Letter from to Isaac Leeser;January 1847 · Isaac Leeser Digital Repository · Legacy Projects from Judaica DH at Penn Libraries

Title

Letter from to Isaac Leeser;January 1847

Contributor

Isaac Leeser

Date Created

January 1847

Location(s)

Philadelphia

Format

Letter. 4 page(s) on 2 sheet(s).

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Type

Letter

Language(s)

English

Has Format

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p3d21s50j/manifest.json

Physical Characteristics

Manuscript

Is Part Of

http://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q124516100

content

To the Editor of the Occident Education and the Ministry
Rev Sir!
? Shebat 5607.
January 1847.
Both your articles in No 36 and 46 of your valuable Periodical I have carefully read and reflected upon. Would every American Israelite do so, and especially if those who form our German Congregations could or would read the latter article, headed: “Education for the ministry.” in the last number of the Occident; and if in doing so, they would pay to it that close attention and just regard, which it truly deserves—then, I am sure, it cannot fail to effect their own good, and to impress on the minds of the people the dangers to which they are or will be exposed, through the snares of treacherous minds, false tongues and deceitful hearts under the disguise of Religion
But I am sorry to say, in regard to the realization of your plan or the establishment of a high school I can entertain but faint hopes, when I consider the little encouragement granted extended at present to established schools for religious instruction, and the total absence of such in many of our oldest and wealthiest congregations.—And these, I venture to say, are the very places, where all the attainments, which a High School can promise, could be easily obtained, if the people at large, particularly the wealthy classes would earnestly wish and take measures that their children may might know of it a little more than the chaunting of a Haphtorah or perhaps also the translation of a Yigdal. Nay, that high respect and earnest desire for the knowledge of wisdom, that pure energy for the cause of religion which the Law commands, and you wish to see, I am not able to find it; it appears not to be in the minds of the people.—And should the generous examples, which noble--hearted men have offered to you, arouse others for imitation and give success to the good cause:—then we must not be too rash in the estimation of its good results.—No matter how high it be, “when we quit the School, we are but Schoolboys and no more”—it is (generally speaking) a truth, not understood by either the youth, or the publick at large, but which every man of some proficiency in any science or art would readily admit; and how will then that treasure, which is more than all the treasures on earth—“the sacred Law”— be safe in the hands of an American Schoolboy? ? who

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is so little acquainted with living examples of holy and virtuous men learned of in the Law, and who perhaps but for except his schoolbooks, never yet has seen the title of another Hebrew book? And should I go too far in underrating our American youth, I am surely not too scrupulous in apprehending that the boys placed on the pulpit will soon defy the holy lessons of their teachers and their teachers' teachers, and they might become “Shepherds that cannot understand and Pastors” “that destroy and scatter the Sheep of the pasture.” Let the history of foreigners and foreign ministry be a warning example to America. On exposing some dangers in the nature of your plan, I intend by no means to disparage its value and import and, but on the contrary, our consciousness of such dangers, will induce and prepare us to act with the greater caution and prudence, that we might the better insure good success and glorious results to the holy cause of Judaism.
My remarks thus far concern the latter pages of your article, and are anticipated here, because I preferred to answer first to points on the substance of which we both would easily agree—But what concerns the first pages of your “Educ. for the ministry” I candidly confess to you, that in reading them I felt grieved to the bottom of my heart.—To any sincere and religious Jewish mind it must appear as be a horrible cruelty to see persecution, oppression, contempt and scorn practised on men, many of whom the Law of God might call the Pillars of Judaism in America!!—We have men in America, who from their cradle off have been brought up in piety and learning, men who have “a knowledge of moral philosophy, of hebrew in all its branches, biblical comments, mishnah, Talmud, Jewish history and “antiquity, Algebra, French, German, general History and Geography” and who are “not unacquainted with English Literature and Grammar” (or in saying this I have made use only of the same order and terms wherewith you described the studies of a High School) [page A76.] would I make any addition instead of “a knowledge” on many heads I would have said “Eminence and erudition” I would have also said, men of logical and sound reasoning and argument and of considerable experience; and what is the more than all, personally known to us for a number of years as men who know no disguise, who are peaceful virtuous, pure and firm in principle and practice of religion, strict for as regards themselves and tolerant towards others—There are also others of whom we would but partly speak in the above terms, and perhaps not at all apply the latter additions; but after all no more indulgence than actually occasionally used in America, might be needed in their behalf.—“And where

