(“Karliner”). Emek Beracha. With an introduction by Y. M.Pines.

Affectionately known as R. David Karliner, the author (1828-1915) who also composed Piskei Halachoth Yad David and Sheiloth David was broadly respected by his rabbinic peers, indeed R. Chaim Soloveitchik and R. Chaim Ozer Grodzinsky called him the “Gadol HaDor” and “Yachid Bedoreinu” (see Ohalei Shem pp. 172-174 and M. Zeira, Yesurun, Vol. 9, pp. 786). The present work is a defense by the author of his brother-in-law, R. Yechiel Michel Pines (1843-1913) an early exponent of religious Zionism and a leader of the Chovevei Zion movement. Pines was a supporter of secular education in Jerusalem which provoked the ire of the traditional rabbinate of leadership in Eretz Israel. Ultimately this led to a sentence of cherem agaist Pines issued under the authority of R. Yehoshua Leib Diskin. Thereafter R. Samuel Salant attempted to come to R. Pines’ rescue over this matter however R. Diskin refused to back down. The present work is an appeal by R. Pines’ brother-in-law R. David Karliner against the cherem. This particular copy includes unpublished manuscript notes written by R. David Karliner (in another hand) on Pines’ introduction (see B. Davlitzky, Beth Aaron VeYisrael Vol. 21, No. 122 pp. 20-8 who records a portion of these manuscript entries).