Cogan, Lainie Blum. Teaching Haftarah : background, insights and strategies [Denver : A.R.E. Read More »

Question : In an essay I am writing, I am describing the handwriting of medieval Hebrew manuscripts from Spain. Read More »

Question : How can I find English & Hebrew book reviews of specific scholarly books published in the last few decades? Answer : Use the following article databases to locate book reviews: RAMBI : 1. Use BASIC SEARCH, SUBJECT STARTING WITH…2. Type the name of the author [of the book to be reviewed], last name first, in the SEARCH FOR box. Read More »

Recently, an article by Heidi Lerner, entitled: “Online Resources for Talmud Research, Study, and Teaching”, was published in: AJS Perspectives : The Magazine of the Association for Jewish Studies [Fall 2010 – p.46-47]. Read More »

Question: I am interested in learning what traditional Judaism has to say about the following Biblical verse: “A woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment; for whosoever doeth these things is Read More »

Question: Would you recommend books that discuss the contribution of Jews (besides the famous Haym Salomon) to the Revolutionary War? Answer: Here are a list of books owned by the JTS library that deal with the connections between Jews and the American Revolutionary War: – Hirschfeld, Fritz. Read More »

The Library hosted an open house on December 14, featuring many treasures of The Library including historic kettubot , Biblical and religious prints by the artist Bernard Picart, the digitized diaries of Mordecai Kaplan, and much more.A wonderful write up can be found by one of the attendees on her blog, Healing and Hope 2011 . Read More »