Rabbi Avraham Benshimon

The sefarim

Tzofnas Paneach, elucidated

צפנת פענח על הרמב״ם

One continuous project, not a shelf of separate books: a volume-by-volume elucidation of the Rogatchover Gaon's commentary on the Mishneh Torah, following the Rambam's own order.

Each volume sets the Rogatchover's original text alongside three things the reader would otherwise have to supply: the identification of every source he cites without naming, the parallel treatments of the same idea scattered across his other writings and responsa, and the reasoning he left unstated. These are woven into the text rather than printed as a separate commentary alongside it.

The publisher's own description puts it plainly:

המאפשרים ללומד לעמוד על כוונת רבינו שכתב את חידושיו בקיצור נמרץ

— enabling the student to grasp the intent of an author who wrote his novellae in extreme brevity.

The series follows the Rambam's own order. Rabbi Benshimon works from the Rogatchover's handwritten manuscripts, supplied by Machon Tzofnas Paneach. He works alone.

9 volumes · the series continues

The volumes

Sefer Zmanim

  • צפנת פענח – הלכות שבת

    The Laws of Shabbos

    Hilchos Shabbos · Mosad HaRav Kook, Jerusalem · 5770 · 484 pp.

    At the publisher

Sefer Nashim

  • צפנת פענח – הלכות אישות (חלק א׳ – קידושין)

    The Laws of Marriage, part one: Betrothal

    Hilchos Ishus, pt. 1 — Kiddushin · Mosad HaRav Kook, Jerusalem · 5771

    At the publisher
  • צפנת פענח – הלכות אישות (חלק ב׳ – כתובות)

    The Laws of Marriage, part two: The marriage contract

    Hilchos Ishus, pt. 2 — Kesubos · Mosad HaRav Kook, Jerusalem · 5772 · 540 pp.

    At the publisher
  • צפנת פענח על הרמב״ם – הלכות גירושין

    The Laws of Divorce

    Hilchos Gerushin · 5769

  • צפנת פענח – הלכות גירושין (מהדורת פריעדמאן)

    The Laws of Divorce

    Hilchos Gerushin (Friedman edition) · Machon Yerushalayim, Jerusalem · 5786 · 487 pp., 24×17 cm

    At the publisher
  • צפנת פענח – הלכות יבום וחליצה

    The Laws of Levirate Marriage and Chalitzah

    Hilchos Yibum va-Chalitzah · Mosad HaRav Kook, Jerusalem

  • צפנת פענח – הלכות סוטה, הלכות נערה בתולה

    The Laws of the Sotah, and of the Na'arah Besulah

    Hilchos Sotah, Hilchos Na'arah Besulah

Sefer Kedusha

  • צפנת פענח – הלכות איסורי ביאה ח״א

    The Laws of Forbidden Relations, part one

    Hilchos Issurei Biah, pt. 1 · Machon Yerushalayim, Jerusalem · 5766

    At the publisher
  • צפנת פענח – הלכות איסורי ביאה ח״ב

    The Laws of Forbidden Relations, part two

    Hilchos Issurei Biah, pt. 2 · Machon Yerushalayim, Jerusalem

    At the publisher
  • צפנת פענח – הלכות איסורי ביאה ח״ג

    The Laws of Forbidden Relations, part three

    Hilchos Issurei Biah, pt. 3 · Machon Yerushalayim, Jerusalem · 5782

    At the publisher

The sefarim are sold by their publishers in Jerusalem; there is no shop on this site. Availability changes, and some volumes go out of stock between printings.

Reception

How the work has been received

I know some who have a team of people, a whole kollel of avreichim, to put out such a sefer.
The Skverer Rebbe

On being presented with the third volume in May 2012 — he already owned the first two. Told that Rabbi Benshimon works alone, he did not hide his surprise, and gave toward the printing of the fourth. Reported here.

…has brilliantly intertwined the words of the Rogatchover with his annotations and explanations.
Rabbi Yosef Motchovitz

His editor at Mosad HaRav Kook, who described him as a great Torah scholar and said the manuscript needed minimal revision. Reported here.