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can we find these men”?? I have seen them in a “little Grocery,” a “Slaughterhouse,” a “Coalyard,” a “Tavern,” a “Cigar-or other shop,” such and the like are the places, whither the worthy men to worthy to grow the ministry have been pushed back by the Errors of the multitude, and ____ — - —!
“And for God's sake, how is it them possible, that all this be true and be still inconsistency with your statements about the lamentations of the people “of the nearly total absence of qualified men for the office of duly educated “religious teachers”?
“of the great want of intelligent persons, wanted for the ministry, “in manner that the Word of God may be expounded to the “people”? How is it consistent with your saying: “we know of “no candidates (for religious Teachers) or persons likely to become so “to supply new Congregations or to take the place of the ministers now “officiating.”?
Part of my statements I could easily verify to every reader by only referring him to former volumes of the Occident, and therefore I need not be plainer about that—and as to your's Sir! I say, So “and tell show my people “their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins” they are “speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving from the heart words of “falsehood” tell them to call things by their right names, to say what they mean and to mean what they say, and this will dissolve matters and show forth the truth.— “A man whose voice pleases, or one whose speech suits his publick” is, with few exceptions, the general definition of Jewish ministry in America; and the people would rarely call a man fit for to be minister, if his voice do not please their taste.—Let them thus not cry out for want of “ministers” “Religious Teachers” “men who know to expound the Law of God to the people” let them not use false words and call the name of God: “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain”—And only this much we say, but we do neither conjure the good policy nor dispute the just purpose and beneficial results of having such officers in large communities, for the people will say, that it confers on them a signified pleasure, that it arouses their feelings of devotion, and that it gives solemnity to worship, just at the proper place and time—during the service in the Synagogue—And to deliver a discourse from the pulpit, will that really say to be expounding the Law of God? will it strike the mind and teach it “to know wisdom and instruction, to understand the words of the wise and “their dark sayings”? or will it rather strike our senses, deceive our hearts

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dazzle our eyes, and at the end make us Sin and forget the divine command: “ye shall not seek after your own hearts and your own eyes”? (vis Talmud Berachott ? 12) These and more questions one might ask and perhaps Blair's Rhetorick itself and daily experience might argue in his favour, but in one word I would answer him: “All depends on the man,” it will do good from a good man, and in the words of the royal Psalmist let us say: “Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? ....“he that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and “speaketh the truth in his heart, he that backbiteth not with his “tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a “reproach against his neighbour—he that honoreth them “that fear the Lord.__.he that not taketh bribery against the “innocent” (Psalm 15.); and if we do not know, or rather know the man not to be so, we again apply the words of that holy book: “But unto “the wicked God saith, what hast thou to do to declare my “statutes, then givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth „deceit.” (Psalm 50. 16, 19.)
Thus the more I consider and reflect upon the state of Judaism amongst us, the more I am convinced, that something must be done for the good, some remedy must be sought for; independent therefore of your plan, I offer you herewith my suggestions, which at once may form the conclusion of this letter.__In my estimation this evil, and some others say in the organization of the Congregations, (?wel here as in other countries perhaps, but I merely speak of America) and that is the quarter the remedy must come from.—Instead of that prejudicial show of superiority and empty domination, which creates favorite ? and supports men in indolence and wantonness, instead of that let us in future promote and elevate religion and virtue, study, learning and talent—To be plainer on the subject: Let every Congregation, newly to be formed, abolish the office of Shamas (Sexton) as an office of the Congregation; but let all its lower duties, including those of attending required during service, be done for real on able wages by a suitable person hired or appointed by the trustees as a messenger. or carrier—And should there be any thing be that belongs to ceremony or decorum during service, any honorable member or trustee might be expected voluntarily to act for the benefit of the community, and in this way saving part of the salary, rent, collection and other revenues of that office, a Congregation will be enabled to have two clerical officers, let them both me ministers or Elders, and if the one be more able to the gratify cation of the members and the solemnity of the service by his agreeable voice, let the other be more to ? superintend our children's instruction and edification and to add to the edifications of the adults; for I wish the one and the other to be religious teachers not merely Schoolmasters. From my observations communicated to you it might be inferred that we will find in this country suitable men qualified in English for that station, let us then place worthy men in worthy places worthy of them and we might also expect them to become after a time at once also good pulpit orators on the pulpit in places where the public might wish for it. Again by engaging a number

Identifier

LSDCBx9FF14_5