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Hebrew Studies, Volume 49, 2008, pp. 369-372 (Review)

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DOI: 10.1353/hbr.2008.0005

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Hebrew Studies 49 (2008) 369 Reviews

against immortality, the limitations of knowledge, celestial influence, evil

and its causes, the dangers of philosophy, allegory of the soul, and virtue
ethics and the doctrine of the mean. The excurses found in the body of the
commentary are designed to explain the philosophical background and prin-
ciples of his work, especially since few philosophical works were available
in Hebrew. Some maintain that his exegetical excurses represent works in
progress, but Robinson maintains that they are designed to illumine difficult
points.
Robinson’s discussion of language, style, and rhetoric is designed to
demonstrate that Ibn Tibbon developed an esoteric, coded, or elitist language
based in the work of Maimonides that would dominate the Maimonidean
tradition in Provence during the thirteenth century. Robinson’s discussion of
exegetical and philosophical resources demonstrates his dependence on
Maimonides and areas of divergence, especially when Ibn Tibbon follows
Averroes. Robinson also points to Ibn Tibbon’s efforts at defending Rab-
binic exegesis against the Karaites and his dependence on earlier exegesis of
Ecclesiastes. His philosophical sources included Maimonides, Aristotle and
the Arabic Aristotelians, and Christian scholasticism. Robinson’s discussion
of Ibn Tibbon’s exegetical method illustrates his use of homonyms and
equivocal terms, demonstration techniques, dialectic, rhetoric and poetics,
and allegorical exegesis. He also includes a catalog of symbols used by Ibn
Tibbon in his exposition.
Robinson’s volume is a well-developed work that demonstrates Ibn
Tibbon’s innovations in developing the commentary format. His work
makes Ibn Tibbon’s commentary on Ecclesiastes accessible to non-
specialists as well as experts in the field.

Marvin A. Sweeney
Claremont School of Theology and Claremont Graduate University
Claremont, CA 91711
msweeney@cst.edu

yrboh toh-btk Mytoh yrwkbl rw…wm jtpm :hlkChh yrwkyb :Mytoh yrwkb
hyxylgb hlkChh lC (Bikurei Ha’itim The ‘First Fruits’ of Haskalah: An
Annotated Index to Bikurei Ha’itim, the Hebrew Journal of the Haskalah in
Galicia). By Moshe Pelli. Pp. 379 + xxiv*. Jerusalem: Magnes Press, 2005.
Cloth, $24.78.

“Bikkurei Ha’ittim” was the leading Hebrew periodical that was pub-
lished after “Hame’assef” (the first Haskalah Hebrew periodical) for a rela-
tively long time. There are scholars who consider “Bikkurei Ha’ittim” the
Hebrew Studies 49 (2008) 370 Reviews

periodical that continued the tradition of “Hame’assef.” Either way,

“Bikkurei Ha’ittim” heralds the transition of the Haskalah from its first
German period to its second stage of its evolution, the Galicia stage. That
periodical reflected the sense of transition by the Maskilim, who absorbed
their Haskalah sources from Berlin and attempted to adopt it to the periodi-
cal’s new environment. While some of the writers were those who had
already earned fame and reputation via “Hame’assef,” others were young
writers who blazed their first trail in the field of Hebrew literature and
thought. “Bikkurei Ha’ittim” published a lot of material that was already
published in “Hame’assef.”
In this manner, the new periodical enables us to follow systematically the
gradual evolution of both Haskalah literature and Haskalah movement. The
annotated index of the periodical in focus, which is hereby introduced, in-
cludes all the material that had been published in that periodical in twelve
volumes (1820–1851). That material consists of a bountiful array of topics
such as Bible, Talmud, Jewish thought, historical events, and figures in the
Jewish world, Hebrew language, Hebrew literature, science, translations,
Jewish entities and organizations, Hebrew writers, reviewed Hebrew books,
public affairs in the Jewish community, and more. Due to that annotated
index, it is possible for the first time to follow the scholarly and literary
evolving agenda of the editors of the periodical. Now it is possible to discern
the influence of “Hame’assef” on “Bikkurei Ha’ittim,” which is another
paramount perspective to evaluate the evolution of “Bikkurei Ha’ittim.”
The “narrative” of “Bikkurei Ha’ittim” is the one that reflects the transi-
tion of the Haskalah from Germany to Austria and Galicia. In this respect,
studying the chronicles of “Bikkurei Ha’ittim” provides us with insight of
the evolution of Jewish/Hebrew Haskalah as well as the history of the
Jewish people during a prominent period of the nineteenth century. It is a
matter of much interest, however, that the first volume of “Bikkurei
Ha’ittim” did not publish any credo or agenda regarding the scholarly,
historical, and literary policy of the periodical.
The matter that ignites further curiosity is its first editor, Shalom
HaCohen. HaCohen was a well experienced editor, who edited the last three
volumes of the renewed “Hame’assef” and also composed the policy and
agenda of the renewed “Hame’assef” in 1808. However , the publisher of the
periodical published the forthcoming policy of publication of the periodical,
one that will consist of Jewish history, biographies of Jews who had earned
fame, moral stories and adages from the Talmud, a selection of publications
from “Hame’assef,” Hebrew poems, stories and articles, issues associated
with Jewish culture, education, and other public matters in the Austrian
empire, genealogy of European kings, events engaged with the Austrian roy-
alty, practical information for commerce and trade in Austria such as tax
Hebrew Studies 49 (2008) 371 Reviews

