Jewish Life April 1955 by Jewish Action

Neturey Karta And

T he Club’

Jefferson’s Biblical Inspiration p

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Pesach Away From Home? To Delight in Mitzvoth Values For Our Schools BOOK REVIEWS LETTERS POEMS

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S aul B ernstein , Editor M. Morton R uben stein D r . E ric Oppenbacher R euben Gross R abbi S. J. S harpm an

Editorial Associates M, J udah Metchik

,4 ssistan t Editor Cover by P aul H ausdorpf

Inside Illustration by N orman N odel

• EDITORIALS U.N. MOVE FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM THE STRANGLING OF SOVIET JEWRY THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST SHECHITAH

• ARTICLES NETUREY KARTA AND THE CLUB OF CONTENTION :........... ............................ 6 I. Halevy-Levin : . 1 ARE WE TEACHING OUR VALUES? ... 16 Justin Hofmann JEFFERSON'S "SELF-EVIDENT" TRUTHS 25 Reuben Grossly. THE MITZVAH AS POETRY ..... .....R SH H 30 Emanuel Feldman REMBRANDT'S JEWISH ART .................. . 46 Alfred Werner RAV HAI GAON .............. ........................ 52 Meyer Waxman

• SHORT STORIES MY DAD'S PESACH NOTES ................... Claire Schachter THE POWDER BLUE GOWN .......... ...... Ursula Sitzmann

Editorial and Publication Office : 305 Broadway New York 7, N. Y. BEekman 3-2220

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• POETRY SHOLOM BAYITH ... .......................... Shoshana Wenger G-D H H H Rivka Marani

• BOOK REVIEWS Published by U nion op Orthodox J ew ish Congregations 4f A merica M oses I. F ei^terstein

; ; President Max J. Etra, Rabbi H. S. Goldstein, Williafn B. Herlands, Samuel '¿Nirenstein, William T^eis?, ' Honorary P residents; Samuel L. Breamglass, Nathan K. Gross, Benjamin Koenigsberg, Ben jamin Mandelker, Vice Pres idents; Edward A. Teplow, Treasure^; Reuben E. Gross, Secretary.

JEWISH PARTY IDEOLOGIES ............... 59 Isaac B. Rose A VIEW OF THREE CENTURIES ....1. 63 Israel Miller

• FEATURES AMONG OUR CONTRIBUTORS . J K | K : , 2 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 67

• SERVICES UOJCA PUBLICATIONS 73 KASHRUTH DIRECTORY ...M M H H ..... 78

Among

Our

REUBEN G RO SS is Secretary of the UOJCA and a member of the Editorial Committee of JEWISH LIFE. An attorney in Staten Island, N. Y., he served in the U; S. Army and the Israel Air Force. Prior to his military experiences he attended Yeshivath Tifereth Yerushalayim, Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, City College of New York and Harvard Law School. I. HALEVY-LEVIN continues to supply JEWISH LIFE readers with compre hensive, authoritative accounts of current events on the Israeli scene. He is prominent in religious labor circles in Israel and is the editor of "Modern Israel Library.” URSULA SITZMANN, formerly of Detroit, Michigan, is a Junior at Hunter College, N. Y. She also attends Beth Jacob Teachers Seminary. This is her first published work.

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RABBI JUSTIN HOFMANN was ordained by the Hebrew Theological College

of Chicago. He received his M.A. at the University ;of Buffalo where he will receive the degree of Doctor of Education in June. He is currently director of the Bnai Brith Hillel Foundation at the university and at the Buffalo State Teachers College.

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is a former president of the Tri-State Region of the UOJCA's Women's Branch. She -is the wife of Dr. Melech Schächter of Adath Yeshurun, Bronx, N. Y. CLAIRE SCHÄCHTER

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RABBI EMANUEL FELDMAN is . spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Jacob in

Atlanta, Georgia. He received his Semichah from the Ner Israel Rabbinical Col lege of Baltimore, Md. and his B.S. and M.A. from John Hopkins University. He has contributed several articles to leading publications,

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DR. ALFRED WERNER is onb of the most prolific writers of the fine arts on

the American Jewish scene. He. is the author oL "Story ,of Jewish Art.” RIVKA MARANI is the pen name of Gerda Speigler, who has returned to fier home in Israel after an extended stay in this country. A graduate of Colunifria University, she has had stories, articles and poems published here and gbrpad.

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eminent Jewish scholar, was born in Russia gnd educated abroad and in the U.S. He is Professor of Bible, Jewish History and Philbiophy at the Hebrew Theological College of Chicago. * ^ 1 B B | DR. MEYER WAXMAN,

Jewish LIFE

U. N. MOVE FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

Y17IDE SPREAD interest and support has been accorded a proposal by ^ * Justice Philip Halpern that the United Nations undertake a world wide survey of restrictions upon religious rights and practices. In view of the all-too-clear need for such a study, it is not surprising that the pro posal, which was contained in,a report presented to the U. N. Sub-Com mission for the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minori ties, should have met so far with little open opposition. Significantly, such objections as were presented by the Soviet member of the sub-commis sion were directed at the suggested sources of data rather than at the plan as such. If the study is adopted subject to the restrictions de manded by the Soviet delegate, the totalitarian nations will be in a posi tion ta sieve out evidence that would incriminate them. Decision as to Justice Halpern’s proposal is still pending, but in view of political reali ties it is not to be expected that an untrammelled study will be authorized. Even in circumscribed form, however, the proposed study would bear a unique importance. It will bespeak the potential function of the United Nations as a common point for the conservation of the human con science, as well as for political, economic and cultural interchange. It would imply recognition of the principle that mankind collectively has the right and obligation to protect the exercise of religious freedom for all men. However limited in its immediate application, the plan points to welcome new developments in the ordering of the modern world. THE STRANGLING OF SOVIET JEWRY

IVfEEDLESS TO SAY, Jewish interest in the proposed U. N. study of world religious discrimination is personal as well as objective. A decajle affer the overthrowal of the Hitler regime, of evil memory, large numbers f f Jews — including more than 2,000,000 in the Iron Curtain countriesj— are subject to religious discrimination. Skillfully cloaked yet now apparent beyond question, the Communist program of extermin ating Judaism and all manifestations of Jewish life in their imperial realms hap taken a deadly toll. The Communist formula, unlike that of the Nazis, provides not for the mass murder of Jews but for their oblitera tion as a religious or national group. While the atheist Soviet rulers seem to have found it politic to make terms, of a kind, with the major Christian denominations under their sway, the Iron Curtain can no longMareh - April, 1955

er conceal overwhelming evidence that Judaism in Soviet Russia and its satellites is deliberately and remorselessly being put to death. 'J'HERE IS a dangerous tendency at large to assume that the Iron Cur tain offers an insuperable barrier to all attempts to rescue the Jews of the Soviet lands from their plight. Such fatalism, begetting an uncon scionable complacency, plays into the hands of Soviet RusCampaignsia’s rulers. Even so massive a tyranny as that of the So por viets cannot be forever impervious to the demand of outF r e e d o m raged conscience, if such demand is militantly and persistingly voiced. Kol yisroelareyvim to ourselves as well as to our imprisoned brethren to counter the Com munist campaign for their communal destruction with as unremitting a campaign for their redemption. Any United Nations study of religious discrimination would, of course, bear little immediate impact within the Soviet Union. That which is now contemplated should, nevertheless, serve to spur action for a criti cal Jewish need. Hope for Jewish life within the Soviet borders can no longer be entertained; freedom of religion for the Jews of this area can be sought only by release from the Soviet domain. Towards this goal world Jewry must address itself with inflexible purpose. THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST SHECHITAH

RELIGIOUS discrimination against Jews is not, unfortunately, con fined to the Soviet sphere. One section of Justice Halpern’s report on world religious discrimination called attention to restrictions upon given religious practices. A prime example of such restrictions is laws forbidding Shechitah, Jewish ritual slaughter. Such otherwise democratic countries as Denmark and Switzerland bear the stain of anti-Shechitah legislation. Agitation for the enaction of similar laws is being pressed in other countries, notably including Britain. This form of religious discrimination is generally propagated on hu manitarian grounds. In some instances this motive is sincere, if mistaken ly applied, but as often as not the humanitarian plea is a cloak for malig nant Jew-hatred. Dr. Isaac Lewin, representing the Agudath Israel World Organization as an observer at the U. N. Sub-Commission session which received Justice Halpern’s report, was quick to point out that the Nazis started out by prohibiting Jewish ritual slaughter and ended up by slaughtering Jews. ■QNDER NO circumstances can anti-Shechitah laws be consistent with religious freedom, for such laws necessarily restrict religious observ ance. But least of all can anti-Shechitah legislation be justified on human4

Jewish LIFE

itarian grounds. The fact that the Jewish laws governing the slaughter of animals are directed towards the very purpose of humanSpurious itarianism is generally known to the world at large. CruelCftcrrge ty to animals is interdicted by Jewish law and abhorred in Jewish life. The laws of Shechitah are successfully de signed to cause the minimum of pain to the animal, to prevent the brut alization of man and to nurture the sense of the sanctity of all life, as well as to protect the physical health of the consumer. Again and again it has been conclusively demonstrated, to the satisfaction of scientific au thorities, that Shechitah causes less pain to1the animal than other meth ods of slaughter. And again and again are these demonstrations ignored those determined to ignore all evidence that is contrary to their real purpose. THOSE who make a cult of opposition to Jewish ritual slaughter ap pear to be much less concerned as to the humaneness of other forms of slaughter. They are apt to profess that such practices as stunning or shooting animals reduce the pain of slaughter. Evidence^H applying not to a laboratory-style testcase but to. a regularly-conducted series of kill ings — shows that this not the truth. The fact is that these supposed palliatives not only do not reduce suffering but multiply it. With the method of stunning, for example, in not one case out of three, does the first blow knock the animal unconscious, but must be repeated, often again and again, with the poor creature struggling in unspeakable agony. And of course when the animal is finally tortured into unconsciousness, is it thereby freed of the pain or is it simply unable to give vent to its suffering? OALUTARY enlightenment on this subject can be gained by a visit to ^ any slaughterhouse at which both Kosher and non-Kosher slaughter are being conducted. This reveals beyond any doubt that Evidence Shechitah is infinitely less, painful to the animal than the Speaks non-Kosher slaughter, regardless of what method of the latter is used. Any fair-minded person, upon viewing this comparison, will be apt to favor, not the prohibition of Shechitah but its universal adoption. Anti-Shechitah laws are incompatible alike with religious freedom, democracy and humanitarianism. They must be exposed and eliminated, once and for all, from the free world.

March - April, 1955

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From O ur Israel Correspondent

Neturey Karta and the “Club of Contention” | J erusalem

By 1. HALEVY-LEVIN

TXTHEN, in the year 1874, one hundred householders of the Old City of Jerusalem combined to found the quarter of Meah Shear im, some distance north of the City ramparts, they were em barking upon a pioneering venture no less intrepid under the thenexisting conditions than the estab lishment of any border settlement today. The state of security dur ing those years of the declining Turkish administration was chaot ic, banditry and violence were rife and, for fear of robbers, the gates of the Old City were shut from nightfall to daybreak. In the Old Yishuv, however, it was a period of awakening, and a new spirit of initiative and selfhelp was abroad. Mishkenoth Shaanonim, the first quarter outside the Old City not far from the pres 6

ent Jaffa Gate, had been founded in 1860 by Sir Moses Montefiore with funds provided by the Ameri can-Jewish philanthropist, Judah Touro. But Nachlath Shivah, estab lished nine years later, Meah Shearim and other quarters and col onies (Petach Tikvah was founded by a group of Jerusalem Jews in 1878) were all born of the aspira tion which had gripped the deni zens of the Jerusalem ghetto to extract themselves from the con gestion, the squalor and the desti tution that had been their lot for many generations. The solidlybuilt, fortress-like structures of the quarter, with strongly barred windows set high in the long walls that are pierced only at infrequent intervals by gateways (the gates have disappeared), still bear wit ness to the precautions that were Jewish LIFE

necessary at the time to protect life and property. It was in Meah Shearim that the first group of Jewish watchmen was organizedhalf a century, almost, before Hashomer—and in the sixth year of the new quarter this earliest at tempt at Jewish self-defense had claimed its first victim, Meir Sheinbaum.

ments threw down the challenge. They refused to associate them selves with the non-religious Zion ists and immediately countered with the creation of an Eydah Chareydith, in which a Jerusalemborn young man, in his early twen ties, of Hungarian-Jewish descent, Amram Blau by name, was the leading spirit.

1XTITH THE passage of the ” years, tpgether with the Yishuv, Meah Shearim expanded and developed, but it remained a world apart, with its narrow cobbled alleys and little squares, the pecul iar architecture of its buildings, and the distinctive appearance of its black-hatted and caftaned in habitants. Meah Shearim looked with open hostility upon the influx of new immigrants, most of whom were non—and even anti-religious, some of whom settled in Jerusalem. The mutual dislike and dis trust waxed and waned in inten sity as circumstances changed, but have remained to this day a barrier effectively setting the Yishuv Hayoshon apart from the Yishuv Hechodosh. This mutual antagonism was sharpened after the first World War, when the New Yishuv con stituted itself as the vanguard.of the Jewish National Home. As a step in the political organization of the Yishuv, a Town Council of the Jews of Jerusalem (a com munal body having no recognized status) was created. The domi nating influence, of course, was Zionist. The Meah Shearim ele-

DABBI A. I. KOOK, regarded by " many as the greatest spiritual figure in Jewry since the Gaon of Vilna, whose Zionism and whose entire philosophy, inspired by a profound Ahavath Israel, was par ticularly repugnant to the dissi dents and who had been appointed Rabbi of Jerusalem, was singled out as a special target of attack. The Eydah Chareydith embarked upon a policy which it still con sistently pursues of allying itself with any force hostile to the Na tional Home. The newly consti tuted British administration, under the Arabophile Governor of Jeru salem, Sir Ronald Storrs, eyed the growing political unity of the Yishuv with unconcealed disfavor. The Eydah Chareydith was quick to take advantage of the fact. The Shechitah of the Kehillah (headed by Rabbi Kook) they declared tereyfah, and, aided by the Brit ish authorities, established a She chitah of their own. The Eydah, which was politically incorporated into the Agudath Israel, bombarded the district commissioners, the High Commissioner, the British Colonial Office, the League of Na tions, even Christian dignitaries 7

Mareh - April, 1955

and institutions, with protests and petitions against the Zionist Or ganization and the Yishuv leader ship. As a result of its pressure a special clause was inserted in the Jewish Community Ordinance which recognized the right of the Jews of Palestine to organize themselves into the Knesseth Israel but allowed Jews to opt themselves out of the Knesseth by filing a declaration to that effect with the authorities. During each subse quent year until 1947 a violent propaganda campaign was con ducted against the organized Yi shuv and its institutions. TN 1936 it seemed that a new era of collaboration had dawned. In that year outstanding leaders of German-Jewish Orthodoxy and the World Agudath Israel movement, including Dr. Isaac Breuer and

Dr. P. Kahn, arrived in Eretz Yisroel. Under the impact of the rise of Nazism in Europe and out break of anti-Jewish terror in this country, the Agudah agreed to co operate in the launching of the YishuvV defense fund, Kofer Hayishuv. A notable contribution in this new development was made by Rabbi Moshe Blau, older brother of Amram Blau, a leader of the old Yishuv of more than ordinary stature, whose premature death a few years later was a grave blow to the growing unity of the Jewish community in Palestine. Amram Blau regarded the new policy as deviation from the prin ciples which had guided the Eretz Israel Agudah and seceded, tak ing with him several hundred of the more extreme Agudists, who adopted the title of Neturey Karta (Guardians of the City).

