Hebräische Schriften II, 1

The Pentateuch. Introduction to volumes 15-18 by Werner Weinberg. Das Hohelied. Edited by Werner Weinberg Volumes 15 to 18 provide a reproduction of Mendelssohns Pentateuch edition (Netivot ha schalom - The Paths of Peace, Berlin: George Friedrich Starcke 1780-1783), as well as a translation of the Song of Solomon (Megillat schir ha-schirim, Berlin: Jüdische Freischule 1784/85). In addition to the biblical text, the Pentateuch edition includes Mendelssohns German translation, the commentary (Biur) which he wrote together with his colleagues Salomo Dubno, Naftali Herz Wessely, Aaron Jaroslaw and Herz Homberg as well as the Masoretic texts by Salomo Dubno and Schalom Meseritz (Tikkun sofrim). At the beginning of this edition there are approbations, a treatise and a poem by Wessely, the fragmentary introduction by Dubno, Mendelssohns own introduction as well as a list of subscribers. The introduction gives a detailed description of the origins and the reception of this pivotal work of Jewish Enlightenment.