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Berlin and Frankfurt on the Oder chapter 6 Berlin and Frankfurt on the Oder After he secured authorization to print a second Talmud, R. Judah Aryeh Loeb ben R. Joseph Samuel of Cracow in 1711 Michael Gottschalk took steps to publicize his pub- (av bet din, Frankfurt on the Main), as noted in Chapter 5, lication rights. He publicized his rights that year and in “Amsterdam: The Incomplete Edition.” Gottschalk pre- the following years, prior to Passover, at the time of the pared to print his Talmud and for financing, he succeeded book fair in Lippsia (Leipzig) by obtaining the services of in obtaining the sponsorship of the Christian theologian David Bitrof, who oversaw book sales at the fair. Similar and court preacher Professor Daniel Ernst Jablonski, who arrangements were made for the Frankfurt on the Main agreed to invest 30,000 reichsthalers. Jablonski, as noted book fair.1 in Chapter 3, “Frankfurt on the Oder—First Edition: Preceding the publicizing of his rights, however, dis- Background,” had been involved with Hebrew printing putes over the right to print the Talmud occurred. As I in Berlin and was instrumental in obtaining Friedrich note in Chapter 7, “Frankfurt on the Main: 1720–1722,” R. III’s approval to print the first Frankfurt on the Oder Issachar ha-Levi Bermann Lehmann, financier of the first Talmud. Frankfurt on the Oder Talmud, granted permission to the Why was a Protestant minister interested, and prepared Frankfurt on the Main printer Johann Koelner to publish to invest, in the publication of the Talmud? The Hebrew a complete Talmud, this in spite of the fact that there were book market was profitable and less competitive than the approbations preventing publication of competitive edi- general book market. Also, there was a need for Talmu- tions. Koelner obligated himself, in his agreement with dic tractates after the Chmielnicki massacres of 1648–49 Bermann, to print the Talmud within two years, including (tah-ve-tat) when many Jewish libraries had been twelve copies on parchment, the price of each complete destroyed and Hebrew presses in Poland had closed. set to be 1,000 reichsthalers. On October 19, 1710, however, Jablonski already owned the first Hebrew press in Ber- King Friedrich Wilhelm I (previously Elector of Branden- lin, where he engaged R. Judah Leib ben David Neumark burg) replied negatively to Bermann’s request, stating that (Shoresh Yehudah, d. 1723) as manager and editor.3 the permission to publish the Talmud had been granted to Beckmann, not to Bermann, and therefore Bermann To forestall the Amsterdam Talmud, which was did not have the right to cede those rights to a third begun in 1714, the printers entered into agreements party, especially after those rights had been renewed for to ensure sales of their proposed Talmud. In 1714, Gottschalk. Bermann did not accept Friedrich Wilhelm’s an agreement was reached, signed on August 11, decision. However, when Koelner heard that Gottschalk 1714, with the Wilhermsdorf printer Zevi Hirsch had royal authorization to print the Talmud, he chose not ben Hayyim of Fuerth to purchase 500 copies of the to proceed with the proposed Talmud edition.2 forthcoming Berlin/Frankfurt on the Oder Talmud During the period of this dispute there was a brief for 6,000 reichsthalers, 5,000 to be paid in cash, the hiatus (reduction) in the output of Gottschalk’s press, but remainder 1,000 reichsthalers to be paid for with the activity of the press resumed (increased) in 1711, the large folio humashim with commentaries printed issue having been resolved in Gottschalk’s favor. Among in 1713 and mishnayot in press, together priced at the titles published at this time are Me’ah Berakhot and a six and a half reichsthalers, from the Wilhermsdorf reprint of Emek Yehoshua, followed in 1712 by larger works press. Among the terms of the agreement was that such as Midrash Rabbah with commentaries (20: [1], 203, 203–263, 109), and several mahzorim, according to dif- ferent nusahot (order of prayers), sponsored by, among 3 R. Judah Leib ben David Neumark was, in addition to being a noted others, R. Hanokh Henokh ben Issachar Bermann. Hebrew grammarian, the first director of the Jablonski press in In 1714, Gottschalk became aware of the Talmud begun Berlin (from c. 1699). He is best remembered for his Shoresh Yehu- in Amsterdam by Samuel ben Solomon Marcheses and dah (Frankfurt am Main, 1693), a short Hebrew grammar. A native Raphael ben Joshua de Palasios under the auspices of of Hanau (where he also may have worked as a printer prior to mov- ing to Berlin), Neumark wrote in the preface to his grammar that he also wrote a book on Hebrew accents. Samuel David Luzzatto, 1 Friedberg, Central Europe, 41. Prolegomena to a Grammar of the Hebrew Language, trans. Aaron D. 2 Ibid., 41. Rubin (Piscataway, NJ, 2006), 216. © koninklijke brill