Aggressive But Informally Organized

T H E Neturey Karta are not a religious sect. They are dis tinguished by an uncompromising Orthodoxy, but in this respect they do not differ from hundreds of thousands of Jews both in this country and in the Golah who do not support this movement and are even active Zionists. The single tenet that sets Neturey Karta com pletely apart is their belief that the redemption of Israel can only come by Divine grace and the ad vent of the Messiah. Any attempt at national redemption by human effort is presumptuous, d’chikath haketz, and, as such, rebellion 8

against the Kingdom of Heaven. This view, of course, is not new. Throughout the nineteenth century the great precursors of religious Zionism, Rabbi Alkelai, Rabbi Kalisher, the Netziv of Volozhin, Rabbi Eliashberg and Rabbi Mohilever, devoted much of their writ ings to a refutation of this doc trine. The innovation of Neturey Karta is the violence and aggres siveness with which it is upheld. Upon this point the Neturey Karta are totally consistent. They are opposed to the State of Israel not merely because it is secular in character. Here they diverge from Jewish LIFE

their own parent group, the Agudath Israel, and other religious political organizations which aim at the establishment of the Torah State. TN A booklet setting forth the - ideology of Neturey Karta, writ ten in an archaic but attractive Hebrew, this point is explained with absolute clarity, c '^The Zionist ideal,” we read, “to convert Knesseth Israel into a na tion like all others with an inde pendent state and a national lan guage of its own, is basically a denial of the Holy One, blessed be He, of Israel and of the: Torah.” And further, “Even if leaders of this State observed the Torah and Mitzvoth we should still be im pelled to wage war upon it with all our might, for the very idea of a state is atheistic. But the Holy One, blessed be He, had done kindly with us in that the leaders of the state are notoriously wicked athe ists who lead the people astray, so that the atheism inherent in the very idea is made more apparent.” For a group so aggressive and ideologically so homogeneous, it is remarkable how informally and loosely organized the Neturey Karta are. They have no formal membership and no membership dues. At most probably no more than J1 few hundred persons re gard themselves as # belonging to Neturey Karta. Their spiritual leaders are the three members of the Beth Din of the Eydah Chareydith, Rabbis Pinchas Epstein (Av Beth Dili), Israel Reisman and March MApril, 1955

David Jungreiz. To conduct their secular affairs the group has re verted to a form of municipal or ganization deriving from the Taljmudic era — Shiva Tovey Ho’ir (Seven Notables of the City) — headed by Amram Blau, and in cluding his son-in-law Rabbi Yeshaya Sheinberger, Rabbi Katzenellenbogen (whose son married Blau’s daughter) and Rabbi Eliahu Meizes, Rosh Yeshivath Torath Emeth, who together with Blau have led the campaign against the club which has gained world-wide notoriety as the Moadon Hamerivah (the Club of Contention), maintained by the Histadrutff s Working Mothers Association in the Musrarah Quarter of Jeru salem. T H E ACTIVITIES of the Neturey Karta do not extend out side Jerusalem, though they are supported morally and financially by groups in England (headed by Harry Goodman, European Chair man of Agudath Israel) and Rabbi I. Domb and in America by the Satomar rebbe, Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum, who, though resident in New York City’s Williamsburg sec tion, was elected not long ago by the Eydah Chareydith as their Jerusalem Rabbi. The Children’s Club in Musra rah run by the Working Moth ers Organization (with the aid of the Ministry of Education and the Keren Yeladenu, each of which bears thirty percent of the cost) is only the latest of a series of issues on which Amram Blau and 9

his followers have conducted cam paigns with a zeal and resolution which one could only wish inspired the religious community in Israel in more constructive causes. In all fairness to the Working Mothers Organization it must be stated that it apparently never oc curred to them that the residents of Meah Shearim would find the sight of the children (under the age of fourteen) of Musrarah play ing together, reprehensible. After all, critics of Neturey Karta in the present controversy have been quick to point out that both Bnei Akiva and Mizrachi Youth have clubs close by where children of both sexes play together without ever evoking any protest. More over, the Musrarah Quarter, a slum

H M M f l K l B B kk\

sandwiched between the Arab-Held Old City and Meah Shearim, in habited by the poorest class of new immigrants is, as the present writer pointed out in a previous article (Mission§ and Missionaries in Israel, J e w i s h L i f e , Tishri, 5715), a favorite, hunting ground of the missionaries. The fact that the Keren Yeladeynu, the fund that is spearheading the Campaign against missionary activities, is a joint sponsor of the Club, supports the claim that one of its major purposes is to keep young children out of the mis sionaries’ way in the afternoons when they are not at school. 'DUT the fact of the matter is ^ that the Neturey Karta did find the sight of boys and girls playing together provocative and offensive J p t h e club is right on the border of Meah Shearim and took immediate steps to secure its removal. These steps involved noisy demonstrations, including the shouting of prutzoth, shekotzim, “abominations,” “carneveloth and other insults, bouts of rion” ■Msq

gfec' * 'if. £ A T M - \ Photo by D. Rubinger, Panim El Panim

The "Club ol Contention" in Jerusalem 's M usrarah Quarter, sc e n e dem onstrations b y the N eturey Karta.

of recen t

Jewish LIFE

stone-throwing and the destruction of a seesaw and an iron framework for swings. The scuffles that ensued led to a number of arrests, includ ing that of the leaders, Amram Blau and Rabbi Meizes, both of whom were released on bail at this stage. The bouts of stone-throwing, in which the youngsters attending the club and a number of mysteri ously-begotten “big brothers” who began to appear on the scene par ticipated, continued regularly in the afternoon hours with the po lice intervening half-heartedly and making a few ineffectual arrests. The Histadruth refused to listen to the counsel offered by both re ligious and non-religious bodies, that the issue was not worth the undoubted harm it was doing to Israel's reputation, and the Jeru salem Labor Council decided to teach the Neturey Karta and the inhabitants of Meah Shearim a lesson. A circular over the signa ture of Moshe Baram, Secretary of the Council, a translation of which follows, was sent to various places where Histadruth members are employed. “To the Hanhaloth of the Works Committee of . “Jerusalem. “Dear Comrades, “For a number of weeks now we have been subjected to at tacks by members of the Neturey Karta ' and their sympathizers, who have sought by violent means in the form of shameful ' outbursts, to impose a way of life apd customs which oppose those of our society and conMarch - April, 1955

science. Their impudence has achieved its highest point in the war they are at present waging against our children who spend the afternoon hours at the Work ing Mothers Club in the neigh borhood of Rechov Haneviim in Musrarah. We have accordingly decided to stand in the breach and for this purpose the help of the masses of the members of the Histadruth is required. “Upon the request of Chaver Arieh Hirsch, secretary of Hapoel in Histadruth House, you are asked to arrange for the number of workers he requires to leave work at any time of the day. This campaign is ours and we must extend all the aid we can to ensure its success to prevent subjection to a regime of the Middle Ages. “We trust that you will cooper ate fully and will respond will ingly to our request.” TN RESPONSE to this circular * one hundred members of the Histadruth, armed with staves and rubber truncheons, set forth for Meah Shearim. At the appointed hour the Neturey Karta, ignorant of the trap that had been set for them, sallied forth for the daily bout of vilification and stone throwing. The provocation was deemed adequate and the counter attack was launched. It must be placed on record that despite the fact that the Club had been the scene of almost daily dis orders for over a month, no police were on the spot and arrived only 11

after the attack was over. The attack by the Histadruth forces was certainly one of the worst cases of organized hooligan ism this country has seen for many years. Men, women and children were brutally beaten, over a hun dred stones were thrown into the synagogue of the Bratislaver Chas sidim, the windows and chandeliers of which were smashed. The reaction of the press to this outbreak of hoodlumism, though restrained because of the feeling that Neturey Karta were them selves partly to blame because of their own predilection for violence, was sharp enough to teach the local Histadruth leaders that they had over-reached themselves. It is a fact that though the demonstra tions have continued neither the “big brothers” nor the “groups of

citizens” have reappeared on the scene. The clash seems to have shown both parties what developments might lead to. Without disavowing violent demonstration as a means for securing the removal of* the club, Neturey ¿ arta decided to use the art of diplomacy. After pre liminary talks with Mordechai Na mier, secretary general of the His tadruth, a meeting was arranged between Neturey Karta’s Rabbi Sheinberger and the Jerusalem Labor Council's secretary, Moshe Baram — without any perceptible result. The Working Mothers Or ganization remain adamant in their refusal to consider the removal of the club. Neturey Karta are equal ly determined that it shall be re moved.

Offensive Acts

TWO INCIDENTS have served to indicate how, when mutual feel ing is so raw, such a club border ing on a quarter like Meah Shear ing whose inhabitants live a pecul iar way of life, can give offense. The eighth day of Chanukah was marked by a celebration in the club attended by Ziporah Sharett, wife of the Prime Minister. To mark the occasion nine torches were lit. It may have been purely Am Haortzuth. The people of Meah Shearim interpreted the ninth torch as symbolizing victory over themselves. Asorah Beteyveth is not only a religious fast; it is a day of na12

tional mourning for the victims of the European holocaust. For some reason, the club held a party on the day. In Meah Shearim it was construed as an act of deliberate provocation. T H E leading figure in the campaign against the Club of Con tention and in innumerable other clashes with the police and the pub lic over religious and political is sues is Amram Blau, a tall, sparse man in his late fifties, whose zealot features are framed in a tangled red beard and lank peyoth. Blau wears the flowing black-striped kapotta and broad-brimmed black Jewish LIFE

plush shtreimel which is almost the uniform of Meah Shearings male residents. He is notable for the sincerity of his faith, the consis tency of his views and the pug nacity of his temperament. He re cently boasted of having been ar rested two hundred times. Some weeks ago he was released on parole from jail (where he was serving a short sentence for disturbing the peace) to enable him to serve as sandok at the Brith Milah of his grandson. His police escort parti cipated in the festivities and after the ceremony when he, was taken back to jail he was accompanied by a crowd of his followers chant ing, “XJtzu Eytzah Veytufor Blau's belligerence inspires his followers — not sufficiently, how ever, for upon more than one oc casion he has remained with a handful of the more faithful on the battle-ground when the police hove in sight. The propaganda con ducted in England and the United States, representing him and the Neturey Karta as a persecuted Photo by D. Rubingar, Pan?m El Panim band of martyrs whose sole wish Amram Blau, lea d er o'f the N eturey is to live their religion in peace, is Karta# after his r e le a se from jail. not only untrue, it is ridiculous. Blau, who regards himself as a warrior of G-d, would reject the of the circumstances. He does not very idea with scorn. As far as recognize the State of Israel, nei Blau is concerned Meah Shearim ther de jure nor de facto, nor the is not a retreat where Neturey jurisdiction of its courts. Karta can keep out the secularly HE following passage between and the irreligion of the outside Blau and Magistrate Meier world; it is a stronghold from Even Tov at the beginning of the which he sallies forth on his re current campaigns. He alternates trial of the former on charges of between passive and active resist illegal assembly and interfering ance, according to his assessment with the police in the performance m March - April, 1955

of their duties, is typical of his attitude. As(ked to plead guilty or not guilty, Blau replied to Mr. Even Tov: “You are not Israel, for you have accepted the laws of the gen tiles and you have no authority at all to judge in the name of Israel, because the name under which you are trading is false.” The Magistrate in his reply quoted Maimonides’ Hilchoth San hedrin, “Though a Beth Din may not be composed of less than three (judges), one (judge) can sit in judgment according to the Torah.” Blau then declared: “I will not study Rambam with your Honor now. You desecrate the Holy Name and judge according to the laws of the gentiles. But even according to the laws of the gentiles you have no authority to judge, for you are not Israel and on a false basis no court of law can exist!” It is of interest to note that the Magistrate, in adjourning the hear ing, reverted to an ancient Jewish judicial practice, enshrined in a recent amendment to the Penal Code, ruling that the case would be heard before a panel of three magistrates, of whom he himself would be one. J)ARTLY out of a respect for his * picturesque personality, partly in consideration of the sincerity of his opinions, partly because of the distorted light in which any more drastic action would be represented in the Diaspora, the attitude of the authorities and of the police — with one or* two notable lapses in 14

the case of the l a t t e r ^ h a s been one of restraint and tolerance. But the reaction of the non-religious section of the community and even of many members of religious Jews in this country is one of growing exasperation. Neturey Karta’s per sistent vilification of the State and their references to the “Zionist Golah” and the “Zionist inquisi tion” may be passed off with a smile. But the Yishuv remembers that in the most critical hours of the siege of Jerusalem they demon strated in favor of Emir Abdullah, that one of their plans (in con nection with which it is alleged they have already contacted the Arab Legion) is to infiltrate into Arab territory, that they are eager allies of any force inimical to Is rael. One Jerusalem journalist* has testified to being present, behind a curtain, in the residence of M. Niewenhuys, Belgian Consul in Jerusalem at the time, and chair man of the Consular Commis sion, when Amram Blau and a group of his adherents called to ask the Consul's intercession on their behalf with King Abdullah to enable them to settle either in the Old City or in Amman until the Zionist State was destroyed. In any other country, under any other regime, acts such as these would be regarded as treachery and would be punished accordingly. ♦The journalist who claims to have been present is Asher Lazar, a member of the editorial staff of the Zemanim Daily (organ of the Progressive Party) and a former Jerusalem correspondent of Haaretz. This statement was included in an article pub lished in Zemanim on January 14, 1955.

Jewish LIFE

The Moadon Hamerivah, for all the publicity that has been given it in the local and the foreign press, has never been more than a very minor issue. Amram Blau’s tactics have converted its existence on its present site into a matter of pres tige for Mapai, for whom prestige is sevenfold important in this elec tion year. Some sort of compro mise seems in sight — a wall 26

feet high which will blot out the offending sight of Jewish boys and girls playing together. But the people of Neturey Karta have al ready gone back on their leader’s previous statement that $uch a wall might settle the issue. And in any case Amram Blau and his followers will not have to look far or long for another bone of con tention to pick.

Photo by D. Rubinger

P olice rem ove ston e road-blocks se t up at the entrance to M eah Shearim b y m em b ers of the N eturey Karta. W ithin recen t w e e k s street disorders in I s r a e ls cap ital city h a v e d e c lin e d sharply.

March - April, 1955

•

M aterialism Versus Religious Ideals

By JUSTIN HOFMANN QF

ONE THING: there is no “earning a livelihood.” It is a con dearth in the field of Jewish ception that identifies the end of education-Bthere is no lack of prob life with securing physical com lems. There are problems of funds, forts. Another generation would of good teachers, of facilities and never have been able to understand of materials. But overshadowing this inquiry into the utility of Jew all of these and more fundamental ish education. The question could than any of them is the problem of never have been raised by our fa student attitudes. There is nothing thers or grandfathers in the Chemore disturbing to a teacher than der of an Eastern European town. a student who persists in asking: Our fathers and grandfathers knew <rWhat good is it?” or “What good very well the value of a Jewish edu is this ’stuff’?” (Jewish education cation. It was indispensable to is often referred to by the not very them; indispensable not for mak complimentary term “stuff.”) What ing a living, but for leading a truly the youngster really means to say Jewish life. is : How much money can I make out of this knowledge and how will JS ND YET, the utility-minded it further my career as a lawyer, or “ youngster is not to be blamed a physician, or a businessman? for his distorted sense of values. The question has the most serious The confusion is not of his own implications. It implies a totally making. Like most other things, it distorted sense of values. It implies is learned. He has simply assimi a philosophy of life which fails to lated the outlook of his environment distinguish between “living” and S-the feeling of his parents and Jewish LIFE

relatives; the attitudes of his friends and neighbors. By word or by deed everyone about him has told him what the supreme value is. He requires no keen sense of observation to recognize what his parents consider a primary and what a secondary objective in life. There may be some individual dif ferences as to detail, but there is no mistaking the general tendency. The things that count in life are material — a successful career, eco nomic security and physical com forts. In view of this all-pervading materialistic climate, the young ster's attitude is quite a natural one. He has simply learned what he has been taught since practically the day he was born. How could he

be reasonably expected to view life in terms other than material? The truth of the matter is that even some of our “spiritual lead ers" are not completely free from this tendency. They too have, in some cases, absorbed the material istic climate of our generation, and they place the pursuit of worldly goods above religious val ues. Whenever this occurs, and fortunately these instances are rare, the perpetrator of the un scrupulous deeds has not only lost his own self-respect, but he has also marked himself with the stamp of hypocrisy in the eyes of the people. The damage done in this fashion to our cause, however, is almost irreparable.

Priority Over Moral Values

TH ERE is a tradition according tion characterized by benafsho yovi to which one of our Sages gave lachmo. It is sad but true that this the following interpretation to the liturgical statement: “Man's origin perverted sense of values has in is dust and he returneth to dust. many cases penetrated even the He obtaineth his bread at the peril ethical realm. Not only do many of his soul." There is nothing par of our youngsters rank material ticularly shocking in the first part goods above religious ideals, they of the statement, the rabbi sup also assign priority to them over posedly said, for this is the way it moral values. In a recent dis should be. It is. no more than cussion with a group of college right that man, taken from the students, this disappointing fact dust/^should return to the dust. was impressed on me. The dis But the second part of the state cussion touched upon the question ment, he continued, gives us cause of whether or not a Jewish com for weeping. It is tragic, indeed, munity ought to accept a gift of that man should hold his soul in illegally earned money in order such low esteem as to sell it for to build a gymnasium. Most of a morsel of bread. The comment the students took the position that describes very aptly the climate of the important thing was the gym our generation. Ours is a genera- nasium and it did not matter that 17 March - April, 1955

it was built with crooked money. It was not an easy task to demon strate that ethical considerations are more important than recrea tional facilities. QO MUCH for the background ^ against which this question of “What good is it?” must be seen and understood. The problem is: How can it be answered? It is my contention that the answer must be given in terms of the true ends of Jewish education, and that it should be given even before the question arises. The truth of the matter is that a good many of the teachers in our religious schools have either no clear conception or an utterly false notion of what the ends of Jewish education are. In many of our “good” schools the educational objective is the ability to speak simple Hebrew sentences. Nothing gives the teacher greater joy than his students’ ability to ask for an ice-cream cone in Hebrew. This attitude is more prevalent than we often like to admit. An experi enced Hebrew teacher with whom I once discussed this problem put it quite candidly when he said that he teaches “them” Hebrew and if the rabbi is interested in religion, let the rabbi teach “them” religion. If the ability to carry on a con versation in Hebrew is the sole aim of Jewish education, then we

not only have no adequate answer for the youngsters who insist on knowing what good it is, but are also left with no effective argu ment when he voices a preference for French rather than for He brew. Why is it better to say “I want an ice-cream cone” \n He brew than in French? After all, there are more French-speaking people in the world than there are Hebrew-speaking ones. And what ever cultural values may be derived from the study of Hebrew may also be derived from the study of any other ancient or modern tongue. “But no,” many a reader will protest, “how can you compare Hebrew with French? Is there any doubt that Hebrew is of greater significance to the Jew than is French?” The answer is, yes. But why is it so? Is it not only be cause Hebrew is the Language of our tradition ? Is it not because Hebrew is the Lashon Hakodesh -— the holy tongue, the language of Torah? This, precisely, is the important point. The study of Hebrew and all else we may be doing in our Jewish schools derives its signifi cance only from its relationship to our religious heritage. And our religious heritage is a practical heritage. It is a heritage of action, of doing and of “living.”

