עין יעקב (Well of Jacob — Aggadic Talmud, Vilna 1883)

That precious book and the beauty of its rays of light upon the aggadot non-legal Talmudic narratives, with its notations and corrections, with the cross-references, with the emendations and variant readings, and with the wonderful notes—just as he acted with the entire Shas the six orders of the Talmud, so too did he act with that book.

Thus it is known to all, the precious value of the Commentary of the Author of the Branches on the Ein Yaakov, and his notations and cross-references,

that his commentary and emendations on the Midrash Rabbah and Tanchuma, etc., have already been validated, and he is acclaimed; for it is from heaven that he was granted that his words be accepted in the world. His delightful commentaries have earned a name and praise among all the people of Israel. Just as he acted in his commentaries on the aforementioned Midrashim, so too did he perform wonders for the Ein Yaakov, as explained in his prefaces. Until now, these were hidden in his pure handwriting in the hands of his heirs, and the people of Israel had not yet been privileged to enjoy their light.

And how very precious are the Innovations of the Geonim post-Talmudic sages, which were collected and gathered together from seventy-two books of the books of the Geonim of Israel and their sages, and were printed in their exact language without any change. They were elevated from their fine flour and their oil by wise sages of the Torah (at our command and expense), and they serve together to provide a delightful and truly wonderful explanation of the aggadot narratives.

And how honorable it is today to reveal the hidden light of the Book of the Pride of Jacob Gaon Yaakov, whose author dove into the depths of the heart-searches of the sages of Israel and its Geonim. They investigated with great wisdom and also found how to reveal many of the secrets and riddles of the aggadah. He performed the wonder of wisdom to bring up from their depths many pearls and goodly jewels, and to fashion from them a crown of pride and glory for the Ein Yaakov. We found that book in manuscript, and the name of its author is unknown. However, the deeds testify to their maker, for the strength of this man in Torah and in researching its paths was great. He built deep understanding into the ways of the aggadot and their paths, and he excelled in collecting for them wonderful and true explanations, as the eyes of the reader shall see directly. Furthermore, it is superfluous to praise the preciousness of the innovations of the Geonim who are famous as the authors of the Ahavat Eitan Love of the Strong and the Responsa of the GRIB Rabbi Yeshayah Berlin, for these great men have already verified them in their books and their wonderful innovations on the Talmud and the codes, etc. These two great luminaries shine a large and clear light upon the aggadot through their commentaries and innovations, which explain them according to the correct literal meaning, and they expounded them like material. Their light also was hidden until now, and remained stored in manuscript in the hands of his grandsons, may they live, and it has not appeared on the face of the earth until now.

The Interpreter HaMeturgeman

It also shines a great light upon the darkness of many words in the aggadah that are difficult to understand and explain, and it clarifies them in the Judeo-German original: "Leshon Yehudit-Ashkenazit," refers to Yiddish language so that they may be understood by all the people. It was compiled now at our command and expense.

Beyond all these, four great luminaries shine at the beginning of the Ein Yaakov and spread a clear light upon the methods of the aggadot, the homilies, and their principles: our great masters Rabbi Abraham, son of the Rambam original: Maimonides, of blessed memory (in his essay on the homilies of the Sages, from the book Collection of Responsa of the Rambam, vol. 2, item 281); and our master Isaiah Halevi Horowitz, of blessed memory (author of the Shelah), (in the introduction to the homilies of the Sages from the book Oral Torah in the Shelah, Rule 24, rule of homilies and aggadot); and the master Moshe Chaim Luzzatto, of blessed memory (author of Mesillat Yesharim, etc.), (in his essay on the aggadot in his book Derech Chokhmah); and the master Zvi Hirsch Chajes, of blessed memory (in the Introduction to the Aggadot from his book Introduction to the Talmud). All of these performed wonders in investigating the character of the aggadot and homilies in general, and their brief words in this field contain much. One ray of their light spreads a very great light upon all the aggadot and homilies in general.

More than this, we have added a great and honorable addition within the body of the Ein Yaakov, namely: all the aggadot concerning which the commentators wrote in the books of Innovations of Aggadot, the RIF Rabbi Isaac Alfasi's commentary, and the Ein Yaakov. Their places in the Ein Yaakov were marked even after the addition of the passages from the book Beit Yehudah. Therefore, the early printers placed within the aforementioned commentaries, wherever the passage was missing from the Ein Yaakov, the form of a hand A small symbol of a pointing hand is indicated in the text or a star *, or the word "Gemara," to say that the place of the passage is missing here and its place is in the Gemara. We have gathered and added all those passages into the Ein Yaakov, and we have adorned them with Rashi and Tosafot, and we have placed them within two half-squares to indicate that they are additions. Although some printers and publishers before us (such as the publisher of the Ein Yaakov, Kehilat Shlomo mentioned above, and others) already paid attention to this matter and intended to fill the lack of those passages in the Ein Yaakov, they did not carry out the task except for a small fraction of the passages. And even those they added, they only brought the opening words of the passage and not the whole thing. We have completed our work with the help of God, and we have gathered and added all the passages that were omitted, and all of them in their entirety, not truncated.

Furthermore, we have printed Rashi in its entirety, and we have also included the cross-references from the Bible and the Talmud just as it is printed in its entirety in the Talmud. We have also restored to their places the innovations of the Rabbi, the Author Referring to the compiler of the Chiddushei Aggadot, of blessed memory, which were omitted from other Ein Yaakov editions, and we printed them in their entirety as they were arranged by their author, of blessed memory. Similarly, we printed the book Innovations of Aggadot in its entirety, which had not been printed with such completeness and precision since its first edition, which was printed during the lifetime of the author, of blessed memory. We also printed the RIF in its entirety for all parts of the Ein Yaakov, and we gathered all its omissions into it.