stamps, post offices, distances between European cities, annual European

festivals, and more. Nevertheless, as “Hame’assef” was a monthly periodical
and “Bikkurei Ha’ittim” was an annual periodical, the policy of editing the
new periodical differed from the old one. That change was reflected, among
other things, in the reciprocal dialogue between the editor and the readers.
The literary yield which is included in the first volume of “Bikkurei
Ha’ittim” is quite meek. The poems which were published were translations
and no other belles letters were included in that volume. Nevertheless, some
promising writers and poets started publishing their literary work in
“Bikkurei Ha’ittim,” such as Shlomoh Yehudah Rappoport (“Shi
r,” 1790–
1867) and Meir HaLevi Leterist (1800–1871), who already edited a literary
periodical, “Hatzfira” (The Morning; 1823).
The second volume of “Bikkurei Ha’ittim” was published in 1821. That
volume keeps the structure of the first volume and commences with essays
about Jewish history while consisting of “The Wars of the Jews” by Flavius
Josephus. The leading trend of those essays is associated with the relations
between the Jews and the kings who ruled the countries where those Jews
resided. The second section of that issue is dedicated to biographies of
prominent Jews from Jewish history and the third section focuses on moral
stories from the Talmud. The literary section is quite modest and it includes
some Romantic poems which deliver feelings of mourning and lament. That
poetic inclination will prove to be rather dominant in literary sections of
future volumes of “Bikkurei Ha’ittim.”
In the third volume of “Bikkurei Ha’ittim,” the historical part turns sig-
nificantly smaller. As in previous volumes, the essays are composed in
German but written in Hebrew letters. The most significant literary contribu-
tion to that third volume of “Bikkurei Ha’ittim” was the satire “Scales of
Weight” by the renowned Haskalah writer Itzhak Erter (1791–1851).
In the fourth volume of “Bikkurei Ha’ittim,” the “commercial inclina-
tion” is deleted while the educational portion earns prominence. The literary
part becomes more prominent as some of its contributors were well accom-
plished writers, such as Aharon Hurin (1776–1844) and Baruch Shenfeld
(1787–1852 ) whose poetry volume, “A Cluster of Poems” (“Tzror
P’rachim”) was published in 1814. A new part was introduced in that
volume of the periodical and was dedicated to topics of modern Jewish
history.
The sixth volume of “Bikkurei Ha’ittim” was edited by Shlomoh
Pragmenter, who published in 1813 a book on Hebrew grammar. In this vol-
ume, the number of materials in German, in Hebrew characters is decreased
while the Hebrew material is increased significantly. Another inclination
displayed in that volume (and in others as well) is work on biblical topics,
Hebrew Studies 49 (2008) 372 Reviews

including poetry in biblical style. In this volume a new genre, the riddle, is
introduced.
The seventh volume of “Bikkurei Ha’ittim” is edited by a well known
author at that time, Issachar Ber Shlezinger. In this volume, one of the ad-
dressed topics is the survival of the soul after the decay of the body. One of
the essays included in that volume criticizes blatantly the utopian idea of
Immanuel Noach to establish a Jewish state in New York, named “Ararat.”
That volume also includes biographies and commentaries on verses from the
biblical books of Psalms, Isaiah, and Job.
The ninth volume of “Bikkurei Ha’ittim” is edited by Itzhak Shmuel
Regio (1784–1855). In that volume an article appears that is dedicated to
Mendelssohn, the “forefather” of the Haskalah in Germany. That volume
also includes detailed biographies of Jewish scholars and writers such as
Se’adiah Ga’on.
Volumes 11 and 12 were edited by Yehudah Yetlesh (1773–1838) who
advocates combining religious studies with scholarly, secular studies. Also
this volumes repeats the credo of Haskalah, to redeem the spirit of mankind
from old prejudices and let it ascend to the freedom of knowledge and
beauty.
In a comprehensive, and equally insightful discussion, Professor Pelli
summarizes the accomplishments of “Bikkurei Hai’ittim” in the fields of
Hebrew poetry, literary poetics, prose-fiction, Biblical stories, anecdotes,
fables, dialogues, conversations of the dead, adages, riddles, book-reviews,
biographies, education, secular scholarship, Hebrew language, Bible,
Talmud, Jewish history, Jewish congregations in Europe, science, and moral
essays.
The second part of the book by Professor Pelli includes numerous indices
of all the material included in all the volumes of “Bikkurei Ha’ittim.” The
contribution of this amazing book to the history of Hebrew literature in gen-
eral and Hebrew Haskalah literature in particular is enormous. Hence this
book is a true treasure for all scholars and students of Hebrew literature.

Yair Mazor
University Of Wisconsin—Milwaukee
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201
ymazor@uwm.edu