Encyclopedia Talmudit
Encyclopedia
Encyclopedia Talmudit is a Hebrew language
encyclopedia
that aims to summarize the halakhic topics of the Talmud
in alphabetical order. It began in 1942 and is still an active project as of 2011.
(Berlin) (1880–1949), the son of the Netziv. Bar-Ilan organized a group of notable editors. The purpose was to summarize all the Talmudic discussions and all the opinions of Rishonim
and Acharonim
in encyclopedia articles in alphabetical order.
The first edition of the first volume was published in 1947. This volume included 219 articles in an organized format of summaries. The same volume was reprinted three more times: in 1947, 1951, and 1955. After Bar-Ilan died in 1949, it was republished in a newly revised and expanded edition.
In 1947 Encyclopedia Talmudit won the city prize of Tel Aviv
for Torah literature to honor the memory of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook
.
The great Torah scholars of Israel, both Hasidim
and Mitnagdim, blessed and supported the project. Supporters included Rabbi Moshe Feinstein
, Rabbi Yosef Shalom Eliashiv, Rabbi Yochanan Sofer
, and others.
The administrator of the encyclopedia from its founding has been Rabbi Yehoshua Hutner (1910–2009), who succeeded in securing the initiative with stable financial backing, thanks to his connections with leaders of the Mizrachi
movement.
(1886–1978). The first editors were Rabbi Benjamin Rabinovitz-Teomim, Rabbi Shimon Stralitz, Rabbi Yonah Martzebach and Rabbi Alter Hilevitz.
In later years tens of Torah scholars joined the editorial board, among them Rabbi Eliezer Waldenberg
, the author of Tzitz Eliezer; Rabbi Isaac Epstein, the judge in the Tel Aviv Beit Din; Rabbi Yehuda Gershoni; Rabbi Shmuel Kroyzer; Rabbi Refael Shmulevitz, the Rosh Yeshiva of the Mir Yeshiva
; Rabbi Azriel Levi, the chief editor of the Oz VeHadar version of the Talmud; and others.
Rabbi Zevin established the listing of primary and secondary articles and the system of halakhic analysis of the encyclopedia. He edited the volumes that were published during his lifetime, and prepared other volumes until the end of letter Heth
(ח).
The articles are organized in the following order: definition, sources, reasons and derivations, and various opinions. The first article was Alef (א) and the last to date has been Kol Nidrei. The extent of development in the articles has expanded over time.
In late 2006 professor Avraham Steinberg entered the role of administrative director.
Encyclopedia Talmudit is published by the Torah literature publishing group Yad HaRav Herzog, named for Rabbi Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog
, in Jerusalem.
.)
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
encyclopedia
Encyclopedia
An encyclopedia is a type of reference work, a compendium holding a summary of information from either all branches of knowledge or a particular branch of knowledge....
that aims to summarize the halakhic topics of the Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
in alphabetical order. It began in 1942 and is still an active project as of 2011.
Formation of the encyclopedia
The project began on the initiative of Rabbi Meir Bar-IlanMeir Bar-Ilan
Meir Berlin, later Hebraized to Meir Bar-Ilan, , born Volozhin, Lithuania, died Jerusalem, Israel) was anOrthodox rabbi and leader of Religious Zionism, the Mizrachi movement in USA and British Mandate of Palestine...
(Berlin) (1880–1949), the son of the Netziv. Bar-Ilan organized a group of notable editors. The purpose was to summarize all the Talmudic discussions and all the opinions of Rishonim
Rishonim
"Rishon" redirects here. For the preon model in particle physics, see Harari Rishon Model. For the Israeli town, see Rishon LeZion.Rishonim were the leading Rabbis and Poskim who lived approximately during the 11th to 15th centuries, in the era before the writing of the Shulkhan Arukh and...
and Acharonim
Acharonim
Acharonim is a term used in Jewish law and history, to signify the leading rabbis and poskim living from roughly the 16th century to the present....
in encyclopedia articles in alphabetical order.
The first edition of the first volume was published in 1947. This volume included 219 articles in an organized format of summaries. The same volume was reprinted three more times: in 1947, 1951, and 1955. After Bar-Ilan died in 1949, it was republished in a newly revised and expanded edition.
In 1947 Encyclopedia Talmudit won the city prize of Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
for Torah literature to honor the memory of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook
Abraham Isaac Kook
Abraham Isaac Kook was the first Ashkenazi chief rabbi of the British Mandate for Palestine, the founder of the Religious Zionist Yeshiva Merkaz HaRav, Jewish thinker, Halachist, Kabbalist and a renowned Torah scholar...
.
