Letter from Isaac Mayer Wise to Isaac Leeser
- Title
- Letter from Isaac Mayer Wise to Isaac Leeser
- Author
- Isaac Mayer Wise
- Contributor
- Isaac Leeser
- Format
- Letter. 4 page(s) on 2 sheet(s).
- Legal
- Type
- Letter
- Physical Characteristics
- Unlined Paper
- Manuscript
- content
-
To the Editor of the Occident!
Rev. Sir! In the April Number of the Occident I found an article by one who adopts Hebrew for his name, but it is indeed the first time, that I see "trust" controdic˶ting itself, a fictious truth is the newest of all the phantomes of the modern time. Permit me, Sir, to state some words against that article. The highly learned "truth" expounds (page 5) "The Occident cannot signify news or light from the western states, but xc? to instruct ˶the Israelites." I suppose in my humble opinion, it is the very problem of a jewish journal to represent the present history of our people as much as accessible, all other articles are a mere addition to attire the pamphlet, or a history of hebrew literature of the day, causes and consequences of the ruling spirit of the age. Truth will find the motto of the Occident corrosponding with my views about Journalism, if he merely considers, that old latin proverb: Historia mater vivae est. History is indeed the teacher of life and the best conductor through the career of life; History is a second and very distinct revelation. God placed Moses on a rock, where he should learn to know God by His divine Attributes. Maimonides calls that rock "nature" and I add to it ˶History" both of them reveal the God of Israel in His Glory and Majesty. Page 5: "Truth" says: "and ˶thirdly how to conduct themselves towards their neighbors ˶which latter duty includes, according to the Talmud, the observance ˶of the whole religion" I most emphitically object against such an atheistical statement, where, O fictious brush! where is, Sabbath, Festivals, Milah, Shehita, Tefilin, Mesusah, Zirith, Pidyon Bechar, Mazah and many other commands understood under, love thy neighbor? He pleases to translate the word of the Talmud Hebrew, And thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, is the principal command of the law; but every one will understand that the Hebrew of Hebrew could be spared, I persume, it ought to be translated: Love thy neighbor as thyself is one of the grand principles of our law, but there are still others
principles and germs, as: love God, be holy xc?, but they are above the horizon of many people, as it was the case with the Prosalite demanding of Hillel to learn him all the Torah while standing on one foot. Does perhaps Truth suppose we shall learn to love our God, to become fit and willingly to love our neighbour? Now, Sir, we love our neighbour in order to learn to love also our God, then the latter is a higher principle than the former. Or does he suppose, that we shall be holy in order that our manners and feelings towards our fellow-mortal should be pure? That is the beginning but the end of it shall be: to serve God with a pure heart with a spotless mind. "Truth" is does not know neither the true problem of Journalism nor the principles of our religion. His views are clearly those of a Chabalnic Chasid, or with english words of a jewish methodist, as they have been masterly described by Dr. Lilienthal, ignorance, arrogance and hypocracy mixed up with a good portion of superstition and prejudice are the attributes of the majority of the so called Chasidim in Polland and Russia, but Dr. Lilienthal treated them with too much modesty, therefore the representative of that class in America charges him with the tendency to break down the fences of our sages. He did not proof his arrogant presumption, not because he would not, merely because he could not. We shall petition the Congress at Washington, to call Truth to the Censorship for the american jewish press, and we will soon have a prompt Zionmächter. Next Truth comes out with his well studied phraseology against the advertisement of the Charleston congrigation, he is aversed to their kind of reading the Bible, and his argument to condemn them is, that the annual reading was already intro˶duced by Ezra, Hebrew is also a doctrine of Ezra Hebrew 5 is another doctrine of Ezra, who entitled us to violate these doctrines? none under heaven, ever not Truth. He thunders about their fasion to read the Bible, but against the organ in the Synagogue, english prayers xc? he knows nothing to state about. How ignorant is Truth"!
He comes out in a particular manner against the violation of the second festivals; page 8 he says, that God commanded You shall not add to nor diminish! Thou shalt not turn from the word to the right or to the left! then he gives as the reason of the second festivals Hebrew, that is indeed below criticism. I will not rectify the steps of the Charleston Congrigation, I will but show how short-sighted "Truth" is, there are much better reasons in the Hebrew for the second festival, but Truth did not know them; there are reasons, which do not controdict the above mentioned biblical quotation, but "Truth" knows nothing of them. Then Truth thunders against the articles of Talmid and H. G., supposing they should have discussed their disagreements in their own study privatly among themselves. These articles have been published for the purpose to ashame all those omniscient and all-understanding schoolars like "Truth," that they are not mindful enough to write a single word in defence of their own religion. "Truth" refers Talmid to the Hebrew, but, Sir, what say the Hebrew? If you know it, you may say it, that also the public may know it and Talmid be controdicted. A jewish Journal publishes Clesphamans articles against Judaism, based altogether upon one error, the Editor published them to awaken the sleeping schoolars of the western hemisphere, and—O pity! O tempus! O mores! —"Truth" arose and wishes, a Journal of this enlightened age shall fill up its columnes with discussions about Hebrew about Lard Oil, shall teach the people a better knowledge of the hebrew, Gemara and Kebalah—?balah—did you hear it? There is the Chahatin Chasid
It is a pity to meet such dark midnights under the sun of this all-exploring age, and I deem it proper to disclose to the public eye how dark this midnight is; therefore you may please to assert this in the next number of the Occident, but if you can not, you may please to send it back to me, for I am sure that during a space of two months other people will address that so called Truth. I should have signed my name justice but I am truely your friend
W.
Rev. Mr. Is. Leeser
Editor of the Occident
Philadelphia - Identifier
- LSKAP20-643
Part of Letter from Isaac Mayer Wise to Isaac Leeser
Isaac Mayer Wise, “Letter from Isaac Mayer Wise to Isaac Leeser”, Isaac Leeser Digital Repository, accessed September 7, 2024, https://judaicadhpenn.org/legacyprojects/s/leeser/item/69013