Letter from Menahem Elya Marcussohn to Isaac Leeser;January 08, 1853 · Isaac Leeser Digital Repository · Legacy Projects from Judaica DH at Penn Libraries

Title

Letter from Menahem Elya Marcussohn to Isaac Leeser;January 08, 1853

Author

Menahem Elya Marcussohn

Contributor

Isaac Leeser

Location(s)

Pittsburgh

Philadelphia

Format

Letter. 7 page(s).

Type

Letter

Language(s)

English

Hebrew

Physical Characteristics

Manuscript

Is Part Of

The Dropsie College Isaac Leeser Collection at the Penn Libraries

content

Hebrew
Revd Sir
Hebrew

Hebrew
I could not stay in Charleston, because I was afraid for the yelow fever it was there. To bring your book I will send you the book you lend it to me with the first opportunity, the few dolars you spent for me also, I hope you will not do, as the former did, to write any thing, without to know if their opinion are true or false, because why should you make me to write against you to, that make no difference we may belive every one what we belive though I may under sign your friend
Hebrew

Hebrew

Pittsburgh, Friday, 8th of Tebet (January) 1853
Rev. Sir:
I hope that you will excuse me only this once, for troubling you so fre-quently. I hope this is enough also for the letters that may still come. Yes-terday about 12 midnight, Mr. Yaroslausky read for me the letter of Mr. Oliver. To be brief—with regard to the food that I ate along with him, that is true. But what was it we were eating? Last time when I sent my resigna-tion to the congregation and accepted the position in the synagogue, as I have written to you several times before, I asked him where I should be until I went there whereupon, he replied that his wife and family are in the country and that he himself had to depart that night or early the next morning, but that I could leave my luggage with him. He left at home only one black man who went to work every day to earn his bread. There was no other maid servant in the house. I brought my things there. We talked until quite late at night. It was about midnight when I said, “I'm quite hungry”. He replied, “The house is quite empty—not even bread.” Nevertheless, he sent his negro who got some milk and bread. That is what we ate together. Now you can see how lies begin with truth. What can I say in reply? Before dawn, he had to leave at one time he had recommended me to one of his friends who had asked me to pay him a visit. I came to him once but found him out. I spent more than two hours there, because of the many books which he possessed but could not wait for him. I left and never came to him again and never saw him. How I conducted myself afterwards, I have al-ready told you. I asked the people of Montgomery on several occasions to come out and see and convince themselves.
With regard to shaving. The fact is that all the observant people do so here, but I don't want to boast. You can convince yourself through Mr. Block, one of the congregation of Montgomery. He once came out to the slaughter house, which is about two miles out of town, in order to speak to the butcher. He found that I had trimmed my beard with a scissors, a thing I always used to in the slaughter house in order to save time, for when I am in the city I wanted to study, for I have very little time for myself there. So you see I was not doing it in order to fool anybody Here no one comes. I did not know this man was coming. I wasn't doing it for the sake of the two negroes who do the slaughtering here. And if you suppose that I did not shave myself because I had no razor, you can convince through Mr. Sahling of Augusta that at one time I came to his house and his wife said, “Oh, I just wanted to send

some chickens to you to be slaughtered. Now you are here.” I said, “I did not bring the slaughtering knife”, whereupon she replied, “Our clerk used to be a schochet. He has a slaughtering knife as well as a sharpening stone.” The clerk showed me a razor which he had fixed up for a slaughtering knife. I then said “I shall not slaughter here with this knife unless you make me a present of it.” Thereupon, he gave it to me, and I still have it.
With regard to the day of conversion, about which Mr. Yeroslausky tells me, I understand nothing. The church from which Mr. Oliver came has a school, and the church from which Mr. Davis comes, has a school. Now, both each of these says that I adopted his faith. In this he was all wrong. At one time we discussed the various peculiarities of their belief We spoke about the Presbyterians, who believe that man has no choice of good or evil, for everything is already predestined by God. I said that where there is no freedom of choice, there can be no reward and punishment, for reward and punishment can be only where there is freedom of choice. That is why I could not understand that belief at all, and that, from that point of view, there belief was superior. But I have quite forgotten one point, namely, just what I said about their faith as to why it must be false.
With regard to the first chapter of Matthew?, Mr. Yaroslausky tells me what he writes, and I am very much surprised. I assure you that we discussed it once. This is an old question. The generations are not properly written down, but I also asked him this: It is true that when you speak of God, you believe there is only one God, but when you mention the name of his person he seems to be three, namely, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Thus when you speak of the Father and mention the son, the son must be the Son of the person whom you call Father. In Matthew, however, it is written that the angel had told Joseph that Mary would become pregnant through the Holy Ghost. Then how is that? To this he answered that Father and Holy Ghost are the same Then I again said “Are they there then two or one?” To this he has not given me any answer to this day. You can rest assured that if I was surprised, which I do not remember any more, my surprise was due to the stupidity of the people who believe this. With regard to the case of the $70, I answer you that I once spoke to Mr. Davis

when he asked me what my salary was here in Montgomery, I tell him it was $500. He said to me, you should have doubled that if you came over to us. And then, casually, I said, “Would you do this and give $1000 for this? And he said, “Yes, certainly, if only you say that you are coming over.” Then I said, “It might be right for a man to change after having brought his mind upon the right road with regard to eternity, but when he receives money for it, then he has already re-ceived his rewards here, and he cannot, therefore, come to eternity. But you do your work completely without thought. It is one thing to lead a man away from his religion, but another to destroy him—a thing which are forbidden to do”. The $70 I counted for two persons for three months' instruction—a lesson a day except Saturday and Sunday
The said Mr. Oliver once met me on the street. He asked me from where I was coming. I told him I was in a house of one of my congregation. He asked me to go with him to a church where he was going, but I refused. Then he asked me whether Jews were for-bidden to enter a church. I told him that we may, “but because you ask me, I don't do it, and that you may never persuade me to do it, even if you ask me a great deal.” Outside of that one time of which I have already spoken.
And now, my friend, I leave it to you. Do what you think best. If you speak about the Jewish law, then according to Jewish law, I should be believed. For there are now no Jews who say any-thing or who can say anything against me. But 3 shall now appear to no law and no justice. Do yourself in accordance with your own thoughts, only consider the matter. You are dealing with me now in a matter that concerns life. All I have to say is, “I know that* my redeemer liveth”. This is my only hope, and I am sure of the kindness of God who has not forsaken me to this day. He will broaden my path, and my knees will not hand. He will set me up on my feet and make me ride upon the altars of my enemies. I shall see vengeance upon those that hate me and shall not fear, for God is with me to help me, even though there are many who fight against me. They have all made a flat? to decide how and what to do, but there are many more with me, with the help of God, than are with them. For the God of truth, the God of life will support me with this righteous right hand. For I look for His mercy
*Job

Aside from this, if I omitted (to refute) anything on that letter, it is only because I had to have it read before me. Naturally it is better to be able to read it for oneself.
Menachem——Marcuson
This I have written to Bernheim English
It is also a lie that I have received commission for being a missionary.

Identifier

LSDCBx1FF10_1

Date

1853-01-08