Mekhon Yerushalayim

Mekhon Yerushalayim (מכון ירושלים, the Jerusalem Institute) is an Israeli Torah research, textual restoration, and publishing institute dedicated to rabbinic literature from the Rishonim to the Aharonim periods. It was founded in the mid-1970s by Rabbi Yosef Buxbaum with the encouragement of Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach. The institute is headquartered in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem and operates branches across Israel, including in Ashkelon, Beit El, Holon, Haifa, Netanya, and Tel Aviv, as well as within both religious-Zionist and Haredi yeshivot. Its staff numbers around two hundred researchers and editors. The institute's publishing program is organized into numerous specialized projects, such as the Responsa of the Rishonim project, the Complete Tur project, the Complete Shulhan Arukh project, the Torah of the Sages of Lithuania project, the Torah of the Sages of Poland project, the Heritage of Hungarian Jewry project, the Sages of Ashkenaz project, and the Or HaMizrah institute for Sephardic and Mizrahi works. By 2009, approximately 800 books had been published under its various frameworks. Notable publications include Otzar Mefarshei HaTalmud (19 volumes), Shulhan Arukh HaShalem (11 volumes), HaTur HaShalem (22 volumes), Teshuvot HaRishonim (13 volumes), Yalkut Shimoni HaShalem (6 volumes), the Maharal of Prague (24 volumes), Minhat Hinukh HaShalem (3 volumes), and Noda BiYehuda HaShalem (5 volumes). In 1980 the institute began publishing the Torah journal Moriah, which had previously appeared independently. The journal includes sections such as Genuzot (unpublished manuscripts), Zikhron LaRishonim, and Zikhron LaAharonim. In 2016 the institute launched Otzar Mefarshei HaTorah, a similar project for biblical commentary, with volumes on Genesis, Exodus, and Numbers, as well as Otzar Mefarshei HaMegillah on the Book of Esther. The institute has been headed by prominent rabbis as presidents, including Rabbi Yitzhak Hutner, Rabbi Yehezkel Abramsky, Rabbi Betzalel Zolty, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, Rabbi Eliezer Goldschmidt, Rabbi Yitzhak Kolitz, Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, and Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. In 1977 it received the Rabbi Kook Prize for Torah literature. After Buxbaum's death in 2007, his sons continued to manage the institute's projects.

