Where to find "Migdal Oz" by Rabbi Yaakov Emden

Bookstore in Rabbi Akivah Street / Bnei Brak

Photos: Miriam Woelke

B"H

I am a bit behind with all my blogging, as I have been busy preparing a couple of longer articles. Yesterday I had to go to appointment in Ramat Gan (next to Tel Aviv) and, as Ramat Gan is very close to haredi Bnei Brak, I walked all the way over to Rabbi Akivah Street and did my Bnei Brak trip. A brief one, as I only wanted to find a specific book, I haven't got hold of in Mea Shearim / Ge'ulah yet.

In Bnei Brak, I walked into two haredi hardcore bookstores but I was told that they don't have the book available. The good thing is that I already have the book on PDF File but in bad print. So, I thought that when I buy it, I am going to have an easier reading. However, I still haven't succeeded in finding "MIGDAL OZ" by Rabbi Yaakov Emden. Meaning, I either go to the library and order it, try another Mea Shearim bookstore or just be happy with my PDF File. Maybe one of you has an idea where I can purchase the book. Nor necessarily online but either in Jerusalem or Bnei Brak. 

As I cannot leave a bookstore without buying anything, I was happy to find chassidic teachings on Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur as well as SEFER TIFERET ISRAEL by the Maharal. Those books are a great help for the blog articles I am preparing.

Have a great Schabbes everyone. Now I need to clean and cook for Shabbat.:-) The usual Friday routine and I wish it was done already.:-)

Rabbi Berel Wein on the authencity of THE ZOHAR

Rabbi Berel Wein giving a lecture on the ZOHAR (Book of Splendor, published in 1290 by Rabbi Moshe DeLeon in Spain). The lecture took place at Yeshivat AISH HATORAH. 

I do agree with the statement of Rabbi Yaakov of Emden. Furthermore, the wife of Rabbi DeLeon said after her husband's death that he (her husband) wrote the book. When asked why, Mrs DeLeon said that a book written by an author such as Rabbi Shimon sells much better. Further, Mrs DeLeon justified her husband by saying that they desperately needed the income from the book in order to pay their rent and this is the reason why Rabbi Moshe DeLeon claimed that the true other was Rabbi Shimon. Let's call it one of the first public relation campaigns.:-)

Fish before the time of Jonah

Fish at Jerusalem's Machane Yehudah Markt

Photo: Miriam Woelke

B”H

Many of you won't even guess it but the Talmud actually contains countless of mystical teachings and is not exclusively a history and Halacha collection.

The following Talmudic teaching is not necessarily a mystical topic but it shows an interesting aspect from the time of creation.

The Gemara (rabbinic discussions) of Talmud Tractate Bechorot 8 teaches that humans, fish and snakes reproduce from face to face. The Gemara explains why the fish have sex with their faces looking at each other. The reason is that G - d spoke to the fish which had swallowed Jonah and told him to return Jonah on dry land.

Therefore the Gemara is asking if all fish changed their sexual behaviour at this very moment when G - d spoke to one particular fish ?

The famous German Talmudist Rabbi Yaakov Emden from Hamburg – Altona (1697 – 1776) answered that the fish were created this way from the beginning. G - d created them the way facing each other while having sex, as He knew that one day, He (G - d) would speak to the fish. 

Somewhere else, the Talmud teaches that G - d created certain things and animals before the creation process and during Twilight on the very first Shabbat Eve. Example: Miriam's Well, the mouth of Bilam's mule or the staff of Moshe. However, the sex behaviour of the fish were not among those pre - creations but my intention is to show you that G - d created beforehand in order to enable different situations later on in history.