Editing Samson Raphael Hirsch (section)

== Works==
[[File:Samson Raphael Hirsch. Bernard Drachman. The Nineteen Letters of Ben Uziel. 1899.pdf|thumb|''The Nineteen Letters of Ben Uziel''. Translated by [[Bernard Drachman]], 1899.]]
[[File:Tehilim translated and elucidated by Rabbi Shamshon Refael Hirsch. Frankfurt A.M. 1882.de.jpg|thumb|The Book of Psalms translated and elucidated by Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch. Frankfurt A.M. 1882.]]
[[File:Samson Raphael Hirsch. Sefer Horev. 1895.pdf|thumb|Horev, 1895 Hebrew translation]]

===Commentary on the Torah===
Hirsch's innovative and influential commentary on the Pentateuch 
<ref>See general discussion under: Rabbi Y. Kaganoff (2016). [https://mishpacha.com/a-new-commentary-for-a-changed-world/ A New Commentary for a Changed World], [[Mishpacha|mishpacha.com]]</ref>
(''Uebersetzung und Erklärung des Pentateuchs'', "Translation and explanation of the Pentateuch"; 5 volumes published 1867–78), has been "hailed as a classic" since the publication of the first volume, ''[[Book of Genesis|Bereshit]]''.
According to Hirsch, the goal of the commentary was to expound the text by ascertaining the exact meaning of the words, their etymology, [[philology]], and origin, and, this achieved, "to establish, on the basis of [[halakha|halakhic]] and [[aggada|aggadic]] interpretations, [[Hashkafa|the Jewish ''Weltanschauung'']]".
<ref>Simon Langer (1961). [https://www.jstor.org/stable/23255293?seq=1  Reviewed Work: Commentary on the Pentateuch, Genesis. Exodus. Leviticus, Parts I and II by Samson Raphael Hirsch, Isaac Levy]. ''Tradition: A Journal of Orthodox Jewish Thought''. Vol. 3, No. 2 (SPRING 1961), pp. 233-238 ]</ref>
A feature of the commentary is its analysis of the meanings and symbols in the religious precepts ([[mitzvah|''mitzvot'']]); see further below. This analysis, too, builds on the discussion of the Hebrew, while at the same time, it draws on the treatment of each ''mitzvah'' in the [[Oral Torah]], intentionally <ref>Rabbi [[Yitzchak Blau]] (2019). [https://www.etzion.org.il/en/philosophy/issues-jewish-thought/rabbinic-thought/r-hirsch-and-details-mitzvot R. Hirsch and the Details of Mitzvot].</ref> consistent with the final application in [[Halakha]]. 
The commentary gained worldwide popularity for its scope of insight and information offered to scholar and layman alike, and is still widely referenced.<ref>See for example, [https://torah.org/series/ravhirsch/ "The Timeless Rav Hirsch"] on torah.org, and [https://outorah.org/series/86/ "Rav Hirsch"] on outorah.org</ref>
{{section link|Oral Torah#In rabbinic literature and commentary}} provides further context; and see also {{section link|Jewish commentaries on the Bible#Acharonim (1600–)}} and {{section link|Yeshiva#Torah and Bible study}}.

===Nineteen Letters===
Hirsch's ''Nineteen Letters on Judaism'' (''Neunzehn Briefe über Judenthum''), published in 1836 under the pseudonym "Ben Uziel", offered an intellectual presentation of Orthodox Judaism in classical German and a "fearless, uncompromising defense" of all its institutions and ordinances. (See under [[#Oldenburg|Oldenburg]] above.)
It was written in the form of a fictional correspondence between a young rabbi/philosopher and a youthful intellectual.<ref>[https://www.sefaria.org/Nineteen_Letters ''Nineteen Letters''] on [[sefaria]].org</ref> 
The first letter, the intellectual's, outlines the challenges that [[Jewish emancipation|emancipation]] created for modern Jews, and questions the continued relevance of Judaism. The rabbi responds in the subsequent letters, discussing, in a structured sequence, God, man, and Jewish history; leading to a discussion of the ''mitzvot'' and their classification (as employed in ''Horeb''). 
The work made a profound impression on German Jewish circles and has been republished and translated several times; it is still influential and often taught.<ref>See for example: [https://outorah.org/series/3115/ ''19 Letters''], outorah.org; [https://staff.ncsy.org/education/education/material/4oEMREnXJF/19-letters-of-ben-uziel-teachers-guide/ 19 Letters of Ben Uziel Teacher's Guide], ncsy.org</ref>

