json/Jewish Thought/Modern/Words of Peace and Truth/English/merged.json

{
    "title": "Words of Peace and Truth",
    "language": "en",
    "versionTitle": "merged",
    "versionSource": "https://www.sefaria.org/Words_of_Peace_and_Truth",
    "text": [
        [
            [
                "For the Jewish Community Living in the Kingdom of",
                "The Great Emperor",
                "Who Loves Humanity and Delights All,",
                "<b>Joseph II</b>",
                "May His Glory be Exalted",
                "by Naftali Herz Wessely",
                "The wisest person said, “Teach a child in his own way, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6). This teaches us two things. First, “teach a child” means educate a person in his youth, while his heart remains free of the vain thoughts of the world and perverse alien ideas, while his heart is like a clean slate on which it is easy to write words of truth that will be carefully followed. Second, “in his own way” means according to his own capacity and ability, because everyone’s temperament and personal strengths are not the same. That which is easy for one person to absorb and retain is difficult for another, while other things are easy for the second person but difficult for the first, as we shall discuss below in Chapter VIII. Accordingly, if we teach a child in his youth and if the education is according to his own ability, then he will not depart from it.",
                "Therefore, to educate Jewish youth properly, we must do so in two parts. The first part is <i>Torat ha’Adam</i> [literally, human teaching, referred to below as secular knowledge]. These are matters that entitle those who master them to be called human beings, and those who lack this knowledge are almost unworthy of this title, as we shall explain. The second part is <i>Torat Hashem</i>, which is God’s teaching. This includes His laws and teachings, matters beyond human discernment, which were revealed to our teacher Moses through prophetic vision. Otherwise, they would have remained a mystery even to the wisest of people, because these matters do not turn on fixed laws of nature, and only Jews are obligated by them.",
                "These laws of God are set forth explicitly in the Torah of Moses our teacher, may he rest in peace. Their interpretations were transmitted to him directly from God through prophetic vision, and he transmitted them to Joshua and the elders of his generation. They were then orally transmitted verbatim from generation to generation until the second exile of Israel at the hands of the Romans. The Jewish people was scattered to the four winds, their troubles multiplied, and their numbers were diminished. The sages of those generations worried that before long the Torah would be forgotten by the Jewish people. So they undertook the writing of books containing the tradition and the interpretation of the Torah, words that, had they not been written down as a record for perpetuity, scholars of future generations would not have been able to derive them by themselves through logic or reason. But secular knowledge, the things that human understanding determines and which most wise men agree upon by consensus, were not committed to writing, since a person of wisdom could derive them based on his own comprehension, or could learn them from the sages of his generation.",
                "In general, secular knowledge is comprised of etiquette, ethics, good character, civility and eloquence; these and similar characteristics are implanted in human reason. One who possesses secular knowledge will appreciate more of the poetic expression of the divine Torah and the ways of God that are described therein, as we will suggest in Chapter VI. Similarly, history, geography, political science, mathematics, geometry, astronomy and the like, which are inscribed in the human mind as innate basic principles whose foundation is reason, may be derived by intelligence to be extracted as a worthy result in all areas of knowledge.",
                "Secular knowledge also includes the natural sciences, such as zoology, botany, geology, meteorology, anatomy, medicine, chemistry, etc. We can study all of these subjects using our senses and our intellect without relying on divine assistance to understand them, and without any written records to prevent them being forgotten.",
                "In fact, learning secular knowledge should precede the teaching of the higher laws of God, since it is appropriate that from his youth, a person should crown himself with reverence for God. With the good manners and knowledge that entitle him to be called a human being, he can prepare himself to study the laws and teachings of God and to observe even those commandments which are beyond his comprehension, for this is the Torah of the Jew. That is why our sages said that secular knowledge preceded the Torah by 26 generations, from Adam to Moses. They not only had the seven Noahide laws and their details, which are recognized by most sages, but also good manners and science, all part of the ways of the world, which promote social cohesion and which teach us how to enjoy everything under the sun, causing humanity to cooperate with one another in all their endeavors.",
                "Thus, a person who lacks secular knowledge, even though he has learned the laws and teachings of God and conducts himself accordingly, is not a source of pleasure in two respects. First, his friendship is a burden to others, and he will constantly err in the manners and customs of society. What he says concerning worldly topics will be unenlightened, and his activities in secular matters will be worthless and of no use to others. Second, even though divine laws are superior to secular knowledge, they are inextricably tied to it. Where secular knowledge terminates, divine laws begin. They teach us things that are otherwise incomprehensible. Therefore, if one is ignorant of God’s laws, the sages of Israel will not benefit from his knowledge of the Torah, but if he has studied secular knowledge, the rest of humanity will benefit from him. However, if he is ignorant of secular knowledge but knows God’s laws, he benefits neither the sages of his people nor the rest of humanity."
