Joseph Kosman

Joseph Kosman of Frankfurt composed Noheg ka-tson Yosef (He Leads Joseph Like a Flock), following in the steps of his grandfather, Joseph Yuspa Hahn Nordlingen (1570–1637), author of Yosef ometz (completed 1630, first printed 1723), a book of laws and customs according to the Frankfurt rite. Kosman’s work, published in Hanau in 1718, frequently quotes his grandfather’s text. The genre of the minhagim book (collections of local customs) dates back to the Middle Ages. From the late fifteenth century, rabbis and scholars in various German communities (especially Frankfurt and Worms) composed a series of such works. Unlike the medieval versions, however, these were popular texts intended to ensure the continued observance of the communities’ customs and to prevent them from slipping into obscurity. Noheg ka-tson Yosef provides fascinating insights into the history of the Frankfurt community and its rites and rituals. Indeed, in addition to detailing folk customs, religious rites, and the liturgy, the work also portrays the community’s musical traditions.