Jüdische Grabsteinepigraphik: R. Yosef Trani (1568-1639), R. Akiva Eger (d. 1837), R. David Hoffmann (d. 1921

Leiman, Shnayer

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Tradition Seforim Blog: Shnayer Leiman: Notes on Rabbinic Epitaphs I http://seforim.traditiononline.org/index.cfm/2008/9/23/Shnayer-Leim...1 von 6 07.10.2008 17:07Notes on Rabbinic Epitaphs: Iby: Shnayer LeimanThe newly recovered tombstone of R. Yosef Trani (1568-1639), the Maharit,among the greatest of the early aharonim,1 is a truly remarkable event. Thediscoverer, the noted bibliophile and book dealer R. Shlomo Epstein, hadsearched all the Jewish cemeteries in Istanbul (formerly: Constantinople), butcould not locate the Maharit's grave. On a recent visit to Safed, where hewent to pray at the tomb of R, Moshe Alshekh (circa 1520-1593), he noticednearby a fragmented, barely legible tombstone (see figure 1). As he began todecipher the text, he realized that it was the tombstone of none other than theMaharit. In fact, the Maharit died and was buried in Constantinople, but hissons later transferred his remains to Safed (as he had requested) so that hecould be interred near his father, R. Moshe Trani (1500-1580), the Mabit.2There is much to learn from tombstone inscriptions. Often they are the onlysource of precise information about an ancestor or about a gadol be-yisrael.Sadly, tombstones are often neglected, lost, or destroyed. Despite all theclaims otherwise, we do not know where Rashi (d. 1105), Ibn Ezra (d. 1164),R. Eleazar b. Yehudah of Worms, author of Sefer Rokeah (d. circa 1230), orDon Isaac Abarbanel (d. 1508) are buried.3 Moreover, no one took thetrouble to copy their tombstone inscriptions – and they can no longer berecovered. In a much later period, the tombstone of R. Aryeh Leib b. AsherGunzberg (d. 1785), noted author of the Sha'agat Aryeh, was destroyed.4Again, no one took the trouble to copy his tombstone inscription before itwas destroyed – and it can no longer be recovered. Similarly, SarahSchenierer's (see figure 2)5 headstone in Plaszow (a suburb of Krakow),erected in 1935 and destroyed by Nazi orders in 1942, was neitherphotographed nor copied during the seven years it stood undisturbed. Whenthe stone was reset in 2003 (see figure 3), a newly invented text, based in parton eye-witness testimony, had to be prepared for it. We need to learn fromthese instances that it is crucial that we preserve Jewish cemeteries the worldover, to the best of our ability. Moreover, tombstone inscriptions in particularneed to be photographed while still legible, and – at least in the case ofgedolei yisrael – restored or redone so that visitors can read and be inspiredby what was said about those gedolei yisrael. When tombstones are restored,the original text is always preferable to a newly invented text.Tradition Seforim Blog: Shnayer Leiman: Notes on Rabbinic Epitaphs I http://seforim.traditiononline.org/index.cfm/2008/9/23/Shnayer-Leim...2 von 6 07.10.2008 17:07  In my travels, I often photograph rabbinic epitaphs, and present somesamples in this posting.I. R. Akiva Eger (d. 1837).There is no need to rehearse here biographical information about R. AkivaEger.6 Sadly, his grave in Poznan (formerly: Posen), which was still standingbefore World War II (see figure 4),7 was destroyed by the Nazis. Tombstonesfrom the Jewish cemetery were used to pave roads,and the nineteenth century Jewish cemetery itself – itopened in 1804 – was incorporated into Poznan'sTrade Fair grounds after the war.8 Ultimately, ahousing project and shopping center were built on thegrounds of the Jewishcemetery, today at ul.Glogowska corner ul.Sniadeckich. Fortunately,the rabbinic section of thecemetery served as aparking lot (rather than asthe foundation of anapartment house), and itwas possible to transform the lot into a grassyknoll and to set new tombstones over the oldgraves (see figure 5). At best, the tombstones areapproximately over the gravesites they describe.Even so, it is a great kiddush ha-Shem that thissacred site has been restored. The graves restored include R. Akiva Eger (seefigure 6), his second wife Breindel (d. 1836), his son and successor R.Shlomo Eger (d. 1852; see figure 7), and his son R. Avraham Eger (d. 1854).Also restored were the graves of two predecessors of R. Akiva Eger as ChiefRabbi of Posen: R. Yosef b. Pinhas of Posen (son-in-law of R. YehezkelLandau Prague; see figure 8), d. 1801, and R. Moshe Shmuel, author of תיבןורחא לאומש, d. 1806 (see figures 9 and 10 for the original and the restoredtombstone inscriptions).9We would be remiss if we didn't mention that R. Akiva Eger's likeness is onpermanent display in Poznan's Town Hall (see figure 11). The excerpt infigure 11 is part of a larger mural painted by Julius Knorr (1810-1860) andentitled Marktplatz in Posen. The painting was done during the lifetime of R.Akiva Eger and was first displayed in 1838. R. Akiva Eger can be seen at thebottom right, walking with cane in hand and accompanied by the two othermembers of his rabbinic court.10Tradition Seforim Blog: Shnayer Leiman: Notes on Rabbinic Epitaphs I http://seforim.traditiononline.org/index.cfm/2008/9/23/Shnayer-Leim...3 von 6 07.10.2008 17:07    II. R. David Hoffmann (d. 1921).The recent announcement that R. David Hoffmann's תומש רפס לע שוריפ (basedupon his lecture notes in German) is about to be published by Mosad HaravKook has brought great joy to biblical and rabbinical scholars alike.11 Yetanother sefer by the Master! It matters not that more than a century haspassed since he first taught Exodus at the Hildesheimer Rabbinical Seminary.Of course modern Bible scholarship has changed drastically in the interim. R.David Hoffmann's commentary will not reflect modern archaelogicaladvance, will not grapple with the textual readings of the Dead Sea Scrolls,and will not deal with the latest philological discoveries of Semiticlinguistics. But those who have read his commentaries on Genesis, Leviticus,and Deuteronomy, and learned from them, will know that regarding R. DavidHoffmann " ".תסכרפאכ ךנזא השע וירבד אצומ התאש םוקמ לכ 12  Master of the OralLaw, he of course read the Torah through rabbinic lenses. At the same time,he listened to dissenting voices, weighed all the evidence, and neverdisparaged others even as he dismissed their arguments. He always judgedjudiciously and graciously. And even when one disagrees with him, onealways gains insight from his comments.It is sad that this seminal figure, Rector and Rosh Yeshiva, Bible scholar andPosek, Literary Critic of the Mishnah and Restorer of Lost TannaiticMidrashim, Defender of the Faith and Public Servant, has never been thesubject of an intellectual biography worthy of the name.13 Here we publish,apparently for the first time, his epitaph. R. David Hoffmann is buried in theAdass Jisroel cemetery in the Weissensee section of Berlin.Obverse (see figure 12):Tradition Seforim Blog: Shnayer Leiman: Notes on Rabbinic Epitaphs I http://seforim.traditiononline.org/index.cfm/2008/9/23/Shnayer-Leim...4 von 6 07.10.2008 17:07נ"פר"רוהמ הרומ ברעמה רנ לארשי ןואג 14יבצ דודהדוהי השמ 'ר ר"הומ ןבתחפשמלןאמפפאהשרדמה תיב שארהכרבל ונורכז ןילרבב םינברלד"רתה ולסכ ח"רד 'ב םויב דלונרשע העשת םויב םורמל הלעוע"בל ב"פרת 'ה ןושחרמ שדחל----------------ד ורוא חבשי רודל רוו הנדמלי ותרותד ורוד יעות הטפש ותעצ הנדיגי ומע תקדב ומע בבלל הרות ראי םימודק תנשמב זע דסז ומעט םענ ועדמ ךל םימולעב ויחי חצנה"בצנת Reverse (see figure 14):ProfessorDr. DAVID HOFFMANNgeb. 