LOEWE, JUDAH BEN BEZALEL.

Prague

v.d.

(MaHaRa’L of Prague). Hesped al Petirath Ha’chacham [eulogy for R. Akiva Frankfurt]. FIRST EDITION. ff. (7). [Vinograd, Prague 93; not in Adams]. (Moses ben Bezalel Katz), 1598. * MIDRASH VA’YOSHAH. (Anonymous). [midrashic commentary to The Song of Moses]. Third edition. ff. (4). [Vinograd, Prague 194; Steinshneider 3737; NO COPY IN JNUL]. n.p., (1610)

First work: The German preacher and author, R. Akiva ben Jacob Frankfurt died in Frankfurt am Main in 1597. He was the son-in-law of R. Simeon Guenzburg of Frankfort, with whose congregation he was associated as preacher, and by whose name he came to be known. His published works include; Techinnoth beKol Yom, (Basel, 1599); Zemiroth veShirim leShabbath, and Vikuach Ha’Yayin Ve’ha’Mayim - a fanciful dispute in verse between wine and water, with a translation in Judæo-German (Amsterdam, 1759). (See Eisenstadt-Wiener, Da'at Kedoshim, p. 199). Second work: This rare little Midrashic work belongs to the class of Agadah known as historical. Works of this genre undertook to embellish particular historic occurances. The theme of Midrash Va’yoshah, so named after the first word of Exodus Chap. XIV, verse 30, is the crossing of the Red Sea. It is narrative in character and though stemming from the Late Period of Midrashic Literature(1000-1200 CE), contains older fragments of material. See M. Waxman, vol. I pp. 147-8