Studies in Judaism 21

Studies in Judaism 21

O thou, who makest guilt to disappear,

My help, my hope, my rock, I will not fear;

Though thou the body hold in dungeon drear,

The soul has found the palace of the King!

 

 

POSTscRIPT

 

The third letter of Nachmanides to which I have alluded above, is embodied

in the following will by R. Solomon, son of the martyr Isaac. Neither the

date nor the country of the testator is known, but style and language make

it probable that he was a Spanish Jew, and lived in the fourteenth

century. I give here a translation from the whole document as it is to be

found in the Manuscripts.

 

 

These are the regulations which I, Solomon, the son of the martyr,

Rabbi Isaac, the son of R. Zadok, of blessed memory, draw up for

myself. That as long as I am in good health, and free from

accident, and think of it, I shall not eat before I have studied

one page of the Talmud or of its commentaries. Should I transgress

this rule intentionally, I must not drink wine on that day, or I

shall pay half a _Zehub_(102) to charity. Again, that I shall

every week read the Lesson twice in the Hebrew text, and once in

the Aramaic version. Should I intentionally omit completing the

Lesson as above, then I must pay two _Zehubs_ to charity. Again,

that I shall every Sabbath take three meals, consisting of bread

or fruit. Should I omit to do so, I must give in charity half a

_Zehub_. Again, in order to subdue my appetites, and not to enjoy

in this world more than is necessary for the maintenance of my

body, I must not eat at one meal more than one course of meat, and

not more than two courses altogether; nor must I drink more than

two cups of wine at one meal, apart from the blessing-cup (over

which grace is said), except on Sabbath, Festivals, Chanukah (the

Maccabean Dedication Feast), New Moon, and at other religious

meals (for instance, wedding-dinners and similar festive

occasions). Again, I must not have any regular meal on the day

preceding Sabbath or Festivals. I must not have during the day

more than one course, so that I shall enter upon the holy day with

a good appetite. Should I transgress this resolve intentionally I

shall have to fast a day, or to pay two _Zehubs_. Again, that I

shall not eat the fish called _burbot_,(103) if I think of it.

Again, even on the above-mentioned days, I must not eat more than

three courses at a meal, nor drink more than three cups of wine,

exclusive of the blessing-cup. Again, ... I must not swear by God,

nor mention the name of Heaven without a purpose, nor curse any

man in the name of God. Should I, God forbid, transgress it, I

must not drink more than one cup of wine on that day exclusive of

the blessing-cup. Should I, however, transgress this after dinner,

I must abstain from wine the following day. Should I transgress

it, I have to pay half a _Zehub_. Again, that I shall get up every

night to praise God, to supplicate for His mercy, and to confess.

On those nights when confession is not to be said (Sabbaths and

Festivals), I shall say hymns and psalms. This I shall do when I

am in my house, and in good health, free from any accident. Should

I transgress it, I shall drink not more than one cup of wine the

following day, except the blessing-cup. I again take upon myself

to give in charity the following proportion of my expenditure--from

each dress which I shall have made for myself or for one member of

my family, costing more than ten _Zehubs_, I must pay one

_Pashut_(104) for each ten _Zehubs_. Again, if I should buy an

animal, or a slave, or a female slave, or ground, that I shall

also pay at the same rate. And if I shall buy clothes for sale,

called _fashas_, I shall pay two _Pashuts_ for each garment. As

often as I have occasion to say the benediction of thanksgivings

for having escaped danger I shall pay a _Zehub_, except when I am

travelling [also involving danger in those times!], in which case

I shall have to pay a _Zehub_ on my arrival, and two _Pashuts_

daily during the journey. Again, from every kind of fish bought

for me, costing more than a _Zehub_, I shall pay a _Pashut_ for

each _Zehub_. And also, if I shall be deemed worthy by God to

marry my children, and to be present at their wedding, to cause

them to give to the poor from the dowry brought to them by their

wives, whether in money or in kind, at the rate of one per cent.

If God will find me worthy of having sons, I must give in charity

according to my means at the time.

 

I shall also, between New Year and the Day of Atonement in each

year, calculate my profits during the past year and (after

deducting expenses) give a tithe thereof to the poor. Should I be

unable to make an accurate calculation, then I shall give

approximately. This tithe I shall put aside, together with the

other money for religious (charitable) purpose, to dispose of it

as I shall deem best. I also propose to have the liberty of

employing the money in any profitable speculation with a view to

augmenting it. But in respect of all I have written above I shall

not hold myself guilty if I transgress, if such transgression be

the result of forgetfulness; but in order to guard against it, I

shall read this through weekly.

