Sample Sources
The sources below are those contained in our three curated collections—covering themes of Passover, Gender Roles, and Holocaust Resistance. They represent a fraction of the thousands of sources that will be available when the full site launches in 2024.
Bine’ot deshe’ (In Green Pastures): On Visiting the Sick
Whenever you go in to visit any sick person, whoever he may be, coerce him, even against his wishes, into making a will, and do not have any concern on account of his sons and his wife and…
Confession
I admit my guilt . . . in that I was told of a maiden who was [there] the daughter of Juan Estevan who had ascended to heaven and was approached there by an angel, and how she had told of the many…
Chronicle of Events in Adrianople
[Sabbatai’s] illumination grew steadily more intense up to the thirteenth day of the month of Adar [23 February]. On that day his brother came for a stay, along with four of Vani Effendi’s men.…
Letter to Rome
Behold, from the time of our settlement in the city that the Lord has chosen, which He had desired for His habitation (Psalms 132:13), we heard your voice and obeyed, for you stand in the breach…
Printers’ Preface: Yiddish Translation of Sefer magishe minḥah
With God’s help, we undertook to print the Torah, prophets, and writings with the commentary by Rashi, of blessed memory, and also with a Yiddish commentary, to understand the simple verse as it…
Orḥot ‘olam (Paths of the World)
On the existence and nature of a great and awesome, holy world, which is situated beyond the equator, and whether it is possible that there is a settlement south of this equator, called zo…
Responsum: On the Prohibition of Teaching Karaites
On the ban pronounced at a gathering of some members of the community in the city of Constantinople, together with some town representatives, in the synagogue of the community of Constantinople. It…
Epístola invectiva contra Prado (A Harsh Epistle against Prado)
A furious epistle against [Juan de] Prado, a philosopher-doctor who doubted or did not believe in the truth of the divine scripture and sought to cover up his maliciousness with the feigned…
Bovo d’Antona (Bovo of Antona)
We should praise God eternally and proclaim His wonders, for He is revered and venerated by pious souls. He is powerful both on earth and in Heaven. His praise is unfathomable, no one can laud Him…
Ku-bukh (The Book of Cows)
A Lion on his deathbed lay.
There’s truth in every word I say.
He was gravely ill indeed.
Then came to him a goodly host
Of all the forest-dwelling beasts.
They came most eagerly…
Ḥeshek Shelomoh (Solomon’s Desire)
The book’s name: This book [Song of Songs] is called a “song,” a noun bearing several meanings. First, it denotes music, as in the verse: all the daughters of song (Ecclesiastes 12:4), which means…
The Periodic Table
There was a mysterious jar on one of the shelves. It contained about twenty gray, hard, colorless, tasteless little rods and did not have a label. This was very strange, because it was a German…