Mekhon Yerushalayim was founded in the mid-1970s by Rabbi Yosef Buxbaum, a scholar with extensive knowledge of Torah bibliography and Jewish history, with the encouragement of Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach. As early as 1968, Buxbaum had begun editing Otzar Mefarshei HaTalmud, a compilation of commentaries from hundreds of Rishonim and Aharonim rearranged according to the order of Talmudic tractates. He initially worked with Rabbi Moshe Hershler, an editor of the Talmudic Encyclopedia, and later added more scholars to the publication team. During those years, Buxbaum began republishing works of many Rishonim, including their Talmud commentaries and halakhic responsa. He obtained manuscripts from famous libraries, some original and some photocopies, and published editions based on deciphering and comparing these manuscripts. He would add detailed introductions about the rabbis and their books, some of which are literary works in their own right. In the mid-1970s, Mekhon Yerushalayim was officially established and began expanding its editorial and publishing activities. Many work groups were formed, each focusing on a specific area. These included the Responsa of the Rishonim project, which edited many responsa books of the Rishonim, among them the Rif, the Rosh, and the Rashba; the Complete Tur project, which published, in cooperation with Shirat Devorah institutions, the Arba'ah Turim by Rabbi Jacob ben Asher and its commentaries in a new, corrected edition; the Complete Shulhan Arukh project, which published, in cooperation with the Moreshet LeHankhil institute, the volumes of the Shulhan Arukh in a new, corrected edition; the Torah of the Sages of Lithuania project, dealing with the teachings of heads of yeshivot and scholars who lived in Lithuania; the Torah of the Sages of Poland project, publishing the teachings of Torah sages who lived in Poland; the Heritage of Hungarian Jewry project, dealing mainly with the books of those following the Hatam Sofer approach; the Sages of Ashkenaz project, editing the writings of the greats of Germany; and the Or HaMizrah institute, dealing with books and responsa of the sages of the Mizrahi communities, among others. Between 1981 and 1989, Mr. Nathan Greenberg served as director-general of Mekhon Yerushalayim, while the institute's offices were located in the Old City of Jerusalem. By 2009, approximately 800 books had been published under the various frameworks of Mekhon Yerushalayim. Among these books are Otzar Mefarshei HaTalmud (19 volumes), Shulhan Arukh HaShalem (11 volumes), HaTur HaShalem (22 volumes), the Responsa of the Rishonim project (13 volumes), Yalkut Shimoni HaShalem (6 volumes), the books of the Maharal of Prague (24 volumes), Minhat Hinukh HaShalem (3 volumes), Noda BiYehuda HaShalem (5 volumes), and many others. From the institute's manuscript department, the following were published for the first time from manuscript: Teshuvot HaRashba from manuscript (400 new responsa), Pnei Shlomo by Rabbi Shlomo Ganzfried (5 volumes), Maharam Schick (9 volumes), Rabbi Mordechai Banet (3 volumes), Maharal of Prague on Bava Metzia, Mekor Hayyim by the author of Havot Yair (3 volumes), and hundreds of additional books from the teachings of the great sages of Ashkenaz, Lithuania, Hungary, Turkey, North Africa, and others. Another part of the institute's activities was the publication of memorial volumes dedicated to commemorating famous rabbis by describing their lives, printing their Torah teachings, and adding additional Torah words, ancient alongside new. The institute appointed well-known rabbis as its presidents. Initially, Rabbi Yitzhak Hutner, Rabbi Yehezkel Abramsky, and Rabbi Betzalel Zolty served in this role, and later Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, Rabbi Eliezer Goldschmidt, Rabbi Yitzhak Kolitz, Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, and Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, who was especially connected to the Or HaMizrah institute, part of the institute's projects. Other well-known rabbis headed unique projects, such as the Heritage of Hungarian Jewry project, headed by rabbis from that diaspora. After Buxbaum's death in 2007, his sons continued to manage the institute's projects. The institute's center is in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem. Its branches are scattered in many places: in Jerusalem there are additional branches, as well as in Ashkelon, Beit El, Holon, Haifa, Netanya, and Tel Aviv. The institute is unique in that all sectors of the religious and Haredi public work in it; it has branches both in religious yeshivot (such as the Torani institute Or Etzion at Yeshivat Or Etzion and the Shlomo Omen institute at Yeshivat Sha'alvim) and in Haredi yeshivot. The institute's staff numbers about two hundred people engaged in a variety of research and editorial work. In 1980 (5740), the institute began publishing the Torah journal Moriah, which had previously been published independently. The journal includes several sections, among them the Genuzot section, containing manuscripts of Rishonim and Aharonim never before published; the Zikhron LaRishonim section, editing responsa and commentaries by the Rishonim; the Zikhron LaAharonim section, presenting responsa and commentaries from the sages of the Aharonim; and additional sections. One of the institute's projects is Otzar Mefarshei HaTalmud, which collected commentaries and explanations from thousands of books and arranged them according to the order of the Gemara, Rashi, and Tosafot. By 2018, nineteen volumes had been published, covering tractates Halah (the collection was edited on the Mishnah with commentaries of the Rambam and the Rosh), Pesahim (only the tenth chapter), Sukkah, Gittin, Kiddushin (up to page 58), Bava Kamma (up to the seventh chapter), Bava Metzia (up to the sixth chapter), and Makkot. Following the success of the Otzar Mefarshei HaTalmud project, in 2016 a similar project was begun around biblical commentary. As of 2022, the series had published Genesis (2 parts), Exodus (2 parts), Numbers (2 parts), and Otzar Mefarshei HaMegillah on the Book of Esther.

• 2022

  Otzar Mefarshei HaTorah has published volumes on Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, and Esther.

• 2018

  Nineteen volumes of Otzar Mefarshei HaTalmud have been published.

• 2016

  The Otzar Mefarshei HaTorah project for biblical commentary is launched.

• 2009

  Approximately 800 books have been published under the institute's frameworks.

• 2007

  Founder Rabbi Yosef Buxbaum passes away; his sons continue managing the institute.

• 1981

  Nathan Greenberg becomes director-general, serving until 1989.

• 1980

  The institute begins publishing the Torah journal Moriah.

• 1977

  The institute receives the Rabbi Kook Prize for Torah literature.

• 1975

  Mekhon Yerushalayim is officially established in the mid-1970s.

• 1968

  Rabbi Yosef Buxbaum begins editing Otzar Mefarshei HaTalmud.

A leading institute for critical editions of rabbinic literature, bridging religious-Zionist and Haredi communities.

• Otzar Mefarshei HaTalmud

  A compilation of Talmudic commentaries from hundreds of Rishonim and Aharonim, arranged by tractate order. 19 volumes by 2018.

• Shulhan Arukh HaShalem

  A new, corrected edition of the Shulhan Arukh, published in cooperation with the Moreshet LeHankhil institute. 11 volumes.

• HaTur HaShalem

  A new, corrected edition of the Arba'ah Turim by Rabbi Jacob ben Asher and its commentaries, in cooperation with Shirat Devorah institutions. 22 volumes.

• Teshuvot HaRishonim

  A project editing responsa books of the Rishonim, including the Rif, Rosh, and Rashba. 13 volumes.

• Moriah

  A Torah journal published by the institute since 1980, featuring sections such as Genuzot, Zikhron LaRishonim, and Zikhron LaAharonim.

• Otzar Mefarshei HaTorah

  A project for biblical commentary launched in 2016. Volumes on Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, and Esther published by 2022.

1. 1Mekhon Yerushalayim - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2מכון ירושלים - Wikipedia (Hebrew)he.wikipedia.org