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<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>R. Naphtali Herz Weisel (Wessely)
was the first to author a commentary that explained the connection between
Torah shebeKtav and and Torah sheba’alPeh. He did this in the Biur on
Vayikra, and was the first to have done so, blazing the trail for R. Mecklenburg
to do so in his Ktav veKabbalah (1839). The latter quoted Wessely extensively
with the abbreviation RN”U = R. Naphtali Weisel. [Dayan Grunfeld in his
introduction to the Hirsch Chummash, vol. breishis, 2<sup>nd</sup> ed. 1971, p.
x, discussed the development of this type of commentary but unfortunately
omitted Wessely’s primary commentary of this genre.]<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Hirsch quoes him in his commentary
to Avot, I,1, i.e. right at the beginning of his peirush (Hirsch siddur, [feldheim
1972], p. 416.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>And for all the doubters out there,
in hirsch’s commentary to lev. 13, 3, (p, 332 of the judaica press, 1971,
2<sup>nd</sup> ed., vol 1 of lev. ) Hirsch quotes Wessely and I assume there
are more places also.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>I have a report from an émigré from
FFaM, who recounted that Hirsch would quote Mendelsohn, as he did in his 19
letters, and his chummash was studied. When hirsch’s son-in-law took
over, with a strong Hungarian influence, the mendelsohn commentary became
prohibited. I would presume that the same happened to Wessely. Concerning Wessely’s
activities in the haskalah, see M. Eliav’s volume (his phd actually)
Hachinuch haYehudi beGermania (<st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:City>,
1961) [Hebrew] which gives an extensive account including the bans upon him,
the removal the approbations to his Avot commentary, quoted by Hirsch as noted
above.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Hope this adds to your understanding.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Shlomo Pick<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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12.0pt'> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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