This is a beautifully written work that brings to life the world of Jacob ibn Habib and his contemporaries and explores the complex reception history of the En Yaaqov after its author's death. It's a must-read for anyone interested in the En Yaaqov, its author, and the history of aggadah."--Carol Bakhos "associate professor in the Department of Near Eastern Languages at UCLA "
A hugely important study of a crucial and much-neglected chapter in the history of rabbinic literature. Lehman's long-awaited study of the En Yaaqov, one of the great commentary works in the reception history of the Talmud, presents an indispensable contribution to the history of the Hebrew book. It provides a prehistory to the contemporary study of rabbinic aggadah, by compellingly embedding the En Yaaqov in the complex tapestry of the Jewish intellectual world of the post-1492 expulsion from Spain. Throughout, Lehman remains finely attuned to the significance of the En Yaaqov to the history of Jewish education. A beautiful book!"--Charlotte Elisheva Fonrobert "associate professor of religious studies at Stanford University "
Marjorie Lehman's The En Yaaqov: Jacob ibn Habib's Search for Faith in the Talmudic Corpus is a major work of intellectual history that will stand as a model of close textual scholarship, Jewish history, and the subtle play of the history of ideas."--Burton Visotzky "Appleman Professor of Midrash and Interreligious Studies at the Jewish Theological Seminary "
Marjorie Lehmans well-written book sheds important light on ibn Habibs accomplishment and its ramifications for Judaisms future.--Ira Robinson
The En Yaaqov is significant for studies of early modern Jewish rabbinic culture, especially in the Ottoman Empire, and for the history of the Jewish book.--Pinchas Roth