Letter from Benjamin II to Isaac Leeser · Isaac Leeser Digital Repository · Legacy Projects from Judaica DH at Penn Libraries

Title

Letter from Benjamin II to Isaac Leeser

Author

Benjamin II

Contributor

Isaac Leeser

Location(s)

Philadelphia

Format

Letter. 1 page(s) on 1 sheet(s).

Legal

Type

Letter

Language(s)

English

Physical Characteristics

Lined Paper

Fragment

Manuscript

Is Part Of

Arnold and Deanne Kaplan Isaac Leeser Collection

http://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q124370244

content

?evening with the sons of Mr Sassan, the rich Jewish banker of Bombay. I stated there the same facts, I am herewith presenting to the reader, and the Chief Rabbi Dr. Stern examining the Young Sassons, regarding the truth of my statements, they emphatically asserted, that they could testify to his statement, as well as to the ingenuity of my book. This assertion on the part of so highly respectable witnesses refutes not only the alleged slander, but also the statement of the criticism, that I had compiled a book, without having wit-nessed these distant regions.
Thus the points raised by Rev Mr Gutheim against me, are open-ly and frankly laid refuted as willful and malicious misrepresen-tations, and I have only to add, why the Rev Rabbi of New-Or˶leans at once has he became so deadly hostile against me after his first friendly recept., and insisted upon the reconsideration of the vote passed by the Heb. Foreign Messers in my favour.
The Rev gentleman Mr G., namely, proposed to his congregation, to erect a monument to the late Judah Touro in front of the new Portu˶guese Synagogue. According to the Shulchan-Aruch, Joreh-Deah I objected to his proposition, and published several articles against his innovation. This step of mine excited the ire of the Rev. gentle˶man, that disregarding all justice and impartiality, and considering only the merits or demerits of the case under consideration, he recurrs to slander and calumny, in order to injure my cause and reputation, and to weaken the objections, I had raised against his favorite scheme.
These, Mr Editor, are the plain and stubborn matters of fact. Let the public now judge between me and the Rev. Gentleman him, and let them decide, whether I have a right, to decry his ? article as a wilful and malicious slander! totally unfounded
Hoping, that you will insert into your valuable paper this article of defense, as you have published the article from New Orleans I remain
? Benjamin II
Note As a matter of justice in point Mr. Benjamin's reply; but in ? that Mr Gutheim would be a ? by such b? notion is Mr B. alleges to have you round his corner. We fear that ? above will not satisfy the public more than it has ourself.

Identifier

LSKAP20-1043