Rabbi Pinhas Zelig HaKohen Schwartz’ Sefer Yizrah Ohr
Next month, on Erev Pessah, Jews all over the world will recite the Birkat HaHamah, the Solar Blessing, which is said once every twenty-eight years, when observing the sun at the exact point it stood during the same day of the week it was created 5769 years ago.
Books and pamphlets have been published which contain the laws and customs relating to Birkat HaHama, including the Brakha, psalms, biblical passages and prayers said on its occasion.
One of these publications is Sefer Yizrah Ohr by Rabbi Pinhas Zelig HaKohen Schwartz, who served as rabbi of Kleinwardein. The book was published in that city in 1925, a year in which Birkat Hahama was recited..
As indicated on its title page, the author made use of Boker Yizrah by Rabbi David Meldola, which was first published in Livorno in 1785, additions by Rabbi Moshe Sofer (printed in Pressburg in 1869) and supplements by the author of Sdei Hemed and other books.
Sefer Yirzrah Ohr also includes Omer HaSadeh, a longer study on the laws and customs of Birkat HaHamah by Rabbi Eliezer Chaim Deutsch who was rabbi of Hanshowitz and Bonyhad, which he authored in 1897, a year when Birkat HaHamah was recited; notes by Rabbi Joseph HaKohen Schwartz, a brother of the author, who was rabbi of Grosswardein and a responsum by a famous rabbi, who did not want his name to be mentioned.
Very interesting is the chapter which quotes the Hebrew weekly, HaMaggid, 1869, describing the Birkat HaHamah in Lemberg and Rabbi Yosef Shaul HaLevi Nathanson’s sermon on that occasion.
Yizrah Ohr opens with Rabbi David Meldola’s introduction to Boker Yizrah, with letters of approbation by Rabbi Mordecai Winkler of Mad (which includes notes by him), by Rabbi Chaim Elazar Schapira, author of Minhat Elazar, Rebbe of Munkacz, Rabbi Moses Chaim Rosenberg of Kleinwardein, Rabbi Yeshaya Silberstein of Weitzen and a poem by Rabbi Shim’on Sofer of Cracow, based on Judges 5:31.
In 1950 Rabbi Eliezer Ehrenreich, the last rabbi of Mad, Hungary, arrived in the U.S. A descendant of Rabbi Abraham Yehudah Hakohen Schwartz, the author of responsa Kol Aryeh, who was rabbi of Beregsasz and later of Mad, he established in New York the Kol Aryeh Research Institute for the purpose of publishing and reprinting writings by members of his family as well as reprinting Torah journals which were edited by them.
Books by Rabbi Pinhas Selig HaKohen Schwartz, who was a grandson of the Kol Aryeh, reprinted by the Kol Aryeh Research Institute, include Giveath Pinhas on the purging of meat, Likutei Pinhas on Pidyon HaBen, Minhat HaOmer on the counting of the Omer, Minha Hadasha on the festival of Shavuoth, Ateret Paz on the priestly blessings and Temimei Derekh on the Tefillat HaDerekh.
The Kol Aryeh Research Institute also reprinted the Torah journal Torah Ohr which was published and edited by Rabbi Pinhas Zelig HaKohen Schwartz in Kleinwardein in the 1930s.
The Kol Aryeh Research Institute also reprinted three editions of Rabbi Pinhas Zelig HaKohen Schwartz’ above described Yizrah Ohr in the years 5713, 5741 and this year, 5769.
In his introduction to the latest edition, Rabbi Eliezer Ehrenreich who is a nephew of the author writes that he corrected many printing mistakes and added hundreds of source references as well as important notes.
As mentioned earlier the author discusses with great erudition the laws and customs of Birkat HaHama. In a separate chapter immediately preceding Seder Birkat HaHamah, he presents us with a short summary of his views and conclusions. At the end of the book are printed a list and descriptions of the books published by the Kol Aryeh Research Institute. Rabbi Pinhas Zelig HaKohen Schwartz was killed by the Germans during World War II.
May the L-rd avenge his blood.
The Jewish Press, Friday, March 13, 2009