nv, leiden, 2019 | doi:10.1163/9789004376731_008 Berlin and Frankfurt on the Oder 91 the Frankfurt on the Oder printer would take steps names in the colophons of the tractates that Friedberg to thwart the printing of the Amsterdam Talmud.4 could determine which tractates were printed in which location.5 The printing of the Frankfurt on the Oder and Berlin Neumark, who had acquired Buchbinder’s typographi- Talmud, from 1715 to 1722, began with Berakhot in “‘And cal equipment, with the approval and support of Jablonski Israel, what does the Lord your God began to print Hebrew titles in 1719. Among the first ,(1715 = 475) ועתה now require of you, but to fear [the Lord your God]’ (Deuter- books he published were a series of double-paged, small- onomy 10:12) and from here our sages learn that one is format tractates, a popular format at the time, among them Rosh Ha-Shanah (1723), Megillah and Makkot (1724), Bava ”.ברכות obligated to make, daily, one hundred blessings Also printed that year was Seder Zera’im, followed, in 1716, Metzia (1725), Sukkah (1726), and Bava Kamma (1727). The by Shabbat, Eruvin, and mishnayot Seder Mo’ed. In 1717, title pages of several of these small-format tractates state: Pesahim, Betzah, and Hagigah were published; in 1718, Mo’ed Katan, Rosh Ha-Shanah, Yoma, Shekalim, and Ta’anit; With attractive new letters. And ink and paper, lack- in 1719, Sukkah, Megillah, Yevamot, Kiddushin, and Ketub- ing nothing, correct in form and measure. In a small bot; in 1720, Gittin, Nedarim, Nazir, Sotah, Bava Kamma, volume with many good virtues. So that anyone can Bava Metzia, and Bava Batra; in 1721, Sanhedrin, Makkot, carry it in his bosom, or his bag [lit., the mouth of Shevu’ot, Horayot, Eduyyot, Zevahim, Menahot, Bekhorot, his sack], such as has not existed previously, in order Hullin, Keritot, and Seder Kodashim; and in 1722, Arakhin, that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth. And Me’ilah, Niddah, Seder Tohorot, and Avodah Zarah, this last you should meditate in it day and night for ever without a title page. Printing was completed, according and ever. Amen. to the final tractate with a title page Niddah, dated “And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying for The censorship of text in several tractates described throughout this book is also evident in the small-format ושלשים יום ושלשת ימים תשב בדמי טהרה thirty-three days (482 = 1722)” (Leviticus 12:4). tractates printed by Neumark, for example, Bava Kamma The majority of the tractates were printed in Frankfurt 38a. Neumark ceased to print in 1726 or 1727 after issuing on the Oder, but several tractates were printed in Berlin approximately twenty titles although some sources attri- at the press of Baruch Buchbinder (Radoner) of Vilna bute some later books to his press.6 (1708–17), with Nathan Neumark ben Leib Neumark as The text of the title pages of this Berlin and Frankfurt manager of the press. After Buchbinder’s death, Neumark on the Oder Talmud edition is essentially the same as the became proprietor of the press. The tractates printed in previous Frankfurt on the Oder edition except for some Berlin were Eruvin, Seder Mo’ed, Mo’ed Katan, Sukkah, minor changes, such as the absence, with rare exceptions, Megillah, Yevamot, Ketubbot, Gittin, Nedarim, Sotah, of a verse header, and most notably, as stated on the title Shevu’ot, Seder Kodashim, Arakhin, and Seder Tohorot. pages, “this Talmud is being printed in Berlin and Frank- The compositors in Frankfurt were Samuel Horowitz, furt on the Oder, with the privilege of Friedrich Wilhelm, his son Meshullam Zalman (known as Feibush Zetzer), King of Prussia,” and the omission of the reference to the the brothers Isaiah and Kolonymous Kalman (sons of editors. Berakhot has the same mirror-image monogram Isaac of Vodislav), Menahem Magli ben Judah Leib, and on the title page as on the title pages of the previous 1697– Meshullam Feibush ben Aaron Hayyat. Pressmen were 99 edition, but all the other tractate title pages of this Avi Ezri Zelig ben Solomon Zalman, Zadok ben Abra- Talmud and the next edition have the elongated mirror- ham, Zevi Hirsch ben Aaron Hayyat, Isaac ben Solomon image monogram. The title page of mishnayot for Seder Zalman, Meir ben Eliezer Lipmann Katz, and Aaron ben Kodashim notes that it is printed at the press of Michael Avi Ezri Zelig. The press staff in Berlin was comprised of Gottschalk by Nathan Neumark ben Leib Neumark.7 the compositors Moses Tosk, Menahem Segal, Menahem At the beginning of Berakhot are privileges to print from Magli ben Judah Leib, Hayyim ben Ephraim Gumprecht, the Kaiser Joseph I, Friedrich Augustus King of Poland, Hayyim ben Catrial, Aaron ben Elijah ha-Kohen, Israel Kaiser Karl VI, and King Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia, ben Moses, and Nathan Neumark, proprietor of the press.
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