Ein Yaakov (
Hebrew: עין יעקב, "
Jacob's Well") is a 16th-century compilation of all the
Aggadic material in the
Talmud together with commentaries.[1][2][3] Its introduction contains an account of the history of Talmudic censorship and the term
Gemara. It was compiled by
Jacob ibn Habib and (after his death) by his son Rabbi
Levi ibn Habib.
Ein Yaakov was "especially treasured by laborers and others" who lacked the schooling
to learn the more difficult parts of the Talmud. Synagogues commonly hold daily Ein Yaakov classes.[2][3] With its commentaries, it is also a work of serious scholarship.[2]
Many prints of Ein Yaakov include commentaries that illuminate the simple meaning of the text and provide additional insight,[2] including the author's own, "Ha-Kotev". The most important commentary is that of
Leo di Modena, under the title "Ha-Boneh", which has appeared in all editions since 1684.[1] The
Vilna edition (1883) contains twenty commentaries,[1] mainly reproducing other works on
Midrash and
Aggadah, esp. those by
Zundel ben Joseph and
Maharsha.
Hayyim Abulafia's "Shebut Ya'akob" was written in 1733.
The more recent Ein Ayah is a separate four-volume work by
Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, begun in 1883.
Older prints of the work often include a
Yiddish translation.[2]
An
English translation in 5 volumes appeared in 1921, prepared by Rabbi Shmuel Tzvi Hirsch Glick of
Chicago. It presents the original text on the right column of each page, with the corresponding English version to its left. It does not include any of the commentaries that appear in the classic version, but Rabbi Glick's translation and accompanying footnotes suffice for comprehension.[4] Another English translation, by
Avraham Yaakov Finkel, titled Ein Yaakov: The Ethical and Inspirational Teachings of the Talmud, was compiled in one volume.[5] Beginning in 2019,
Mesorah Publications has begun releasing its translation.