Ultimate Objective

rPHE END of Jewish education i is to lead a truly Jewish life. 18

The study of Hebrew is not, theremore, as so many suppose, an end Jewish LIFE

in itself. It is a means, an instru teacher becomes such an important ment, to Jewish living. For with factor. The teacher must not only out the knowledge of Hebrew there be competent in his field; he must can be no knowledge of our herit not only be able to relate all studies age. And without knowledge of to their ultimate objective; he our tradition, our tradition can must also be a person who can not be observed. The ignorant can teach by example. In the Jewish not lead a truly Jewish life, for school not one teacher teaches He lo am ho-oretz chosid — the un brew and another one religion. learned cannot be pious. The end Much rather religious precepts are of Jewish education is practical taught in the Hebrew language. “What good is it?” the youngster and not theoretical. It is lilmod ulelamed, lishmor velaasoth uleka- inquires. “It is very good,” the yem — to study and to teach, to teacher ought to reply. “It may heed and to do and to fulfill. The not be good for the acquisition of end of Jewish education, then, is material things, for earning a nothing short of Jewish living in livelihood. But it is excellent, in the true and rich sense of the word. fact indispensable, for life. And, In the light of this practical ob after all, life is even more im jective of Jewish education, the portant than ‘making a living/ ”

TWO VIEWS ON EDUCATION The sch ool of S h am m ai sa id , "O ne sh ould se le c t h is stu dents from am on g those w h o p o s se ss w isd om , hum ility, w e a lth an d a g o o d fam ily b ack grou n d /' But the sch ool of H illel taught. ev ery o n e, 'for m an y

a transgressor h a s

been

T each

brought clo se

through the stu dy of Torah, and from him h a v e com e forth m en of character, r ig h teo u sn ess a n d piety." (O voth D'Rabbi, N ath an 2)

TRUE ORDINATION W hen R abbi Zeirah w a s ordained b y the R abbis, th ey a c claim ed him w ith the w ords, "N either pow der, nor paint, nor ornam ent, and y e t h ow beautiful!" (K ethuvoth 17 a)

March - April, 1955

7 could See That M om W as Trying H ard to Fight Back the Tears. I Sensed I t A ll D ay . . . 9

•

My D ad’s Pesach Notes

By CLAIRE SCHÄCHTER "THE MAIL WAS light that day and I took to reading the ad* vertising brochures. One especially caught my eye. It was an attrac tive-looking bulletin sept out to guests of one of the leading hotels in the “Borscht Circuit.” Among other items it had an “Inquiring Reporter” column which read in p a rt: “I like Passover at the Leonard’s Hotel because I love my wife! I love to see that wonderful smile of contentment on her face as she enjoys every minute of her stay — away from all the cares of Passover preparation in the city. “And don’t think it doesn’t do 20

me a lot of good, too! No indi gestion at all this week! No moth er-in-law to give me advice! No breaking my back carrying Passover packages and digging out the old dishes ! No neighbors coming in to borrow a dozen eggs!” “Clever advertising copy,” I thought. But the mention of Pe sach is always associated in my mind with another scene dating back eight years . . . It was always Dad’s job every year to “shlep” the Pesach dishes up the cellar stairs. But this year I had to take over because after fifty-seven years of shlepping Pe sach dishes, Dad was called on Jewish LIFE

for a refill. “Bring the pot in here, Ma,” I called after her. “I feel like a few more.” But, instead of bringing coffee, Mom came in carrying a yellowed sheet of paper. Handing it to me, she said: “Every year when Daddy and I stored away the Pesach dishes, we wished for another year of health for all our children and another Pesach together.” I could see that Mom was trying hard to fight back the tears. I sensed it all day, that there was a great deal of suppressed emotion welling up in Mom, regardless of her seemingly idle chatter. I was glad now that she had begun to release some of that tension, so I didn’t read the note she had placed lUrOTHER AND I had certainly in my hand, despite my anxiety ^ earned a coffee break by now, when I recognized it to be my but I was determined to get it all Daa’s beautiful script. “When the very last carton was out of the way before we sat ready for storing in the basement,” down to rest. Yet, each time I ap proached that carton, Mother would Mom continued, “Daddy would sit rush to my side and say: “Later, down to write his thoughts and Ruthie, not now.” She looked away musings at the time. Oh, it was quickly to avoid my questioning always so adventurous to read his messages from year to year. eyes. “When he had it completed, he By now the aroma of freshly perking coffee wafted into my nos would read it to me. Sometimes trils and I quickly abandoned the his heart was filled with pride, like urge to finish the. job, in favor of the time your Davie was graduated a couple qf cups of coffee. Mom from Yeshivah and ran off with had anticipated my wish and had all the honors. And who could gotten the coffee started while I measure our joy when your Sima was busying myself with some presented us with our first great other job. We sat down at the grandchild? At other times he had dining room table because most given way to prayerful hope, the dvery other nook and corner was time Itzik’l was sent overseas. And Pesnchdig. My! that coffee tasted the next year,” Mom sighed, “he good. I drained my cup in seconds. was grayer and sadder, his face Mother took up my cup and saucer deeply-lined as in pain, when he

High to help the angels prepare for Pesach. We had really gotten quite a bit done that day before Pesach. We were expecting eighteen places at the first seder and ten at the second, which required a lot of preparation. The gefilte fish sat there in the big pot cooling off; the chickens were cleaned and waxpaper-wrapped in the refrigerator; the chicken fat was rendered and strained into jars; Mother’s home made raisin wine had been strained through sterile cheese-cloth and placed into the refrigerator. All that was left to do was that one carton of “odds and ends” stand ing there in the pantry.

March - April, 1955

recorded that Itzik’l was killed in action.” She wiped away the tears, swallowed hard, and continued. “I remember when you were all young children, all the hopes and great expectations he expressed in those Pesach notes. Each year he tucked away a note in that carton.” T LAID THE note down on the

table before me and listened with amazement as Mom continued. “It was thè last thing he did after Pesach and the first thing he sought out before Pesach. Those notes read like chapters of a novel. Fm sorry now that I didn’t think of keeping them all. But Daddy always laughed off my suggestion that they were good enough to be pub lished. He always was afraid of appearing silly alongside his hand some brood of BAs and Ph.Ds.” 22

Mom took a moment more to control herself and then she said: “I’ve already read his note,” and then her voice cracked. I let Mother cry. The doctor had said it’s better that way. And I began to read, with swimming eyes, my Dad’s beautiful Yiddish script: “I’m reluctantly bidding Pesach goodbye this year. Who knows? Miz dockshterbliche mentchen . . .w e are mortal beings . . . All during the sedorim I drank in the wonderful Yiddishen nachas that G-d in His great good ness has granted us. Mom and I have made many sacrifices in our youth for just such a realization. How thankful I am tsu dem vos ich bin nisht vert ontsurufen . . . to the Almighty . . . that He has given us a contented life together and blessed us with such wonder ful children and grandchildren.” Then as a sort of post-script there was added: “The doctor’s warning about Mother frightens me. I only know that life won?t be worth the living without her. If it were only humanly possible to transfer my years to add to hers, I would gladly give them up.” By now Mother and I were both shaken and sobbing beyond con trol. Each was trying vainly to console the other; but there was no controlling the emotions we felt. We both let go. It was shortly after Pesach that year that Dad had fallen sick. He attributed it to indigestion, and in the few short weeks between Pesach and Shovuoth, he became progressively worse. The doctor Jewish LIFE

consider going to “the mountains” for Pesach this year. Lots of balabateshe people doing it these days. We’d drive her out and pick her up after Pesach. No, indeed! She had no such in tention. If I felt that I couldn’t T H E PHONE rang and I was find the time to help out with the abruptly brought back to reali preparations, she would under ty. “Hello,” I said. “Hello,” came stand. Pesach away from her own Mom’s voice over the phone. “Oh, “tishî’J not as long as there is a living fibre in her body ! She would hello, Ma, how are you?” The brochure still in my hand, call on my sister Rose to help out. Nu, I ask you, could I let any I thought perhaps it would be an idea for Mom to go away for one else do that job when year Pesach this year. It was getting after year we keep looking, Mom increasingly difficult to prepare and and I, as if we expect to find a Pesach note from Dad. serve so many, bless them all. “Clever advertising copy,” I said I let Mom chatter away about the state of her health and then to myself, as I gently let the cheerfully asked whether she might brochure slip into the wastebasket.

diagnosed it as cancer of the liver. In less than seven weeks after he’d written his last Pesach note EH he was gone. His very last thoughts were how to give up some of his years to Mom.

Peace in the house Hangs softly, silken — Rippled by the smile Of a small child. Chambers of the heart Expand and flower, Freshened by the dew Of a blissful hour. “Shalom” is a presence Palpable — From the hush of the “Shin” To the murmuring “Mem.” 24

Jewish LIFE

By REUBEN GROSS 1%W E H0LD these truths to * * be self-evident,* that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalien able rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pur suit of happiness; that to. se cure these rights, governments are instituted among men, de riving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” When Thomas Jefferson penned these immortal words he paid lip service to a method of proof popu larized by a Greek, Euclid. Greek philosophy is characterized by ar gument from self-evident axioms. The Jewish writings, on the other *In the original draft of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson had written the words “sacred and undeniable” but later crossed them out and substituted “self-evi dent.”

March - April, 1955

hand, commence with Revelation, a set of laws imposed by Divine authority. It is interesting, there fore, to examine the postulates of Jefferson's thinking to determine whether they were in fact “selfevident" or are derived from an authoritative tradition. An examination of the quoted portion of the Declaration of Inde pendence indicates the following tacit assumptions: 1. That there is a Creator. 2. That the Creator made man. 3. That men were made equal. 4. That the Creator endows men with rights. 5. That certain of these rights are inalienable. 6. That these inalienable rights include life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. 7. That governments are lim25

ited to their powers by these G-d-given, inalienable rights of individuals, and must, in fact, secure these rights to the individual. 8. That governments derive their rights from the consent of the governed. That There Is A Creator

pROM classical times through the Middle-Ages, and right down to modern times, there has raged the argument between the Theologians and the philosophers as to the eter nity of the universe. Maimonides, Bahya and others offered proofs of creation, but in the last analysis relied upon faith. Significantly, all monotheistic religions rely upon Revelation as proof of Creation. Clearly, the fact of Creation was not so self-evident, at least not to thinkers in the Greek tradition, to be asserted as an incontestable axiom. That The Creator Made Man

T H E creation of man by G-d is taught in the Bible. However, to those who reject the idea of Crea tion generally, this special form of creation is more difficult to accept, and much less evident. Even to many thinkers who are willing to accept the creation of the universe generally, a special creation of man is unacceptable. Thus, there is nothing axiomatic in this second proposition. 26

That Men Were Made Equal

T H E equality of men follows from * the Biblical account of the com mon descent of all men from Adam and,,, Noah. The Talmud, in fact, while bewailing that men do snob bishly boast of their lineage,'states that all men are so descended so that one should not say to another, “I come from a more noble lineage than you.” The Bible recognizes no inherent differences among men and people, except in the degrees of their holiness. However, every one has the power to achieve, and responsibility for, his own moral fall or rise. What was the attitude of clas sical society to the concept of equal ity of men? Plato and Aristotle represent the unanimous view of Greco-Roman society as to the naturalness and desirability of slavery. Nothing could be more evi dent to them than the easily ob served inequality of men, in respect to their capacities and fortunes. Moreover, they saw nothing wrong in this inequality. Plato’s Republic idealizes it into a virtue. Jeffer son’s preaching would have ap peared to them as sheer lunacy and demagoguery* as the very word demagoguery implies. To thinkers outside of the Biblical tradition, there is no self-evident equality of men. That The Creator Endows Men With Rights

TN the Bible man is ifiade a lord over the sub-lunar world. Into Jewish LIFE

his hands are entrusted animate and inanimate existence. The Crea tor walks and talks with man and executes covenants with him.\Man is a dignified creature with rights granted by the Creator himself. Is this Biblical view of man so self-evident that we may expect it from those who stand outside the Biblical tradition ? Apparently not. Classic .mythology views man as a toy of fate in a wprld ruled by luck and chance. Man establishes his own rights with his right arm. In Roman jurisprudence, law ¿and right is that which pleases the monarch; in other words, might makes right. In such ?a system, there can be no room for endowed rights given by a Creator. That Man Has Inalienable Rights

T H E concept of inalienable rights • —inalienable, not only in the sense that they cannot be taken away, but in that they cannot even be surrendered — is peculiarly Biblical. Liberty and property could not be completely surren dered according to the Bible. Ser vitude existed only until the seventh year. If then, the slave refused his freedom, he was permitted to re main until the Jubilee year, but not without the mark of shame upon his ear. In any event, servitude could not be for life, but merely for years, for no man could com pletely sell himself into slavery. Likewise, property reverted to its owner in the Jubilee year, for no man could totally alienate his prop erty. - v March - April, 1955

Life, Liberty And The Pursuit O f Happiness

T H E plirase “Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness” is recog nized as Jefferson’s variation on a theme of Locke BfP“Life, Liberty and Property.” Apparently, Jeffer son regarded the enthronement of property as a sacred right to be a little reactionary, and therefore substituted the “pursuit of happi ness.” As to the source of Locke’s thinking, there can be no doubt. Only in the Bible is life regarded so sacredly that even the life of a slave is given legal protection. Animals and birds are protected against cruelty. Roman law, how ever, permitted the slaying of a child or slave by the father or mas ter with impunity. Life had no in herent sanctity. As for liberty, there can be no do>ubt as to the associations of that word in the colonial mind. The famed Liberty Bell with its inscrip tion from Vayikra (XXV:10) : pro claim liberty throughout the land, is, dramatic testimony on this point. Moreover, the “liberty” alluded to in that verse is the Jubilee year, when freedom was thrust upon the slave and property was restored to its original owners—thus giving effect to the inalienable rights of liberty and property. th a t Governments Have Limited Powers

T H E Declaration of Independence and the Revolutionary War were 27

protests against monarchial tyran mystical pre-conceptions, this ob ny. To the classical world an abso servable fact was hardly debatable. lute monarch was a familiar fig The law was no “brooding omni ure. In the eighteenth century ab presence in the sky,” to use Holmes’ solute monarchs still held sway. The phrase. Ideas like the “Social Con Bible, however, knows only of con tract^ or “Consent of the Gov stitutional monarchs. The king erned” were foreign to them. When was subject to the Torah. When he Rousseau sought to demonstrate transgressed he had to fear tfip ad them, he sought refuge in an ideal monition of the prophet. Even a ized primitive state which had no wicked king like Ahab had to suf actual historical foundation. What fer a tongue lashing from Elijah is the actual source of these ideas? because he took life and property Again, it is the Bible to which we without due process of law. The must turn. The Covenant at Sinai size of the monarch’s stables and is the archetype of a social contract harem was limited by the Tbrah ifha contract with an Omnipotent as a measure of protection against Monarch Who doesn’t need the con kingly arrogance. All this flows sent of His people, but Who, never implicitly from the basic premise theless, so respects the integrity of of the Bible — Grd’s existence. their personality that He contracts The Children of Israel are ser with them and asks their consent vants unto Me Iftj “Not servants to His sovereignty. * * * unto servants,” comment the Rabris. It is, therefore, not surprising TH U S WE SEE that in the light of philosophical thought, each that Thomas Paine, although a deist, drew heavily on the Bible in and every “truth” enunciated by his “Common Sense.” To the Bibli- Jefferson was anything but “selfcally-conscious colonial mind, the evident.” On the contrary, it de anti-monarchial arguments of the rives its validity solely from an Prophet Samuel were most telling authoritative, revealed tradition. and convincing, as he read Paine’s That the argument of the Declar ation of Independence finds such fervid pamphlet. ready acceptance today, even as in 1776, bespeaks how deeply in The Consent O f The Governed grained Mosaic teachings have be ■THE source of sovereignty has come in the Western mind. History A been a much discussed problem records no philosophical Tory reply among political philosophers. From to the Declaration, for there could Hobbes to Holmes and others of be none. These truths had by then that school, the problem was very become so “self-evident” even to simple. Power, the rule of the Englishmen like Edmund Burke, strong over the weak, was the key that it was pointless to argue to sovereignty. To the clear-sighted them. History shows that the torch lit classical mind, untrammeled by Jewish LIFE 28

by Jefferson paved the way for the revolutions and emancipationist movements of the nineteenth cen tury throughout the Americas and

in Europe, too. But it was a torch lit by faith in G-d and Man, and not by any demonstrable “self evi dent” truths.

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March - April, 1955

# Should W e Judge the C om m andm ents

On Rational Grounds?

