Letter from Nathaniel Levine to Isaac Leeser;June 12, 1842 · Isaac Leeser Digital Repository · Legacy Projects from Judaica DH at Penn Libraries

Title

Letter from Nathaniel Levine to Isaac Leeser;June 12, 1842

Author

Nathaniel Levine

Contributor

Isaac Leeser

Date Created

12 June 1842

Location(s)

Charleston

Philadelphia

Format

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

Legal

Type

Letter

Language(s)

English

Has Format

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p37h1f707/manifest.json

Link to Colenda

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p37h1f707

Physical Characteristics

Wax Seal

Manuscript

Is Part Of

The Dropsie College Isaac Leeser Collection at the Penn Libraries

content

Charleston 12th June 1842
Revd. Isaac Leeser
Dear Sir
Your esteemed favor of the 6th inst came duly to hand and I am much grieved to learn that you had been seriously indisposed I trust that you are again restored to health and sincerely hope that our Heavenly Father will bless your future days with uninterrupted health and happiness. You are correct in your estimate of the organ innovation, and the motives which inspired the invocation of the muses; but I think you are wrong in the sentiment that “the gentiles must be anxious for us to yield as idle our expectation of a messiah &c„. If the doctrine were to be promulgated that the Jewish prophecies did not justify the beleif in the advent of a Personage would it not be a direct attack upon their fundamental beleif? For they take the prophecies & find them fulfilled in the persons of their Messiah notwithstanding the palpable contradictions that instead of the “Prince of peace„ He has been the demon of strife war & bloodshed with all their train of sorrows and crime.=If this idea prevailed I think it would be a direct blow at the very foundation of their Religion. Do you concern with me now? The new creed I herewith transcribe for your edification, it was concocted by Mr Poznanski & Mr Joshua Lazarus before the dedication of the synagogue & placed upon a Tablet in gilt letter on the right of the achol on the left is placed the 10 Commandments. Before this excitement I presume no one read them at least very few. I myself never did read them while then feeling confident that Mr P. had given us the Creed handed down to us by Maimonides. Inform me if you can, where he got his authority for this version, & if it would be recognized by Jews? Here it is—
I We believe in the existence of a Supreme Being who created governs & sustains the Universe.
II We believe that this Being is the only true & living God, the only Divine Being, only one in Unity, and without plurality in any sense whatever.
III We believe that God is incorporeal & incomprehensible that he has never put on the figure or body of any thing in Creation & that there is nothing like him in the Universe.—
IV We believe that God is without beginning & without end & that He is the only Eternal Being
V We believe that God reigns alone over the Universe; that there exists no mediator between man & his maker & that it is proper to pray to Him only, & not through the merits of any other being
VI We believe that the Prophets were the only persons inspired by God, & that all their words are true
VII We believe that the Moses was the greatest of the Prophets & that none has appeared like unto him
VIII We believe that the divine Law in our posession is that which was delivered to our Fathers by Moses, & that all divine communication ceased with Malachi the last of the Prophets
IX We believe that the divine Law delivered by Moses, will never be changed, nor altered
X We believe that God knows all our thoughts and actions.—
XI We believe that God rewards all who observes his commands & punishes those who transgress them
XII We believe that the Messiah announced by the Prophets is not come— the Prophecies in relation to his coming not being fulfilled
XIII We believe that the soul is Immortal, and that we shall be accountable for our actions in the life to come.—
This creed was also printed some time since & used in the school for the instruction of Jewish youth & strange to say it passed the critical ordeal of all of us. There is much subtle wording in it & several passages are blows dealt at the gentiles and have no existence in the Text. Let me have your views upon it. How can you advise the continuance of Mr Poznanski as Hazan when he laughs at the idea of observing the second day of our Holidays. We know his sentiments and can we beleive in the effiacy or truth of prayer from the lips of him who does not beleive in the occasion which calls us together to offer up that prayer. You might with the same propriety assert that there would be efficacy in the prayers of an atheist. You cannot have read our reply carefully; read over his second letter to the Trustees & you will there find that he will preach errors & abuses until the people tell him through the Board of Trustees to preach truths. You must know that in addition to these circumstances Mr Poznanski in conversation with several Christian Ministers of our city asserted, “That the Messiah had not come, nor

