Most of us also know that the additions of the Rama, Rabbi Moshe Isserless, were added to the Shulchan Aruch upon the Rama’s decision and that the combined appearance of the Mechaber and Rama’s opinions served to eventually make the Shulchan Aruch the universally accepted legal code of all Jewish people-for Sephardim as well as for Ashkenazim. Most of us know that the Shulchan Aruch was written by Rav Yoseph Karo. These editions used a “Rashi font” for the Rabbi Meir Printz translations and regular Hebrew fonts for the words of the Mechaber – Rav Karo. How did subsequent editions of the Shulchan Aruch that incorporated the translations of the Rabbi Meir Printz edition differentiate between the text and words of the Mechaber (Rav Yoseph Karo) and that of the translations? They actually compounded the error even further. This, unfortunately, transpired with the Printz translation. Defining a word entirely differently from how the author uses that word can lead to some pretty serious misunderstandings. Perhaps the mistakes with the most impact came about because translations of terms were made without regard to the position of the Shulchan Aruch’s own understanding of these terms. Nonetheless, it was a huge task and others, not necessarily of the caliber of Rabbi Printz were involved in the work, as well. It should be noted that Rabbi Meir Printz was a talmid chacham and a student of the great Rabbi Meir Katzenellenbogen of Padua, Italy. However, since everyone is human, and in every first attempt errors are inevitable, mistakes were made. The translations were made primarily based upon the understandings and explanations found in the Aruch, Rashi, and the Bartenura. It was to be called “Shulchan Aruch Lifnei Z’keinim im Ne’arim”-the Shulchan Aruch for the elders as well as the youth. The Printz edition would include explanations of the more obscure words found in the Shulchan Aruch. Like the ArtScroll or Mesivta Gemorahs of today’s age, it was to be a new and improved edition that provided greater clarity for its readers. This Shulchan Aruch was going to be different, however. The year was 1573 and a new edition of the Shulchan Aruch was about to be printed by Rabbi Meir Printz. Here is a historical explanation of how that once came about.
Use of the wrong font can give people false impressions that can affect decisions that will shape the future. Sigman writes in his study, “Using the wrong font may give people the wrong impression about you and could affect decisions that will shape your future.”įrom a halachic-history point of view, Dr.