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In our June number, p. 163, we did thoughtlessly an
injury to Dr. Lilienthal, by employing the words “And they will scarcely
take in its stead, the perhaps crude and ill-digested system which can
be elicited by the few German Rabbis now in America.” We referred in the
note under consideration, to a newly-proposed American Minhag, against
the propriety of which we objected; and the number of Rabbis in America
being so very small, Dr. Lilienthal thinks that as we have necessarily
included him among others, we have not acted with our usual candour and
prudence, as he has never done, or authorized anything to be done, since
his arrival in this country, which could authorize us to suppose that
he would sanction any departure from the strict standard of orthodoxy.
We are truly delighted to have received this assurance, confirmatory of
our other impressions, from the learned divine; and we therefore now
tender him this explanation, as a slight indemnity for the injury to his
reputation which our words might have caused him, in quarters where he
is not known as well as he is to us. At the same time, in justice to ourself, we must state that we meant no disrespect to him or his learned
colleagues, as we only condemned a certain measure, which, if it has
been correctly reported to us, would receive our unqualified censure,
even if supported by our dearest friend. Dr. Wise also writes to us that
we have misunderstood him, and that there are some misstatements in the
report of his movements which we printed. All we have to say is, that
this is a common misfortune of editors to be occasionally not fully
informed, with all their best endeavours to be correct; and as we are
liable to err no less than others, we will thank any one to set us
right, whenever we make a mistake through our own fault or the fault of
others. Dr. Wise is certainly right in saying, that it behooves all our
leaders in America to be united in feeling and action. We for one are
anxious to cultivate the friendship of every one, and hope to be met
with the same spirit by all.—Respecting the American Liturgy, we
proposed, we shall be able to speak more understandingly, when we
receive the draft which has been laid before the Beth Din; and so far as
our limits will permit, we will gladly open our Magazine for the
discussion of questions connected with the liturgy, or any other subject
bearing upon our religion, conceiving this to be the true aim of a work
like ours. |
