The lost Yiddish translation of Sefer Shivhei ha-Besht (Ostróg 1815)

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Abstract

Sefer Shivhei ha-Besht is considered the central collection of hagiographic tales regarding Israel Ba'al Shem Tov (c. 1700-1760). It was first printed in Hebrew in Kopys in the latter part of 1814, and includes hundreds of stories that circulated orally and were heard by the author. The work was soon translated into Yiddish with significant changes, and three such translations have survived, each one very different to the others. The first translation, published in Ostróg in 1815, was believed lost. This article offers a brief description of the recently discovered edition, discussing its uniqueness in the context of the work's printing history and on the background of Jewish publishing in Eastern Europe.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)94-113
Number of pages20
JournalZutot
Volume15
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jan 2018

Keywords

  • Sefer Shivhei ha-Besht
  • Yiddish

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Religious studies
  • Arts and Humanities (all)

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