מאמרים מכתבי העת

This text discusses the different attitudes of Sephardic and
Ashkenazi sages toward child marriages. The norm of marrying
off minors was prevalent in all Jewish communities during the
Middle Ages. And this is in accordance with Jewish law which
allows the father to marry off his daughter from the day of her
birth until she reaches maturity at the age of twelve and a half.
However, there was a gap between the communities regarding
the rabbinical leadership’s attitude toward this practice.
While rabbis from the Muslim cultural sphere spoke out against
this phenomenon, the Ashkenazi spiritual leadership supported
it. The Sephardic rejection stemmed from the economic model
of the dowry (mohar), which led to a significant age gap between
groom and bride, and made separation impossible until the mohar
was returned to the groom. As a result, marriage in Sephardic
society was perceived as the subjugation of the woman to her
husband.
In contrast Ashkenazi law allowed a minor groom to marry.
Beyond that the payment of the dowry by the bride’s parents enabled
marriages with closer age proximity and mental compatibility,
and the control over the dowry empowered the bride’s status.
Moreover, the blurring of the distinction between childhood and
adulthood in the Middle Ages made early marriages seem like the
natural order of things. Therefore, in Ashkenazi society, marriage
.was perceived as a step taken for the daughter’s benefit

Rebecca Cohen (née Recanati) (1895–1943), who lived and was
active in Thessaloniki at the beginning of the twentieth century
and was murdered with her family in Auschwitz in 1943, remained
almost unknown. This article sheds light on her work and cultural
and social contributions, utilizing primary sources, including
translations and analyses of all her articles written in Ladino,
as well as an investigation into her family background. Rebecca
Cohen’s activity is presented within a broad historical context—
both of the status of Sephardic Jewish women in the Balkans
and of the Zionist movement there—while addressing social,
cultural, and political trends in the Thessaloniki community
and the Ottoman Empire. The article analyzes the four articles
she wrote from conceptual, linguistic, and stylistic perspectives,
and highlights the way she created a unique voice as a religious,
Zionist, and feminist Jewish woman.

This article focuses on all aspects of the extensive activities of
the Hanoch Halevi family to improve the economic and religious
situation of the Yemenite immigrants in Jerusalem. Its purpose is
to examine the issues in which there was a conflict between the
interests of the Yemenite immigrants and the path of the Hanoch
Halevi family and to examine the attempts at mediation between
the parties. The population examined in the study is the Yemenite
community in Jerusalem in the late nineteenth century and the
first three decades of the twentieth century. The article will
focus on the Yemenite immigrants in Jerusalem and the unique
relationship they had with the Hanoch Halevi family.
Based on new documents from the archives of the General
Committee of the Yemenite Community in Jerusalem, we will
explore from a historical perspective, what was the background
to Rabbi Moshe Hanoch Halevi’s actions in assisting the Yemenite
immigrants? What actions did he take to advance the physical and
spiritual condition of Yemenite immigrants in Jerusalem? What
was his unique contribution to these actions from a historical
?perspective? Did his descendants continue to advance his work
?Why
To this end, the study will focus on three central topics in the
,following order: the ‘Court of Hanoch’ and its period of operation
the synagogues in the “Court of Hanoch” and the changes that
occurred in them over the years, and the elders’ meeting in the
“Court of Hanoch”. I preferred this structure over a discussion
according to a timeline since each of these topics spanned long
and turbulent periods of time that affected central figures in the
.Hanoch Halevi family

This article examines the holdings of Hebrew libraries in
Morocco during the first half of the twentieth century, within the
framework of book history. By analyzing these holdings, I explore
which books were read by readers in Morocco and, consequently,
assess the strength of spiritual movements and the extent to
which ideas, cultural elements, and ideologies circulated during
the period in question.
I reconstruct the Hebrew library in Morocco from partial
and heterogeneous lists, whose compilation offers a more
comprehensive picture. As a foundation for this discussion, I begin
with an overview of the rabbinic library in Morocco, followed by
the maskilic library, and then compare the two. Subsequently, I
outline the socio-cultural history that led to the emergence of the
Hebrew library in Morocco and, through three case studies, sketch
its defining features. I conclude with a comparative discussion of
the three types of libraries: Hebrew, rabbinic, and maskilic. The
article seeks to contribute to the limited scholarship on libraries in
Islamic countries, which has thus far focused primarily on rabbinic
libraries, by introducing a discussion of Hebrew libraries associated
.with maskilim and with devotees of the Hebrew language
,While the article centers on the Hebrew library in Morocco
its broader aim is to offer a conceptual framework for the study
of libraries in general – and Hebrew libraries in particular – in
.Islamic lands, which remain largely underexplored

