Sefer By Rabbi Nosson Dubin
Reviewed by Rabbi Chaim Serebrowski
The halachos of taaruvos are among some of the most complicated in Shulchan Aruch, but a momentous new sefer can be an invaluable resource to those navigating the intricacies of those complex sugyos.
Sefer Hatza’as Hashulchan, recently published by Rabbi Nosson Dubin, is a product of 10 years of iyun and ameilus. In it, the halachos of taaruvos are presented with pristine clarity, in 248 pages of illuminative insights. It is a fundamental work, poised to become a go-to companion for those seeking to gain understanding in those often-elusive sugyos.
Rabbi Dubin grew up in Flatbush, where he learned in Yeshivos Chaim Berlin and Torah Temimah. After learning in Eretz Yisroel in the yeshiva of Rav Tzvi Kaplan, Rabbi Dubin returned to America and joined Bais Medrash Govoha. In 2014, he joined the Lakewood kollel in Houston, Texas, and two years later, he assumed the position of Rabbinic Administrator for the Houston Kashrus Association, and has been a leading figure in the local kashrus scene since. He subsequently founded Kosher Institute of America, an innovative kashrus education and consulting organization, which has become instrumental in training thousands of mashgichim for many of the premier hashgachos around the globe.
The seeds of Sefer Hatza’as Hashulchan predates Rabbi Dubin’s position as an authority in kashrus. More than a decade ago, when he was reviewing the sugyos of Yoreh De’ah for his semicha bechinos, he had scoured the seforim shranks and the local seforim stores seeking a sefer to assist him in reviewing the Shulchan Aruch and its nosei keilim. When he was not able to find a sefer that was optimized for reviewing, he began to write his own notes, laying out the back-and-forth of the various shittos found in and around the Shulchan Aruch. In time, an organizational masterpiece emerged.
Sefer Hatza’as Hashulchan is an indispensable companion for learning or reviewing hilchos taaruvos. Following the progression of simanim in Shulchan Aruch, the sefer dissects the opinions of the various nosei keilim, setting up the sugya in a precise fashion. Each step in each seif was carefully conceived and written, assuring that each shitta was presented in the most clear manner. The sefer also highlights the underlying lomdus behind each shitta, often identifying subtle differences in the wording between the nosei keilim. With skillful writing, the various opinions and their precise intricacies are presented in a cohesive narrative, allowing for easy understanding of the shittos and the minute differences between them.
Aside from the clear articulation of each siman, Sefer Hatza’as Hashulchan contains useful introductory overviews and comprehensive footnotes, allowing loimdim to go deeper into the background of halachos without impeding the clarity of the sefer’s primary delineations.
To avoid confusion and maintain a crystal clear progression, the sefer solely highlights the opinions of the Shulchan Aruch and the key nosei keilim – all contemporary opinions are either relegated to footnotes or omitted entirely. In the main body of the text, loimdim will be able to focus on the shittos of the Mechaber, Rama, Shach, Taz, Pischei Teshuva, and Rav Akiva Eiger.
As an example of what one can expect when they open Sefer Hatza’as Hashulchan, a typical siman of the sefer would follow this simple format: after the introductory overview of the halachos contained in the siman, the sefer opens with the halacha of the Mechaber, marked with the words “Shulchan Aruch” in the margin. Next would appear an example of the halacha cited by the Mechaber, also marked with the words “Shulchan Aruch.” The following entry, attributed to the Bach, contains a question on the Mechaber’s reasoning, with the basis for the question, from a halacha elsewhere, clearly explained in a footnote below. The next three entries contain three answers to the Bach’s question, marked “Taz,” “Taz,” and “Shach.” The sefer, now holding at the seventh step in the siman, continues by bringing the Rama next, pointing out how he differs from the Shulchan Aruch. The next sources address the Rama’s words, explaining, asking, and answering. Each step is subtitled, and any complex thoughts are broken down with numbers and bullet points, making the progression clear and easily comprehensible. In this manner, the sefer explains the entire progression of each siman, categorizing some of the most intricate sugyos into distinct, digestible steps.
Although Sefer Hatza’as Hashulchan was written to be a chazarah companion, many have utilized it when learning the halachos for the first time. The distinct categorization can lend a perspective to the sugya after initially learning the various shittos, allowing loimdim to get a grasp on the entirety of the topic easily. Additionally, many of the sugyos of Yoreh De’ah are interconnected, and requisite information for understanding a siman is often found elsewhere, making it difficult for someone learning the sugya for the first time to fully comprehend the sevaros and psakim being presented. In Hatza’as Hashulchan, Rabbi Dubin presents each shitta with the necessary context, which can be crucial to understand the subject.
One of the primary factors that makes Sefer Hatza’as Hashulchan such an alluring sefer is the beautiful and nuanced typeset, with clearly marked subheadings and distinctly visible sources. While nice graphics are always a great addition to a sefer, in Hatza’as Hashulchan, which focuses on purveying clarity in complex sugyos, the beautiful format is an extraordinary benefit. In addition, Sefer Hatza’as Hashulchan was published by Rabbi Moshe Hecht of Machon Meforshei Hashas, a leader in the field who has worked on some of the most prestigious seforim released over the last decade, and his masterful touch is evident throughout the sefer.
Sefer Hatza’as Hashulchan has haskamos from Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky, rosh yeshiva of the Philadelphia Yeshiva; Rav Yeruchom Olshin, rosh yeshiva of Bais Medrash Govoha; Rav Moshe Heinemann, rov of Agudas Yisroel of Baltimore; Rav Yisroel Reisman, rosh yeshiva of Torah Vodaas; Rav Shmuel Felder, senior posek at Bais Medrash Govoha; Rav Lipa Geldwerth, rov of Kol Torah in Brooklyn; Rav Asher Eckstein, the Belzer dayan; and Rabbi Shlomo Littman, rosh kollel of Kollel of Houston.
In his haskamah to the sefer, Rav Moshe Heinemann points out the tremendous amount of effort exerted, which is apparent from learning the sefer.
“It is evident from the sefer how much amal and yegiyah the author put into each letter in the sefer, to understand it and explain according to the opinions of the prominent poskim whose psakim are followed in the Olam Hayeshivos, aside from adding his own gems,” Rav Heinemann wrote. “It is clear to me that such a sefer, with the vast amount of knowledge in it, takes years of effort and preparation to perfect it to this level.”
The recently released volume of Sefer Hatza’as Hashulchan covers the first half of hilchos taaruvos, until midway through Siman 105. Work on a second volume, covering the remaining portion of hilchos taaruvos, is already underway, though it will likely take a number of years to finish.
Sefer Hatza’as Hashulchan is available in seforim stores everywhere and online at zbermanbooks.com. Questions and comments can be directed to the mechaber at 347.254.0593 or to rabbidubin@kosherinstitute.com.