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Klal Yisroel has so much to be thankful to Artscroll. Not just for their wonderful translations of Tanach, Mishna, and Gemorah, but for their absolutely fabulous Jewish history publication. Both general and biographies. While the whole world is busy publishing all kinds of junk in the name of academic history, there are few like Artscroll that give us an accurate reading of Jewish history and personalities.
I find it ironic how all the Jewish leftists get riled up at the name of Artscroll since it interferes with the falsehoods regularly published by academia, but Baruch Hashem for Artscroll.
Klal Yisroel has so much to be thankful to Artscroll. Not just for their wonderful translations of Tanach, Mishna, and Gemorah, but for their absolutely fabulous Jewish history publication. Both general and biographies. While the whole world is busy publishing all kinds of junk in the name of academic history, there are few like Artscroll that give us an accurate reading of Jewish history and personalities.
Baruch Hashem for Artscroll. Imagine the Dafim that would CV not be learned without “Uncle Art”.
I also agree with Shlishi’s statement, excepting that Artscroll B’Davka does ignore areas that are in reality (as far as what we are trying to acompish with a Biography) unimportant. Do we really need to know that at the age of 5, Gadol X got into a fight with his sister? Or that he brushed his teeth (or did not)? It doesn’t help our understanding of the Gadol, or help our Yiras Shomayim. This is not a “Historical” biography, as with all Yiddishe publications, it has a purpose.
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I think Artscroll’s greatest contribution is their expanded Viduy in the back of the Yom Kippur Machzor. Everyone should read through that at least twice before Ma’ariv tomorrow night.
Everyone should read through that at least twice before Ma’ariv tomorrow night.
Actually we start Viduy at Mincha tomorrow. But point well taken.
I know, but the Viduy on Yom Kippur itself is much more important and usually has more feeling.
Also, that’s their greatest contribution to those who can already learn. Obviously, the Gemaras are their greatest contribution to K’lal Yisrael as a whole. (And the commentary to the Chumash is also amazing. When answering people’s questions on Chumash, I found that almost 9 out of 10 answers were found in the Artscroll notes).
I do have an issue with their Yom Tov machzorim. They tend to be unwieldy because they include numerous kapitlach not included in the regular siddur and it forced you to keep turning pages
thats true
i plan to email them with the kapitlach that my Shul is noheg to say so they can make a Machzor just for us. my muscles are getting sore from all that page turning and trying to support such a heavy Machzor. i just cant figure out why they would include kapitlach that i am not noheg to say.
Lesschumras: Having gone to a Shul that says almost all of those I really appreciate it.
Lesschumras: You can also go to a shul that follows “Minhag Artscroll” 🙂
In my opinion, Artscoll’s most important contribution is the Artscroll Shas which has enabled and encouraged thousands to learn gemorah. it’s maintainance of the tzuras hadaf and it’s own commentary make it a superior learning vehicle for all.
With it’s siddurim, Artscroll greatest contribution is the elimination of errors and poor typesetting that had crept into most of the earlier mass printed siddurim and the re-inclusion of tefilos and parts of tefilos that had been eliminated for political reasons.
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Is a regular Yid permitted to be choilek on an offene Artscroll?
gavra,
I would disagree about the biographies. If Gedolim are presented as people who were born as gedolim – they never got into a fight with their sister at age 5, never did anything wrong since age 1, never had to work hard to become who they became – then young people who read that will feel that their own shortcomings make it impossible to become a gadol.
Thanks to Artscroll I was able to understand every word of my Rosh Hashana davening and hopefully Yom Kippur also. The reason some people are against Artscroll is because it gives you all the answers and stops you from using your head as much. I agree that a buchor should not be using one to learn Gemorah but for others it’s fine.
gavra,
I would disagree about the biographies. If Gedolim are presented as people who were born as gedolim – they never got into a fight with their sister at age 5, never did anything wrong since age 1, never had to work hard to become who they became – then young people who read that will feel that their own shortcomings make it impossible to become a gadol.
I don’t necessarily agree. It gets down to what is the purpose of the biographies. You claim an additional purpose is to inspire others to become gedolim. I do not believe that to be the case. One does not become a Gadol by reading Artscroll.
IMHO, (and I guess you can ask Rabbi Finkelman what is correct), the purpose is to show us how specific actions of the Gadol made them what they were, and to show how anyone can adapt at least one of the actions. There is also a ??????? ???????? ?????? ???-???????? aspect. In addition, some of the biographies (specificly the Chofetz Chaim that I remember) deal with this specific issue (AKA, the story of the apple seller).
Besides, even if you are correct, saying that Gadol X got into a fight with his sister is not newsworthy (as everyone does it), and should still not be included.
my only issue is when people could learn without it and use it cuz its easier. what happened to ameilus?
i plan to email them with the kapitlach that my Shul is noheg to say so they can make a Machzor just for us. my muscles are getting sore from all that page turning and trying to support such a heavy Machzor. i just cant figure out why they would include kapitlach that i am not noheg to say.
Once completed, you can use the Open Siddur Project to create a siddur based on your shul’s minhagim.
my only issue is when people could learn without it and use it cuz its easier. what happened to ameilus?
That is why Rav Shach was against it (as I tried to point out originally). However, other Gedolim (such as Rav Gifter, IIRC) thought the rewards are greater than the risks.
Musser zoger- That’s all you have to say about Artscroll?(; Don’t you have a Artscroll joke.
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