|
For
some ten years, 1828-1838, the Maskilim of Poland, Vohlyn, and Lithuania
endeavored to spread the idea of secular learning among Russian Jews. The last
three years, 1835-1838, were especially active ones for the Riga Maskilim, led
by Dr. Lilienthal. The simple and sincere Jews of Courland and Lifland were in
close touch with the generally irreligious Riga Jews, and for them the
Haskalah
soon became quite modish.
A
group of young and "enlightened" Maskilim in Petersburg, adherents
of Dr. Lilienthal, attempted with great vigor and lavish gifts, to gain access
for their mentor into the Ministry of Culture. They organized groups of young
intellectuals under the name of "Ehrer der Weltliche Wissenschaft"1
that met in a fashionable hotel, and invited Dr. Lilienthal to lecture for
them. His erudition put him at the forefront of the group. Since many
officials of the Ministry were members, Dr. Lilienthal became acquainted with
them. These friendships and his letters of introduction opened Ministry doors
for him.
At
that time Chassidic communal efforts in Petersburg were directed toward
alleviating the pressing economic hardships crushing Russian Jewry. They
concentrated on the appropriate Ministry, Interior, and neglected to cultivate
the Ministry of .Culture. As soon as the Chassidim learned of the young
Maskilim's efforts to gain entry into the Ministry for Lilienthal, they
notified Lubavitch. At the Rabbi's instructions they sought and found means of
counteracting the Maskilim in the Ministry, and cooling official relations
with Lilienthal.
The
vaad members explained to the officials the attitudes of devout Jews,
the opponents of religious laxity, and their contention that wide secular
education was not important to the indiscriminate masses, but rather to
selected individuals. The education every Russian citizen needed to fulfill
his civil duties and for commercial activities, they declared, was routine for
every Jew.1 During 1837-1838 the vaad succeeded in rendering less
cordial the officials' reception of the Maskilim's demands, including
Lilienthal's proposal to require Jewish children to attend public schools for
secular training.
An
incident had recently occurred that the Maskilim exploited for their own ends.
The Government had closed all Jewish publishing houses" except the one in
Vilna, and another in the Vohlyn-Kiev region. The Maskilim proclaimed this as
a move by the Government to prohibit the printing of Chassidic and Kabala
literature, and simultaneously announced the intentions of the ever benevolent
Government, of admitting Jewish children into secular schools. They waged an
energetic campaign among the Jewish populace, in favor of secular education.
Many Jews, aware of the Czar's animosity to Torah, and toward Chassidus and
Kabala in particular, accepted these claims and signed petitions distributed
by the Maskilim, pleading for facilities for their children to acquire a
secular education.
Lilienthal
was summoned by the Minister of Culture and requested to prepare a
comprehensive report on organizing secular education for Russian Jewish
children.1 Lilienthal accepted the assignment and requested, in turn, that he
complete and perfect the report by personal familiarity with cultural
conditions prevalent among Russian Jewry. He wished to make an extended
journey through Vohlyn, Reisen, and White Russia, and visit the influential
Jewish scholars.
His
travels convinced Lilienthal that most Jews were intransigent in their
opposition to Haskalah, and despite the intensive persuasion campaign of the
Maskilim, were firm in their adherence to the religion and practices of
Israel. He also verified the reports on the influence wielded by the Torah
scholars. Lilienthal therefore recommended that the Minister call a conference
of three representative Jews -- a Maskil, a merchant, and a Rabbi -- to
deliberate on a new regime for the education of the youth. This recommendation
was accepted.
Uvarov
wrote about the proposal to the Minister of the Interior,1 to make the
necessary arrangements for the Commission of Rabbis, as the conference was
to be known. After a year of preparation the Commission met with four members:
Rabbi Menachem Mendel for the Chassidim; the Gaon Rabbi Isaac, son of the Gaon
Rabbi Chaim, of Volozhin, representing the Misnagdim; Israel Halperin, a noted
Berditchev financier; and Bezalel Stern of Odessa, a scholar. Mandelstam was
appointed official translator.
At
the first meeting, May 6, 1843, the Rabbi expressed his opinion that the
purpose of the Commission could only be to encourage religious observance
among Jews, and the reiteration of the indefensibility of tampering even with
Jewish customs, since customs are also considered Torah. He then expressed his
wonder that the Government had failed to correct the baseless rumor, spread by
detractors of Torah, that publication of Chassidic and Kabala literature had
been prohibited. He demanded that the Government publicize the truth about the
closing of the publishing houses, and affirm the permissibility of printing
these books.