The Karaite movement, which originated in Babylonia and rejected
the authority of the Oral Tradition, was shaped under the influence
of the messianic movement of “Avelei Zion” (the Mourners of
Zion). They emphasised the centrality of the Land of Israel and
called the Jewish people to repent, settle in Jerusalem and pray and
study the Torah there in order to hasten the Redemption. Despite
the disappearance of this movement in the twelfth century,
elements of its teaching, notably those pertaining to the centrality
of Jerusalem, were preserved in the beliefs and practices of the
Karaite communities in diaspora until the nineteenth century.
This phenomenon is reflected in their continuous connections to
Jerusalem, which encompass a variety of areas, including frequent
pilgrimages, the establishment of settlements in Jerusalem, as
well as halakhic and messianic concepts. This article will initially
examine the ties between the Crimean and Eastern European
Karaites and Jerusalem. An analysis of the nature of these
connections in a historical perspective will enable us to trace how
the perception of Jerusalem has transformed amongst Karaites,
identifying both the social and religious factors that have led to
this change from the days of the Avelei Zion to the Modern era.

This article explores the intellectual legacy and ideological
program of Rabbi Shmuel ben Yosef Yeshuah Adani (1862–1912),
author of Naḥalat Yosef. First published in Jerusalem in 1906/7, this
largely neglected work constitutes an encyclopedic compendium
integrating Torah, science, Kabbalah, philosophy, and elements of
the Jewish Enlightenment (Haskalah). The present study focuses
on the philosophical and theological dimensions of the text,
aiming to elucidate Rabbi Shmuel’s principal positions regarding
Kabbalah, philosophy, and Haskalah.
The work is divided into two parts. The first, which is the
primary focus of this article, presents foundational content
across a broad range of disciplines, including Talmud, halakhah,
Kabbalistic concepts, Hebrew linguistics, the natural sciences,
mathematics, geography, and medicine. It is primarily intended
for young students, providing a foundational grounding in both
religious and scientific learning.
Notably, while Rabbi Shmuel affirms Kabbalah and offers a sharp
critique of philosophical rationalism—particularly Aristotelianism
and certain Maimonidean views—he simultaneously endorses
scientific inquiry and empirical knowledge.
The article describes Rabbi Shmuel’s attitude and explains the
foundations of his complex and nuanced vision of the perfect
Jewish sage: one who synthesizes rabbinic scholarship, Kabbalistic
tradition, and scientific investigation. This synthesis reflects a
broader effort to reconcile traditional religious authority with the
advancement of the sciences in the modern era and represents the
.first such attempt in Yemen

This article examines the life and halachic legacy of Rabbi Shemuel
ben Moshe ha-Levi Ibn Ḥakan within the sixteenth-century
Ottoman Empire. Raised in Cairo, he studied across diverse
Jewish communities: Istanbul, Edirne, Jerusalem, and Safed—
before returning to Cairo where he served on Rabbi David Ibn
Abī Zimra’s (Radbaz) rabbinical court. In the 1530s, he relocated
to Istanbul and became head of the yeshiva established by Moshe
Hammon, the Sultan’s physician.
The first chapter traces Ḥakan’s movements across Ottoman
lands while resolving a longstanding scholarly debate, confirming
that only one influential figure named Ḥakan operated during this
period. Though not serving as communal rabbi (marbits Torah),
Ḥakan gained recognition as a halachic authority and judge
through extensive responsa writings. These remain scattered
across manuscripts, never compiled into a single work.
Using the Kenesset ha-Gedolah of Rabbi Ḥaim Benvenisti—
composed fifty years after Ḥakan’s death and extensively quoting
his lost rulings—this study establishes identification criteria for
authentic responsa. Chapter Two presents these criteria, while
Chapter Three catalogs 32 verified examples. Comparison with
Kenesset ha-Gedolah citations suggests at least 5 additional responsa
known to Benvenisti await discovery. Chapter Four analyzes four
responsa, illuminating Ḥakan’s halachic-social approach and his
.relationships with contemporary Jewish scholars