            ],
            [
                "Long ago, great men were imbued with secular knowledge, and a political compact was established based upon it, states were founded, and the inhabitants of each country were divided into classes. Some became diplomats and judges, others became soldiers to defend their land, and others became scholars to establish schools to teach people knowledge and wisdom. Others became laborers, farmers, vintners and plowmen, and each class established its own customs for interacting with persons of their own class and other classes. They agreed upon international law to govern relations between states. On this basis, international peace was established as well as international cooperation in science, military matters, commerce and trade. Thus, different parts of the world became interrelated and they sought mutual peace. They knew that when others have peace, they would all prosper, and when others have difficult times, all would suffer. In the same manner, a private individual can be of greater or lesser assistance to the entire community.",
                "Thus, secular knowledge was fundamental to the kings, prophets and religious leaders of the Jewish people. When God’s spirit rested upon them, especially on Moses who receive the laws in his visions, they received divine matters, but secular knowledge did not reach them this way. For secular matters were already prepared by the Creator when He created man’s soul, in which he implanted knowledge and discernment for its own self-interest, enabling man to understand many of the details of perceptible reality and to derive good practices whereby a community can be established in every location.",
                "Prior to the revelation of divine matters to these leaders, they were already endowed with secular knowledge, in both interpersonal and political matters, in natural science and in other disciplines. After being imbued with the light of God, they did not discard secular knowledge. They needed it constantly whether talking to individuals or the entire people. They enhanced their statements with eloquence and discernment, including discourse with other nations and their ministers and kings. It would be impossible to lead a great nation and preserve peace without knowing the first thing about proper behavior and the other disciplines listed above.",
                "This was especially true when Israel came to settle in its own land and establish a government according to the Torah, and when the tribes settled in their cities and territories. Secular knowledge became necessary to unite the localities under one law and to prepare everyone for the requirements of fulfilling God’s laws. These localities were united by scholars who supervised the education of the children according to God’s will. They needed expert artisans and surveyors of the land, builders to construct houses, towers and fortresses, men who knew military science and armaments, astronomers, persons knowledgeable in farming and agriculture, experts in foreign affairs who could attend to day-to-day developments in the world.",
                "They also needed scribes to write down history, as demonstrated by I Chronicles 29:29-30: “Now the acts of King David, from beginning to end, are written in the Books of Samuel the prophet, Nathan the prophet and Gad the prophet, with accounts of his reign and his might, and the events which occurred to him and to Israel and all the kingdoms of the earth.” All these and similar things are necessary to found a kingdom which will extend over the generations.",
                "Superseding this is our obligation to learn the laws of God and his teachings and to imitate God’s ways in our own lives. This includes spiritual knowledge that is basic to human fulfillment. Both secular knowledge and divine knowledge are compatible, since the Torah and secular knowledge are both the work of God. The divine Torah is an adornment of secular knowledge and its glory, just as some of these concepts are the glory of secular knowledge in all nations. Inevitably secular knowledge will precede divine knowledge, as childhood and youth precede old age, and night precedes today, as winter precedes summer. So secular knowledge will prepare the soul, which is ultimately fulfilled in the higher studies as noted above. In this manner, it will be found that in all governments that have political cohesiveness and social peace, the reason is secular knowledge. All the workers share one language, they are knowledgeable in all areas of proper behavior, nature and other disciplines and all trades. Each person is involved in a discipline or trade to which he is drawn. In this way, a society is established, and governments are consolidated. The honor of a state is increased to the extent of its secular knowledge, and it is strengthened in wisdom, courage, wealth and honor. Where secular knowledge is diminished, a country will fall from its exalted position. This is apparent for all and need not be verified with proofs."
