I am considering buying the set of Yalkut Me’am Lo’ez. Is it a reliable set?
Question:
Apologize for asking a non-Halachic question, though it is relevant to Maaseh B’Poel;
I am considering buying the set of Yalkut Me’am Lo’ez. However, I realized that many things he writes do not have sources. He is not just a Melaket of Midrashim rather seemingly adds new things. Is it a reliable set? Is it ever quoted by holy sources
(Someone brought up that in Me’am Lo’ez it says that Nachshon Ben Aminodov joined Korach, while in Chassidus it says the opposite. I’m not sure if it’s another opinion, or because not everything written there is Oisgehalten).
Answer:
The set of Yalkut Me’am Lo’ez is a worthwhile addition to your Jewish library.
The original Sefer was written by a Talmid of the Mishneh L’melech, who is also the מגיה quoted throughout his Seforim. He is quoted in Seforim of Gedolei Yisroel, most notably the Chida who heaps much praise on the Sefer.1
However, it should be noted that not all volumes were written by him. Subsequent volumes were authored by someone else. Furthermore, a large amount of the set was written by a contemporary writer. Also, the original work was written in Ladino and was translated into Hebrew. In the translation some additions were inserted as well. The only way to know what was part of the original work is by comparing it to the original Ladino book.
As for the issue of Nachshon ben Aminadav being part of Machlokes Korach, See references below.
Sources:
שנחשון היה בעדת קרח – כן עולה מדברי רבינו בחיי קרח טז, א שכל י״ב נשיאים השתתפו. וכבר העיר בדבריו באוה״ת להצ״צ במדבר ב מהדו״ח ע׳ תרנט. וראה דברי המהדיר הרב שעוועל בהוצאת ירושלים שרצה להגיה בדבריו. וראה דעת זקנים בעה״ת שם טז, ב. וכ״כ של״ה ר״פ קרח. יוסף תהלות להחיד״א לתהלים צב, טו. ובמאור ושמש עה״ת קרח יז, טו. וראה רש״ש לבמדב״ר יג, יד. וראה אהל יעקב טולידאנו נשא ד״ה הם נשיאי.
וי״א שלא השתתף או שבכלל נפטר לפנ״ז – ראה סדר עולם יב. גר״א שם. מהרז״ו במדב״ר יח, ג. שם כא, ג. מלאכת הקודש ר״פ קרח. משך חכמה עה״ת קרח טז, יז וראה הנסמן ביד לחכמה שם.
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