Title

Description

[Overview: The melamdim (teachers in the Talmud Torah) in Uman created this society. In Eastern Europe, a Talmud Torah denoted a traditional Jewish elementary school. It differed from the privately-funded kheyder in that it consisted of several grades, was financed by the community, and usually served the children of the poor. The members of this society were required to pray together and help each other in progressing in the service of G-d. This pinkas (ledger) contains the purpose and statutes of the society.]

Title page. [Image 1]

In statute #8, each member agreed to accept a poor child from the Talmud Torah as one of his students free of charge, or he would fund a poor Talmud Torah student of another melamed. Apparently, this proved too difficult, and the rabbinical court of Uman, with the approval of the members of the society, modified this statute. Endorsement of the statutes of the society signed in Uman on 4 Tishrei, 5617 (1857), apparently by a Ḥasidic Rebbe who was named Mordekhai. [Image 3]

A letter of endorsement and blessings by Rabbi Betsalel, son of Noaḥ; an entry signed by Rabbi Shlomoh son of Yisrael Ya’akov of Ir Ḥadash [Nove Misto, 48°54' N 28°24' E] in 5611 (1851); and an entry by the heads of the community stating that the rules of the society apply to all melamdim and their assistants, even those who are not mentioned here. [Image 5]

The purpose of the society is outlined in a lengthy discourse detailing the three fundamentals: prayer, love for one’s fellow, and the seeking of truth and sincerity. [Images 7-12]

An acrostic poem, which describes the purpose of the society, forms the name of the society. [Image 13]

Twenty statutes of the society, of which a number of them were established to circumvent unfair competition amongst the melamdim. The statutes were established in 5608 (1848). [Images 14-18]

Entries recording the acceptance of members into the society. [Images 19-22]

Note by the transcriber calculating the year the ledger was written. [Image 34]

A product of a cooperative agreement between the Russian National Library and Touro University’s Project Zikaron in 2019. This pinkas is part of the Günzburg Manuscript Collection at the Russian National Library in Moscow. This overview was prepared by Rabbi Yitzchok Stroh of Brooklyn, New York, in 2020.

Category

Year of Publication/Creation

1849-

Language(s)

Hebrew

Geographic Places

• Uman (Imen), Ukraine (read online)