The
chairman of the session, an assistant Minister of Culture, retorted angrily,
glaring at the Rabbi, "The Government has already prepared a detailed
agenda for discussion at this meeting. I have no doubt that the Jewish Rabbis
are aware of the purpose of this conclave, for they proclaim and affirm the
Talmudic edict that 'The law of the land is law.' "
"Talmudic
edicts," replied the Rabbi, "do not require our affirmation. The
meaning of the statement, 'The law of the land is law,' is that all taxes,
assessments, and laws promulgated for the welfare of the land and its economy,
are law, and enjoy the authority of Torah. This concerns only economic and
civil law1 but has no bearing on the religion and practices of Israel, the
least consequential of which are Torah, according to the Jerusalem Talmud.2
If the intention of these who deprecate religious customs is to affect our
religion, then we are enjoined to observe those customs selflessly, as
explicit in another verdict, `Suffer death, but do not transgress.' "3
This
reply infuriated the chairman still more, and he threatened the Rabbi with
harsh punishment for contempt of the law. However, considering that this was a
first offence, the chairman graciously contented himself at the time with a
sharp warning to be more careful in the future, and to cooperate in fulfilling
his duties as a citizen, in helping to bring to fruition the laws of the
Government for the welfare of his fellow Jewish citizens. The meeting was then
adjourned, and the Rabbi was shortly after informed that he was under house
arrest for three days, in a building of the Ministry of Culture.
He
was to see no one but his personal attendant, Israel Chaikin. He was then led
to his place of confinement by a detail of gendarmes, who remained on
twenty-four hour guard at his door.
The
threats and warnings did not upset the Rabbi. According to Chaikin, who
attended the Rabbi throughout his stay in Petersburg, the Rabbi was under
house arrest no less that twenty-two different times for periods of one, two,
and three days. Incidentally, this is why the Commission lasted longer than
planned (May 6 to August 27) .
The
issues of marriage, divorce, chalitza, desertion, circumcision,
apostates, synagogues, mikvah, and cemeteries, were settled with little
controversy. The storm broke with the question of education for children and
youths. The Rabbi maintained a firm stand, refusing to countenance changing
the most minute custom, for example the alef-bais method of teaching
Hebrew, the text of the morning Shema, the blessing for tzitzith as
recited by small children, etc.
Though
Lilienthal had no deciding voice in the proceedings, he carried on a vigorous
and crafty campaign to destroy traditional procedures in education and prayer,
and substitute the innovations of the Maskilim. In this he was unsuccessful.
Stern, a recognized scholar and scion of a family of ardent Maskilim, was an
earnest and sympathetic individual. Despite his opinions, which were
diametrically opposed to the stands of Rabbi Isaac and Halperin, to say
nothing, of the Rabbi, Stern was moved by the Rabbi's unwavering determination
to protect and insure the observance of even the least significant Jewish
custom. He frequently agreed with the Rabbi, and his votes with the religious
group often decided issues in their favor, a development most frustrating to
Dr. Lilienthal.
Once,
when the problem was a proposal to abridge prayers, the chairman, a Ministry
official, announced that the decision would be in accord with the Torah
principle of majority rule. "Dr. Stern and I say 'abridge.' Rabbi
Schneersohn and Mr. Halperin vote 'no change.' Rabbi Isaac abstains. His
silence denotes consent, so we constitute the majority." With that he
instructed the secretary to record the decision to abridge the prayers.
The
Rabbi interrupted. "Do not rush to record this 'decision.' I have already
been punished several times for insisting that the Ministry of Culture
invited these selected Jewish citizens to hear them out on Jewish law and
custom. The Ministry desired to hear their opinions, and did not summon them
to inform them of the Ministry's opinion on these matters. These matters are
not known to the Ministry from their authentic sources, but through the
corrupted wellsprings of atheists and Torah illiterates. The information on
the Jewish religion given the Ministry by these atheists is erroneous and
confused, and ridiculous to any Jew learned in Torah. I must repeat my earlier
statement: the Ministry of Culture has no authority over Jewish law and
custom. If the Ministry usurps the prerogative to cast the deciding vote, I
hereby -- as I have warned you before -- resign from this Commission, and
request permission to leave.
"The
principle of majority rule is irrelevant here. This is simply another
ridiculous distortion by ignorant free-thinkers. We were not summoned to
legislate; we are here to clarify statutes previously decided in the laws of
the Mosaic faith. We are here to clarify, too, the customs of Israel, to
protect both the commandments of G-d and Jewish usage from tampering. Even,
conceding the false interpretation of majority rule, we must consider the
number of electors rather than the number of representatives. Rabbi Isaac, Mr.