            ],
            [
                "There is but one people in the land that has not properly preserved secular knowledge. Their youth and their schools have ceased learning etiquette, natural science and mathematics. We Jews, scattered across Europe, living in most of its countries, have ignored these studies. This is true especially of those of us who live in Germany and Poland, many of whom are intelligent, wise, God-fearing men of faith.",
                "From their youth, all their study and efforts have been in Torah and religious laws. They have not heard of or studied secular knowledge. They err even in Hebrew grammar. They do not appreciate its eloquence, rules of language and beautiful style, from which wisdom and ethics gush forth. They certainly lack eloquence in the local language, and many cannot even read it or write it. They are ignorant of geography and history, and they do not know or understand civics, natural science or mathematics. From the outset, they were told nothing of this from their parents or teachers who did not know these subjects either. Even the principles of our faith were not properly taught so that they would be familiar with them in a coherent manner. They have not learned ethics or psychology in school. A few students who excel in sacred studies may grow up and see what they have been missing. They may work hard to fill the gap that was left by their teachers. They may gather some facts from books and rumors here and there, but without any order or success. Their knowledge will be like a coat of rags on a cold day.",
                "A clear knowledge of these subjects can be found only among a few well-motivated individuals who pay close attention to wisdom and reason. They will learn the local language and study texts and become like a perpetual spring – not with the help of a rabbi and not because of their parents’ or community leader’s orders, but from a passion for truth. But there are very few individuals like this, and the vast majority who have not excelled in Torah are generally lacking in human knowledge, and in speech, manners, general and vocational knowledge, and they are like worthless vessels. This gap is growing from generation to generation, up to our own day. No one attempts to enlighten us from the darkness of our stupidity.",
                "Do not be surprised and ask how this happened to us. A people whom God called a “wise and understanding people” and a “light to the nations” changed its purpose from that of other nations. We have no desire to hear their beneficial knowledge which is which has always been dependent upon divine principles and spiritual matters. We busy ourselves with the laws of God, and almost all our people turn to them, including many men of understanding and wisdom at whose kindness and intelligence in these areas we marvel. In every matter that they care about, their wisdom is productive and inventive. How can they remain denuded of the wisdom of science of human knowledge?",
                "But you must realize that we are not responsible for this situation. We should not feel guilty or blame ourselves. It is rather the nations that ruled over us for over a thousand years who are responsible. They wronged us greatly upon the orders of their kings and their kings’ advisors. They sought to destroy us and humiliate us in many ways. They subjected us to irrational laws. They abused secular knowledge to grind us into the dust and extinguish our spirit from within. From then on, the hearts of our people were darkened, and their hands atrophied without exposure to secular knowledge.",
                "When our people realized that they were being oppressed and were deemed inferior by their rulers, they despised all secular things, for they saw that they were being deprived of the goodness which God had bestowed on all his creations from one end of the earth to the other. In their despair, they abandoned the rules and knowledge which form the basis of leadership, including astronomy and agronomy, navigation, construction, fortification, international law and diplomacy. They said, “What use is all this to us? The inhabitants of the land are our enemies. They won’t listen to our suggestions. They won’t pay attention to our accomplishments. We have no fields or vineyards. We will abandon these studies and engage in commerce and trade in order to make a living for us and our children. This is the only thing they have left for us, and even this they have done in a limited and grudging manner. We will rely upon our heavenly Father, and we will only become involved in matters that bring eternal life, the laws which God commanded us which are the basis of His covenant with our ancestors.”",
