Title

Description

The aims and statutes of the society, including the obligation of the members of the society to study a chapter of Mishnah daily. In addition, each member is obligated to study a tractate of Talmud assigned to him by the trustees. The statutes were confirmed on Friday of Ḥol ha-Moed Sukot, 5543 (September 27, 1782). The first of numerous signatures is apparently that of the renowned Ḥasidic Rebbe, Rabbi Shimon Shlomoh Vertheym [c. 1805-1864] of Savran. [These statutes were published in an appendix entitled “Shalshelet ha-kodesh Savran–Bender” (pp. 24-28) to Sefer Or ha-Shemesh (Jerusalem 2008), by Rabbi Shimon Shlomoh Vertheym. They were transcribed from a lengthier manuscript than the one presented here. “Shalsheles ha-kodesh Savran-Bender” (p. 24) notes that the transcribed pinkas states that the Savraner Rebbe’s father’s name was Meir though it was actually Avraham.] [Images 1-9]

Entries recording the following: acceptance of new members into the society; the results of elections; the names of those who purchased synagogue seats; the names of donors; and other matters. These entries begin during Passover of 5581 (1821) and are not always in chronological order. Towards the end of the pinkas are entries from the early years of the society, prior to 1821. Apparently, the latest entries were entered in 1874. [Images 9-34]

The following are particularly interesting entries appearing in Images 9-34:

Two entries testify to the purity of two young girls who suffered falls. [Image 20]

In 1846, Mrs. Rivka-Vitye, the daughter of Morenu (Our Teacher) Ya’akov-Leyb, donated to the bet ha-midrash [synagogue] a set of the six orders of Mishnah which cost 10 rubles. She also donated 10 rubles to the Mishnah Society so that its members would study the six orders of the Mishnah upon her death for the benefit of her soul. [Image 24]

“The original purpose of the society was to study the Mishnah collectively. Since with the passing of time these studies have been neglected, we have decided to reinforce the original purpose of the society,” 1866. [Image 27]

A list of the seats of the members of the society in the synagogue. The first name on the list is that of the rabbi and magid (preacher) of the community, Rabbi Shimon Shlomoh [Vertheym] whose seat is south of the ark. [Image 34]

A product of a cooperative agreement between the Russian National Library andTouro University’s Project Zikaron in 2019. This pinkas is part of the Günzburg Manuscript Collection at the Russian National Library in Moscow. In the 1890s, Baron David Günzburg of St. Petersburg, Russia hired Avraham Sharfshteyn to arrange for the original pinkas and others like it to be transcribed for his private library. The current location of the original pinkas is unknown, if it at all still exists. This overview was prepared by Rabbi Yitzchok Stroh of Brooklyn, New York, in 2020.

Category

Year of Publication/Creation

1782-c.1874

Language(s)

Hebrew

Geographic Places

• Savran, Ukraine (read online)