Halperin, and I, represent the 99 % of the Jewish population who cherish the
Torah and sincerely observe the laws of G-d. As a matter of fact, Mr. Halperin
and I could just as easily interpret Rabbi Isaac's silence as affirmation of
our stand not to alter a single word of the liturgy."
"Certainly,"
replied Rabbi Isaac, "I subscribe to the opinions of Rabbi Schneersohn
and Mr. Halperin to make no alterations in the liturgy."
The
chairman, short-tempered and easily provoked anyway, replied furiously that he
would report the Rabbi's derogatory remarks about the Ministry to his
superiors, and would inform the Minister of the Interior that it was evident
from the Rabbi's statements that he was a revolutionist, thereby placing the
Rabbi in grave peril. "And you," he snapped to the secretaries,
"will sign my reports."
The
Rabbi made no reply, and the other delegates, including Stern, were disturbed
by the official's angry threats, since he had a reputation for harshness.
Three days later, a Friday, the Rabbi was requested to appear before the
Minister of Culture at three o'clock that afternoon.
In
view of the gravity of the situation, Stern offered his services as
interpreter to the Rabbi. (The two Rabbis used Yiddish throughout the
Commission, with the assistance of translators. Rabbi Isaac used Dr. Stern,
and the Rabbi had either Israel Chaikin or Shmarya Feitelsohn.) The Rabbi
thanked Stern for his thoughtfulness, but preferred Chaikin. However, the
Rabbi told Stern, he had no objections to Stern's presence at the meeting, if
official permission would be obtained.
In
the presence of representatives of the Third Section, police officials, and
subordinate officials of the Ministry of Justice, Uvarov ordered a reading of
the report of the Commission chairman.
"Regarding
the Tzadik Mendel Schneersohn. He deliberately disturbs the progress of the
sessions; he disparages the law of the State by claiming that the Government
may levy taxes but dare not interfere with the least custom of the Jews; to
every logical and legal proposal to improve the lot of the Jews, proposals
offered or approved by Jewish scholars, the Tzadik Rabbi Mendel Schachnovitch
Schneersohn imperiously expresses his adamant view that they ( the delegates)
were summoned to voice their own opinions, not to hear the opinions of others.
He has been punished often, but remains recalcitrant."
Attached
to this report were some brief and general observations on "the biography
of the Tzadik Schneersohn of Lubavitch, his way of life, his Rabbinical and
communal work, his influence over Jews living in Russia and its neighboring
countries.
"Rabbi
Mendel Shachnovitch Schneersohn was born in Lyozna, Vitebsk province. He was
educated by his grandfather, Rabbi Schneur Zalman Baruchovitch, who, in 1798,
was imprisoned by Czar Paul in the Petropavlovsk fortress in Petersburg as a
revolutionary.
"Because
of the Tzadik Baruchovitch's hatred for the French, he behaved like a loyal
and patriotic citizen on behalf of his native land during the French War, in
recognition of which the Government expressed its gratitude to his son, the
Tzadik Rabbi Ber Schneuri. Rabbi Schneuri was later suspected, with Berlin and
Zeitlin, of the murder of the Christian child for ritual purposes"1 in
Velizh, Vitebsk, in 1823. Only the intervention of Count Galitzin, a friend of
Rabbi Schneuri and his father, saved him from his just punishment. In 1826 he
was convicted of treason for sending, large sums of money to Turkey. Though
Governor Chavanski insisted on punishing him severely, he was again shielded,
this time by the Academician, Dr. Heibenthal.
"Rabbi
Schneersohn, on assuming the Rabbinate in Lubavitch in 1827, promptly
organized an opposition group to obstruct the conscription of Jews."
The report continued with a list of the Rabbi's sins and transgressions over a
period of twelve years, the frequent house-searches, the assignment of a
gendarme officer in Lubavitch to observe the Rabbi and the hundreds of
visitors who daily sought his counsel and attended his lectures, the Rabbi's
incessant urgings to ignore the law of public school education . . .
"It
would be worthwhile to examine the report of Dr. Lilienthal on his journeys of
1841-1842. Wherever he came to speak on the benefits the Government intends
for the Jews, its plans to teach Jewish children the national tongue, no one
would hear him. His book Magid Yeshuah (Herald of Salvation) that announces
well-founded aspirations for the Jewish people, and urges the communities to
heed the Government, and which he distributed by the thousands, was destroyed
by the Jews at the instruction of Rabbi Schneersohn."
