Brookwrite

The Chafetz Project is the translation into English of three major Judaic works, circa 1700, by Moshe and Gershom Chafetz.

Moshe Chafetz

Moshe Chafetz (1663-1711), a rabbinical scholar in Venice, Italy, lived as a private tutor teaching Talmud and midrash. Born in Trieste, he dealt with philosophy, math, and natural sciences.

(Other name permutations: Moses ben Gershom, Moshe ben Gershom, Moses Gentili, Chefetz, and Hefez.)

One of his poetic works, written at age 13, is in the Venice edition of the Bible (1675-78). The poet Yomtov Valcasson wrote a poem for Chafetz's wedding (Venice, 1682).

• Hanukkat haBayit (lit. Dedication of the Temple), details the construction of the Second Temple (Venice, 1696).
• 58 sections describe various parts of the Temple (Menorah, Altar, Holy of Holies, the Gates, etc.)
• 19 diagrams, including a plan diagram indicating each of the 58 sections
• 52 pages (each represents two facing pages) plus introduction and glossary
• Sample page
• Melekhet Machashevet (Intentful Work), a homiletical-philosophical commentary on the Torah (Venice, 1710, with tables and a portrait of the author; second edition, Koenigsbuerg, 1810, with supercommentary, Machashevet Choshev, by Judah Leib Jaffe).
• First portrait ever published in a Hebrew book (1710 edition)
• Several online citations of this book exist
• 206 pages (first edition, each represents two facing pages; later Warsaw edition spread over many more pages)
• Sample page

Gershom Chafetz

Gershom ben Moses (1683-1700) was Moshe Chafetz's son. Upon his death at age 17, Moshe Chafetz published Gershom's Yad Charuzim, adding an introduction with Gershom's biography. Moshe Chafetz quotes some of Gershom's interpretation in Melekhet Machashevet.

• Yad Charuzim (lit. Handbook of Rhymes), a Hebrew rhyme lexicon. (Venice, 1700; second edition, without appendix and eulogy, but additional notes by Simchah Calimani, Venice, 1738-45)
• Twelve rules for Hebrew usage in poetry and rhyme scheme
• Appendix with a poetic version of Rambam's enumeration of the 613 mitzvot
• Eulogy by Solomon ben Isaac Nizza, Gershom's teacher (appendix)
• 72 pages (each represents two facing pages) plus the Rambam's 613 appendix
• Sample page

Some information repurposed from Encyclopedia Judaica

Moshe Chafetz
(inside cover, Melekhet Machashevet)

The Chafetz Project

Chafetz is believed to be in my family's direct lineage, which compels the project. No English translations are known to exist. If you know of one, please save me the thousands of hours of effort.

Melekhet Machashevet is still taught on occasion, and referenced in some sermons online.

Got Information?

Any information about these three books is greatly appreciated; in particular, any existing translations.

Contact me at djbrook@sbcglobal.net.