One of the most praiseworthy works recently published is the
series Mishnas Rabbi Akiva Eiger, a compilation of
comments and observations of Rabbi Akiva Eiger arranged by
topic and accompanied by the sefer Hei'ir Yosef, which
contains explanations and an extensive analysis of the
observations of Rabbi Akiva Eiger.
So far six volumes have been published. Volume One deals with
halochos of carrying on Shabbos. Volume Two discusses
the laws of cooking. Volume Three is on the laws of
muktza. Volume Four is on the thirty-nine
melochos of Shabbos. Volume Five is on the first and
second chapters of maseches Succah. Volume Six is on
Bovo Kammo and Eruvin. The new Volume Seven is
on Perek Hador in maseches Eruvin. Second
editions of both Muktza and the thirty-nine
melochos have also appeared in the book stores.
All volumes of the sefer Mishnas Rabbi Akiva Eiger--Heir
Yosef have two parts. The first part is a compilation of
the writings of Rabbeinu Akiva Eiger on a particular topic
together with footnotes. It should be noted that significant
additions, only recently published, have been included in
this sefer, making the Mishnas Rabbeinu Akiva
Eiger unique among all the compilations of Rav Akiva
Eiger's chiddushim.
The arrangement, editing and typesetting of this sefer
have been accomplished in a very orderly fashion. In a famous
comment, Rabbi Akiva Eiger wrote to his son: My dear son!
Please make sure that [the sefer] is printed on
quality paper, with very black ink and good looking letters.
In my opinion the soul becomes aroused, a person's intellect
expands, and one's kavonoh awakens when he uses a
pleasant and elegant sefer.
In the second part of the Heir Yosef, the author
carefully analyzes what Rabbeinu Akiva Eiger has written, and
reveals numerous points. It is well known that Rabbeinu Akiva
Eiger wrote very concisely and many of his ideas are
expressed in a minimum of words. A great part of the
sefer attempts to resolve the kushios of
Rabbeinu Akiva Eiger and helps others to understand why
Rabbeinu Akiva Eiger, according to his particular line of
thought, could not answer the kushya in any of the
usual ways. In addition, the author cites prominent
acharonim who have analyzed what Rabbeinu Akiva Eiger
has written and adds to their explanations so that they will
be better understood.
The new sefer on Perek Hador is of particular
importance because this perek, which deals with eiruvei
chatseiros and mevo'os, is one of the most
complicated ones in the Shas and also hardly any
seforim that explain it in the manner of the yeshivos
have been published. The sefer has one hundred
simonim that have been arranged according to the pages
of the gemora and almost every page of Perek
Hador is thoroughly explained.
The author of Heir Yosef, HaRav Yosef Arie Lorincz,
rosh kollel Divrei Shir, Bnei Brak is a former pupil
of the great Rosh Yeshiva Maran HaRav Shach, zt"l. On
the fist volume of the series, the author was fortunate to
have his enthusiastic endorsement, in which Maran wrote: "I
was extremely pleased to see the fruits of great toil of my
dear friend, who is destined to be a gaon in diligence
and talents. Both from my previous knowledge of him and from
what I now see, he is a new jug containing old wine. I see
that this book will be very useful to those who learn from
it."
The seforim have also been graced with the blessings
of the author's teacher and rebbe, HaRav Aharon Yehuda Leib
Shteinman, shlita, in which he writes in part: "I was
pleased to hear that you are about to publish chiddushei
Torah on the works of Rav Akiva Eiger, whose name and
memory are the delight of every diligent Torah scholar. . . .
I would like to bless you that you should merit further to
teach and be mechadesh chiddushei Torah to all of
Jewry."
The volumes that have been published have taken their place
among the basic seforim that are used in the Torah
world, and have been so eagerly accepted that they have had
to be reprinted. A variety of seforim on halocho
and shiurei Torah recently published, quote and
rely on these seforim and most certainly this last
sefer will also be well-received by rabbis and
students alike. We look forward to seeing the project of
Mishnas Rabbi Akiva Eiger continuing.