===''Horeb''===
''Horeb'' (subtitled ''Versuche über Jissroel's Pflichten in der Zerstreuung'', “Essays on the Duties of the Jewish People in the Diaspora”), published 1838, is Rabbi Hirsch's presentation of Jewish law and observances, with particular emphasis on their underlying ideas, capturing the "unifying ideological threads"; 
these discussions are still regularly taught and referenced.
<ref>See for example [https://outorah.org/series/4128/ "Horeb - Philosophy of law and observances from Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch"], outorah.org, and [http://www.sarahlipman.com/horeb "Rav Hirsch Horeb Shiurim"], Sarah Lipman</ref>
The title is a reference to the [[Ten Commandments|(Ten) Commandments]]; [[Mount Horeb]], {{bibleverse||Exodus|3:1|HE}}, is another name for [[Mount Sinai]].
''Horeb'' is organized into six sections, according to Hirsch's classification of the commandments. 
As for the ''Letters'', its historical background is the [[Haskalah|enlightenment]], and particularly the beginnings of [[Reform Judaism]], and it thus constituted an attempt "to lead the young generation of Jewry back to the Divine law."<ref>Dayan [[Isidor Grunfeld]]. [https://web.stevens.edu/golem/llevine/rsrh/horebaphilosophy027897mbp.pdf ''Introduction to Horeb'']</ref>
See  also [[#Themes in his work|below]].
In it Hirsch shows that the Torah's ''mitzvot'', are not mere "ceremonies", but "duties" of Israel. 
It was then, to some extent, "a necessary concomitant of the Letters".
It was conceived, also, to deal with the practical observances of Judaism - providing summarised Halachot relevant to each sub-section.

===Commentary on the ''Siddur'' and Psalms===
Rabbi Hirsch left in manuscript at the time of his death a translation and explanation of the [[siddur|prayer-book]], which was subsequently published. 
His commentary on [[Pirkei Avot]] here, has been republished separately. 
His commentary on the book of [[Psalms]] (''Uebersetzung und Erklärung der Psalmen'', 1882) is still widely read; it underpins much of his ''siddur'' commentary.

===Works of activism===
Works here (besides similar mentioned above) include:
* Pamphlet: ''Jüdische Anmerkungen zu den Bemerkungen eines Protestanten'' (anon.), Emden, 1841- response to a provocative and anti-Semitic pamphlet by an anonymous [[Protestant]]
* Pamphlet: ''Die Religion im Bunde mit dem Fortschritt'' (anon.), Frankfurt am Main, 1854 - response to provocations from the side of the Reform-dominated "Main Community"
* Pamphlets during the Secession Debate:
** ''Das Princip der Gewissensfreiheit'' (The principle of freedom of conscience), 1874
** ''Der Austritt aus der Gemeinde'' (Leaving the community), 1876
* ''Ueber die Beziehungen des Talmuds zum Judenthum'' (On the Talmud's Relationships with Judaism), 1884  - a defense of [[Talmud]]ic literature against anti-Semitic slanders in Russia

===Translations and collections===
Most of Hirsch's writings have been translated into English and [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] by his descendants, starting with "Horeb" in the 1950s (by Dayan [[Isidor Grunfeld]] of London) and his [[Torah]] commentary in the 1960s (by his grandson Isaac Levi, also of London). Horeb was translated into Hebrew already in 1892.<ref>[https://beta.hebrewbooks.org/41649 Hebrew translation] @ hebrewbooks.org</ref>

The publication, in several volumes, of his collected writings (''Gesammelte Schriften'' or ''Nachalath Zwi'') was begun in 1902.<ref name=Klugman/> The bulk of these, that had previously been published in German in 1902-1912 under the title ''Nachalath Zwi'', were translated between 1984 and 2012 by the "Rabbi Dr. [[Joseph Breuer]]  [https://www.rabbibreuerfoundation.org Foundation]" (established to perpetuate the memory of Breuer, Hirsch's grandson, via publication of Hirsch's (and Breur's) writings).<ref name=Klugman/>
Many of the ''Collected Writings'' are available online and linked [https://web.stevens.edu/golem/llevine/rsrh/collected_writings.html here].

''Nineteen Letters'' was translated into English by Bernard Drachman in 1899<ref>Available [https://web.stevens.edu/golem/llevine/rsrh/The_Nineteen_Letters_of_Ben_Uziel.pdf in PDF], and as free-flowing text [https://www.sefaria.org/Nineteen_Letters?lang=bi at Sefaria].</ref> and 1960<ref>[https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/752695395 "'The Nineteen Letters on Judaism' Prepared by Jacob Breuer in a new edition based on the translation by Bernard Drachman"]</ref> by [[Jacob Breuer]] based on Drachman's translation. The latest translation to English was prepared by Karin Paritzky and revised by [[Joseph Tawil|Joseph Elias]] (who states that they "benefited greatly from the two earlier editions").<ref name=NineteenElias/><ref>Elias's edition was reviewed and critiqued by Shelomoh Danziger in Jewish Action, Summer 1996 (Volume 56, No. 4), [https://web.archive.org/web/20151226032628/https://web.stevens.edu/golem/llevine/rsrh/Danziger.pdf p. 20-24], with a dialogue of Elias and Danziger appearing in a following issue of Jewish Action ([https://web.archive.org/web/20170421025713/https://web.stevens.edu/golem/llevine/rsrh/RS%20Hirsch%20R'Elias%20vs%20R%20Danziger%20JAction.pdf p. 60-66]).</ref> Elias glosses Breuer's edition as "very readable" while panning it as an achievement reached "by the omission or simplification of a good many passages, so that the reader does not obtain the full meaning that the author intended."<ref name=NineteenElias>[https://books.google.com/books?id=REFEQ7JvrgQC The Nineteen Letters] (Second, corrected edition 1996), p. xxvi.</ref>