THE MA`SAR KESAFIM LEDGER OF MORDECAI ZEEV EHRENPREIS OF LVOV

Rovner, Jay

Published by New York, Jewish Theological Seminary Of America, 2003

Cloth, 86 + 41 pages. Facsims. Map. 25 cm. ISBN: 9654560372 9789654560375. Ma sar kesafim (income tithing) is a long-standing Jewish practice. First mentioned in a midrash of a third/fourth-century scholar, it was popularized in the Middle Ages among Ashkenazic Jewry, who not only designated communal tax obligations as ma aser, but also developed ma sar kesafim as a practice of individuals desirous of habituating themselves to give to charity in a disciplined and ongoing fashion. Individual Jews dedicate themselves to this personal practice to the present day. Although Pinkese ma sar kesafim (income tithe ledgers) are mentioned here and there in the literature, none have yet been found and published. Fortunately, Mordecai Zeev Ehrenpreis, a kind-hearted Jew in mid-nineteenth century Lvov (Lemberg) , took a vow to practice ma sar kesafim one year before he married, kept a detailed record of the income and disbursements of this fund, and eventually bequeathed us his Pinkas. This most informative and fascinating document is edited and published herein. Ehrenpreis commences with a detailed protocol enumerating the nature and conditions of his vow; he also intersperses his accounts with eloquent meditations on his uncertain financial state and on dangers confronting his family, providing the reader a full image of his world. A comprehensive introduction examines the history and practice of ma sar kesafim, tracing the stages in its development as well as the meaning it held for Ehrenpreis. Jay Rovner holds a Ph. D. In Talmud and Rabbinics from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, where he serves as the Manuscript Bibliographer of its library. He has published studies of the development of the Talmud and the nature of the Stammaitic component of its text, and on Jewish liturgy and its development. New Condition. (JTS1-42). Seller Inventory # 28252

Bibliographic Details

Title: THE MA`SAR KESAFIM LEDGER OF MORDECAI ZEEV ...
Publisher: New York, Jewish Theological Seminary Of America
Publication Date: 2003
Binding: Hardcover