24. November 1843.Tradition Seforim Blog: Shnayer Leiman: Notes on Rabbinic Epitaphs I http://seforim.traditiononline.org/index.cfm/2008/9/23/Shnayer-Leim...5 von 6 07.10.2008 17:07gest. 20. November 1921. NOTES1. According to R. Avraham Yeshayahu Karelitz (d. 1953), "אוה םינורחאה לודגט"ירהמה." See Z. Yabrov, שיא השעמ, Bnei Brak, 2001, vol. 4, p. 90.2. See E. Zalman, "תפצב רובק ט"ירהמה," Qulmos 65 (2008), pp. 18-21. Thephotograph in figure 1 is taken from the Zalman essay.3. In the case of R. Eleazar b. Yehudah of Worms, he was certainly buried inthe Worms Jewish cemetery, standing to this very day. The portion of thecemetery he was buried in was appropriated by the non-Jewish authorities.See R. Juspa Shammes, םיסנ השעמ, Amsterdam, 1696, p. 20.4. See N. Netter, "Les Anciens Cimetieres Israelites de Metz," REJ51(1905-6), pp. 280-281. Cf. S. Schwarzfuchs, (הירא תגאשה לש תונברה יאנת הירומ,"ץימ ק"קב 15 ) 1986 ", pp. 81-90.5. The only extant authentic photograph of Sara Schenierer, which scholars inIsrael and the United States have kept under wraps for years, was recentlypublished in T. Lesniak, J. M. Malecki, J. Purchla, and A.B. Skotnicki, eds.,Swiat przed katastrofa:Zydzi krakowscy w wudziestoleciu miedzywojennym(A World Before a Catastrophe: Krakow's Jews Between the Wars), Krakow,2007, p. 128 – and is reproduced here.6. See, e.g., Y. Strasser and A. Perl, eds., רגיא אביקע וניבר :לארשי לש ןרואמ,New York, 1990, 2 vols. Cf. J.H. Sinason, The Gaon of Posen: A Portrait ofRabbi Akiva Guens-Eger , Jerusalem, 1991.7. Figure 4 is taken from T. Sztyma-Knasiecka, Miedzy tradycja anowoczesnoscia: Zydi poznanscy w XIX i XX wieku, Poznan, 2006, p. 23.8. See Z. Pakula, , The Jews of Poznan, London, 2003, pp. 1-21 and 109. Cf.anonymous, "Jewish Poznan," Poznan in Your Pocket, July-October 2008, p.6.9. The photograph of the original tombstone inscription is taken fromSztyma-Knasiecka, p. 22.10. See Sinason, pp. 100-103; cf. Sztyma-Knasiecka, p. 13.11. See A. Wasserteil's introduction to R. David Hoffmann, (לארשי ינב דובעיש ןיעמה ,םירצמב 48 ) 2008 , number 3, p. 25.12. R. David Hoffmann used to apply this Talmudic phrase to the ש"שר, but itsurely applies to Hoffmann as well. See his ליעוהל דמלמ ת"וש, Frankfurt, 1932,Tradition Seforim Blog: Shnayer Leiman: Notes on Rabbinic Epitaphs I http://seforim.traditiononline.org/index.cfm/2008/9/23/Shnayer-Leim...6 von 6 07.10.2008 17:07yp p ,, ,vol. 3, §71. Cf. R. M. Roth, ארזע רשבמ, Jerusalem, 1968, p. 167.13. Useful information can be gleaned from the following:H.J. Bechtoldt, "David Hoffmann," in his Die jüdische Bibelkritik im 19.Jahrhundert, Stuttgart, 1995, pp. 363-438; D. Ellenson and R. Jacobs,"Scholarship and Faith: David Hoffmann and his Relationship toWissenschaft des Judentums," Modern Judaism 8(1988), n.1, pp. 26-70; L.Ginzberg, Students Scholars and Saints, Philadelphia, 1928, pp. 252-262; L.Jung, The Path of a Pioneer, London, 1980, pp. 20-27; J. Marmorstein,"David Hoffmann, Defender of the Faith," Tradition 8(1966), n.4, pp.91-101; A. Marx, Essays in Jewish Biography, Philadelphia, 1947, pp.185-222; Idem, Studies in Jewish History, New York, 1944, pp. 369-376; M.B. Shapiro, "Rabbi David Zevi Hoffmann on Torah and Wissenschaft,"Torah U-Madda Journal 6(1995-6), pp. 129-137; C. Tchernowitz, תכסמתונורכז, New York, 1945, pp. 244-264; and Y. Wolfsberg-Aviad, "DavidHoffmann," in L. Jung, ed., Guardians of Our Heritage, New York, 1958, pp.363-419 (cf. Wolfsberg-Aviad's תואנקויד, Jerusalem, 1962, pp. 57-66). Muchmore bibliography can be added; the items listed here are intended to get theinterested reader started. 14. For the honorific title ונרומ הרומ, see figure 13, also from the Adass Jisroelcemetery. Cf. the very interesting responsum in   ם"שרהמ ת"וש 2:56 .

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