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Ohr HaHochma Publications Ltd. was created several
years ago. It was during those wonderful years, when I was
an assiduous young kollel man, that I first put on paper my
Torah thoughts on the Nazir Tractate, and then gathered them
into a book which I called, Tosfot Nazir im Perush Arzei Halevanon.
With time, I went on to write and edit additional books.
Once I had acquired enough experience and knowledge, I approached
my first substantial project - the publication of Pnei Yehoshua
on shas by HaRav Yaakov Yehoshua Falk zt”l. This book had
always been widely read in the Torah world and was never far
from the hand of a Torah scholar. However, like so many other
ancient books, it had been censored quite extensively, with
lines and even whole pages omitted from it. Moreover, it was
full of mistakes. With special Divine assistance and help
from a large staff of Torah scholars, we had the privilege
of reprinting a new, flawless, five-volume edition, with numerous
additions taken from original manuscripts and early printed
editions with comments and sources.
That is how Ohr HaHochma came to be, which bears the same
name as a work by my grandfather, the pious and learned mystic,
Rabbi Uri Faivel z”l of Budenka, Poland, who was a student
of a disciple of the Baal Shem Tov z”l. This closed a circle
that had began in the wilderness of Poland some 300 years
ago, through Kibbutz Megido in the Jesrael Valley and up to
the holy city of Jerusalem, may it be speedily rebuilt in
our days.
With special Divine assistance and in light of the great demand
for ancient and rare books that have not been printed for
dozens or hundreds of years, yet which have not lost their
appeal, Ohr HaHochma was created in order to reprint ancient
books. Among these books are the first edition of the Babylonian
Talmud - Venice, 1522 (ten volumes), Dikdukei Sofrim by HaGaon
HaRav Rabinowitz z”l (twelve volumes), the Munic manuscripts
of the Babylonian Talumud (three volumes), Toldos Hachamei
Yerushalayim by HaRav Frumkein z”l (three volumes).
We recently had the privilege of publishing an eight-volume
exquisite new edition of Chiddushei HaRitba al HaShas by Rabbeinu
Yom Tov Elshvili, edited and corrected according to the original
manuscripts and printed editions. Our plan was to step by
step, publish a selection of ancient books in accordance with
meticulous lists that we had made up while taking into consideration
a variety of issues.
Then, again with incredible Heavenly assistance, we conceived
the idea for this present project, The Otzar HaHochma
Electronic Library , which will contain all the ancient
and rare books that we will be able to attain.
In order to do this, we put together a large staff of cutting
edge printers and computer programmers, who will turn the
books into a digital medium. At the same time, a staff of
Torah scholars and literary experts is working on dividing
up the books and cataloging them according to (Torah and Judaica)
subject matter. This, in addition to consistent accompaniment
of bibliophiles, who spend days and nights in various dusty
archives, seeking out rare books to adorn, enrich and glorify
the Otzar HaHochma Library .
It seems that all of the projects we have thus far worked
on served as groundwork for this current project, which has
already been described as the greatest revolution since the
printing press.
This site was created in order to bring the Otzar HaHochma
Library to those who love wisdom and appreciate books.
We are certain that all of you who cherish Jewish books will
take great interest in the electronic library and its array
of opportunities. |
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