Torah On The Computer
The great Sages of old were renowned for their penetrating knowledge of the entire Torah and Rabbinic Literature, as well as for the wisdom they derived from its study. The Sages quoted in the Mishnah, known as Tannaim (70-200 BCE) sometimes developed mnemonics to navigate the large body of Talmudic information. Some great rabbis were known to have created card systems that aided in almost instant recall of the entire Talmud.
Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, zt?l (1895-1986) revered author of the authoritative Igros Moshe, completed a different volume of the Talmud every Shabbos. Thus, his mastery of the entire Talmud was always fresh.
Many of today?s students of the Talmud, whether full-time students at a yeshiva or kollel, as well as those employed full-time or part-time, will greatly benefit from being instantly able to locate desired texts from memory or from quick searches. Since some of us or not blessed with instant total recall, advances in computer technology may help us.
Computers To The Rescue
Employing a combination of several remarkable cutting-edge technological advances, 11,000 seforim are now available on a single hard drive dedicated as the Friedberg-Ryzman Edition. It is on an external hard disk and in memory of Mordechai Yehuda Alter Friedberg; Tzvi Harris; Yona Zauderer; and Menachem Mendel Schachter, by the Ryzman Foundation.
This monumental project was undertaken with the aspiration to make Torah accessible to as many people as possible, in every feasible format. The 11,000 seforim are almost all readily available to search for and print from the comfort of your home PC. This is a tool that gives the scholar and interested layman alike the ability to quickly maneuver through the vast ocean of Torah Literature.
The ?Complete Jewish Library? 11,000 Seforim For 2.7 Cents Each
This exceptional resource is now available for $300.00 at Judaica stores in Boro Park, Williamsburg, Monsey, as well as Kiryas Yoel. The hard drive can also be ordered directly from the Society for the Preservation of Hebrew Books, 1472 President Street, Brooklyn, NY 11213, telephone: 718-930-3402, fax: 718-504-5090. Please include your credit card number, as well as $20 for shipping and handling.
The hard drive is guaranteed exchangeable, and comes with a phone number for live help for any general or technical questions.
The Total Jewish Library is the product of almost 10 full years of intensive labor devoted to the preservation of old seforim. The Society for Preservation of Hebrew Books (Hebrewbooks.org) 1472 President Street, Brooklyn, New York 11213, is a not-for-profit ?
501-(c)(3) organization whose goal is to bring to back to life the many seforim that were written and unfortunately forgotten, and ultimately to make all Torah publications free and universally available.
First 60, Then 333, Then 2,000
Originally, old seforim authored by long forgotten scholars and published in America were
compiled, reviewed, scanned, and made available by Hebrewbooks.org on inexpensive CD?s. The first release was of 60 old, rare and out-of-print
seforim published from 1860-1960 in America. That effort was expanded to 333 old, rare and out-of-print
seforim published from 1860-1960 in America. The third achievement was that of 2,000 old, rare and out-of-print
seforim published from 1860-1960 in the United States, all on one CD.
1,846 Plus 150 Plus 150 Plus 400 Plus 275
Hebrewbooks.org then compiled 1,846 seforim of teshuvos (responsa) many of which are out-of-print and hard to find, all on one disc. Another disc had the beautiful front pages of those seforim. Yet another attainment was that of 150 old and rare, out-of-print Pesach Haggados, which was followed by 150 old, rare and out-of-print seforim on Pirkei Avos
(Ethics of our Fathers). Hebrewbooks.org then gathered 400-
sifrei meforshim (
seforim with commentaries) on
Maseches Berachos. 275
sifrei Chassidus on one disc was the next accomplishment.
90 Large Bookcases Full
Hebrewbooks.org?s newest product far outshines all of the above major feats in the compilation of more than 11,000 seforim, almost all accessible on one comfortably affordable hard drive, priced to cover their costs only. A typical home bookcase would hold 100 to 120 seforim. More than 90 bookcases would be required to hold the 11,000 seforim that now fit easily into a drawer or pocket.
The hard drive, powered by a standard USB connection, enables the search of thousands of seforim in order to locate a specific word or word combinations. The search is by title, author, word or combination of words. Within minutes, a list of results will be presented on the desired subject.
The hard drive is not only equipped with a powerful search engine, but gives the ability to see and print the tzuras ha?daf, the original pagination as published and distributed. This will further the ability to find the correct page and column. Printed copies of pages will be crisp and clear.
All seforim were carefully examined to ensure that all pages are included and that every page is complete. In addition, the program provides the ability to copy text only, so that it can be included in a review or compilation.
Ungvarer Rav, Debricener Rav, Holeiner Rav
The 11,000 seforim on the hard drive are those of the libraries of the Ungvarer Rav; the Holeiner Rav; Rabbi Shmuel Shmelka Klein of Williamsburg; and from the extensive collection of the late Debricener Rav, zt?l; and that of his son, the present Debricener Rav; as well as those old, out-of-print seforim recently republished by Copy Corner of Boro Park. Yechezkel Goldenberg, proprietor of Copy Corner, made available to Hebrewbooks.org all of the 3,500
seforim that he reprinted, some of which are several hundreds of years old.