Zke JAitzvak as Poetry

¡M

By EMANUEL FELDMAN who scrupulously observe the Torah is divine, it ought to JEWS the many daily Mitzvoth of be able to withstand questions. life are often beset by the inevit able question: What are the reag' sons for these Mitzvoth? It has become fashionable for non-observant Jews to ask why about Torah matters, and by so doing indicate their modern approach to things. And unless a clear answer, consistent with the standards of logic, is forthcoming, they main tain that they cannot observe Mitzvoth: “I cannot observe un less I understand why” : this has become the motto of the non-observant. On the surface, this seems quite a legitimate attitude. After all, if 30

And so the rabbis, the observant Jews, the lay leaders, are often all too willing to answer these ques tions, to justify the Mitzvah on logical grounds, to show that the Mitzvah is a rational thing : “real ly nice when you get to }qiow them.” The result has been that it is now just as modish and “cor rect” to supply logical reasons as to demand them; and for tjjiose Mitzvoth for which rational Rea sons do not exist, reasons hjave been created. (Many still explain Kashruth, for example, on the grounds of hygiene. But this is a created reason. Any thinking Jew Jewish LIFE

realizes that Kashruth is but the fulfillment of the commandment, And ye shall he holy.) T H IS attitude, both of questioner and answerer, is not a legiti mate one. In its ramifications it is even harmful to the idea of the Mitzvah. Somehow it has not oc curred to the apologists for the Mitzvah that the Torah itself dif ferentiates between “Chok” and “Mishpot,” between Mitzvoth which are supra-rational and those which are rational; it has not occurred to them that the spirit of the Mitzvah is destroyed by attempts to logicize it. The traditional Jewish concept of the Mitzvah is that it is the one path leading towards the Ul timate. Though many newer paths are proposed today, ranging from the neo-Chosid's ecstatic dance to the existentialist's leap of faith, Jewish tradition has for a thousand years pointed to the Mitzvah as the one true way. By means of the Mitzvah cthe commonplace is made spiritual, the temporal eternal, and man is given a glimpse of G-d. So teaches Jewish tradition. But this teaching does not strike a responsive chord in modern Jew ish minds. It is apparent, there fore, that our approach to the Mitzvah has been from the wrong direction. It is entirely possible that our search for meaning has attained only meaninglessness pre cisely because it has been a de liberate search, because we have attempted to answer logically the whys ; which have beset us. March- April, 1955

We have gone digging for the Mitzvah with, improper tools. We have used the implements of de liberation, analysis, logic, proof — the machinery of rationality. And because the Mitzvah very often offers only frustration to ration ality, the Mitzvah has been dis carded. This has been the error: our times have fallen under the domination of the tyranny of the intellect, and logical explanations have been sought where logic has always been insufficient. For the nature of the Mitzvah is such that it cannot be enmeshed in concepts. It must be free. T H E MITZVAH is, of course, the * essence of Judaism, of our re ligion. We must therefore state the essence of religion. Is it scien tific or poetic? It is almost a cliche to argue that the essence of religion is not scientific but poetic. For in fact poetry and religion are inseparable, and those elements which obtain in one must obtain in the other. Poetry, in its elements of intuition and apprehension, is religious in its ultimate nature; and religion, in its appeals to the emotions and the sensitivities, is poetic in its ultimate nature. We must therefore seek not mathematics but aft. We must ap proach the Mitzvah not as a geo metric theorem but as a poem. One of the great critics of our time, Bernard Berenson, has stated in his Aesthetics and History: “The critic . . . of the work of art . . . should start with being as in tu itiv e towards it, enjoying m

it a s sp o n ta n eo u sly an d w ith a s little d e lib e ra tio n a s its cre a to r w h o first con ceived it. A fte r w h ic h o n ly is h e c a lled u p on to a n a ly z e a n d -in te r p r e t . . .” (m y ita lic s ) (p . 21)

TF WE CAN look upon the Mitzvah as a thing created, as a work of art, as a poem, then our relation to it must be that of Berenson’s to the plastic arts. We should seek from the Mitzvah not whys and whats, but spontaneous meaning and feeling, and we should consciously avoid, in the initial stages, any deliberation, any ques tions, any rationale, so that, as the Mitzvah is being performed, we can achieve a naive, child-like emo tional delight. It is through the application of the essence of poetic art that this delight is to be achieved. This es sence is embodied in the word, Schauen: “Seeing” in its finest sense, seeing as an act of intuition and apprehension, seeing with the emotions and the inner senses.

True poetry, according to this, can not survive an immediate, de tached, logical analysis. Instead, the suggestive qualities of the poem must first be given free reign, the nuances and the shadows must be allowed to drift and then settle; the senses must be touched and affected: first there must be an inner quickening of the senses, and then, as a secondary matter, can there be a sober analysis arid cold dissection. And so must it be in our ap proach to the Mitzvah. Like the poem, the Mitzvah resists imme diate deliberation, philosophizing, and logic. It should be allowed to appeal to the inner senses, and the doer of the Mitzvah must release his self to receive the poetry in herent in the act. His intuitive faculties must be attuned to grasp the poetry involved in the Mitzvah act; the self must be opened up and be prepared to be “struck,” to be quickened, to apprehend the po etic «suggestions emanating from the act.

Tradition Provides Esthetic Inspiration

TF A Mitzvah is in a sense poetry, our relation to it must be changed. We are used to stressing the doing of a Mitzvah, the active perform ance, but as a result we have un der-stressed the effect of the Mitz vah upon us. The emphasis should now be transferred; we do not only give, we primarily receive in the performance of a Mitzvah. And in this way does the act at tain its fulfillment. 32

This is perhaps a departure from the natural inclinations of the present. It implies a complete re versal of what has become natural for us. It requires a development and a strengthening of the per ceptive and intuitive qualities, the “Schauen” qualities, lying dormant within us, and, conversely, a sub jugation of the dormant qualities of logic. It means, in brief, that we allow ourselves to be moved. Jewish LIFE

If this is a departure, it is so only in terms of the present, but not in terms of Jewish tradition. For the tradition provides an abun dance of sensuous and esthetic in spirations for the doer of the Mitzvah. T H E MAN, for example, who * holds the fresh green palm branches of the Lulov in his right hand and the golden Ethrog in his left, hearing the rustle of the palms, admiring the elongated stem, the delicate bend of the leaves, aware of the harshness of the willow, the scent of the myrtle, feeling the coolness of the Ethrog’s skin in his hand — he is first and foremost moved by emotional con siderations. He does not ask, why palm, why green, why golden, why willow and myrtle, why this shape? He has given himself entirely unto the experience. The man entwining himself with in the tephillin can feel the pres sure of the cold black leather on his arm and himself tied to a greater power than he. Or he can experience the rhythm of the wind ing and feel the strength of his arm. The tephillin on his head can Naase

T H E NATURE of these experiences are such that they are almost incapable of being con ceived and this is the difficulty of attempting illustrations. Neverthe less, poetic delight can be found in each Mitzvah, and though the delight may be beyond description, it will be there. It is the conM a r c h -A p r il, 1955

become a crown and in the sym metry of the square boxes of black on head and arm he can perceive, tied up and enclosed, pure wisdom. In the mazed figure of G-d’s initial around his fingers he can sense a oneness with the Ultimate. The man witnessing the rites of circumcision sees the pain, the cry of the child, the sharpness of the knife; he can, if he is spon taneous, feel a kinship with death and life. To him it does not imme diately matter, why Milah. He has been moved. The man wrapping the heavy woolen Tallith around his body in early morning can see, if he will, the shawl of prayer shutting out with finality the outside clatter. Or, in the touch of the Tzitzith on his fingers, he can be admitted into perceptions beyond articula tion. The man chanting the Havdolah on Saturday night, dividing the holy from the commonplace, look ing at the twisted wax, the multi flame,^smelling the Besomim in cense, trembling his fingers at the fire —. he too will not ask why, for he too has found delight. 'nishmah

cept embodied in Isaiah’s famous phrase, “And thou shalt call the Sabbath a delight (58:13). Not by reason, nor by logic, nor by de liberation, nor by questions does one arrive at the essence of the Shabboth; simply seek a sanctified delight. In this way, the thou-shalts and 33

thou-shalt-nots^g the Specifications pertaining to each Mitzvah — be come indispensable aids to the ap-: predation of the poetry and con-, sequently to the apprehension of the Ultimate. > For it is through its specific re quirements that the Mitzvah re tains the essential characteristics of poetry. The specific dimensions and shapes often required of the Mitzvah object — these become the forms of the poem; for ex ample, the minimum length of the Lulov, the maximum height of the Succah, the necessary squareness of the tephillin, the blue of the Biblical Tzitzith, the gold of the Ethrog become the images. The objects themselves are of course the symbols. And the repetitive action of the doing is the rhythm, the beat. TN THIS way the Mitzvah as idea becomes meaningful and as act becomes vital. The doer is brought into a definite state of mind, he experiences the act, his imagina tion is aroused by certain images, and he is made to feel a profound satisfaction. Philosophizing and rationalizing are of no concern to him, and would in fact nullify the experience for him. Undoubtedly the images con jured up and the apprehensions felt by one will be different from that of another, for each Mitzvah speaks a varied language. But though the responses may be di verse and though some may be moved more than others, there will nevertheless be one common basis 34

of intuition, a universality of de light which will underlie-it all. The intuitions felt will differ only in degree. Each man will feel and be affected. And if he is affected then he is close to achieving the essence of the Mitzvah, he is bor dering on a religious experience, an experience of the Ultimate. And he will have succeeded not because of any rationality but because of intuition. This is not to say that the Mitz vah cannot survive rational exami nation. To maintain this would be to dilute Judaism into a poetic mysticism. The Mitzvah can be examined and should be. But this must be the second of the two steps involved. First must come the poetic, then the analytic; this is the “naase v’nishmah,” “we will do and we will uSSH which the Israelites uttered at Sinai. Only by doing does one understand. The spontaneous exultation of the first must precede the deliberate calcu lation of the second. For the Mitz vah will not suffer itself to be dissected and then enjoyed. It is not so submissive. It must be en joyed whole. Does this mean that only poets dare approach the Mitzvah? Does it imply that the Mitzvah can be apprehended only in that abnormal ecstasy which is said to be the poet's? If so, Mitzvah performance would be reduced to an esoteric cult. We must maintain, on the con trary, that even the most un-poetic among us has within him those intuitive sparks necessary for the apprehension of the Mitzvah. We Jewish LIFE

are constantly using these capaci ties for intuition without being aware of it, and the fact that some do not know how it operates is no argument against this view. The intuition is there. It is only that in the poet, these faculties are de veloped to an abnormal degree. But each man has them. And just as all of us can read a poem and, given a willingness to be moved, can understand it and find pleasure in it, so too can all of us find de light in the Mitzvah W , which is at least an excellent poem. Certainly the poet will reap a greater measure of delight, just as he will discover unsuspected satisfaction in a poem. But we are all poets to the extent that we all have qualities of apprehension and intuition and feeling. If the Mitzvah is to have any

meaning for modern man we must permit it to give of its meaning to us. We must recognize that all at tempts to make it a purely logical and rational thing are not only shallow but destroy the Mitzvah. We must expend more energy on re-creating our poetic qualities, latent within us, and less on fruit less “explanations” and efforts to logicize the Mitzvah which leave only a feeling of hollowness. We should allow ourselves to see with our inner eye and to feel and to be moved. We must permit the sense of wonder to return to its rightful place. In this way, each act of a Mitzvah will become a religious experience, and it is with this path that we can come to the broad avenue of delight which leads to the Ultimate.

THE GREAT REVELATION "This is m y G-d an d I w ill glorify him /' R abbi Eliezer sa id

that this p a s s a g e

proves that the

han d-m aid stan d in g on th e b an k s of the Red S e a w a s ab le to s e e w h at Ezekiel and the other prophets could not behold. M echiltah (on Exodus, 15, 2)

A SHARE IN THE REDEMPTION R abbi Meir said : Not on ly Israel but G -d also , a s it w ere, sh ared in the R edem ption of Egypt. For it is written: "Whom Thou didst red eem unto Thee out of Egypt, the n a tion and h is G-d." Shem oth R abbah, 15, 12

March - April, 1955

By URSULA SITZMAN J^ARK WAVY HAIR and a lop sided grin floated home in front of Debbie as she made her way along the familiar four blocks from school. She felt as if she were glid ing on a ir; but she had still the pre sence of mind to glide rather quickly in order that Emily wouldn't catch up with her. This was one day she wanted to walk home alone without anything to disturb the magnificent vision that accompanied her. That was better than Emmy any day. And speaking of Emmy, would she be surprised when the news finally burst out! Debbie could hardly believe it herself, now that it had really happened. She didn't even feel the letdown you usually feel when something hoped and dreamed for finally happens, but that was prob ably because the best part was still to come. 36

Debbie's feet turned into the walk of their own accord; she had nothing to do with it. Her voice said, “Hi Mom" of its own accord too, and Mrs. Isason was far too perceptive not to notice this phe nomenon. She didn't even bother to answer, knowing the omission would go unnoticed. It did. " J J P S T A I R S, Debbie's body stopped its automatic function ing, as she looked into the mirror and tried to see just what part of her face it was that could have prompted Harvey Gordon to for sake that position of adorationfrom-afar which Debbie's mind had allotted him, and make him ap proach near enough to ask her to be his date at the Junior Jambo ree two weeks from next Saturday night. That it was not so much her face as a piquant quality of her Jewish LIFE

personality that attracted whom ever she did attract, Debbie could not know. Neither could she know as she floated into the kitchen for a piece of cake and some milk, that her ex alted attitude was evident to any one who cared to look. Mrs. Isason, who looked, did not enlighten her, but with the ease of long practice, began adroitly. “Your Algebra turn out alright today?” i ¿“Um hum.” “Hmmmmmm?” asked Mrs. Isa son. “Oh, Mom, I've got so much to tell you. It really happened, Mom; he really asked me. I'm so lucky I just can't believe it. Here I am, just a Freshie, and he really no ticed me, and he's a Junior!” “Who, darling,^smiled Mrs. Isa son, “who asked you to do what?” “Oh Mummy you won't believe i t ; it's Harvey Gordon. He came over in the lunch room and he only had a minute, but he asked me to the Junior Jamboree! Mummy, he never even said more than “hello” to me before; I can't imagine what's wrong with him.” “Nothing's w r o n g, darling,” came the amused reply, “I've al ways known you were nice but he's only found it out now. But Debbie —” Mrs. Isason hesitated, and in her moment of indecision Debbie's exuberance claimed her once more. XXT DON'T care if it is ‘erev * Shabbos' tomorrow, Mom, I'm going to use those few hours to start looking for a dress downMarch - April, 1955

town. It should be blue with lace and yards and yards of skirt. Oh, I know just what I want, but if I don't start tomorrow I'll never find it in time.” It wasn't a lack of further plans that made Debbie pause for a mo ment, but rather a certain scarcity of breath not unnatural at all con sidering the tempo of her previous chatter. At this particular time her instinct served to keep her silent for one moment longer than she had intended to be, and caused her to see, to really see her mother's face. What she saw was most dis concerting. It kept her silent still longer until finally Mrs. Isason, noticing her understanding, began to talk quietly. “Debbie, I hardly know how to tell you this, in fact just this min ute I realize that we should have talked it over long ago, rather than waiting till . . . now.” “Talked about what?” asked Debbie in a stage whisper. *%^ E B B IE ,” she said, “perhaps this is something that should have been dinned into your ears from the moment you could under stand; repeated and repeated until it was part of you, like Shabbos or Kashrus, or honesty and truth. But it wasn't, Debbie, because I al ways thought not to over-burden you. Bad enough that we have to live here in Plainville, bad enough that your companions are boys and girls from a public school, nice friends, yes, but still not quite of your kind, should I then have made you still more conscious of the gap 37

that must separate you? I do think I was right, but now I hardly know how or where to begin. “What do I tell you?” Mrs. Isason continued. “Do I tell you that Harvey is not so religious as you are? But then you will be sur prised and tell me that he is per haps the only one of the Jewish boys at Whimbly High who is or thodox. In fact, it's probably be cause you knew this that you wor ship him so; it unconsciously puts him within the realm of ‘possibi lity’ for you. And of course you’ll point out to me that though most of your girl friends are not so re ligious, you never allowed the boys in the Whimbly crowd to shake the reserve you adopted with them to the extent of accepting a date. I’m proud of you for that Debbie, but you will answer me that Harvey is different, that he goes every day after school to Rabbi Siegel’s house in lieu of a yeshivah, and you will be right. Harvey is different. So, I cannot use these reasons; you will see them for what they are. Must I then cite law to you? I suppose so. You see, my Debbie, you are one who follows what is correct, once you’ve been told that the law says it’s so and I shall rely on this. I hope, dear, that you will see your way clear to skip the Junior Jam boree, now that I tell you that the law does not allow us to dance. I hadn’t mentioned it before because it never came up . . .” TT wouldn’t leave. The vision of the light blue gown, twirling with Harvey Gordon amidst the 38

colored lights, streamers, and tin sel of the dressed-up school gym just refused to budge from Deb bie’s mind. It was far too firmly entrenched. She attempted putting a face other than her own into the light blue gown, but that didn’t work either. “Why?” she asked. “But Debbie, why what?” “Why can’t I go, Mom? Oh Mom, you don’t know, you can’t know how badly I want to. I’ve wished and wished that Harvey would no tice me some day, and now if I Jewish LIFE

don’t go with him, he’ll just never ask me anywhere again. And Em my would think I’m queer or some thing if I’d tell her. And I know he won’t ask me ever again!” Mrs. Isason sat thinking for a moment. Then she said deliberately, “What you’re asking me now, darl ing, is just the same as if you were asking me for permission to ride on Shabbos, but I guess you don’t realize that, because you grew up with keeping Shabbos. But Deb bie, what if Harvey had asked you instead to go to dinner with him at a tereyfah restaurant ; would you have accepted? Of course you wouldn’t. So perhaps you can find the courage to do the same now. But then, one doesn’t go to dinner in a dreamy powder blue gown ... Well, dear,” she concluded pushing her chair back, “I shan’t say any more about it. No, I’m not going to ‘lay the law down’ and I don’t think your father will either. It’s your decision from here on; you only know now what I hope you’ll decide.” Mrs. Isason left the kit chen. WAS very noisy in the room • after Mrs. .Isason left. Not in the kitchen itself, but in Debbie’s mind, which might well have har bored a percussion band for all the soothing quiet therein. There was the part of her mind that proceed ed busily to plan what shoes were to be wo^n with the as yet un bought blue dress. There was the part of her mind that was still en gaged in visualizing the rhythmic sway of Whimbly’s teenagers TT

