Baer, Seligman
THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA
Bagdad
434
clone in Masoretic
the Crusades ("Quellen zur Geschichte der Juden
lie
in Deutschland, "
manuscripts (pp. 10 et seq.); that has introduced a number of anti-Masoretic pauses
that his division of the Sedarim is faulty (p. 41); that he has introduced the dagesh into the first letter of words when the preceding word ends with the same letter (p. 117), as well as the dagesh which follows upon a guttural with silent shewa and a hatef-patah under the first of two similar letters (pp. 466, 662), all of which are not warranted by the best manuscripts. The Criticisms Masoretic notes at the end of Bacr's of the edition are also criticized (p. 92), espeWork. cially the lists of various readings. Further, the Aramaic paradigms attached to the edition of Daniel, Ezra, and Nehemiah have also been the subject of criticism on the part of Kautzsch (" Grammatik des Biblisch-Aramaischen,"p. 23). Many of these faults were due to Baer's inability to consult manuscripts in the large European collections; yet, in spite of this, his editions will remain for some time to come the standard (p. 29)
Masoretic text. Of his separate treatises dealing with the same subject maybe mentioned "Torat Emet " (The True Law), 1852, Rodelheim, on the accentuation of the poetic books of the Old Testament, of which an enlarged edition in German, together with "Masoretisehe Uebersichten, " was added as an appendix to the first edition of Delitzsch's Commentary on the Psalter (vol. ii., Leipsic, 1860); "Die Methegsetzung," in Merx's "Archiv fiir Wissensch. Erforschung des Alten Testaments " (Halle, 1867, i. 55 et seq. but compare Gratz, " Monatsschrif t, " 1887, p. 483); his edition (in conjunction with H. L. Strack) of the " Dikduke ha-Te'amim of Aaron ben Moses ben Asher (Leipsic, 1879); and his lengthy criticism of Ginsburg's Masora in "Z. D. M. G." 743 et seq. To the Rabbinic Bible, which was to have been published by the Romms in Wilna (1894), Baer contributed the Masora, a work upon which he spent many years. What Baer did for the Old Testament, he tried also His "Seder 'Abodat to do for the Prayer-book. Yisrael " (Ritual of Israel's Service), Rodelheim, 1868, is accompanied by a literary and philological commentary, " Yakin Lashon " (Preparatory Study of Language), which has made the work a standard auAttached to it is the text of the Psalms, thority. accurately vocalized and accented (see Kobak's "Jeschurun," vi. 217; Berliner, in "Israelit," 1868, Nos. 24 and 26). Among Baer's other works may be mentioned: "Leket Zebi" [Collation of Zebi], Sammlung von Gebeten (Rodelheim, 1855, 1861); " Tikkun ha-Sofer weha-Kore " (Correct Text for the Scribe and Reader), the Masoretic text His Other of the Pentateuch, together with the laws governing the writing of synaWorks. gogue scrolls (Rodelheim, 1856); "Dibre ba-Berit " (The Words of the Covenant), on the prayers and observances connected with circumcision (Rodelheim, 1871); " Tozeot Hayyim" (Issue of Life), prayers for the dead (ib. 1871), and "Zibhe Zedek" (Sacrifices of Righteousness) on Shehitah (ib. 1876). During the latter part of his life, Baer ventured into the field of history, and translated for the Commission for the History of the Jews in Germany the
Hebrew accounts
of the persecutions at the time of
ii. Berlin, 1892). The venture was not successful, as Brann has shown in "Monatsschrift," xxxvii. 196 et seq., 286 et seq. ,
Bibliography: JcivMi Chronicle, March 12, 1897, p. 12 pare Allgemeiuc Zcit. t/es Judenthums, 1895, p. 467.
com-
G.
s.
BAER (DOB) BEN SHRAGA:
Author; lived
in Berlin at the beginning of the nineteenth century.
He
Nahale Debash " (Streams of Honey), which contains many extracts from various Hebrew books dealing mainly with philosophical and ethical subjects. wrote
Berlin,
"
1832,
J.
l. g.
BAER, (DOB)
BEN
TJRI PH03BTJS
Ch.
Author,
He resided at Altona, of the eighteenth century. Germany, where in 1737 he wrote "Be'er-Tob" (A Good Explanation), containing
casuistic
and homi-
explanations to the Talmud.
letical
J-
l. g.
BAERMANN, ISSACHAR NAZI,
I.
See
Ch.
Ashke-
BAEKMANN.
BAERMANN OF
LIMBTJRG: German wrilived at Frankfort-on-the-Main at the end of the seventeenth century and at the beginning of the He published (Frankfort-on-the-Main, eighteenth. ter
1712) a Judseo-German play, with the Hebrew title "Mekirat Yosef " (The Sale of Joseph), destined for the Feast of Purim, which excited great interest. It was performed in Frankfort on the Feast of Purim, 1713, with much success, many Christians
The actors were Jewish students from Prague and Hamburg. The same comedy was acted at Metz, and became a favorite Purim play being present.
among
the Polish Jews generally. Bibliography Schudt, Jlldische MerTnvttrdighciten, ii. Abrahams, Jewish Life in the Middle Ages, pp. 263,
314 264
Steinschneider, Cat. Bodl. col. 769. I.
g.
BAERWALD, HERMANN:
Br.
German educa-
born at Nakel, in the province of Posen, Nov. 7, His academic education began at the gym1828. nasium of Konitz, continued at the Elisabeth-Gymnasium of Breslau, supplemented by a couple of years spent under the inspiring influence of Gustav A. Stenzel, then the head of a school devoted to the study of philology and history, and wound up at the University of Berlin, where he became an object of Leopold von Ranke's interest, who greatly influenced Baerwald's future career. With his academic titles gained at the Prussian capital, Baerwald proceeded in 1856 to Vienna, only to be called three years later to Berlin to fill an important place at the Jewish Teachers' Seminary of that city. Here he remained till 1868, when a call was extended to him from the Jewish community of Frankfort-on-the-Main to act thereafter as the director of their realschule for boys and girls known under the name of the " Philantor
A
thropin." more favorable field for the realization of Baerwald's great qualities could not be found. Baerwald was possessed of a deep longing to spread light and relieve human misery, and a noble presence, rendered magnetic by a charm of manner and a soft, melodious voice, opened to him every heart and even many a capacious purse for the benefit of
