Mafteach HaKabalah by Rabbi Zev Wolf Tannenbaum, London, 1922.

This book, whose title means “Key to the Kabbalah” was published in London in 1922, and printed by Israel Narodiczky at his press in Mile End Road.  It is bound together with a second book, Sefer Erez Halevanon, “Cedar of Lebanon”.  The book itself is a fascinating and comprehensive guide to kabbalistic ideas, including tables and charts, written in the form of questions and answers.

The author, Rabbi Zev Wolf Tannenbaum, the son of Rabbi Shimon was born in 1857 in Parczew, Parczew County, Poland. In the book he mentions that he was 49 when his son, Avraham Shimon was born  in South Africa in 1906.  Some time after that, Rabbi Zev Wolf, also known as William, came to London. In 1921, just before this book was published, he was living at 222 Evering Road, Clapton, working as a Hebrew Teacher in private houses. 

Based on information in the book, Rabbi Tannenbaum’s wife had been married before, with a son Joseph Feldman.

The book starts with two key approbations (haskomos).  The first is an unusually lengthy one from the famous Rabbi Avraham Isaac Hakohen Kook.  He was Rabbi of the Machzikei Hadath Synagogue in Brick Lane, London, during the First World War, before leaving for Jerusalem and becoming Chief Rabbi of the Land of Israel (Palestine).  The second is from Rabbi Mayer Zvi Jung, who was the Chief Rabbi of the Federation of Synagogues in London from 1912.  In Europe he was a prominent Misnagged (an opponent of Chasidism), but in London he established a branch of the Aguda which encompassed a number of English Chassidic leaders.

Rabbi Zev Wolf was obviously known to the most prominent orthodox rabbonim of his day.  At the end of Erez Halevanon he thanks various people for their help in publishing this work, including:

Rabbi Moses Gaster, the Chacham of the Sephardic community in Britain, Rabbi Yaakov Rabinowitz, Rev. Asher Perlzweig, who was the Chozon (cantor) of the Finsbury Park Synagogue, and the printer Israel Narodiczky.

Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Ferber, rabbi of the “Adas Yeshurun Synagogue” in Soho, London, had also given his approbation (haskamah) to these books, but Rabbi Tennenbaum wrote that the approbation had been lost (!)

The connection with Rabbi Moses Gaster is interesting.  Among Moses Gaster’s interests was spiritualism.  Rabbi Tannenbaum participated with him in spiritual séances. Moses Gaster’s  identification as a spiritualist is attested in Maurice Barbanell, “East End Jewry has a Remarkable Medium”, Psychic News, 26th November 1938.

Rabbi Yaakov (or Jacob) Rabinowitz’s synagogue was in Dalston, not too far from Rabbi Tannenbaum’s address in Clapton.

The book was mentioned as forthcoming in the Jewish Chronicle of October 3, 1919, page 22.

‘The purpose of the book is not merely to reconcile Science with Religion. It endeavours to achieve far more than that aim. It claims to prove that not only does the Torah agree with Science, but that the  Torah and Science coincide, and that all the scientific discoveries of modern times were anticipated in ancient days, and can be clearly traced in Hebrew tradition. The work is the result of many years labour, and was originally written by the author to make the problems involved and their solution clear to his own mind. Mr. Tenenbaum now feels that the result of “his investigations may be acceptable to a  wider public, and has therefore decided on the venture of publishing his studies under the title of “The Key to the Kabbalah.”‘

Rabbi Zev Wolf Tannenbaum died in 1927, and an obituary was printed in the Jewish Chronicle on December 16, 1927, under the name of “Mr. William Tannenbaum”.  He was described as a “well-known Talmudist and worker in the cause of Jewish education. He frequently lectured on Cabbala, philosophy, religion and science. When he was in South Africa “thirty years ago”, he was in charge of the first Talmud Torah in Pretoria; and at the same time he delivered a number of lectures to the South African Theosophical Society.”

(Many thanks to Shmuli Royde and Rabbi Meir Salasnik for collecting most of the information above, so that we now know a little more about Rabbi Tannenbaum.)

A previous owner of my copy was Rabbi Ephraim Osher Rotenberg of Congregation Ner Israel, Los Angeles.  He was the son of the Kosner Rebbe, who had moved from New York to Los Angeles for health reasons.  Rabbi Rotenberg came to visit his father in Los Angeles shortly before the Second World War. War broke out, and his wife and family who remained in Hungary did not survive. Rabbi Rotenberg married again to a daughter of the Azarnitzer Rebbe and became a Rov in Los Angeles.

Rabbi Rotenberg had a London connection.  Every year when he went to Israel he visited London, where he had a niece, Rebbetzin Pinter, the second wife of Rabbi Shmelke Pinter, the head of Yesodei Hatorah. (Her first husband was the late Zidachover Rebbe from Chicago). He also had a great-niece, Rebbetzen Pinter (who is a daughter of the Zidachover Rebbe from Chicago), the wife of Rabbi Chaim Pinter, the Bikovsker Rov of London, and also a great nephew, the Kossoner Rebbe of London. Rabbi Rotenberg had a friend, Reb Yisroel Putnoker, known as Mr. Glauzius, who was one of the leading members of the 69 shul (at 69 Lordship Road, Stamford Hill).  The both learned prewar in the yeshivah of the great Rabbi Shimon Grunfeld, the famous Marshag of Semyhaly. On the short visits to London they learned together remembering old times in the yeshivah.  Sadly, Rabbi Rotenberg left no children.

(All the information about Rabbi Rotenberg above was kindly supplied by Maurice Kennedy.)

Perhaps Rabbi Rotenberg acquired this book on one of his trips to London.