March- April, 1955

amidst subdued music and not so subdued banter. And then there was the part that was now vicious ly arguing with itself . . . To be sure, this was not a comfortable situation. But she continued to think and think . . . in circles. . . . What if Harvey would ask me to eat tereyfah . . . but that’s just it; he wouldn’t! He’s religious himself . . . yes, but what if he would; that’s what Mummy meant . . . dancing’s harmless . . . it’s an old-fashioned law . . . so would Kashrus be by that reasoning . . . but, gosh, everybody else does it . . . why should I be different . . . at least in this little thing I could be like the others . . . if only . . . but then he won’t ask me . . . Mom said . . . but . . . WENT ON a very long time, Debbie’s soul searching. For many days Mrs. Isason trod care fully at home though she did not try to interfere. And Debbie dreamt. Each night Debbie had a different dream but always it was about a tall thin boy with wavy black hair . . . and sometimes they were dancing. For Debbie this was the biggest decision she had ever had to make, and so when Aunt Esther called to say that “one of you just has to come out to Long Island for Grand ma’s birthday, and if you and Jo seph can’t come, then send Devorah,” Debbie was unhappy indeed. Not that it wasn’t a nice trip, and not that she wouldn’t like to see how her cousin Joel was getting along with his Bar Mitzvah lesTT

sons, but it was just the wrong time, that’s all. She’d thought that because of the trip she wouldn’t have time to mató her decision until it would be too late, but she’d forgotten about the train ride. As it turned out she had more timé than she wanted, and of course it didn’t bring her any closer to a decision than she’d been before. ■pVEN Long Island didn’t help. ■“ In some sort of a daze, she submitted to a lusty welcome from the family. When the dutiful greetings were over, a relieved Debby was able to drift away from the family and find a secluded corner for herself next to the tea wagon in the din ing room. She liked the spot be cause she couldn’t see around the corner into the living room, and no one there could see her. It was just right for thinking. Only before she even had a chance to get started, she found herself in itiating what she recognized to be the beginnings of a real cry; the kind she hadn’t given way to since she was a little girl about a year ago. She fumbled for her kleenex. But before she could locate the illusive tissues, a hand quietly handed her a neatly folded man’s handkerchief, and just as quietly disappeared through the archway into the living room. She couldn’t help herself; she blew. By the time she finished with this necessity of life, she felt so much better that she was able to specu late on the origin of her instru

ment of comfort. It was most embarassing to be caught crying; she hadn’t looked to see whether any one was in the living room, since naturally she didn’t know she was going to cry. Thinking^of course,, is indulged in more quietly and one is then not discovered. But crying . . . At this point, however, Deb bie’s always active curiosity out weighed her embarrassment and she sauntered casually into the other room to learn the identity of her mysterious benefactor. It was empty. p O R THE first time in many days, *** Debbie’s mind was completely busy with something other than her problem. Who could have been in the living room ? As far as she knew, the entire family, except for Uncle Yitzchok, had been gathered in the kitchen; in fact she was cer tain of this since she had just left them there, and Uncle, of course, wasn’t home at all. So who was it ? A stranger for sure. She could of course ask Aunt Esther who else was in the house, but that would mean describing the circumstances of their meeting, and that would be simply too degrading. Debbie decided just to sit and wait. Her patience was soon rewarded. Aunt Esther’s “do-as-I-say” voice carried clearly from the kitchen. “Now look Joel, I know you’re all excited about Grandma’s birth day and Devorah’s coming, and it’s right that you came out to say hello, but that’s no reason to let Moishe just sit and wait for you. It’s not the way of things at all, Jewish LIFE

and you know it. Now go into the library right this minute and take your lesson!” Aunt . Esther used this tone of voice only very seldom and there was no arguing with it, so in a few moments the nussach of Vayeyrah could be heard ema nating from the library. TT WASN'T until Shabboth in * shool though, that she got to meet Moishe, and then it was only because Joel couldn't wait to show his cousin off to anyone who would listen, and his teacher was a per fect specimen. When Joel intro duced her to “Moishe, who gives me lessons,” Debbie's trepidation reached the breaking point as she steeled herself to meet his teasing about her behavior. But all Moishe did to acknowledge the introduc tion, was tip his hat, run one hand through his almost kinky hair, smile down at her, and wish her “Good Shabbos” ; then he walked off. He didn't even ask about the hanky. Debbie was profoundly grateful. He had not jeered at her, nor had he subjected her to the teasing of Joel which would surely have fol lowed any announcement of her previous day's behavior. It was a moment, however, before she rea lized that the picture she had of him in her mind of the moment before he walked off, included one eye closed, in a most undignified and amused wink. Moishe had been an interesting diversion, Debbie told herself, after their Shabboth afternoon was over, but now was the time to really March - April, 1955 .

settle down and try to come to some conclusion. She was just as confused as ever. Oh certainly, she admitted to herself that if some thing was wrong, it was wrong; but why not just this once for the sake of Harvey? At least then he would ask her again, while the other way there was no hope at all. And so it went. That night again Debbie dreamt, a sort of half awake, half asleep dream, and if her dream hero was not quite so tall and thin but shorter with broad shoulders, and if his hair was curly rather than wavy, Deb bie could hardly be blamed for not observing the difference. At Grandmother's party on Sun day, Debbie managed unobtrusive ly to return the freshly laundered hanky, and when Moishe, who was mingling with the guests after hav ing given his lesson, remarked to Debbie how unusual it was to find such a religious girl from so “goyish'' a town as Plainville, Debbie felt rewarded indeed. ■pUT MONDAY morning the Debbie who arrived home was just as confused as the one who had gone four days earlier. If Mrs. Isason had hoped for different re sults, she didn't show it, but su pervised Debbie's breakfast, and sent her off to school. As she had done all the past week, Debbie avoided Harvey, but when she did catch a glimpse of him in the halls, she hurried away. It wasn't until later that she no ticed a lack; an empty feeling of something precious lost, that she 41' ■Wm

somehow couldn't understand. “You’re positively turning queer, Debbie Isason,” Emmy stated on the way home. “First you got moody, then you stopped talking about Harvey, and now that you’ve come back from Long Island, you’re even worse — not that *1 thought you could get any worse,” she amended. “What do you mean, Emmy? I don’t feel different and I don’t notice anything.” “That’s just it, Debbie, no crazy person knows he’s crazy.” Debbie let that one pass. As soon as Debbie came home she went into her bedroom and slipped a clipping from under her dressing table mirror. It was the actual embodiment of her hereto fore imagined dream gown and she’d just happened to find it in a magazine at Aunt Esther’s. She looked and looked at it, knowing all the while that all she had to do to become its proud possessor was to go downtown to Warner’s and ask for the proper style number. ’Course she needed a good reason for buying it, a reason as good as Harvey Gordon. Her thoughts con tinued in this vein, and the subtle shift of emphasis from Harvey to the dress did not seem strange to her at all. And still she dreamt.

Somehow the world was no longer bound by Plainville, and her life there was not quite so all-import ant. But, unfortunately, this mood never lasted overly long. It was Wednesday ^afternoon, when Debbie was beginning to feel herself in a vise of enclosing time, that Emmy made her momentous statement. In all innocence, for Debbie had not seen fit to confide the dance invitation to her friend, Emmy said, “You know, Deb, if you had any sense in your head, you’d do something about that mad crush of yours, and you’d do it quick, something like talking to him, or inviting him over. I’m just saying this for your own good, be cause of what I’ve noticed lately. If you don’t do it quickly, Andrea will!” What was momentous about this comment to Debbie, was not its bare facts, but rather its re sult. The reaction was strictly nil. Debbie simply did not even bother to answer on this previously dedi cated topic,/ and the strangest part of this was that the reason she made no reaction was that she had none. In vain she waited for a surge of jealousy, but even that didn’t come. Emmy, by now accus tomed to what she called “Debbie’s moods,” did not proceed further.

TOUT SOMETIMES now she was able to forget her problem and relive again her lively weekend at Aunt Esther’s, and to wonder what became of Moishe . . . “and will I be going there for the Bar Mitzvah so I can see them all again?”

TT WAS also that same Wednesday that Debbie came home to a long white envelope, addressed to her, lying on the telephone table with the rest of the mail. Her fingers almost ripped the envelope entirely in two in their hurry to get it open. She had a sense of having been

Jewish LIFE

waiting for something that had now arrived, and the logical part of her mind was faintly surprised at this sensation since it hadn’t known it was waiting for anything. Then, too, she filed away for fur ther reference and digestion the unusual behavior of her fingers in their hurry to open a letter she hadn’t known she expected. It was most perplexing. She had the fleet ing thought that only her mind had remained in ignorance of some thing the rest of her had known all along. The letter was very short; hard ly more than a note. It thanked her for returning a certain hanky in such perfect condition and hoped that she would have no occa

sion at their next meeting to use it in like manner. Debbie felt a little flushed as she read it, espe cially the part about the “next meeting,” and with a sudden clar ity she saw her dream hero again and understood what had happened. He had changed and she hadn’t even noticed! But she knew it now. And she knew, too, that he would probably change again, many times. She hoped not, but then, you never could tell. TT WAS the next Thursday morn^ ing that Mrs. Isason, when emptying Debbie’s wastebasket, found in it only a crumpled clip ping of a lacy, powder blue gown.

WHAT ONE SHOULD SAY R abbi Elazar b. A b ariah sa id , "O ne sh ould not sa y , 'I d e s p ise sw in e's flesh, I h a v e no desire to w e a r K ilayim (w ool and lin en in the sa m e g a r m e n t)/ but on e sh ould sa y , T desire them, but I subm it to the d ecree of m y Father in H e a v e n / " (Sifra, Kedoshim )

THE CAUSE OF MISFORTUNE Rovoh sa id in the n am e oi R abbi Sachorah: "If a m an s e e s that m isfortune b e fa lls him, let him exam in e h is d e e d s, for it is w ritten (Lam entations, Chapter 3, V erse 40): 'Let u s search and exam in e our w a y s and re turn to the Lord/ IS h e e x a m in ed them and found nothing a m iss, he m a y attribute the m isfortune to the fact that h e h a s n e g le c te d to e n g a g e in stu d y (of the Torah) for it is written (P salm s, C hapter 94, V erse 12): "H appy is the m an w hom the Lord d o e s c h a stise an d from Thy Law y o u teach it/' (Tractate Benochoth, 5)

March - April, 1955

By RIVKA MARANI You find H im as your child w him pers in th e sm all hours o f D aw n A nd — s o ft and b end ing under your touch Is e n tire ly yours: T ask and Fulfillm ent. Is c la y under your fin ger’s tenderness. Y ou find H im , as — tired and drained o f thou ght or dream Y ou peel your w orking h oots off your pained fe e t your pupils, g rey autum ning ponds dim m ed o f lig h t from too m uch gazin g in to em pty unresponsive eyes: Y e t you have stren gth to sigh and th u s unlock th e corridor to th e soul and can find G-d again. Y ou find H im as a t n ig h t (Y ou called i t ‘ ‘th e lo n ely d a rk ,” th e ‘ ‘path to now here, m “ alm ost death ’ ’) Your head on a throbing, h eavin g chest Arm s clasp in g you Y ou hear a sigh. Y e t to you it is more: P ain, raw and sudden, an aching concern in your searching palm so ft lik e th e touch o f th e lu te player on a string A nd th e anxious care, th e prayer, th e sin gin g devotion, is G-d *s v o ic e : “ T his is th e man I lo v e .”

Y ou find H im , th e sh ell o f D aw n u n fold in g as you plough th e field th e m onotonous grey o f fo g is n ot In fin ity is n o t a vague, u n certain land o f guess, Is n o t F ear B u t is F aith . Y ou find H im , As, at th e com er o f th e house you h ave know n him for a m illion years Y e t now pgS! see fo r th e first tim e The moon pours it s orange lig h t on th e crum bling greyish tile , th e w ilter in g iv y , and a v o ice says “ H om e., V A n d as you w a lk insid e th e step s d issolve th e fa m iliar w a lls bend as you proceed door and w ind ow open w id e on an upw ard path and freedom stream s in to th e fa d in g rays o f moon th e fire in th e r isin g sun. F or now you journey to your eternal se lf th a t liv e s it s Stren gth F ear strew n over th e p a lin g fields o f D oubt and “ H o m e” is n ot a place — A mood — A n ig h t — B u t is G-d Is everyw here.

• .He Was the First Master to Portray Jews

As People Endowed With Human Dignity

BY ALFRED WERNER TF YOU wish to know what the Jewish settlers of Nieuw Amster dam looked like, contemplate Rem brandt’s portraits of Jews. You will find reproductions in the articles on Rembrandt printed in the old Jewish Encyclopedia, and in the more recent Universal Jewish Encyclo pedia, and particularly in the excel lent volume, Rembrandt, the Jews and the Bible, by Franz Landsberger. Unfortunately, all of these black-and-white photos are rather poor — the marvelous texture of the master’s oils is most difficult to reproduce even in color, hence readers are advised to make a trip to New York’s Metropolitan Mu seum or Washington’s National 46

Gallery to admire the original paint ings. Rembrandt was born in Holland between 1606 and 1609; he was, therefore, in his forties, and at the height of his craftsmanship in the important year 1654, when a French privateer, the St. Charles, brought twenty-three Sefardic refugees to what is now New York. In that year Rembrandt painted two portraits of old bearded Jews now included in the Hermitage Collection at Lenin grad. Professor Landsberger is ab solutely correct in saying that these oils “represent the peak of Rem brandt’s Jewish portrayals.” In the same year Rabbi Menasseh ben Is rael, who seems to have been a close Jewish LIFE

friend of the painter, wrote The Glorious Stone, or Nebuchadnez zar's Statue, expressing his belief that the Messiah would shortly ap pear, and commissioned Rembrandt to illustrate the volume with four etchings. TWTATURALLY, the artist did not ^ know the Dutch refugees who had fled from South America to Nieuw Amsterdam, but he knew and painted their brothers and sisters who enjoyed living in the relatively pleasant atmosphere of Holland where the crude forms of German Jew-hatred (the Fettmilch riot at Frankfort on Main) or the brutal ity of the Cossacks (the Chmielnicki Massacres) were absolutely un known. Experts have computed that of Rembrandt's two hundred oil portraits of men, thirty-seven are Jews. In addition, there are numer ous oils, etchings and drawings of Jewish couples, ghetto beauties, various groups, and countless Bibli cal pictures for which the artist used Jewish models. Rembrandt was the first master to show Jews not as caricatures, but as people endowed with human dignity, outside the Biblical frame. It was a revolutionary act on his part to remember the sensitive faces of the young Talmud stu dents, walking to their Yeshivah, whenever he painted figures from the Christian New Testament. TDEMBRANDT was on friendly ^ terms with the intellectual lead ers of the Jewish quarter, who gladly posed for him. Twice he March - April, 1955

painted the Jewish physician, Dr. Ephraim Bonus, “magnus in med,icis," who may have been the family physician to the residents of 4 Jodenbrestraat. The same Dr. Bonus, incidentally, was also por trayed by a certain Lievens. But what a profound difference between the two painters, not merely in tal ent, but also in approach! Lievens' work is believed to convey more faithfully the photographic truth than the portrait of Rembrandt. But, as one scholar put it, “The latter discerns beyond the individ ual the species, and beyond the spe cies the man. This is Ephraim Bo nus; this is the Jew who has ex perienced centuries of suffering, this is the man who faces and strives to plumb the insoluble mys tery of human destiny." We know that Rabbi Saul Levi

Dr. Ephraim Bonus

Morteira posed for Rembrandt. The rabbi was Spinoza’s first teach er, and later a member of the court which excommunicated the heretic philosopher. But had Rembrandt any relationship with Spinoza, who was in his late thirties when the artist passed away? Some scholars maintain that in The Man With a Magnifying Glass (now in the Met ropolitan’s Benjamin Altman collec tion) the diamond grinder is Spin oza, who earned his bread as a hum ble craftsman. Others think that his features were given to the young harp player, David, in the stirring canvas, David Playing the Harp Before Saul. It is most likely that Spinoza who, as an adolescent, dabbled in drawing, had some con tacts with the famous painter, but we have no written testimony to that effect. I7VEN before meeting some of his era’s most outstanding Jews, Rembrandt refused to share his fellow-Christians’ Antisemi tism. There were no Jews in Leyden when, as a young man, he painted Judas Returning the Thirty Pieces. Earlier painters portrayed the “traitor” as a disgusting monster; Rembrandt, however, stepped with this work “beyond the narrower confines of the spirit of hatred,” as one art historian put it, and “the manner in which he depicted the apostle as wringing his hands in his despair, portrayed something profoundly touching.” Or compare his etching, The Synagogue, with a painting of the same subject attributed to the Ger48

man master, Albrecht Altdorfer. The German carefully studied the architecture of the Gothic syna gogue at Ratisbon, but;, drew the two worshippers merely to show, by comparison, the building’s height, width and length; besides, he topped his work with a Latin inscription, gloating over the fact that this synagogue had been des troyed “by the righteous judgment of G-d.” Rembrandt, on the other hand, was only interested in the tired, humble and unassuming peo ple, milling about the entrance of what looks like a Polish-style shool of Klauss; he neither caricatured nor idealized these Ashkenazim, wearing long cloaks, and talking to one another uninhibitedly, or gaz ing around in contemplative mood. He must have learned a great deal concerning Jewish lore from the distinguished rabbis he associated with. His etching, Lament for Abel follows almost literally a scene described in a Midrash — there is no equivalent in the Bible. In Isaac Refusing His Blessing to Esauf the ruddy hunter and warrior is drawn as the archetype of the enemy of Jewry, in keeping with the postBiblical tradition. Q F COURSE, Rembrandt appre ciated the friendship of men like Dr. Bonus or Rabbi Menasseh ben Israel, and he was pleased to receive commissions from the wealthy and educated immigrants from Portugal whom he painted in their broad-rimmed hats, white col lars and short cloaks. But as a painter he did not neglect the more Jewish LIFE