As
the secretary read the report and the added note, the police officials grew
more and more enraged. The Rabbi's unperturbed expression infuriated them,
since they knew that he understood Russian, the language of the report. When
the secretary concluded the report -- or "accusation," as Stern
dubbed it -- Uvarov addressed the Rabbi with barely restrained fury. "I
should like to know what Rabbi Schneersohn has to say about this."
Before
the Rabbi could answer, Stern rose and said in fluent German, "For the
sake of the purity of culture, of which the Minister is a patron, I feel
impelled to state that the report abused the truth in condemning Rabbi
Schneersohn for contempt of the law of the land, obstructing the .proceedings
of the Commission, and so forth. The report paints an entirely different
picture of the Rabbi's conduct, which was, in fact quite proper, although he
does not deny his personal views and is quite articulate in expressing
them."
Uvarov
turned sharply to Stern, "Are you another defender of Rabbi Schneersohn,
the who vilifies of the Government and its laws?"
"No
doubt," interposed a representative of the Ministry of justice, "the
Rabbi is ignorant of the laws concerning contempt. I would suggest that the
laws be translated and the Rabbi informed of the punishments involved."
"Rabbi
Schneersohn knows the law and the punishments for offenders," Lilienthal
broke in. "He also knows of the Czar's desire to benefit his Jewish
subjects by extricating them from their ignorance and superstitions of demons,
sorcery, evil-eye, and reincarnation, to make them citizens useful to
themselves and the country. Still, Rabbi Schneersohn endeavored, through his
personal emissaries, to arouse public opinion against me. Though it was well
known that I traveled on an official mission to announce His Majesty's
intentions for his subjects, no one appeared at the meetings I called. When I
entered a Synagogue on the Sabbath day, a Synagogue filled with worshipers, as
I would ascend the pulpit, before I could utter a single word, voices would
call, 'The apostate from Riga is here to convert Jews! Leave the Synagogue!'
Scores of arms would be raised against me in mortal anger. Someone would
shout, `Don't touch the filthy German apostate! Out of the Synagogue!' And in
a moment the Synagogue would be emptied. When I walked in the street people
pointed to me as to a leper. In many cities I could not even walk in the
streets because of gangs of urchins chasing me and shouting, 'Here is the
German apostate! Here is the builder of shmad houses (missions) for Jewish
children!'"
At
Lilienthal's words Uvarov turned livid. "All the reports of Dr.
Lilienthal have been verified by the Secret Police, and appended to the report
of the Commission chairman. The matter will be referred to the Minister of
justice to decide on the appropriate punishment, to be carried out by the
Third Section, Ministry of the
Interior. I extend permission to Rabbi Schneersohn to extenuate his past
actions, and give assurances as to his future conduct, as is customary with
all accused people. A full report of this meeting will be added to the
documents accusing Rabbi Schneersohn of contempt of the Government and the
law."
The
Rabbi replied, "I make no admissions to any accusations of guilt of
insulting the Government or its laws. Throughout my service I always taught my
people what is permitted and what is forbidden by Torah and usage, as
practiced over the centuries. I have done so, I do so now, and I will continue
to do so with no regard for malicious slander intended to do me harm. In the
knowledge that I have sincerely fulfilled my duty, I am not frightened by the
most severe punishments."
The
meeting lasted some five hours. When they left they found scores of people in
the street waiting for the Rabbi. The Rabbi hurried to his lodgings, and
before long everyone knew what had transpired at the meeting. The religious
homes were shrouded in sorrow.
The
Rabbi's resoluteness and selflessness throughout the meeting impressed Stern
greatly. He declared that he had never seen or believed that someone could
place himself in a position of certain peril with such perfect equanimity,
without the least hesitation, as though he were entirely unaffected. "The
venerable Zalman Baruch Kalarasher once related that, when Shlomoleh Shtadlan
would intercede with officials on behalf of Jewish village folk, he took his
burial shrouds with him, being prepared for any eventuality. No doubt those
who intercede on Jews' behalf today take their shrouds along too, but leave
their mesiras nefesh (self-sacrifice) at home. The Lubavitcher Rebbe
left his shrouds, but brought his mesiras nefesh," Stern observed.
After
this Friday meeting the members of the Rabbinical Commission were informed by
the Ministry of Culture that, due to unforeseen circumstances, the sessions
scheduled for Monday and later, were indefinitely postponed. The members were
requested to remain in Petersburg for information about a new date.
|