 

I also command my children to take upon themselves as many of the

above regulations as may be in their power to observe, and also to

bind them (_i.e._ the regulations), from generation to generation,

upon their children. And he who carries them out, and even adds to

them, at pain of discomfort to himself, shall merit a special

blessing. And this is the text of the will which I, the above-

mentioned Solomon, draw up for my children, may God preserve them.

That they shall pray thrice daily, and endeavour always to utter

their prayers with devotion. Again, that this prayer shall be said

in the _Beth Hammidrash_, or in the synagogue together with the

congregation. Again, that they shall apply all their powers to

maintain the synagogues and the houses of study, which our

ancestors have built, as well as to continue the endowments

established by my ancestors and myself. They must always endeavour

to imitate them, so that goodness shall never cease from among

them. Again, that they shall always have a chair on which a volume

of the Talmud, or some other Talmudical work, shall lie; so that

they shall always open a book when they come home. At least, they

shall read in any book they like four lines before taking their

meal. Again, that they shall every week read the Lesson twice in

the Hebrew text, and once in the Aramaic version. Again, to take

three meals on the Sabbath....

 

Again, that they shall be always modest, merciful, and charitable,

for these are the qualities by which the children of Israel are

known. Let also all their thoughts and meditations be always

directed to the service of the Lord, and be as charitable and

benevolent as possible, for this is all that remains to man of his

labour. They shall also endeavour to regulate their diet according

to the rules laid down by Rabbi Moses (b. Maimon, or Maimonides),

so as to fulfil the words of scripture: "The righteous eateth to

the satisfying of his soul." And let them always be careful not to

take the name of God in vain, to be honest in all business

transactions, and let their yea be always yea. They shall always

be under the obligation to train their children to the Study of

the Torah, but one shall devote his life exclusively to the study

thereof. And it shall be incumbent upon his brothers to support

this one, and to invest his moneys, and to provide for him that he

and his family may live respectably, so that he be not distracted

by worldly cares from his studies. Let also the elder love the

younger brothers as their own children, and the younger respect

the elder as a parent. Thus they may always bear in mind that they

are of a God-fearing family. Let them love and honour scholars,

thus to merit the honour of having scholars for their sons and

sons-in-law. This will they shall themselves read weekly, and

shall also make it incumbent upon their children, from generation

to generation, to read weekly, in order to fulfil what is written

(Gen. xviii. 19), "For I know him that he will command his

children," etc., and also the words of Isaiah (lix. 21), "And this

is my covenant," etc. But as often as they shall read this will,

they shall also read the two letters below written, which Rabbi

Moses ben Nachman sent to his sons, with a view of being

serviceable to them in many respects. Should, heaven forbid, they

be by any sad accident prevented from fulfilling the injunctions

above laid down, they must fine themselves by not drinking wine on

that day, or by eating one course less at the dinner, or by giving

some fine in charity....

 

 

And this is the letter which the above-mentioned Rabbi sent from the Holy

Land to Castile, when his son was staying before the king (in his

service):--

 

 

"... May God bless you and preserve you from sin and punishment.

Behold, our master, King David, had a son, wise and of an

understanding heart, like unto whom there was never one before or

after. Nevertheless he said to him (1 Kings ii. 2): 'And keep the

charge of the Lord thy God,' etc. He also said to him: 'And thou,

my son, know the God of thy father' (1 Chron. xxviii. 9). Now, my

son, if thou wilt measure thyself with Solomon, thou wilt find

thyself a worm--not a man, merely an insect; nevertheless, if thou

wilt seek God, he will make thee great; and if thou wilt forsake

him, thou wilt be turned out and forsaken. My son, be careful that

thou read the _Shema_(105) morning and evening, as well as that

thou say the daily prayers. Have always with thee a Pentateuch

written correctly, and read therein the Lesson for each

Sabbath.... 'Cast thy burden upon the Lord,' for the thing which

thou believest far from thee is often very near unto thee. Know,

again, that thou art not master over thy words, nor hast power

over thy hand; but everything is in the hand of the Lord, who

formeth thy heart.... Be especially careful to keep aloof from the

women [of the court?]. Know that our God hates immorality, and

Balaam could in no other way injure Israel than by inciting them

to unchastity. [Here come many quotations from Malachi and

Ezra.]... My son, remember me always, and let the image of my

countenance be never absent from before thine eyes. Love not that

which I hate.... Let the words of the Psalmist be always upon thy

lips, 'I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments

from me' (Ps. cxix. 19); and God, who is good and the dispenser of

good, shall increase thy peace and prolong thy life in peace and

happiness, and promote thy honour according to thy wish and the

wish of thy father who begat thee, Moses ben Nachman."