Rabbi Hutner wrote that Rabbi Zevin personally reviewed and largely rewrote every entry in the first 12 volumes.

The 27th volume of the monumental project founded by Rabbis Meir Bar-Ilan and Shlomo Zevin - The Talmudic Encyclopedia - was published this month, covering topics as diverse as honor of Sabbath and festivals, conquest in war, Cuthites (Samaritans), and more.



Leading Torah scholars of the generation, including Rabbis Avraham Shapira, Yosef Shalom Elyashiv and Ovadiah Yosef, were ceremoniously presented with copies of the new volume in recent days.



The Talmudic Encyclopedia was the initiative of Rabbi Meir Bar-Ilan, son of the famed Netziv (Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin) and brother of Rabbi Chaim Berlin. He developed the concept of summarizing the Talmudic discussions in encyclopedic form, and, together with Rabbi Shlomo Yosef Zevin, founded the project.

The first volume was published in 1947, followed by an additional volume every two or three years. In addition, two volumes of indices have been published, as have special volumes on topics such as the Passover Haggadah, the Land of Israel, electricity in Jewish Law, and more. The entire project appears in CD form as well.

Six volumes have also been published in English.



Rabbi Prof. Avraham Steinberg, M.D., author of the five-volume Encyclopedia of Jewish Medical Ethics, has recently taken over the Executive Directorship of the project, succeeding Rabbi Yehoshua Hutner (brother-in-law of the late Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda Kook), who served in this position for 50 years. Chaim Falk has recently taken over as administrator of the project, and said he hopes that the entire project, which is approximately half-finished, will be completed within a generation.

Hundreds of Torah scholars have taken part in the encyclopedia over the years, but none played as important a role as Rabbi Zevin. Rabbi Hutner wrote that Rabbi Zevin personally reviewed and largely rewrote every entry in the first 12 volumes.