The great Torah scholars of Israel, both Hasidim
Hasidic Judaism
Hasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew —Ḥasidut in Sephardi, Chasidus in Ashkenazi, meaning "piety" , is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith...
and Mitnagdim, blessed and supported the project. Supporters included Rabbi Moshe Feinstein
Moshe Feinstein
Moshe Feinstein was a Lithuanian Orthodox rabbi, scholar and posek , who was world-renowned for his expertise in Halakha and was regarded by many as the de facto supreme halakhic authority for Orthodox Jewry of North America during his lifetime...
, Rabbi Yosef Shalom Eliashiv, Rabbi Yochanan Sofer
Yochanan Sofer
Rabbi Yochanan Sofer is the Rebbe of the Erlau Hasidic dynasty, a small-sized movement in Orthodox Judaism. He was born in Erlau , Hungary, where his father and grandfather served as Grand Rabbis...
, and others.
The administrator of the encyclopedia from its founding has been Rabbi Yehoshua Hutner (1910–2009), who succeeded in securing the initiative with stable financial backing, thanks to his connections with leaders of the Mizrachi
Mizrachi (Religious Zionism)
The Mizrachi is the name of the religious Zionist organization founded in 1902 in Vilnius at a world conference of religious Zionists called by Rabbi Yitzchak Yaacov Reines. Bnei Akiva, which was founded in 1929, is the youth movement associated with Mizrachi...
movement.
Past editors of the encyclopedia
The first editor-in-chief was Rabbi Shlomo Yosef ZevinShlomo Yosef Zevin
Shlomo Yosef Zevin was one of the most prominent Orthodox rabbis of the 20th century. He founded the Encyclopedia Talmudit, a Hebrew Halachic Encyclopedia.- Rabbinate and scholarship :...
(1886–1978). The first editors were Rabbi Benjamin Rabinovitz-Teomim, Rabbi Shimon Stralitz, Rabbi Yonah Martzebach and Rabbi Alter Hilevitz.
In later years tens of Torah scholars joined the editorial board, among them Rabbi Eliezer Waldenberg
Eliezer Waldenberg
Eliezer Yehuda Waldenberg was known as the Tzitz Eliezer after his monumental halachic treatise Tzitz Eliezer that covers a wide breadth of halacha, including Jewish medical ethics, as well as ritual halachic issues from Shabbat to kashrut...
, the author of Tzitz Eliezer; Rabbi Isaac Epstein, the judge in the Tel Aviv Beit Din; Rabbi Yehuda Gershoni; Rabbi Shmuel Kroyzer; Rabbi Refael Shmulevitz, the Rosh Yeshiva of the Mir Yeshiva
Mir yeshiva
Mir Yeshiva or Mirrer Yeshiva may refer to:* Mir yeshiva * Mir yeshiva * Mir yeshiva...
; Rabbi Azriel Levi, the chief editor of the Oz VeHadar version of the Talmud; and others.
The articles
Rabbi Zevin's style was to abbreviate and summarize wherever possible. In the first two volumes he followed an extremely brief format under the influence of Rabbi Bar-Ilan, but in later volumes published after Rabbi Bar-Ilan died the volumes are more encompassing, and include not only the essence of the article but also many of its details and branched topics.Rabbi Zevin established the listing of primary and secondary articles and the system of halakhic analysis of the encyclopedia. He edited the volumes that were published during his lifetime, and prepared other volumes until the end of letter Heth
Heth
-People:* Children of Heth, a Canaanite nation in the Hebrew Bible, purportedly named after Heth, son of Canaan, son of Ham, son of Noah* figures in the Book of Mormon:** Heth , an early Jaredite** Heth a later Jaredite...
(ח).
The articles are organized in the following order: definition, sources, reasons and derivations, and various opinions. The first article was Alef (א) and the last to date has been Kol Nidrei. The extent of development in the articles has expanded over time.
Indexes
There are two volumes of indexes, including an index of topics and of citations from the Babylonian Talmud.In recent years
The current editor-in-chief as of 2008 is Rabbi Zalman Nehemiah Goldberg.In late 2006 professor Avraham Steinberg entered the role of administrative director.
Encyclopedia Talmudit is published by the Torah literature publishing group Yad HaRav Herzog, named for Rabbi Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog
Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog
Rabbi Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog , also known as Isaac Herzog, was the first Chief Rabbi of Ireland, his term lasting from 1921 to 1936...
, in Jerusalem.
Computer version
Encyclopedia Talmudit is also published on a computer version on a compact disc as part of the searchable Responsa Project. (See Torah databaseTorah database
A Torah database is an electronic collection of classic Jewish texts in electronic form, the kinds of texts which especially in Israel are often called "The Traditional Jewish Bookshelf" ; the texts are in their original languages...
.)
External links (Hebrew)
- Encyclopedia Talmudit homepage
- על האנציקלופדיה בגרסת התקליטור, מאיר בר-אילן (הנכד)
- אורי פז, דם חדש למפעל של דורות, מקור ראשון, ינואר 2007