did the Prophecies justify the belief that he was to come as a Personage, it was figurative, an ideality, & meant a happy & peaceful stake state of things, enlightenment peace &c this was our messiah„ alluding to Carolina or the U. states. In his dedicatory sermons he spoke of the “U. S. as our Palestine; Charleston our Jerusalem & this (alluding to the synagogue) our Temple. I was induced by the solicitation of one of his friends to ask him if this were true. This occured a few days since His reply was, That the most amicable form of telling the question was to submit it to the courts of the country although he regretted it much & declined to answer the question, until he testified on the witness stand. This is what Lawyers would call a negative pregnants or a denial confirming the fact. Why not deny it at once if untrue? and I should have been happy to have contradicted it—Take these facts in connection with the new creed & let me have your opinion. He told me moreover that when the case came on for trial he would prove things countenanced and enjoined upon us by the Rabbins which would tend to injure us in the eyes of the christian community. Not being versed in Talmudical lore I am at a loss to know what grave charges he can bring before a christian Tribunal to injure us. The cause he espouses must be very bad if it requires such disclosures to uphold it, & like Samson he will have to be commingled in the ruin he would hurl upon us. He said he would also prove that the keeping of the second days of the Holidays was not even enjoined by the Rabbins and therefore an abuse, that we had now obtained the precise time & it was folly to keep more than one day. Have the Rabbins advocated doctrines subsequent to our ideas of charity & good will? Rumor says that he intends to prove that if a Gentile falls into the water & a jew could save him the Rabbis say let him drown„—& may such barbarous doctrines at which humanity shudders
I think it becomes your impervious duty to notice in the Occident as early as possible the Rationale, bearing and tenor of the Pamphlet sent to you, in a direct manner, come out boldly & manfully, give us orthodox views instead of the neologistic reasoning of Mr Poznanski & his party, but let them be tempered with charity and brotherly love. Your friends here expect this from you and Judaism demands this of you. You cannot waver or falter now, you who have for 12 years been battling for what we are now honestly & zealously contending for, must not let us wage the war unassisted by your talents and experience. Our Jewish Bretheren throughout the world should know the cause of the breach in our congregation through the medium of your Periodical, from the pen of one who is conversant with the facts & who has labored & struggled to advance and establish the moral & Religious welfare of his people. Nothing will afford more pleasure to may of your Bretheren here & elsewhere & I am confident you will p? this crime. In relation to a conciliation—it is out of the question, and as for inducing those you named in your letter to join our ranks (in public or private) it is worse than folly to think of it—each one (excepting Hyam Cohen) is an ultra Reformer & will support Mr Poznanski in all his views. Hayam Cohen is his staunch supporter of him. The courts of the Country will reconcile every thing I hope satisfactorily.

You have not answered that portion of my letter relating to your coming on here if your presence is necessary which I am confident will be the case. I know that every advantage will be taken from the circumstance of our not having any Hebrew scholars here who can disprove any authority he Mr P. may adduce. The party have already comenced collating facts, authorities, &c for the trial which will positively take place in October I have no doubt the Congregation of Philadelphia would grant you leave of absence for 8 or 10 days, especially when they reflect that an interest is involved effecting them as well as us, for we are endeavouring to uphold the faith of Israel transmitted to us by our Fathers & preserved intact for upwards of 5000 years.
I thank you for your flattering ?—upon my humble effort, and value it highly as I feel assured you are not the person to say what you do not believe, I shall endeavour to contribute to the Occident but I am not at all acquainted with Religious subjects and am endeavoring by every possible means to make myself familiar with them. I have commenced studying our holy language grammatically and as I before informed you am a strict conformist, without losing the spirit of the Religion and in every sense of the term I am a better man.
Allow me to thank you for the promptness with which you replied to my favors & to desire from you an interchange of sentiment which must both instruct and edify me, and commending you to the brightest blessings of health Happiness & prosperity I remain
Your sincere Friend
N. Levin
Mrs Levin & Mr & Mrs Moses desire their remembrances
to you.
Please present my respects to Mr Hockenboy & Mr Hart & family Inquire of Mr H whether he procured the Nos of the voice of ? for me. When I have more liesure I will send on you a/c—
P. S.
If you conclude to come on (which of course you will & I beg you will keep this fact entirely confidential I mean you coming on) your expenses will all be defrayed.
Let me hear from you as early as possible
N. L.
I have only recd 2 nos of the Occident please send the others by mail

Revd. Isaac Leeser
Philadelphia
Pa
1 dear
Uncle

Identifier

LSDCBx9FF14_1

Date

1842-06-12