Ungvarer Rav
All of the seforim were carefully examined by several highly regarded rabbis who reviewed each sefer to ensure that none were from authors whose orientation was other than Torah-true Judaism and that no religious or secular copyright privileges were violated.
Registered owners of the Friedberg & Ryzman edition of the collection will receive updates from the society with the scan files of additional works as they become available, thereby keeping their collection complete and up-to-date.
Seforim And The Internet
The Internet is under constant attack in observant communities. Though the dark side of the Internet is acknowledged by all segments of society, religious and secular, the categorical benefits of the Internet are often negated.
Harvey Blitz, Esq., esteemed former president of the Orthodox Union, in his President?s Message in the OU?s fall 2003 Jewish Action magazine, while conceding that the Internet has ?sexually explicit, anti-Semitic, and other objectionable material,?
he glowingly described the vast amount of Torah information that is available and transmitted over the Internet.
Entire collections of seforim on Chassidishe dynasties are available free on the Internet, as are all the seforim of some of today?s leading poskim (Jewish Law decisors). Thus, they seem to be giving their approval of Internet use for Torah learning purposes, albeit passively.
The Friedberg-Ryzman Edition on external hard disk was designed for those who have limited access to computers. Hebrewbooks.org's work continues. It will shortly introduce a unit that is completely self-contained, without needing a computer.
For those who do have access to the
Internet, the fruits of the Friedberg-Ryzman Edition are free and accessible 24/6. Though the external hard disk has a much faster search engine than that available on the Hebrewbooks.org website, the precious access to 11,000
seforim is stupendous ? true
Harbotzas Torah!!
We anxiously wait for Hebrewbooks.org?s
continuous expansion of their 11,000 seforim database, as well as their next innovations in computer search capabilities.
Pshevorsker Udvary Wedding
On Shabbos Parshas Bo, January 26-27, the aufruf of Moshe Menashe Leizer took place at the Pshevorsker Beis Midrash in Williamsburg. The aufruf was held at the Beis Rochel Hall in Williamsburg with all members of the Pshevorsker Beis Midrash participating. The chassan is the son of Rabbi Alter Leizer, Williamsburg Pshevorsker Rav. On Sunday afternoon, Rabbi Leibish Leizer, Pshevorsker Rebbe and grandfather of the chassan, arrived from Antwerp, to participate in the wedding that very evening. The chassan is also a grandson of Rabbi Noson Dovid Rosenberger, Williamsburg Gamzu Rav.
Pshevorsker Rebbe (Photo by Heshy Rubinstein)
The kallah is the daughter of Rabbi Shmuel Dovid Krausz, Udvary Dayan; son of Rabbi Sholom Krausz, Udvary Rav and author of Divrei Sholom. The kallah is also the granddaughter of Rabbi Joseph Leifer, Verdeiner Rebbe of Flatbush.
The wedding was on Sunday evening, January 28, with the participation of the Pshevorsker Rebbe, using both facilities of Concord Plaza. Traffic was diverted to allow for large crowds to view the chuppah, conducted on an elevated platform.
Udvary Rav (Photo by Heshy Rubinstein)
The Rebbe participated in an afternoon sheva berachos on Tuesday, after which he proceeded to Kennedy Airport for his return home. Sheva berachos on Wednesday will be at the Udvary Beis Midrash; on Thursday at the Pshevorsker Beis Midrash in Williamsburg; on Shabbos at the Beis Rochel Hall; and on Motzaei Shabbos at the Imperial Hall in
Williamsburg.
The Udvary Rav is the son-in-law of Rabbi Yisroel Avrohom Alter Landau, zt?l (d. 1942), Edelener Rav and author of Beis Yisroel; son-in-law of Rabbi Yeshayele Steiner, zt?l (1852-1925) greatly venerated Kerestirer Rebbe.
Rabbi Shmuel Kaminetzky To Speak To
Fathers Of Children With Special Needs
One Day At A Time, a support and advocacy group for families of Children with Special Needs, will host it?s annual evening of chizuk and inspiration for fathers of children with special needs. Rabbi Shmuel Kaminetzky, Rosh Yeshiva Philadelphia, will be the featured speaker, followed by a roundtable discussion. The Rosh Yeshiva is intimately involved in many areas of special children, in Lakewood and beyond. The event will take place
this Sunday evening, February 4, at 7:30 p.m., at the home of Rabbi and Mrs. Shlomo Schmell, 1420 Cedar Row, Lakewood. A buffet dinner will be served.
Leading rabbis who have previously addressed One Day at A Time include: Rabbi Elimelech Bluth; Rabbi Mordechai Fine; Rabbi Reuven Feinstein; Rabbi Dovid Goldwasser; Rabbi Yaacov Perlow, Novominsker Rebbe; Rabbi Baruch Rabinowitz; Rabbi Yaakov Reisman; Rabbi Ezreil Tauber; and Rabbi Matisyohu Salomon.
For further information, to R.S.V.P., or to request tapes of previous lectures, please call 732-370-0366. If there is a particular issue or question that you want discussed and prefer to send it in advance, please fax it to 732- 363-2779.