Rabbi Ganzfried's two million Kitzurs - Shlomo Ganzfried's book 'Kitzur Shulkhan Arukh

Judaism, Fall, 1997 by Jack E. Friedman

As the preceding comments suggest, the Kitzur was not a polemic directed against the Neologs. It does admonish adherents of halakha not to follow gentile ways, "not in dress, nor hair style and related mannerisms," but such caveats are rooted in rabbinic interpretations of Biblical strictures. Nor was the Kitzur intended to discourage scholarly immersion in the oral tradition. "Every Jew is required to study Torah," he instructs in the chapter on that topic.

There is no reason to believe that Ganzfried expected the Kitzur to roll back the tide of Reform in Hungary. Of course, as the nineteenth century came to a close, deviations from the norms of Orthodoxy, and assimilation, became increasingly pronounced in many regions of the country, and even among the committed there was a readiness to find accommodation with the outside world. In Ungvar, Rabbi Elimelech Kahana, the last chief rabbi before the Holocaust, maintained friendly relations with his Christian counterparts and every summer issued a joint declaration with the Greek Orthodox archbishop urging modest behavior on youths bathing in the River Ung.(10)

But as its increasing acceptance suggests, for large segments of the Jewish population in Eastern Europe and, later, throughout the continent and beyond, the Kitzur proved a protective hedge against the alien winds.

In our day, Orthodox men - and women - no longer depend as much on the Kitzur as their primary source for halakhic guidance. With the contemporary explosion of interest in Jewish learning, a more sophisticated lay audience is more likely to spend its time on the basic texts of Jewish scholarship and on an impressive array of works that provide practical halakha in specific areas of observance. But the Kitzur remains a major classroom vehicle for introducing schoolchildren to their religious obligations. And, even among those versed in the original sources, there is scarcely a family that does not own a copy.

The Kitzur's continuing relevance is due not only to its effective transmission of the essential tenets of the tradition. It owes a debt as well to the scholars and editors who have contributed addenda that reflect evolving halakhic concerns. Illustrative are editions of the Kitzur that include selections from the Mishneh Berurah, a more recent popular halakhic compendium; a compilation of laws that apply specifically to life in Israel; and chapters devoted to Sephardic rites and customs.

Ganzfried, obsessed with maintaining the Kitzur's brevity, might have lamented such additions. But then again, given his devotion to improving his work, he might have welcomed these enhancements to the Kitzur's continuing timeliness. Whatever the case, the chances are good that before many decades, the Kitzur will be approaching the three million mark.

NOTES

1. The most complete (and recent) bibliographies of Ganzfried's writings are Yehuda Rubinstein, "Toldot HaGaon Rav Shlomo Ganzfried zt"l, U'Bibliographia shel S'forov," HaMayan, Vol. 11, Tammuz, 5731 (1971), pp. 1-31; and Naftali Ben-Menachem, "He'arot VeHashlamot HaBibliographit shel Sifrei Rav Shlomo Ganzfried z"l shel HaRav Yehuda Rubinstein," HaMayan, Vol. 12, Tishrei, 5732 (1972), pp. 39-42.