Letter from to Isaac Leeser;June 01, 1856 · Isaac Leeser Digital Repository · Legacy Projects from Judaica DH at Penn Libraries

Title

Letter from to Isaac Leeser;June 01, 1856

Contributor

Isaac Leeser

Date Created

1 June 1856

Location(s)

Charleston

Philadelphia

Format

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

Letter

Type

Letter

Language(s)

English

Has Format

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p37w67r9h/manifest.json

Link to Colenda

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p37w67r9h

Physical Characteristics

Unlined Paper

Fragment

Manuscript

Is Part Of

The Dropsie College Isaac Leeser Collection at the Penn Libraries

content

Charleston June 1. 1856.
Rev. Isaac Leeser, Philadelphia.
Dear Sir/ It was not forgetfulness or neglect that has hitherto prevented me from answering your kind letter of February 12 last, but circum-stances alone, the explanations of which, here following, must be ample apology for me. When I received your letter, you were on your way to Cincinnati, wherefore I had to await for your return. Then I read in the Occident that Rev. Mr Jacobs had sent you a reply to my last letter in your periodical, when I again thought to await its publication. Afterwards I was so busily engaged in the most various occupations and duties, that, besides having been unwell for the last 3 months, I could barely find time to write the most urgent private letters. In the meanwhile, when I intended again to do my duty, and reply to yours above mentioned, I heard that Rev. Mr Jacobs had sent you a communication—like that to the Israelite—condemnatory of my reading a Psalm in the church, in consequence of which I thought it proper again to defer my reply, with the view of avoiding even the least appearance of my intention to bias you by a private letter. Now, as Mr J.'s letter must be publish in the Occident, so that I can no longer exercise any influence, I may say after all, write with all impunity. This much also I may add, with regard to this affair, that I hope, as a matter of simple justice, you have in your “Note” not al-together disregarded my explanation in the Israelite, nor forgotten that whatever Mr J. now writes about me, is tinctured with a good

deal of animosity, vindictiveness and hatred. And here let me relate to you the whole history of Mr J.'s relation to me, which I have hitherto from delicacy withheld from you. When Mr. J. arrived here, I immediately called upon him, as common courtesy demands it, and told him at once: Let us be friends, al-though our religious views diverge; you preach orthodoxy and I, reform, don't you attack my congregation, as I intend never to make my reference to yours; especially let us meet each other in society with that collegial friendship, as ought ever exist between gentlemen; such a cause will have a good impression not only upon the Jews, but upon the society at large, and is calculated to raise the Jewish character in the eyes of the Public. Mr J. made all the promises I could expect. But already on the following Sabbath, he directly attacked us in the most venomous manner; of course, at that time, when the “honeymoon” was not yet over, he could do such things with impunity; you must know this yourself, for at the same time he treated you in the same arrog-ant manner. He neither returned my visit, nor that of many of my conregators who had likewise called upon him. Yet, I cared not about all that; I continued to treat him with the most marked courtesy. During the summer of 1853 he came to me to borrow a book, the Hebrew, but told me in my room, that I should not look upon his coming as a visit, as he had merely come to borrow that book. My answer was: My library is at all times at your disposal. I even had him invited to my wedding; he neither came, nor acknowledged the in-vitation, nor ever congratulated me. yet, I continued to treat him with courtesy, until in November 54 he charged me, in a conversation we had near the Post-Office with having perverted? a passage in the Shulchan A-such, when I coolly answered, “he only retorted in this manner, because he felt that I had proven his inconsistency,” upon which he flatly called me “ignorant;” when I told him, that it was below my dignity to answer

to such an important speech. The breach was thus made. Soon afterwards the presentation to Mr Valentine (Occident viii, 37) took place, when it so happened that I attended, for the first and only time—the meeting of the Chebrah preceding the presentation. During that meeting, Mr J. insulted me 5 times, in the most outrageous manner, while I merely smiled. He had then forgotten that his star had greatly waned. Mr. V. called him thrice to order, and ordered him at last to sit down; nay! And this point it is particularly that exasperated Mr J. mostly—declared before the society, that my complaint, that during my absence several poor strangers had been buried without ministerial attendance, was true, although Mr. J. had, in the course of his insults, denied the fact. Not one of his long regators? was then found who did not confess that Mr. J. acted in a most ungentlemanly & ?-ness & amiability. From that time Mr. J. took his speech from Mr V. & N. Levin—During the same winter he saw himself induced to resign in consequence of repeated complaints having been made by Congregators of his, of his undignified deportment in society, of his leaving the synagogue during the reading of the Haphtorah to taste a drink, &c. &c.; nay! even before his Board it was remarked, that there was such a wide difference between his deportment & mine. He was permitted, upon his request, and after an apology from the pulpit, to withdraw his resignation. Yet he must give vent to his wrath, I was no longer ap-proachable, and this he most outrageously insulted Mr Valentine, on Hebrew 5615, during Public Service, which ? caused an irremediable breach between these two, and a great reserve with others. Add to this, that I am on a most friendly with most, and intimate with many of his congregation, and you can understand the rest.
Last summer, you must remember, he began to write against Kalish & Wise, on “Ladies' singing &c”, when he wanted books of reference, which has not,

since his whole Hebrew library consists of about ½ dozen Volumes, the Hebrew included. But too proud, to send to me, although I had all along sent him word, that my library was at his disposal, even for Articles against myself, he resorted to a trick. A Polish Jew often visited me with the pretext to “?,” and made extracts from the Talmud, Maimonides &c. I know at once for whom he “learned.” But having made it a rule, to allow people to dupe me, until a good opportunity enables me to show them, that they are the dupes, not I, I permitted the man to act as he chose. One day, after reading for some time, he requested me, to let him take a volume of Hebrew home, when I coolly answered: “Tell Mr Jacobs, whenever he wants a book from my library, he must either come himself, or send in his own name; I do not allow my books to be borrowed in such a clandestine way!” The man burst into a laughter; & said, “you are keen, the book was intended for Mr. Jacobs.” Between Hebrew & Hebrew Mr J. met me at a funeral, and—made up against my Article. I answered, I should be glad of it, only requested him to abstain from all scurvilities & personalities, as a friendly controversy could be productive only of good. He promised all. And when his first Article ap-peared, some of his admirers expressed to me their astonishment at this, that he could write so calmly. They were soon cured of their astonish-ment. Since the publication of my answer, to spit out whenever he meets me. Nay! he went even so far, to recite, at a nuptial festival, a Hebrew poem, extracted from some work, but given out by him as his own, to ridicule me, thus making himself also, besides being the officiating minister, the Possenmacher. And hence: illae lacrumae. You may now judge how impartial he must ?, whenever I am concerned. I assure you, that I deeply regret this state of things, for his sake, for so far, he has been the loser in every respect.
In your last editorial you give me also “a lick at the tailor.” And yet you owe me thanks; for it was I, who forced Drs W. & L. to declare them-selves, and I would be very much obliged to you for telling me: whether you indorse their explanations of the ii Article, or not; and whether they spoke in the same manner before the conference. I am inclined to think, they then deluded you, or, as you will have it, themselves. That is of little difference to the Public; this much we have gained, that we now understand what they wanted. And if you will let me have the use of your pages, I will “shed” a little more ink, and write “commentaries” on their expositions.

Identifier

LSDCBx2FF3_15

Date

1856-06-01