Letter to Isaac Leeser;December 28, 1852
- Title
- Letter to Isaac Leeser;December 28, 1852
- Contributor
- Isaac Leeser
- Date Created
- 28 December 1852
- 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/p3tb0zf7p/manifest.json
- Link to Colenda
- https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3tb0zf7p
- Physical Characteristics
- Unlined Paper
- Wax Seal
- Manuscript
- content
-
To the Editor of the Occident:
Rev. Sir., Knowing your liberality, in offering the columns of your valuable paper for the benefit of the Jewish community in general I take the liberty, to send you a series of „Translations from the French for publishing in your estimated journal, if it be found worthy.
Oriental Traditions.
Translated from the French By Zadik S. H.
The philosopher and the Rabbi.— “Your God calls himself in his book a jealous God, who can not suffer other gods on his sides, and he always shows his abhorrence towards poly-theism. But how does it happen, that he menaces more the worshippers of the false gods, and seems to hate them more than the false gods themselves? A Greek philosopher once inquired so of a Rabbi.
But the Rabbi replied him:
„A Ring had a disobedient son, and besides other naughty hits of all kinds, he was malicious enough, to call his dogs with his father's names and title. Now should ? punish his son or the dogs.
„Well answered,” said the philosopher. „But now, if your God would annihilate the objects of polytheism, then he would take off the occasion to it.”
„By all means!” remarked the Rabbi, if the fools would only worship such things, having no other use, as that, for which their simplicity has selected them; if the idols were always so useless, a polytheism is despisable. But the fools worship sun, and moon, the rivers and seas, the fire and the air and whatever. Should the Lord, in concern of these fools, destroy his works and annihilate the laws, which his wisdom gave for nature? If somebody stole seed and sawed it, shall the seed not come forth, because it was stole? Oh, no! The wise creator lets nature take its course, for her way is ordered by him. What does it differ, if the children of folly abuse it. The day of responsibility is not far, & mankind will learn then, that her deeds appear so certain in their conse-quences, as the green leaf from the grain of seed, which is entered in the earth.
II
Remark: Mr. Editor: Should you be willingly to accept my contributions, please send a note to me through the Post Office, and I will tell you my real name. Address: Zadick S. H. Cincinnati, O. Do not publish these few lines.)
II. Oriental Traditions
Translated from the French by Zadick S. H. The Scriptures are impartial. The writer of the books, which you call holy, seems to me to be very partial by relating some events. Some seem to me quite in-credible. Is it possible, that Joseph, a poor weak slave, in the blossoms of his youth, could have resisted the rejuated? temptations and the seductive charms of his rich, mighty and amorous mistress?” said a Roman woman to Rabbi Jose.
“You would not say so,” replied the Rabbi, if you had read the books, you have some knowledge of, more careful.”
He now attracted her attention to the tales of Reuben & Bilha, Jehudah & Chamar. Every they in here, he remarked, older than Joseph and more than he, & still the historian does not con-ceal their faults, but lays them before posterity. For the peculiar of our sacred books is, that they narrate faithfully and impartially the actions of our ancestors, not impair their faults & not augment their virtues therewith posterity should avoid those and imitate the first.
Cincinnati A. Tebeth 17. 5613
Rev. Isaac Leeser
No 371 Walnut St.
Philadelphia
Pa - Identifier
- LSDCBx2FF2_2
- Date
- 1852-12-28
Part of Letter to Isaac Leeser;December 28, 1852
“Letter to Isaac Leeser;December 28, 1852”, 1852-12-28, Isaac Leeser Digital Repository, accessed September 18, 2024, https://judaicadhpenn.org/legacyprojects/s/leeser/item/69668