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The
following letter from the Rev. Benjamin Cohen Carillon, of St. Thomas,
reached us by a late arrival, and as he is desirous of having his views
made public, we cannot withhold it from our readers, some of whom will
probably recollect him, from having seen him during his residence in the
States. In giving this letter publicity, we must by no means be
understood as sharing all the sentiments of the reverend gentleman,
though we cordially thank him for the stand he has taken against the
abolition of our form of prayer by the introduction of the one lately
adopted in London. We hope that Mr. Carillon will pardon us our candour
in saying that we utterly disapprove of some of his views published some
years ago at Curaçoa; since notwithstanding this we accord to him the
use of our pages whenever he has any thing to communicate which is of
interest to Israel and Israel's creed. And as the Rev. Mr. Marks is a
reader of the Occident, we offer him also our magazine in else he thinks
himself aggrieved by anything which has fallen from the Rev. Mr. C. By
thus offering our pages to persons who entertain different opinions, we
hope that we establish the claim to the impartiality which we announced
in our first number; though we trust that our course hitherto has amply
proved that we have opinions of our own, and independence enough to give
utterance to them when occasion demands it.
We
call the attention of the editors of the Orient, the Allgemeine Zeitung
des Judenthums, and the Archives Israelites, who all have published the
advertisement of the St. Thomas Congregation, to Mr. C.'s letter, which
will prove to them that the American Jews are not so ready to embrace
every innovation which is sent to them from modern Europe; and we hazard
little in saying that they will be found at the hour of trial upon the
side of Scripture, ancestral customs, and reason, to a greater degree,
than those who boast of such superior knowledge in matters relating to
science and religion.
St. Thomas, 10th August,
1843.
Rev.
Isaac Leeser,
Respected
Friend,—As I know how much you are interested in the welfare of
our people, and above all, in their religious development, I believe it
will give you satisfaction to be acquainted with the situation of my
congregation, and with the improvements I have introduced there. When I
arrived here, I found the congregation number about five hundred souls,
and it increases with every day. We have here Jews from all parts of the
world, Frenchmen, Englishmen, Dutchmen, &c. In former years the
religious spirit had almost died away; but thank God, there is now a
revival. Many who before did not keep the Sabbath now do so, and every
week the Synagogue is better attended.
I
cannot sufficiently praise Mr. Aaron Wolff, the president of the
community. He has established a Sunday-school, where all. the children
of the congregation are taught our blessed religion. Your "Catechism
for Younger Children" is used, as being the best existing in
the English language. We moreover have made a law, sanctioned by the
king, "that all the children have to be confirmed when they have
entered their fourteenth year;" and for the purpose I have composed
a confirmation, which ere long I will take the liberty of sending to
you, to have it printed under your care. All offerings except one, when
called to Sepher, are abolished, and the greatest order reigns in the
Synagogue during divine service. As very few of the children could read
the sacred tongue, I established a school where I teach the Hebrew
gratis, and in one year I hope, under the blessing of Israel's God, to
see all the children able to join in the worship.
On
my arrival, I found the congregation disposed to adopt the prayer book
of the "Reformed London Jews." Almost every one was provided
with a set, and they had only waited for me to approve it. To the
amazement of many, I rejected that book entirely, and I will give you my
reasons. 1st. The most beautiful hymns of the Portuguese
liturgy were left out. 2nd. Why should I
sanction a prayer-book adopted by a few laymen having no Rabbi among
them? My greatest reason, however,
was that the Rev. Mr. Marks had dared to deny all Talmudic authority.*
Now, denying the divine claim of the Talmud, or its authority, are two
different cases. Mr. Hurwitz, who certainly knows more of the Talmud
than Mr. Marks, has said that "The Talmud is not divine;" and
so do I say. But I agree with Mr. Hurwitz, that the Talmud is the
satellite of Holy Writ; that it contains those illustrations and
interpretations of Scripture which were given by our blessed teacher,
Moses himself; and that by denying the authority of these illustrations
and interpretations, we deny Holy Writ itself; because without them,
Scripture would be unto us as a sealed book." The presumption of
Mr. Marks is the greater, as even the Christians acknowledge the
authority of the Rabbis, in whatever concerns the rules of grammar. Nay,
dear friend and fellow-labourer in the vineyard of the Lord, I would not
approve a rite established by men who speak so lightly of those noble
Rabbis, the pillars of the Synagogue, the spiritual fathers of Israel,
and, under God, the cause of our existence as a peculiar people. I
confess that we are at liberty to alter customs, to substitute prayers;
but we must not touch the essential points of our religion. I would like
to know whether Mr. Marks lays Tephillin or how he wears the Tsitsit? If
he does, then he contradicts himself, as it is only by Rabbinic
authority that we know how to obey those and most other commandments.
Nevertheless,
I have granted several alterations which I shall communicate to you at
another opportunity. Suffice it to say, that this congregation gradually
increases in piety and faithfulness, and that the Eternal Unity is
worshipped in this Island by the children of that people which "He
hath given for a light to the gentiles," and chosen to be "the
witnesses of his Unity."
Hoping
that the God of our fathers may spare you many years, for the spiritual
well-being of his chosen ones, I remain most respectfully yours,
B. C. Carillon.
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