Physical Description:

165, [1] ff., 12mo., 130:74 mm., light age staining, trimmed margins occasionally touching running titles, tear in f.148 touching several letters. A good copy bound in contemporary full leather over boards, rubbed.

Detailed Description:   

Pocket size selihot following the rites of German [Frankfurt] Jews, set in square vocalized type. On the final page a small index to the selihot recited on the Franfurt custom of fasting and celebrating Purim Vintz.

Frankfurter Purim, also called Purim Vintz, celebrates a local miracle on the 20^th day of the Hebrew month of Adar, just six days after the holiday of Purim. In 1614, a local baker and troublemaker named Vincent Fettmilch who considered himself to be the “New Haman” lead the city guilds in an uprising against the new Emperor. Included in their demands for lower taxes were also demands for fewer Jews in town and lower interest rates on Jewish loans.

When the Emperor ignored or rejected the demands of the city guilds, Fettmilch led a mob to ransack the Jewish quarter of Frankfurt, burning, fighting, and pillaging until the entire Jewish population was forced to flee. Two years later, in February of 1616, Emperor Matthias had Vincent Fettmilch and five of the other rebels hanged, and the Jews were allowed to safely return to the city. The proximity of the hanging to Purim that year, as well as the resonances of the Purim story, encouraged the community to celebrate the return as a mini-redemption, with special songs and a long poetic retelling of the story in Judeo-German called “Megillat Vintz.”

Selihot are a special order of service consisting of non-statutory additional prayers which are recited on all fast days, on occasions of special intercession and during the Penitential season which begins before Rosh HaShanah and concludes with the Day of Atonement. The word selihah means forgiveness, and in the singular is used to indicate a piyyut whose subject is a plea for forgiveness for sins.

Hebrew Description: