Detailed Description |
|
Purim parody in the form of a Talmudic tractate. The title, Dovar Sheker (speaker of falsehood) by the uprooter of mountains and Sinai Kezvan ben Shakran, and mentions the yeshivah Nitrah (a famous yeshivah in Slovakia). It continues in that vein, attributing the commentary accompanying the text to R. Badai (cheat) in a twisted manner. The title page is followed by two approbations from roshei yeshivot named Rozner, and below it is the printer’s introduction, who begins that he is obligated to give thanksgiving and praise and make the blessing baruch dayyan emet, for due to our many iniquities we have we are alive, sustained, and brought us to this season. He notes that he has photographed the written approbations so that it can be seen that they are truthful.
The text is in the form of a Talmudic tractate, the gemarra in trhe center in bold letters, the commentaries in the margins in smaller letters. It parallels tractate Berakhot, beginning when do we begin a border, from the time that we enter the yeshiva Nitra. The gemarra begins, the rosh yeshivah says when does a man become a border, from the time that in his eyes he is a great person. They ask. . . . The commentary, in the form of Rashi says, border, an arrogant jester with no sense of responsibility. Nitra, name of a place on mount Arrarat. The commentary in the form of Tosafot says young men, young foolish boys and in the explanation sheker in our days, of little intelligence, without a scintilla of intelligence. There are also accompanying marginal notes. The text is comprised of the title page, approbations and introduction, and two text pages, the verso of each page being blank.
|