Above all these, we have added and grown to do for this book, with the help of God, regarding the texts and versions of the aggadot. For it is known to all who delve deep and possess understanding regarding the texts and versions of the aggadot and Midrashim how great the confusion, the mix-up, and the mingling are in this matter in all the books of the Ein Yaakov printed in all the presses, for the versions and texts are exchanged, different, and varied.

[In praise of the printers, they rise in their emendation, and then conclude there with these words]: "One thing is upon 'Thus we said, for it was from the Lord that this was put into the heart of the mouth, that which He forbade and that which He permitted in the corrections.' And to change his name and his taste, he stood in it and they rested, he did not change. Therefore he lifted his proverb and we shall say:

(1) Like the group of the gathered. (2) Fleeing the snares of the opponent and the adversary. (3) A hint (to the diffusion which is from refining, to say that it was kindled from greatness (as explained in the vessel Yissachar, rule end of ch. Vayishlach). (4) Referring to the Ein Yaakov and part 20, which was called "House of Jacob" and its name was added "House of Israel."

From this, it resulted that the Ein Yaakov was mentioned in many books by the name Ein Yisrael and Beit Yisrael, and by the mercies of God, the decree was subsequently abolished and the book returned to its first name.

We have already mentioned in our words above that the author, of blessed memory, did not collect into his book only the aggadot suitable for hewing from them the twelve columns upon which the service of his book rests, and he left the rest. Then came the Rabbi, R. Judah Aryeh of Modena, of blessed memory, and gleaned after him, according to the difficulty of the passage, many passages of the aggadot that the author of the Ein Yaakov had hidden. He gathered them together with Rashi and Tosafot in a book, and he named the book Beit Yehudah. He also enriched those passages with his innovations, which he called by the name The Builder. His book was first printed in Venice in the year 5378 1618 CE. Afterward, the great master Isaac Meir Frankel, son of the great master Jonah Teomim, of blessed memory (author of Kikayon DiYona), attached it to the book Beit Yehudah with the Builder aforementioned on the Ein Yaakov, which was printed in Amsterdam in the year 5424 1664 CE. He also added to that Ein Yaakov the book Innovations of Aggadot by the Maharsha and the innovations of the RIF (Me'or Einayim) to the first part, and the innovations of Abaye Tarb, of blessed memory, author of Kikayon DiYona. All these were joined together by him in the aforementioned Ein Yaakov, and he called it Tunics of Light.

Afterward, the great master Solomon Yekutiel Zalman, son of Rabbi Jacob, of blessed memory, judge of the great community of Glogau, and his son the Rabbi Yechiel Michel, of blessed memory, assisted him, and he brought to light the Ein Yaakov in Amsterdam in the year "All the seed of Jacob in his honor" (5500 1740 CE). He printed in it all the matters that were printed in the aforementioned Ein Yaakov, Tunics of Light, and he further added to them the Innovations of the RIF (Me'or Einayim) to the second part of the Ein Yaakov, which he found in manuscript in the hands of one of the distinguished rabbis of the general yeshiva in the city of Venice, the distinguished judge, the complete sage, our teacher Rabbi Jacob, son of our teacher Rabbi Immanuel Belilios, of blessed memory. He found it in Aleppo in the treasury of the exalted sage, Rabbi Daniel Pinto, of blessed memory, a descendant of the author-Rabbi, of blessed memory. He also [added] some innovations that he collected from the innovations of the Geonim of his time, and he added to them his own touch, and he called them by the name Kehilat Shlomo Congregation of Solomon, and he also called the general name of the Ein Yaakov "Kehilat Shlomo." And thus, the books of the Ein Yaakov were printed again several times with changes and different commentaries, too many to count.

We have gathered into this Ein Yaakov the best of the additions and superior features that we found in all the previous Ein Yaakov books, and we also printed in it on the page the wonderful book Ein Yaakov by the true Rabbi and Gaon, etc., our teacher Rabbi Jacob Reischer, of blessed memory (author of Chok Yaakov and Responsa Shevut Yaakov, etc.), and we further added to it beyond all these

Fourteen Honorable Additions

that were mentioned on the title page of the book. It is superfluous to expand the speech in explaining their great value and their many benefits, and to tell of the praise of all those additions, for each one's merit is revealed and known to all, and they proclaim themselves.

For who will not see a great light upon the revelation of the hidden light of the book "A Storehouse Locked" (Otzar Balum) by the distinguished, famous Gaon, our teacher Rabbi Isaiah (Pick) Berlin, of blessed memory, which was hidden until now in manuscript, and its light was not revealed until now. It came to our hand by way of the great Rabbi and sage, our teacher Rabbi Ephraim Zallenberg, may he live, who found it in writing on the margin of the book Ein Yaakov, Amsterdam 5514 1754 CE (which was printed at our expense as mentioned above), and also on special leaves at the beginning of the book, written in the very holy handwriting of the GRIB, of blessed memory, and his mouth named it Otzar Balum. He found that Ein Yaakov book in the treasury of the books of his father-in-law, the Gaon, our teacher Rabbi Teomim Schwartz, head of the rabbinical court of Horodenka, which had fallen to him as an inheritance from his grandfather, the Gaon Jacob of Lissa, of blessed memory. He bought it from the hands of the great master Joseph Mai, of blessed memory, son-in-law of the GRIB, of blessed memory. The aforementioned RIAZ Rabbi Isaiah Berlin copied the aforementioned book and gave it to us to grant merit to the public, and the merit of the public shall depend on him. However, it came to us after the printing of the Blessings volume, and we printed it on a special leaf as an omission.