This is an interesting book by a rather forgotten Chassidic Rabbi. Rabbi Simon Baumberg was born in Lodz in Poland in 1872. Dayan Lazarus wrote of him that his early Chassidic association left him a student of Jewish mysticism, the philosophical Kabbalah, while his grandfather imbued him with his own love for music. Rabbi Baumberg played the violin with joyous emotion, especially Jewish music. At the age of 13 he became the pupil of Rabbi Moses Baruch Cohen, of Izbica, who in the course of time gave him his daughter in marriage, and in his latter days employed his pupil and son-in-law as his assistant in the Rabbinical office. Rabbi Baumberg received his Semicha (Rabbinical Diploma) from Rabbi Joshua Trunk, of Kutno, and from the famous Rabbi of Plock, Yecheskel Lipschitz, later of Kalisch.
He came to England around 1920 with his family and settled in Willesden, London. Rabbi Baumberg was authorised by the Chief Rabbi to decide on ritual matters regarding schechita (ritual slaughter of animals for meat). He died at his residence, 6 Blenheim Gardens, Willesden Green at the end of 1939.
The book itself is about the religious laws of Niddah (Jewish family purity), and in particular, modern medical views on menstruation which suggested that observance of these practices resulted in a lower cancer rate amongst religious Jewesses.
It starts with a very impressive series of “haskomos” – approbations or letters of appreciation, in English. These include, Rabbi Isaac Herzog, then Chief Rabbi of Ireland and destined to become Chief Rabbi of Palestine, Rabbi Dr. Meier Hildesheimer of Berlin, who was Rabbi of the Adas Yisroel in Berlin, Dayan Hillman of the London Beth Din, Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook of Palestine, and Rabbi Moshe Mordecai Epstein, the Chief Rabbi of Slobodka.
Jewish Miscellanies 