The S y n a g o g u e

colorful Ashkenazim. Unlike the Sephardim, who did not feel re strained by the Second Command ment and adorned their apartments with paintings like their Christian neighbors, the refugees from Po land did not purchase Rembrandt pictures -4they could not have af forded the price, even if they had wanted to. But they did not object to posing for the master, who em phasized their human qualities ra ther than the poverty of their gar ments. “One is almost inclined to say that they cannot be beggars,” Josef Israels wrote concerning these portraits of penniless refugees, “because the master’s hand endowed them with the warmth and splen dor with which his artistic tempera ment clothed everything he looked at.” Perhaps Rembrandt was able to fathom the depths of their plight March - Aprils 1955

more than any other artist because he was an unhappy, tormented man himself. The greater and more ori ginal he became, the less pleasing were his works to his smug clients. One of his pupils, a certain Gerard de Lairesse, even felt compelled to apologize publicly for having, at one time, tried to imitate Rem brandt’s style of painting, a man ner that was “entirely based on delusion.” This second-rate artist had the nerve to write: “In his ef fort to attain a mellow manner, Rembrandt van Rijn has merejy succeeded in achieving an effort pf rottenness. The vulgar and prosaic aspects of a subject were the only ones he was capable of noting.” OEMBRANDT lost his wives Sas“ kia and Hendrickje. The son from his first marriage died as a young man. Living uneconomically, 49

and displeasing his customers, the master was forced to sell his beau tiful house on Jodenbrestraat. When he passed away in 1669, a lonely, sick man of sixty-three, he was virtually forgotten. The parish officials put him down on the mor tuary records as “a painter on the Rozengracht, opposite the Doolhof,” adding not a single word more to this wretched description. To the three females who constituted what was left of his family, namely, his daughter, a daughter-in-law, and a baby granddaughter, he left a few clothes, several books (including an old Bible and a German edition of Flavius Josephus’ The Jewish War) and some painting utensils. Had it not been for the indefat igable energy of one man, the house

A Jewish M erchant

he once owned on Jodenbrestraat would no longer be in existence. In 1906, when the world commemor ated the three-hundredth anniver sary of Rembrandt’s birth, Josef Israels rebuked his compatriots for having permitted the hallowed ‘‘Rembrandt Huis” to disintegrate and decay. He succeeded in saving from ruins the house where his great colleague had produced some of his best works, and the little guide book now sold at this shrine gratefully links the name of the old master with that of his modern disciple who reminded his fellowHollanders of their obligations to their noblest genius. IJETHEN I visited the Nether** lands in 1950, I was very an xious to see Rembrandt’s house. It was not difficult for me to find this stately, three-story Renaissancestyle building — every child in Am sterdam seemed to know it — and it was an unforgettable experience gazing at the drawings and etch ing displayed on the old walls. But I was surprised to notice that the neighborhood where the house is located did not look as Max Liebermann had painted it and as I had expected it to appear. Where were the pushcarts full of fish or fruit, and where were the Jewish crowds? “ The others are in Auschwitz,” a stoical second-hand clothes dealer, one of the few Dutch Jews to sur vive the holocaust, explained to me as I was walking through the erst-v while ghetto of Amsterdam. Indeed, the Nazis had managed to “liqui date” the major part of AmsterJewish LIFE

dam’s famous old Jewish commu nity. Many of the houses in this section were badly damaged during the Nazi era, and recently the Am sterdam municipality completed plans for the demoliton of the en tire section, ugly and dilapidated as it is now, preserving only some his torical buildings. S FOR the Jewish people, they will continue loving “their Rembrandt,” come what may. A few hotspurs even went so far as to claim the artist for the Jewish people. The plain fact, however, is that Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, born in Leyden in 1606, was the son of a miller and a baker’s daughter, both of them Hollanders, and that he was reared in the Pro testant faith. The artist had the features of a lower middle-class Dutchman -9 it was his genius, and his genius alone that lifted him far above the narrow boundaries of race, creed, or nationality. We have no portrait of Asser Levy, Jacob Barsimson, or any of the leading 17th century American Jews. It was only in the 18th century that out standing and wealthy Sephardim, such as Moses Levy, Aaron Lopez, and Jacobs Frank, had their por

traits painted by local American artists. Rembrandt’s Jews wear the garments that were fashionable both in Amsterdam and Nieuw Am sterdam in the period of the great statesman, Jan de Witt. But the ex pression in their faces distinguished them absolutely from the coarser and less worried looks of the ordin ary Dutchmen. Rembrandt knew that what he was painting was a remarkable people. To quote Landsberger: “Pursued by misfortune throughout the ages, harrassed, driven from their homes, tor tured and burnt at stake, they kept continually surviving, adapting themselves to the changing conditions of the times and countries, yet always remaining Jews in appearance and in their unswerving loyalty to their faith. Their features developed a somewhat sad and tired expression, combined with strong and uncompromising traits as though they had been commanded by a high power to remain steadfast until that distant day when a divine jus^J tice would be the portion of even the oppressed in this world.”

RESPECT FOR THE SAGE R abbi Joshua b e n Levi ad m on ish ed his son s, "Be careful to honor and resp ect the s a g e w h o m a y h a v e forgotten som e of his lea rn in g through old a g e . For w e are told that the broken tab lets of the Torah, no le s s than the w h ole o n es, h ad a p la c e in the Ark/' (Berochoth 8b)

March - April, 1955

His Character and Influence as Reflected In His Brilliant Responsa By MEYER WAXMAN 1157ITH THE figure of Rav Hai, ben Hofni, Gaon of Sura. There is Gaon of the historic academy no doubt that the great and ex at Pumbeditha and great son of a tensive effort of the father in rais great father, the era of the Baby ing the prestige of the Academy lonian Geonim came to its final of Pumbeditha and in spreading phase. The activity and influence of knowledge and learning to many Hai, son of Sherira Gaon, not only Jewish centers supplied the foun equalled that of his father,* but dation for Hai’s influence and pop exceeded them. He was blessed, ularity. In fact, Hai collaborated like Sherira, with longevity, and by with his father for many years. a remarkable coincidence his years He became Dean (Av Beth Din) were exactly the same as his fa of the Academy in 985 at the age ther’s, ninety-nine, as he was born of forty-five, and many responsa in 940 C.E. and died in 1038.** He were written conjointly by father married the daughter of Samuel and son. Yet the greatness of the father ♦See Dr. Waxman’s previous article in this by no means dimmed the light of series, “Rav Sherira Gaon/* in the Shevat, 5715 issue of J ew ish L ife . the son, even during the life of the former, and its rays shone with **Earlier historians, like Graetz and others, relying upon an erroneous reading in Ibn greater force during the years of Daud’s Sefer^ Ha-kabalah gave the years of his life as sixty-nine, but the Ms. reading his own Geonate which lasted -for which is the correct one says distinctly thirty-four years, from 1004 when ninety-nine years. 52 Jewish LIFE

his father resigned from active duty and turned the position over to him, to his death in 1038. 35 S WITH Rav Sherira, Hai’s main activity consisted in the numerous responsa which he sent to inquirers in all parts of the world. The number of questions addressed to him, due to his great popularity, not only exceeded those of his father, which, as stated above, was large enough, but he was actually overwhelmed by them and he could hardly respond to the multitudinous questions. He re marks in one of his responsa: “Y o u m u s t k n o w th a t th e de sir e in th e h e a r t o f o u r b r e th r en in a ll c o rn er s o f th e w o rld fo r a c q u isitio n o f th e k n o w led g e o f th e T o ra h h a s g r e a tly in c re a se d . -S c h o la r s fr o m a ll la n d s o f th e so u th , n o rth , an d e a st, fr o m E g y p t, G erm an y, F r a n c e , an d S p a in , an d C a la b ria sen d u s th e ir q u er ies a n d p la c e th e ir d ou b ts in r eg a r d to m a n y m a tte r s b e fo r e u s. A s a r e s u lt, w e r e a lly h a v e no tim e to d ea l w ith th e q u estio n s a t le n g th an d m u s t be sa tisfie d w ith b r ie f a n s w e r s .”

In another responsum, Hai men tions queries on important matters which reached him from Tugarma (lands of great Tartary) and In dia, ¡a statement of special signi ficance, as we may assume that in his time not only were there Jew ish communities in India, but there were among them also men of learning. It is calculated that the number of his responsa reached to more than a thousand. Also the March-April, 1955

variety of the queries addressed to Hai exceeded that displayed in those addressed to his father. While the greater part of the queries asked for explanations of Halochic passages and even whole sections in the Talmud or decisions in legal matters, many deal with Agadic difficulties, theological mat ters, queries regarding mystical views which began to spread at that time in Jewry. All these re flect the spiritual fermentation of world Jewry in this period which, on the one hand, was affected by the rising philosophy, and on the other hand, by an equally rising mysticism. T H E RESPONSA therefore con• tain hundreds of legal deci sions, a large number of comments on Talmudic passages and sections and numerous views on theological matters, as well as rules of guid ance in religious conduct and opinion. The influence of these re sponsa was very great and many scattered comments and remarks were incorporated, in a larger meas ure than Sherira’s, in the works of succeeding scholars, either in his name or anonymously. He must also have had a number of students who hailed not only from Jewish centers in the Orient, but also from European countries. Samuel haNagid (Samuel Ibn Nagdila), lead er of Spanish Jewry and famous scholar and poet, says in his elegy on Hai while referring in a veiled manner to Hai’s childlessness: “His children, whom he taught Torah and brought up in the knowledge 53

of Judaism, are scattered in all we do not rely in an unqualified Arabic and Idumean lands,” mean manner on Agadic statements, but ing all Moslem and Christian lands. if we can explain them properly Like Sherira, Hai’s character, •we do, and if not, we overlook personality, and views are reflected them. It is not, he sayi^ our way in his responsa. On the whole, he to force extraneous opinions into follows his father’s method in his statements of Tannaim or Amodecisions. He relies primarily on the Babylonian Talmud and uses raim, but explain them according the Talmud Yerushalmi for addi to the view of those who pro tional comments and as a support nounced them, but we do not guar in legal matters which are not antee for their certainty.* He op given explicitly in the Babylonian. posed, however, the opinion of his But when the opinions of the two father-in-law, Samuel ben Hofni, Talmudim clash, he follows the of whom he says: “that he read Babylonian and even adopted it as too much of the work of gentile a rule. He lays great stress upon philosophers,” who held that mir an adopted custom, even when he acles were performed only by the cannot find support for it in the prophets and not by any other Talmud, yet he allows change in men, no matter how pious they such a custom or an ordinance if were. Hai believes that G-d may conditions demand such change. grant the performance of miracles Likewise, he is lenient in decisions to great Tzaddikim, though not when human welfare or reason de frequently, yet while Hai did not agree with the philosophy of his mand such leniency. time, and at times even attacked TN REGARD to difficult Agadic the way of those who followed * statements, Hai not only follows Aristotle and applied his method Sherira in applying reason as a to explain statements in the Torah, criterion for their acceptance, but he was much more versed in the even established a method in deal intellectual trends of his time than ing with them. In general, he says, his father. Issues of His Time

In several responsa Hai mentions the Koran, an Arabic grammarian and the works of the famous Arabic philosopher, Alfarabi. In one of the responsa regarding a difficult Agadic passage, he displays knowl edge of Plato’s theory of ideas, though he does not mention Plato by name.** He was also acquainted 54

with a fair amount of the science of the day. In fact, while he op posed the acceptance of the pre vailing Aristotelian philosophy for fear that it might bring about er roneous religious conceptions, he "Gaonic Responsa, Ed. Lyek, No. 99 ♦♦Responsa collection Shaare Teshuvah, No. 144

Jewish LIFE

advocated the study of mathemat ics and of medicine. Hai propounded his general view about miracles and whether they can be performed as the mystics claim by using in various combi nations the name of G-d or those of angels, in a long responsum to several students of the Academy of Jacob ben Nissim in Kairwan. They had asked him previously whether by these means one can perform miracles, such as making himself invisible. He then had answered that such acts are im possible. Again they put forward their question, saying that many Palestinian and Italian scholars testified to occurrences of such acts. They also spoke of a current story that the Gaon, Natronai, came to France in a specially speedy way by using a formula of the name of G-d, taught there Torah for a short time and returned in the same manner. They quoted many similar happenings recorded in the same books. Hai answered that he

still believed that the occurrence of miracles by such means are impossible, for real miracles which change the order of nature can be performed only by prophets. All stories about such performances are not to be accepted as they were never verified. As for Rab Natronai’s journey, it is possible that some deceiver declared hiim self to be Natronai. At any rate, were it true, it would have been known in Babylonia. As for vari ous formulas for the performance of wonderful things given in cer tain mystical books, these books are also found in Babylonia, and many tried these formulas but did not succeed. He does not deny al together that by the use of the ineffable name of G-d some excep tional event may take place, but, says he, such use is permitted only to few people and in time of ex ceptional need, as in the case of the story about David mentioned in the Talmud (Tr. Succah, p. 53).*

His Scholarly Legacy

TJA I POSSESSED in general an AA all-round education, mastered the Arabic language, and wrote in that language several Halochic works besides numerous responsa. It seems that he also knew some Greek and Latin. His eagerness for knowledge was exceedingly great, and he did not hesitate to derive it from any source. Rabbi Samuel ha-Nagid tells in the name of an Italian scholar, Rabbi Mazliach, who seems to have studied March - April, 1955

in Pumbeditha that Rabbi Hai, not being certain of the meaning of a Hebrew word, sent him to the Catholicus, head of the Syrian Christian Church, to ask him for the proper meaning of the word. Mazliach hesitated, but Hai in sisted and he went. Besides the hundreds of expla*A responsum included in Eliezer Ashkenasi’s work Taam Sekenim containing discussions on a number of subjects by various scholars, taken from Mss., Frankfort on Main, pp. 54-58.

nations of Taimudic passages in his responsa, he wrote commen taries on most of the tractates of the Talmud. Excerpts from com mentaries on eleven tractates are quoted by R. Nathan of Rome in the Aruch. Rabbi Isaac Alfasi quotes from commentaries on four more tractates. Hai himself men tions his commentary on Baba Batra. We have then definite ref erences to commentaries on sixteen tractates of the Talmud. Besides, he wrote commentaries on two orders of the Mishnah, Taharoth and Zeraim. Of all these, only his commentary on the order of Taha roth remained in complete form and was recently published by Dr. Epstein of the Hebrew University. Of his codes we have two works, one called MaJcah-U-wiemkar on laws relating to business transac tions, and another one called Shaare Shevuah on the laws relating to oaths, especially those given in cases of litigation. Both were writ ten in Arabic and were translated into Hebrew by Rabbi Isaac ben Reuben Albarceloni. T IE

DELVED also in Biblical exegesis and Hebrew philolo gy. Even a commentary on the entire Chumosh was ascribed to him. Of his commentaries on a number of Biblical books, we have numerous quotations by Rashi, by Abraham Ibn Ezra, and by David Kimhi in their own commentaries. Both Kimhi and Ibn Ezra speak of a work by Hai called Ha-measef (The Gatherer) and praise it high ly. These works, however, were lost, 56

but others which survive testify to his command of the Hebrew lan guage. These are his Piyyutim, .sacred poems, of which a number survived, one being included in the Sephardic Machzor for Yom Kippur. Another one is his ethical poem, Musar Haskel (Wisdom and Instruction), written in rhyme and meter. The teachings of the poem are based on the Book of Proverbs and the Pirkeyovoth, as well as on Talmudic aphorisms. Phrased in fine, impressive lines of pure Bib lical Hebrew, they embrace all phases of human life and contain sound advice. We will quote sev eral: “Three things shalt thou en deavor to acquire property, a friend, and a book.” “Search wis dom even if its mastery is difficult.” “Learn mathematics and read books on medicine.” Again, “Your book shall always be in your lap, and reason shall be your constant companion.” Hai was held in exceptional es teem by his contemporaries and by later scholars. Solomon Ibn Gabirol, who wrote three elegies on his death, says: “For whom shall we mourn more, for the Ark of the Law which is hidden in Zion, or for the ark hidden in the grave in Babylonia?” and again: “Where is the teacher who can compare to Hai and where is the mountain which is like Sinai?” Abraham Ibn Daud wrote of Hai in his “Sefer Ha-kabbolah” : “He taught more Torah than all pre ceding Geonim. He lighted the path of all seekers of knowledge from east to west.” Jewish LIFE

This Hebrew-English Bible is the first ever to be published in the Holy Land (and in Jerusa lem). Printed in Jerusalem, Israel . . . 1953.

“ Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.” PSA LM CXXXIII

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Jewish Party Ideologies By ISAAC B. ROSE STR U G G L E FO R TOM ORROW : M odern P o litic a l Id e o lo g ie s o f th e J e w ish P eo p le , E d ite d b y F e lik s G ross a n d B a s il J . V la v ia n o s, A r ts In c., N e w Y ork , 1954, 303 pp , $6.50. F IR S T im p r essio n “ S tr u g g le fo r T om orrow ” is a book o f g r e a t p rom ise. I ts in tr o d u c tio n s ta te s th a t “th e m a in p u rp o se o f th is v o lu m e is to offer p r e c ise an d a c c u r a te in fo r m a tio n on J e w ish p o litic a l th e o r ie s.” W h a t i s m ore, i t c o n tin u e s “th e a u th o r s h a v e d r a w n fo r th e ir co n trib u tio n s on g e n e r a lly in a c c e ssib le so u rc e s in a v a r ie ty o f la n g u a g e s a s w e ll a s on th e ir ow n fu n d o f p e r so n a l e x p e r i e n c es a n d c o n v ictio n s. H o w e v er , a fte r r e a d in g th r o u g h th e c o n tr ib u tio n s on Z ion ism , T e rr ito r ia lism , B u n d ism , r e lig io u s p o litic a l m o v em en ts, A ssim ila tio n ism , V o lk ism , C om m u nism a n d A n a rc h ism , e a ch b y a n e x p e r t in h is field, t h is r e v ie w e r

March - April, 1955

w a s le f t w ith th e fe e lin g o f a v isito r to a n In te r n a tio n a l T r a d e E x p o sitio n w h ic h h a s e x h ib its fr o m m a n y d iffer e n t c o u n tr ies. E a c h booth w ith its b e a u tifu l d isp la y la y s cla im u p on th e u n d iv id ed lo y a lty o f th e v iew er . E a c h th e o r y in th is book p r e se n ts it s b e st fa c e fo r w a r d and g lo sse s over its a d eq u a cies a n d fa ilu r e s in th e p a st. “ S tr u g g le fo r T om orrow ” i s th u s n o t a n o b je c tiv e c ritiq u e an d a n a ly sis o f c u r re n t th e o r ie s b u t a w e ll-e d ited file o f e s s a y s ea ch w r itte n b y a p r o ta g o n ist, w h o se p r e v io u s an d still-e x is te n t tiles h a v e d e e p ly com m itted h im to a d e fe n se o f h is p e t th e o r y . B e c a u se th e e d ito r s so u g h t to g iv e sp a ce in th e ir vo lu m e to so m a p y p o in ts o f v ie w w ith in th e sp ace o f 300-odd p a g e s, th e y h a v e fa lle n v ic tim to th e v e r y se r io u s error o f a llo t t in g sp a ce to th e o r ie s w h o se fo llo w in g is a v e r y lim ite d one, f a r b eyond th e ir a c tu a l im p o r ta n c e on th e w orld scen e

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B E E C H -N U T F O O D S F O R B A B IE S 60

Jewish LIFE

today. Thus we find that Territorial- stance, the essay on Agudism contains ism is assigned twenty-one pages the statement by Isaac Breuer that while religious Zionism is given a “the enemies of the Messianic Jewish meagre nine pages. Hapoel Hamiz- nation are Zionism and the Reform rachi’s Torah V’Avodah ideology | B movement, both of which fight against widely recognized as the most con the Divine Law.” structive Jewish religious force of to Also, “in the provisional and sub day — is given scant treatment, des sequently in the permanent govern pite Dr. Federbush’s attempt to ment of the State of Israel, the nation squeeze it into the limits assigned. al organization of Agudath Israel is 7 IONISM itself, the most vital represented and holds the portfolio ^ movement on the Jewish stage, is of Social Welfare.” The fact is that allotted only a third of the book’s Agudath Israel has not been repre space, while the balance is devoted to sented in the cabinet of Israel in any the presentation of theories which way since 1952. Then the writer have either passed into oblivion or states, “It succeeded also in receiving considerable popular parliamentary are trembling on the verge of it. Assimilationism is allotted thirty representation in the first popular precious pages as a theory with elab elections to the Knesseth.” The sum orate nuances. The sad fact seems of three hardly warrants that asser to be that today it is no longer a theo tion. The chapter on Bundism is bril ry, but an apathetic force pulling Jews by the thousands into oblivion with-, liantly written but one completes out their being conscious of the pro reading it with the feeling that he has just read a beautiful eulogy. With cess of deterioration. On the positive side, the reader is the collapse of East European Jewry, left with the feeling that Jewish this movement, together with other thought has many faces, each with anti-Zionist outlooks, received a death some attractive feature and each blow. Only Zionism survived the holo claiming to possess the Messianic caust of Hitlerdom and Soviet perse hope for Jewish survival. There cutions. “Struggle for Tomorrow” is a emerges the essential will to live of a people which has never allowed itself book which, despite its weaknesses, to be pulled under by the whirlpools deserves a place on the bookshelves of persecution and ghettohood and of Jewish readers. It clearly points to which has learned how to separate the need for a volume which will con the weak straws from the strong tain an objective analysis and ap branches which offer hope and crea praisal of current Jewish theories by authors who will avoid writing par tivity. tisan apologetics. The Jewish scene ■FHERE IS a large number of ar- could use a “Moreh Nevuchim” — a resting viewpoints presented which “Guide to the Perplexed” in current one cannot fail to challenge. For in Jewish theories. M a r c h - A p r il, 1 9 5 5

BIG PIKE (UT

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Jewish LIFE

A View of Three Centuries B y IS R A E L M IL L E R A D V E N T U R E IN F R E E D O M , by O scar H a n d lin , M cG raw H ill B ook C om p any, N e w Y o rk , 1954, 2 8 2 pp., $3.75. rp H E

J E W IS H

p eo p le

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^ g iv e n h eed to th e B ib lic a l d ictu m , “ R em em b er th e d a y s o f old, co n sid er th e y e a r s o f m a n y g e n e r a tio n s” (D e u t. X X X I I : 7 ) . I t w a s rea so n a b le to a s su m e, th e r e fo r e , th a t th e com m em o r a tiv e o b serv a n ce o f th e T e r c e n te n a r y w o u ld prod h is to r ia n s to ta k e p e n in h a n d a n d record th e sto r y o f J e w ish lif e in th is c o u n tr y d u r in g th e p a s t th r e e h u n d red y e a r s . S u ch a volu m e h a s b een u n d e rta k en b y P r o f. O scar H a n d lin o f H a r v a r d U n iv e r s ity . H is c r e d e n tia ls a s a n h isto r ia n a re seem in g ly u n im p ea c h a b le. D r. H a n d lin g “ T h e U p r o o te d ,” a stu d y o f n in e te e n th c e n tu r y im m ig r a tio n in A m e r ic a n h is to r y , w o n th e P u litz e r P r iz e in h is to r y in 1952. H e w r ite s w e ll, in a n e a sy flo w in g s t y le ; ‘T h e v o lu m e is in te r e s t in g a n d rea d a b le. B u t — an d t h is i s a m o st im p o r ta n t b u t — a k n o w led g e o f g e n e r a l h isto r y or a fa c ile p e n d oes n o t ipso fa c to m a k e one an o b je c tiv e stu d e n t o f J e w is h life . D r. H a n d lin h a s n o t con cea led e ith e r h is b ia s or la c k o f k n o w l e d g e a b o u t m a n y e le m e n ts in J u d a ism . E v e n th e n o n -sc h o la r ly r ea d er c a n d isc e rn th is “u n sc h o la r ly ” tr e a t m en t. W itn e ss th e fo llo w in g ch osen a t random : A d e sc r ip tio n o f th e E a s t E u r o p e a n im m ig r a n ts o f th e 187 0 s an d 1 8 8 0 s a s

March-April, 1955

“poor and ig n o r a n t, slu m d w ellers an d sw ea tsh o p w o rk ers, co n sp icu o u s in lo n g g a b a r d in es and b ea rd s, th e ir w om en d isfigu red b y th e O rien ta l sh a ite l" (p . 1 4 4 ). P oor, y e s. Ig n o r a n t o f J e w ish la w , o f th e H eb rew la n g u a g e , o f th e sa cred v o lu m es o f th e J e w ish peop le ^ d e fin itely n o t. U n le s s one e q u a te s ig n o r a n c e w ith a la ck o f k n o w led g e o f th e E n g lis h la n g u a g e an d A m e ric a n cu stom s. T h en , p r o fe s sor, w h y d id n ’t you s a y so? T h e w o m en n o t b e a u tifu l, p e rh a p s. B u t “ d is fig u r ed ” —r is n ’t th a t a h a r sh w ord w h ic h r e v e a ls m ore ab ou t it s a u th o r ’s th in k in g th a n ab ou t fe m in in e p u lch ri tu d e? A n y o n e a c q u a in te d w ith J e w ish t r a d itio n w o u ld k n o w th a t th e divorce p roced u re is m uch m ore com p licated th a n th a t “w ith a ra b b i’s a p p ro v a l, a h u sb an d d ivorced h is w if e b y a sim p le d e c la r a tio n in w r itin g th a t he w a s rid o f h e r ” (p . 1 2 9 ). , f, In h is d e sc r ip tio n o f th e e sta b lish m e n t o f Isr a e l, D r. H a n d lin ig n o r es c o m p lete ly th e h isto r ic v o te b y w h ic h th e U n ite d / N a tio p s (established th e J e w ish S ta te . T h e a u th o r w r ite s : “ T h e s tr u g g le oifer t h é , fixture o f P a le s tin e w a ite d fo r ¡the en d o f th é w a r a g a in s t G erm an y a n d J a p a n . T h e r e a fte r no accom m od ation tyas p o ssib le b e tw e en th e a m b itio n s o f th e Z io n ists an d th e im p e ria l p la n s o f th e J^ritish. T h e im p a s se fin ally1 ïéd to t h é 'w ith d r a w a l .of th e E n g lish : a n d th e o p en w a r fa r e o f th e Jësiïk a n d A r a b s b y w h ic h I s r a el e sta b lish e d it s in d ep en d en ce.”

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Jewish LIFE

T T I S E R R O R S o f com m ission a r e com poun ded b y th o se o f om ission . D r. H a n d lin , in d isc u s sin g p r e se n t tr e n d s, m a k e s no m e n tio n o f th e p o si tiv e m a n ife s ta tio n s o f J e w ish lif e su ch a s th e e v e r in c r e a s in g nu m ber o f Y e sh iv o th and sy n a g o g u e s. H e a s so c ia te s th e stu d y h a ll w ith th e “g h e t to ,” a te r m w h ic h h e u se s too f r e q u e n tly a n d too lo o se ly . In ste a d o f e n d in g t h is r e v ie w w ith th e s u g g e s tio n th a t y o u rea d D r. H a n d lin g book, w h ic h I th in k y o u m a y do w ith p ro fit i f y o u rec o g n ize it s lim ita tio n s a n d su b je c tiv ity , I w o u ld lik e to con clu d e w ith a n o p en s u g g e stio n to th e a u th o r: P r o f. H a n d lin , i f y o u c a n sp a re th e tim e fr o m y o u r book s, v is it th e Y e sh iv a h R am b am in B o sto n , sp en d a d a y a t Y e s h iv a U n i v e r s ity and M esiv ta T o ra h V o d a a th in N e w Y o rk , a tte n d a U O J C A or Y o u n g Is r a e l co n v e n tio n or a c o n fe r en ce o f th e N a tio n a l A s so c ia tio n o f H eb re w D a y S ch ool P T A s . T h is w ill be a r e a l “ A d v e n tu r e in F re ed o m .”

TWO MONUMENTAL WORKS REPRINTED M AIM ONIDES' GUIDE O F THE PERPLEXED A full unabridged edition containing all the Hebrew and English notes and com mentaries by M. FRIEDLANDER. Reprinted from the famous and scarce 3 volume edition. Published in London in 1881.

T h ree v o lu m es in O ne B ib lep a p er, 1,056 P a g e s . C loth b in d in g $7.50 M AIM ONIDES' MISHNEH TORAH H eb rew O nly Edited from Rare Manuscripts and Early Texts, Vocalized, Annotated and Provided with an Introduction

by PHILIP BIRNBAUM P r ic e : $5.00 HEBREW PUBLISHING COM PANY 79 D e la n c e y St.

N ew York, N.Y.

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M ACARONI SPAGHETTI Pure Egg Noodles KOSHER and PAREVE March - April, 1955

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O N iY TW £ F tN £S T f& O F 7 tteT U N A JUST THE PRIME PORTIONS o f selected, top-grade tuna fish are used in Breast-O ’-Chicken brand—the first brand o f tuna to bear the Seal o f Kashruth. Try it—in either the fancy solid pack or popular chunk style.

H t U s H K H K t f l1 The first tuna w ith the

J e w is h L I F E

DISTURBED BY EDITORIAL S e a ttle , W a sh in g to n F o r som e tim e n o w I h a v e b een r e a d in g y o u r p u b lica tio n w ith in te r e s t a n d h a v e fo u n d it to be f a ir and r estr a in e d . I t is fo r t h is r e a so n th a t I w a s d istu rb ed to see th e e d ito r ia l “A Con s e r v a tiv e B lu n d e r ” in th e S h e v a t issu e o f y o u r m a g a z in e . C e rta in ly , a s - a n o r th o d o x g r o u p y o u h a v e th e r ig h t to e x p r e s s y o u r v ig o r o u s d iss e n t fr o m a n y a c tio n ta k e n b y a n on -orth od ox bod y. I t d oes n o t, h o w ev e r, en t it le y ou to d isto r t th e . f a c ts and th e n d r a w c o n c lu sio n s fr o m th e m th a t s u it y o u r fa n c y . T h e f a c ts a r e a s fo llo w s : 1. T h e a m en d m en t to th e K eth u b a h w a s m ad e, n o t to s e t a sid e th e H a lo ch ah , b u t on th e c o n tr a r y , to m ak e i t v ia b le. S u re ly , you y o u r se lv e s are a w a r e o f th e a n a r c h y a n d th e p e r so n a l a n g u ish w h ic h h a v e r e s u lte d fr o m th e r e fu s a l o f m a n y h u sb a n d s to g r a n t th e ir w iv e s d iv o rces or fr o m th e ir to ta l d isa p p e a ra n ce . 2. T h e am en d m en t, it s e lf , w a s d ra w n u p b y on e o f th e m o st e m in en t T a lm u d ic sc h o la r s in th e w orld , a m an w h o se p ie ty and o b ser v a n c e is n o t

March - April, 1955

open to q u estio n , P r o fe sso r S a u l L ieberm an , a so n -in -la w o f th e la te R abbi M eir B e r lin (B a r I la n ) . 3. T h e “ g im m ic k s” y o u r e fe r to a re e n tir e ly u n k n ow n to m e, a m em b er o f th e R ab b in ical A sse m b ly . I can o n ly a ssu m e th a t y o u w ou ld d ep rive th e C o n se rv a tiv e R a b b in a te o f th e sam e r ig h t to in s tr u c t th e ir p eop le a s you cla im fo r y o u r se lv es. F u r th e rm o r e, I th in k it o n ly f a ir fo r y ou to h a v e in fo r m ed y o u r rea d e r s th a t th e R ab b in ical C ou ncil o f A m e ric a w a s in v ite d to d isc u ss th e p rob lem s in v o lv ed in th e la w s o f “ Is h u th ,” an d i t w a s o n ly w h en it r e fu se d to p a r tic ip a te in a n y su ch ta lk s th a t th e C o n se rv a tiv e m ove m e n t w a s c o n str a in e d to ta k e u n ila t e r a l actio n . I f it h a s su cceed ed in a t la s t a w a k e n in g th e orth od ox com m u n ity to it s r e s p o n sib ilitie s, th e n its w o rk h a s n o t b een in v a in . D a v id L ieb er D ir ec to r, B ’n a i B r ith H ille l F o u n d a tio n * * * OUR REPLY 1. J u r isd ic tio n in th e field o f H a lo ch ah lie s so le ly in th e d om ain o f p r o p e r ly -c o n stitu ted H a lo c h ic au th o r-

The Lake House Hotel Woodridge, N. Y. Phone 132 Kashrus & Shabbos S trictly Observed Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Katz and Family are pleased to announce that their Lake House Hotel will be open for Passover and Shavuoth. • All Rooms Heated • Music & Entertainment during Choi Hamoed • Excellent Meals • Congenial Orthodox Atmosphere • Governess for Children Reserve now for choice accommodations.

N. Y. C. PH ON ES, M ON. to FRI.: W A 7-9881 LO 8-6747, E v e n in g s

Hotel Diplomat Kosher Kitchen is under the supervision of Rabbi Abraham Reichlin * H otel D ip lo m at c a n

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from 50 to 1,000 p e o p le .

* J. Edward Saltzman, owner and caterer

A HAPPY, KOSHER PASSOVER • Sheffield-Sealtest Dairy Products Kosher For Passover E n jo y th e fin e st d u r in g th e h o li d a y s an d th e y e a r a ro u n d — S h e f fie ld -S e a lte s t d a ir y p ro d u cts — p r e p ared fo r q u a lity a n d fla v o r . C e rtifie d b y RABBI S. B. FRIEDMAN N ew Y ork C ity

108 West 43rd St., New York Telephone BRyant 9-2387 - 8 - 9

Jewish LIFE

ity , th e o rth o d o x R ab b in ate. F or th e C o n se rv a tiv e lea d er sh ip — w h ich la r g e ly d e n ie s th e v e r y b a s is o f J e w ish la w a n d b e lie f, T orah M in -h ash om a y im — to a r r o g a te th e a u th o r ity to “ a m en d ” or m ak e “v ia b le ” J e w ish la w or p r a c tic e r e p r e se n ts a g r a v e r m en a ce to J e w ish lif e th a n th a t a t w h ic h th e a m en d m en t w a s d irected . 2. A c c r e d ita tio n a s a n em in en t Scholar is b y no m e a n s sy n o n y m o u s w ith r e c o g n itio n b y J e w r y a s a n H a lo chic a u th o r ity . T h e p r o m u lg a tio n o f so fu n d a m e n ta l a c h a n g e r eq u ire s th e c o n se n su s o f d ecisio n o f th e r e c o g n ized H a lo ch ic a u th o r itie s o f th e g e n e ra tio n . 3. T h e lin k in g o f a b u ilt-in -d iv o r ce K eth u b a h w ith th e p rom otion o f an ille g itim a te B e th D in is su r e ly a c la s sic ex a m p le o f th e g e n u s gim m ick . L e t i t be p la in ly sa id th a t J e w s c a n n o t in good c o n scien ce conced e th e r ig h t o f a n y sou rce n o t a d h e r in g to tr a d itio n a l, T o r a h -tr u e J e w ish b e lie f to “ in s tr u c t” a n y J e w s a s to r e lig io u s ob serv a n ce. J e w ish la w is b in d in g u p on a ll J e w s, w ith o u t e x ce p tio n . T he m em b ers o f C o n se rv a tiv e te m p le s a r e n o t to b e w r itte n off a s th e de ju r e sp ir itu a l su b je c ts o f a s e c ta r ia n ju r is d ictio n , b eyon d T o r a h a u th o r ity . 4. F o r th e R ab b in ica l C ou n cil o f A m e ric a , a s a b od y o f o rth o d o x ra b b is, to h a v e p a r tic ip a te d in a p r o je c t in th e field o f J e w ish la w w ith a grou p e s s e n tia lly com m itted a g a in s t th e b a s is o f su ch la w , w o u ld o b v io u sly h a v e b een b o th fr u itle s s a n d a n e g a tio n o f p r in c ip le . T h e so r e p roblem o f d iv o rce c a n n o t be solved b y v io la tin g th e in te g r ity o f th e J e w ish r e lig io n an d o f J e w ish life . In d eed , th e v e r y r e v e r se m u s t

March - April, 1955

be th e aim , fo r th e problem o f d ivorce to d a y is la r g e ly co n seq u en t u p on p r e v a le n t ir r e lig io s ity . R e sp o n sib le or g a n s o f th e R a b b in a te in Isr a e l, A m erica and e lsew h e re , a r e d e e p ly en g a g e d in th e stu d y o f th e s e p rob lem s, w h o se c o m p lex ity c a n n o t b e r eso lv ed b y sh o rt-c u ts and fo r ce d d ev ices b u t o n ly b y th e m o st p rofou n d , e x h a u s tiv e an d tr u ly a u th o r ita tiv e se a r ch fo r T orah tr u th . W ith th e h elp o f G-d, th e se stu d ie s w ill m e e t th e c h a lle n g e o f m odern tim e s b y e v o k in g m e a su r es m a k in g fo r th e h ig h e st d eg ree o f s e c u r ity fo r b oth p a r tie s to a p r e se n t-d a y m a r r ia g e . N o t m erely , i t is e a r n e s tly to be hop ed , b y overco m in g su ch b a r r ie r s to d ivorce a s seem u n w a r ra n ted , b u t b y th e str e n g th e n in g o f th e J e w ish h om e and th u s d im in ish in g th e occa sio n fo r divorce, w ill th e en d eavor o f T orah lea d er sh ip fu lfill th is m is sion.

