[Avodah] Levush for missing parts of Aruch Hashulchan

[Dovi Jacobs]

(Shavua Tov. Reposting this to Avodah from Areivim as per moderator's request.)

For those who use the Aruch Hashulchan to learn and review halachah, I'm pleased 
to announce that the Levush is now available online for the missing parts of 
Yoreh Deah. The AHS itself was styled after the Levush, and while there are very 
important differences between the two, learning the Levush is certainly one good 
to review the chapters that are missing in the AHS. The Levush is a wonderful 
work for the general study and review of halachah, though nowadays it is often 
neglected for that purpose, and it would be wonderful if this might be a small 
way to revive its usage.

The digital online edition of the Levush Ateres Zahav on Yoreh Deah is similar 
to the online AHS, including simple and extremely convenient navigation, full 
punctuation, division into paragraphs, and direct hyperlinks to sources. 
Additionally, the digital edition of each chapter includes an image of the 
printed page from the edition published in Prague, 1609 (one of the early 
editions published during the lifetime of the author). Credit and thanks go to 
the wonderful HebrewBooks.org project for making that scanned edition freely 
available online.

The texts currently available are those parts of Yoreh Deah which do not appear 
in the Arukh Hashulchan:

1. The Laws of Aku"m (simanim 123-182), including Yayin Nesekh, Avodas Kochavim, 
Ribbis, and Chukos ha-Aku"m. This important section of the Aruch Hashulchan was 
never published and ultimately lost. 

2. Hilkhos Terumos and Ma`seros (simanim 331-332). These are purposely missing 
in the AHS, because the author decided to leave them out in order to fully deal 
with them later in the Aruch Hashulchan He-Asid. There is, however, some value 
in learning them in their context within Yoreh Deah (especially for those who 
want to learn Yoreh Deah in its entirety), and thus their availability now in 
the Levush.

In the future I hope to complete two remaining projects:

1. Levush on Hilchos Nedarim and Shavuos (simanim 203-239). This part was 
missing in the original edition that appeared in the lifetime of the author (he 
apparently didn't have the opportunity to publish it). It was finally published 
in 1992 by Rabbi Dr. Simchah Fishbane from the author's manuscript. However, 
only one of the many editions of the Aruch Hashulchan contains it, so having the 
Levush in a convenient online format would be a useful substitute for those 
(including myself) who do not own that particular edition.

2. Aruch Hashulchan on Hilchos Niddah. The AHS is very full on these halachos, 
and it would also of course be of great practical value.

Besides the above, the AHS on Orach Chaim has been available in its entirety for 
some time already, as have large and significant parts of Yoreh Deah. Full 
indices for Orach Chaim and Yoreh Deah are at the following links:

http://he.wikisource.org/wiki/AHS:OH (Orach Chaim)
http://he.wikisource.org/wiki/AHS:YD (Yoreh Deah)
http://he.wikisource.org/wiki/LEV:YD (Levush on Yoreh Deah)

As always, the ultimate purpose of all these texts is to provide a tool that 
makes a serious review of halachah easier, more convenient, and more fruitful. 
The tool is free to use by anyone for any purpose.

Readers are of course invited to add their own texts as well. Even a single 
edited siman is welcome.

Also, I would like to make contact with Rabbi Dr. Simchah Fishbane. If anyone 
can provide assistance I would be grateful.

The Levush on these sections is dedicated to the memory Rivkah Zuckerman 
Matityah bat Yeshaya Halevi and Tirtzel of Har Homah, Jerusalem, whose shloshim 
will be this coming Monday (22 Kislev). She was a still-young woman who did an 
incredible amount of good for others before her life was cut short, a rare 
combination of idealism and zeal mixed with tolerance and kindness. May her 
parents, husband and children be comforted among the mourners of Zion and 
Jerusalem. More here: 
http://coffeeandchemo.blogspot.com/

Dovi Jacobs



      
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