                "Even the few select individuals among our people stopped teaching any one secular knowledge, for they knew that the even sweetest wisdom is bitter to one whose soul is bitter. If they taught love of all humanity, which is the crown of all knowledge and proper behavior, no one would listen while they lived among people who inflicted bad things on them every day, who libeled them with falsity and harsh cruelty, and who would return their love by demonizing them. If those individuals taught people how to speak properly, so that their words would be grammatically correct, finding favor with the king, his officers and the people, the people wouldn’t bother to listen because their enemies belittle the logic of their words and cause them shame. If those individuals were to teach the people wisdom, natural sciences and mathematics, they would be repelled by them for they see no benefit in them. They have no work in in the fields or vineyards, no jobs constructing towers in the city or fortresses. These countries have permitted them no productive employment.",
                "Over time, this knowledge was forgotten by our community. There was no way to return to it, even in those areas of study that were permitted by the few kinder rulers who lightened somewhat the iron yoke that was on our necks. We had already distanced ourselves too far. We had no textbooks in Hebrew, and we could not speak or read other languages fluently. In the very difficult times we mentioned, we became distant from them and their languages. We did not learn how to read their books, and certainly not to speak with eloquence. ",
                "In our many travails, we moved from country to country and kingdom to kingdom. We learned a little bit of one language and a little bit of the language of the next country we came to, so that our language was mixed up. It is amazing that even with all the events and difficulties that we endured, we remained a people, withstanding powerful currents, while retaining our humanity, thanks to our God-given Torah. Even though it lacks secular knowledge, it stood up for us and ingrained in us in every generation a human heart that kept us from becoming cruel and evil, God forbid. We never joined rebels or groups of evil doers plotting against others. In every generation, we were loyal to the kings who ruled over us and their other subjects. We prayed to God for the well-being of the monarchy and the peace of the country. If we saw ourselves as second-class citizens, we comforted ourselves based on our innocence. We said these people and their government have outdated ideas that they received from their ancestors, and we hoped that God would change their hearts for our benefit so that they would view us mercifully.",
                "This situation repeated itself for generations and continues in force today, even though some countries were ruled by kind kings. In our own generation, there are kind European kings who love humanity and who treat us with kindness and mercy (may God remember this for their benefit). Nevertheless, many of the iron laws that were decreed against us by earlier cruel kings, have not been repealed, laws which were intended to distance us from human society, and which prevented us from acting in a mutually beneficial way, as explained in Chapters I and II. They have become rooted in the hearts of the people and their rulers, becoming established over time. It is hard for compassion to overcome them and for reason to dare to argue successfully against them and repair this abuse of the law. If their hearts briefly realize that these laws are unfairly harsh, soon the glow of reason will be extinguished by their habits. No one really cares about a few righteous, poor souls who seek peace. They have nothing to blame us for except that we were born Jewish and hold on to our original faith, just as all of the believers in the worlds retain the faith they received with their mother’s milk, We believe in one God who is the father of all, including all humanity residing in Europe, Asia and Africa. Our Torah teaches love of all humanity and a path of life and peace. It is the foundation and cornerstone of the religions of Europe and the Moslems. Nevertheless, no one treats us kindly. It seems to us that this pain will continue to underlie all the days of our exile, causing us despair."