* * *

—Editor

MILITARY CRITIQUE E l P a so , T e x a s E n c lo se d p le a se find $6.00 fo r m y su b scr ip tio n p lu s th r e e g i f t su b scr ip tio n s o f J e w i s h L i f e . I f y o u h a v e som e e x tr a b ack cop ies I w ou ld a p p re c ia te r e c e iv in g th em . I am t r y in g to in flu en ce m y fr ie n d s an d a c q u a in ta n ce s in to r e a d in g n ot o n ly th e b e st orth od ox m a g a z in e b u t th e b e st J e w ish m a g a z in e in th e co u n try . P fc . J o se p h B ach * * * CITES ICASHRUTH FACILITIES B rook lyn , N . Y . I h a v e read w ith g r e a t in te r e st th e a r tic le in th e F e b r u a r y issu e o f J e w i s h L i f e on “ K a sh r u th in our

Best wishes for a

F a m o u s TAAM -TOV K o sh er C h e e s e

oyous Passover

* A m e ric a n

* S w iss

* S lic e d A m e ric a n

* Edam

* C heddar

* GOUDA

* S p re a d

* MUENSTER

Supervised by: Rabbi Dr. J. Breuer

lo ft Candy shops

New York City

are always ready to serve you

LOFT

with Candy gifts of good taste. * w

A lso a s k for o u r SCHM ERLING'S K o sh er Im p o rte d

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SCHNALL PRODUCTS COMPANY B rooklyn 25, N.Y.

P R e sid e n t 2-3615

LO FT CHOCOLATES• AS FINE AS YOU CAN GIVE

MANISCHEWITZ i T

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IN N E R W I IA P Ì seals in : i IFRESHM ■ Keeps your matzos oven-crisp

M ANISCHEW ITZ MATZOS • WINE • EGG MATZOS • GEFILTE FISH T BORSCHT • SPONGE CAKE MIX

Jewish LIFE

Hospitals” by Benjamin Mandelker. May I first make a correction. Our hospital is no longer called Jewish Sanitarium and Hospital for Chronic Diseases ; it has, for the past nine months, been known as the Jewish Chronic Disease Hospital. It has been my impression from my knowledge of our hospital, that we have been one of the leading in stitutions in the field of kashruth as far as our facilities are concerned. Our kashruth facilities are under the supervision of Rabbi Levi Bilitzki. They include duplicate sets of dishes and silverware for meat and dairy; a duplicate set of food trucks, each one distinctly labeled so that food brought up to patients in the wards comes in either meat or dairy trucks. There are two separate kitch ens for meat and dairy; there are two sets of dishwashing equipment for meat and dairy and two sets of soaps, one for meat and one for dairy. Food for the Sabbath is prepared the day before; there is no cooking done here on the Sabbath. Meat is koshered by special butch ers according to the Shulchan Aruch. For those patients who must eat salt free meals, the meat is taken out of the salting procedure. Each Passover completely new sets of dishes are purchased for meat and dairy, and all of the other utensils at the hospital are koshered accord ing to the kashruth procedure. All of the Jewish Holidays are ob served by the patients, many of whom make use of the facilities of the syn

March - April, 1955

agogue. Services are held here daily, on the Sabbath and on the holidays. Isaac Albert President

* * * FINDS EDITORIALS

'FORCEFUL'

Chicago, Illinois I find the editorials in the Shevat issue of J e w i s h L i f e very forceful and timely. Isaac Goldberger

* * sp TALMUDIC SCHOLARS

New York, N. Y. I would appreciate it if you would include in each issue an article about some famous Jewish scholar or per sonality from the Talmudic era. Morris Roth *

•35-

W ORTHY O F TITLE

Englewood, N. J. Please renew my subscription for two years. I find your worthy pub lication a “fountain of knowledge” and worthy of its title. Bernard Turteltaub A R E A L d elica tessen tr e a t

HADAR Frankfurters, Salam i, B ologna TRY OUR Corned Beef, Pastram i, Tongue

® Su pervision an d endorsem ent

OXFORD PROVISION. Inc. 549 E. 12th St.

N ew Y ork C ity

Phone: O R egon 4-4490, 3-2770

H a p p y

P e s a c h

GARTENBERG & SCHECHTER PIONEER COUNTRY CLUB

MATZOH

G re e n fie ld P a rk , N. Y.

mUU th e famous since 18 84

PASSOVER 72

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Join the m illions o f Americans who are fighting Communism behind the Iron Curtain with “Truth Dollars” . . . dollars that support R adio Free Eu rope broadcasts to 70 m illion freedom hungry people. Send your “Truth D ol lars” to Crusade for F reedom , c /o you r local P ostm aster, today*

Jewish LIFE

'P c c H tic a U o H t UNION OF ORTHODOX JEWISH CONGREGATIONS OF AMERICA 305 BROADWAY

N EW YORK 7, N .Y .

B E ekm an 3-2220

Partial Listing (Use Order Form on Page 77)

Periodicals JEW ISH LIFE

Our famed national magazine. Published bi-monthly. S u b sc rip tio n

year th re e y e a rs

$1.75 4.00

Bi-monthly program manual for the synagogue. Men's Club PRAKIM ) ;

PRAKIM

) S u b sc rip tio n in io rm a tio n u p o n re q u e s t

Rabbi's PRAKIM

)

y© HACHAYIL

M e m b e r C o n g re g a tio n s .4. '^ free

President's PRAKIM ) The monthly Jewish Servicemen's newspaper free

Pamphlets and Materials N um ber

P rice

BAR MITZVAH CERTIFICATES. Beautifully illustrated, impressive scrolls for permanent keeping. Simulated parchment. 5 for $1.00

BUILDING FUND MANUAL. Booklet outlining techniques and practices in modern fund-raising campaigns. 25 pages. Mimeographed. .40 (0) Member Congregations .25 ESSENTIALS OF JUDAISM. Rabbi Leo Jung. A lucid synopsis of basic Jewish beliefs and concepts addressed to the understanding of the present-day American Jew. 28 pages, paper cover. .20 © Member Congregations .10 FAMILY RECORD FORM. .03 Bulk orders from © Member Congregations .02 FESTIVAL SERIES. These booklets present the story and significance of the holidays in colorful, informative manner. A CHANUKAH. 15 pages, illustrated cover .10 © Member Congregations .08 B THE HIGH HOLY DAYS. 16 pages, illustrated .10 © Member Congregations .08 C PASSOVER. 7 pages, illustrated cover .10 © Member Congregations .08

each

8 33

March - April, 1955

.25

YOUR FRIENDLY A. & P. SUPER MARKETS and FOOD STORES Extend

BestWishes of the Season

FOOD STORES THE GREAT ATLANTIC

& PA CIFIC TEA COM PANY

WOULD YOU LIKE TO EAT TEREYFAH? Certainly not, but to wear Shatnes i.e. a mixture of wool and linen, is, the same transgression of the Torah. The following firms-will have your garments tested by the Shatness Laboratory B pif you will request it. Any linen will be replaced FREE. Look for this label. * • Atlantic Clothing Co., 1 Allen St. • A. Berman, 833 Broadway Benchley Clothes Inc. > 100 Fifth Avenue* • Chatham) Clothes, 52. E. B’way Crawford Clothes—See Telephone Book • Gluck & Roth, 210 Broadway, B’klyn M. Goldstein, 158 Canal St. • Goldsuit Clothing, 14 West 19 St. J. M. Klein, 118 Stanton St. • Closed Shabboth

Litt Chinitz, Inc., 85 Fifth Ave. Maxi’s Clothes, 385 Broadway, B’klyn • L. Pluczenik, ,350 Crown St., B’klyn (All garments in stock' already havé the N. S. seal.) Three “B” Clothes, 80 Delancey Street ; *Qb|ldren’s Clothes ^ , *

SHATNES LABORATORY OF TORAH UMIZVOTH N ew Addr&£s ; 203 L ee A v e n u e , B rooklyn 6, N. Y. - EV 7-8520

Im m e d ia te T e stin g M o n d a y 8 P.M. to 10 P.M., S u n d a y from te n to te n . P h o n e for a n a p p o in tm e n t o r for a d d re s s of b ra n c h e s in y o u r n e ig h b o rh o o d w h e re g a rm e n ts c a n b e te s te d . '

Jewish LIFE

— UOJC PUBLICATIONS — N um ber

P rice PURIM. 7 p a g e s, illustrated cover .10 ® M em ber C on gregation s .08 E SUCCOT. 16 p a g e s, illustrated cover © M em ber C on gregation s .08 F. SHAVUOT. 12 p a g e s, illustrated cover, .10 } f | ;/r f . " © M em ber C on gregation s .08 I HAD NO IDEA. A g e n e ra l descrip tion of the UOJCA. fre e JEWISH FAMILY LIFE. The duty of the w om an. 70p a g e s. .25 © M em ber C on gregation s .20 JUDAISM IN JEWISH HISTORY. A su ccin ct interpretation of the story of our p e o p le . 20 p a g e s, p ap er cover. .10 © M em ber C on gregation s .07 KASHRUTH. A com p reh en sive . g u id eb ook on the Jewish D ietary la w s. 32 p a g e booklet. Illustrated. .40 Bulk non-m em ber con gregation s .35 Bulk © M em ber C on gregation s .25 KASHRUTH DIRECTORY. Listing of Kosher com m odities an d e sta b lish m en ts under the official © su p ervision an d en d orse m ent of UOJCA. fre e KOSHER FISH LIST, i .05 MARRIAGE AND THE HOME. A Jew ish g u id e for m arital h a p p in ess. 66 p a g e s, p ap er covenV ’'.50 MEN'S CLUB. An outline on club organization and activity. 8 p a g e s, p ap er cover. . .10 © M em ber C on gregation s free D

35 37 38

41 42 15

M ESSAGE TO MOURNERS. Brief sum m ary of&^ewish -laws p ertain in g to burial an d the m ourning period. M im eographed .10 © M em ber C on gregation s free

MIXED PEWS. A fdrthright, authoritative a n d Compelling elu cid ation of a m uch-m isunderstood qu estion . 12 p a g e s, p ap er cover. .10 ; ® M em ber C on gregation s .07 ORGANIZATION AND PROGRAMMING FOR A MEN'S CLUB. D eta iled a n a ly sis of clu b organization, program m ing a ctiv i ties. M im eographed, 24 p a g e s. .40 PRAYER BOOKS FOR CONGREGATIONS. M im eograp hed/ .15 © M em ber C on gregation s .30

PROGRAM FOR THE YEAR. A d e ta ile d ca len d a r of sy n a g o g u e program s, a ctivities an d m e etin g s for the entire year. M im eographed. .20 © M em ber C on gregation s free

PURIM PROGRAM. A program of Purim activities, gam es, projects for the youth. M im eographed, 24 p a g e s. .25 , ; i © M em ber C on gregation s .10

March - April, 1955

THIS PASSOVER YOU HAVE A CHOICE OF GREAT CARMEL WINES FROM ISRAEL

RICHON SACRAM ENTAL GRAPE WINE

SELECTED FINE TOKAY

ADOM ATIC RED BURGUNDY

EXTRA FINE SA U TE R N ES

EXTRA FIRE CARM EL HOCK

From the world’s oldest vineyards, where the golden sun makes every year a vintage year, Carmel brings these superb wines for every taste and every occasion. The, perfect complement to the Seder Feast. All the natural flavor of the grape, aged to perfection. ^ j ^ g certified st rictly k o sh er f o r pa sso v e r by C hief Rabbi Isaac H alevi H erzog o f Israel

IMPORTED BY CARMEL WINE CO., INC.,

Bttnj

a fifth Tokay $2.19 y.

Soate)

580 FIFTH AVE. NEW YORK 36

— UOJC PUBLICATIONS — P rice

N um ber

28 49

SYNAGOGUE ATTENDANCE. Detailed analysis of the cause of lack of interest and suggested remedies. Mimeographed, 10 pages. (0) Member Congregations. .10 THE UNION. A description of the functions and services of the UOJCA to the comniunity. *ree TU B'SHVAT ONEG. Mimeographed. *15 © Member Congregations free YES, I KEEP KOSHER. Attractive, one-page leaflet on the .. woman's view of Kashruth. *ree Bulk o rd e rs .02

YISGADAL VEYISKADASH. Brings home the true signifi cance of the KADDISH. 8 pages, paper cover. .10 © Member Congregations .08

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Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 305 Broadway, New York 7, N. Y. Gentlemen: Please enter my subscription for the following periodicals: □ JEW ISH IJF E

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Address

City

March - April, 1955

Zone

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UNION OF ORTHODOX JEWISH CONGREGATIONS OF AMERICA

KASHRUTH DIRECTORY Issued Nisan, 5715 —- April, 1955 LOOK FOR THE (Q) SEAL-AND BE SURE! The ® seal is your guarantee of communallyresponsibly Kashruth supervision and endorsement, conducted as a public service by the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America—UOJC All items in this Directory are ©, receive the con stant inspection of and are passed upon by the Rabbinical Council of America, Rabbinic body of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations. C O NSUM ERS A R E C A U T IO N E D TO: • M ake sure th a t th e © e v ery food product.

seal is on th e lab el of

• M ake sure th a t th e seal show n on th e lab el is th e ^beware o f im itation s! • R ead c a re fu lly th e lis t o f in gred ien ts o f each © product to ascertain w h eth er i t is a m eat or d airy product. The © does n o t n ecessa rily m ean th a t th e product is P areve.

P lea se n o te th a t th e © se a l o f K a s h r u th su p e rv isio n a n d en d o rse m e n t is e x c lu siv e ly th e sy m b o l o f: U n ion o f Orthodox J ew ish C ongregations o f A m erica 305 Broadw ay, N ew Y ork 7, N . Y . B E ekm an 3-2220

Jewish LIFE

UOJC KASHRUTH DIRECTORY All items listed below bear the © seal. Items listed © P are Kosher for Passover when bearing this or other UOJC A Passover Hechsher on label. Items listed • are Kosher for Passover without Passover Hechsher on label. * Indicates new (g) endorsement.^,

Junior B anana D essert Junior P udd ings Junior P lum s w ith Tapioca Junior F ru it D essert Junior Chocolate P udd ing

Apple Butter *M usselm an’s

(The C. H . M usselman Co., Biglerville, Pa.)

(B eech-N ut Packing Co., N .Y .C .)

pple Sauce ^M usselm an’s ( The C. H . Musselman Co.',

Beans H ein z O ven B ak ed B eans w ith molassos sauce H ein z O ven B ak ed B eans in tom ato sauce

Biglerville, Pa.)

(H . J. H einz Co., P ittsburgh, Pa.)

BABY FOODS H ein z — w ith © lab el only Strained V e g eta b les & Salm on Strained Cream o f Tuna Strain ed V eg eta b les Strained F ru its Chopped M ixed V eg eta b les Strained P udd ings Strained O range Ju ice Strained Tom ato Soup Strained V egetab le Soup* Pre-Cooked C ereals (B arley, m eal, B ice ) Junior Creamed Carrots Junior V eg eta b les Junior F ru its Junior V egetab le Soups Junior P udd ings

*Freshpak V egetarian B ean s in Tom ato Sauce

(G rand Union Food M arkets, E a st Paterson, N .J .)

Beans & Frankfurters * W h ite B ose

(Seem an Bros., Inc., N .Y ., N .Y .)

O at

(H . J. H einz Co., P ittsburgh, Pa.) B eech -N u t With © lab el only Strained V eg eta b les Strained F ru its Strained V eg eta b le Soup Strained Tom ato Soup Strained P udd ings Strained F ru it D essert Strained P lu m s w ith Tapioca Cereals Junior V eg eta b les Junior F ru its Junior V eg eta b le Soup

March - April, 1955

( B arton, Inc., B rooklyn, N .Y .) Drom edary Chocolate N u t B oll D ate N u t B oll Orange N u t B oll (ab ove con tain m ilk )

(The H ills B rothers Co., N .Y .C .) G olden Cracknel B g g B isc u its (Golden Cracknel & Spec. Co.,

D etroit, Mich.) K y-K risp

(Ralston-Purina, S t. Louis, Mo.) * C ontinental F avou rities V ien n ese Cookies

(A B C B aking Co., Inc., B ’k lp i, N .Y .)

UOJC KASHRUTH