Halachic Novellae and Sermons and for the entire year, including Pilpulim for Sabbath HaGadol and Sabbath Teshuvah and Holidays.

Rabbi Dr. Raphael Breuer (1881-1932), district rabbi of Aschaffenburg, Bavaria, was the elder brother of R. Joseph Breuer (later of New York), son of R. Salomon Breuer, who in turn was the son-in-law of R. Samson Raphael Hirsch and his successor as rabbi in Frankfurt. Raphael was a renowned Bible commentator and preacher in the Hirschian tradition. He published commentaries on the Five Scrolls, the Former Prophets, and the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. His candidacy to succeed his father in the Rabbinate following the later’s death in 1926 was blocked by Jacob Rosenheim who sought to prevent a Breuer hegemony in Frankfurt and furthermore, was opposed to the philosophical tenor of Raphael Breuer’s writings. These sermons reflect the author’s profound knowledge of the entire spectrum of Midrashic and Halachic literature. In many cases applying halachic concepts to Aggadah. For example he applies the laws of inheritance to the division of the land of Israel. He cites responsa Kethav Sofer on changing a pledge to charity and Mateh Levi by R. Mordechai (Marcus) Horowitz of Frankfurt on issues pertaining to the Fast of Esther. His citation of Horowitz is surprising as Horowitz was the rabbi of the general community in opposition to Hirsch’s separatist congregation. Raphael Breuer’s broad knowledge of scholarly literature is evident by his citation of such non-rabbinical scholars as Prof. Friedrich Thieberger. Raphael Breuer’s commentaries to the Five Scrolls have recently been published in Hebrew translation, prepared under the editorship of Dr. Elliot Bondi.