Levinsohn, Isaac Ber. Efes Damim [”No Blood:” proving that blood libels were false and preposterous]

(BLOOD LIBEL).

Menachem Mann and Simcha Zimel

Vilna

1837

First edition. With marginal corrections in a contemporary hand.

Vinograd, Vilna 375.

Isaac Ber Levinsohn (”Riba’l,” 1788-1860) was one of the leaders of the Haskalah movement in Russia, most of whose literary compositions were of a polemical and propagandistic nature, advocating Haskalah. However the present work was written to refute the general concept of the notorious blood-libel, soon after an accusation was brought against the Jews of Zaslav, Poland in 1835. Leading Rabbis turned to Levinsohn to compose a text that would prove the absurdity of these long discredited accusations. Written in the form of a debate between a Rabbi (Abraham Maimon, Supreme Haham of Jerusalem) and Simmias (Greek Patriarch of Jerusalem), it was also supplemented by relevant papal bulls and State proclamations in Latin, Russian and Polish. Even the Chassidic Rebbe, R. Israel of Ruzhin supported Levinsohn and wrote a letter on his behalf over this important issue (see p. vii). The work was translated into English and other languages following the events of the Damascus blood libel in 1840.