            ],
            [
                "However, there is a time for every purpose under heaven. Unseen by man, our blessed Creator established the heavens and the earth with His superior wisdom, He arranged the cycles of the universe, times for good and times for bad. He determined the generations from the outset, seeing the future of all things. In some generations, hidden knowledge is revealed by wise men, yielding wisdom in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering, as well as the discovery of America, the invention of the printing press and gun powder, eyeglasses, etc. Similarly, He determined the leaders of each generation, enthroning kings to be the instruments of his artistry, enacting his laws and plans. The prophet Isaiah lived 300 years before the destruction of the Temple by the Babylonians and prophesied, naming its conqueror, saying: “Thus said the Lord to Cyrus his anointed one.” (Isaiah 45:1) Similarly, a man of God said to Jeroboam two hundred years prior to the event, “A son shall born to the House of David, Josiah by name.” (I Kings 13:2).",
                "King Solomon appointed times for good and evil, which included all the inhabitants of the world, saying, among other things: “A time for loving and a time for hating.” (Ecclesiastes 3:9). Perhaps now the time has come to set aside hatred from the human heart, causeless hatred based on a quarrel that is not theirs, arising from differences in faith and worship. You are the generation that has seen the goodness of God who has established a great man, a great savior for humanity, <b>The Exalted Joseph II. </b>Not only are his wisdom, counsel, military heroism well known, we have now heard royal statements of even greater new heroic deeds, words of peace and truth for all his people which have been refined in the crucible of good reason, and founded on the love of humanity. In carrying out his many good deeds, he has not forgotten our poor nation that had been forgotten for many years, the Jewish people. He has given us good and comforting commandments, like a father to his children, like a guiding teacher to his students, like a ruler to his people. He has released the bonds of our people’s existence by giving them permission to work in all sorts of farming and to do all kinds of crafts, and all forms of commerce. He was interested to observe that only a few of us speak German properly, as we explained in Chapter III, so that the rest do not comprehend what they read in books, whether related to history, current events, etiquette, science, or mathematics. They do not know how to speak properly with the residents of the land and its officers.",
                "He showed them a better way and ordered them to establish schools where their children can learn to read and write German and to write books of moral instruction consistent with the Torah to teach our youth knowledge about and customs of the land. However, mathematics, geometry, astronomy, and so forth, as well as history geography, will be taught using the existing books, which the other students in the kingdom use, for these academic subjects do not involve matters of faith, and everyone agrees on their content. All this will strengthen the House of Israel and will repair the breaches caused by earlier rulers as mentioned above in Chapter III. And thus, Jews will also become leaders, helping the kingdom in its actions, labor and wisdom. Happy is the king who acts this way, for God has chosen him to do righteousness and goodness, and God wants to effect salvation in His world through such king. Of him it can be said, “Many have done great things, but you excel above them all” (Cf. Proverbs 31:29). True heroism is when a man rules over his own spirit by removing from his heart thoughts and ideas that he was raised with, which many generations succeeded in implanting in the hearts of the multitudes. He in his great wisdom overcame them and “brought forth his righteousness like the light and his judgment like the noonday” (Psalms 37:6). He turned hearts, mediating peace and love among people. As Solomon in his wisdom said, “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.” (Proverbs 16:32.) May God be with this great King and fulfill his purpose and protect him from all harm. May the building of wisdom that he is creating be a coveted model for all the kings of the earth to increase peace in the world. May his name be magnified, may all nations praise him, and may his reward be preserved forever."
            ],
            [
                "You, our Jewish brethren living under the reign of this great ruler, how can you repay your king for the great good things that he has done for you, and what can you give him? Only to pray to our God for him and the peace for his throne all the days of your lives and to do his will as he has ordered you. For he has only asked of you that which is beneficial to you. He has given you the right to rent land, to have servants to work your land, to do business like all the great merchants of the land, and to do any kind of work. When God will bless the work of your hands, and you do business with the honorable residents of the land and its important ministers, it is appropriate for you to remove the ways of the oppressed which you endured in pain, including your accent and your speech, so that you can speak eloquently with grace and dignified knowledge. Do not prevent your children from learning the local language so as to speak it correctly. Accustom them to learn proper manners and how to act in the courts of governmental ministers. Why should they appear asleep during intellectual discourse relating to military matters, and things that occurred in past generations or across borders or overseas, or the natural sciences?",
                "Furthermore, this knowledge is very much needed in connection with God’s laws and teachings with which our minds are connected and engaged. Until now, because we were not careful with our language and did not know how to speak properly like the scholars the countries where we reside, an obstacle has arisen with respect to the holy tongue. Since we stopped studying grammar and rhetoric, the intent of the words of the Torah and the Prophets has become inaccessible. These words were not attended to properly and could not provide us the great goodness that is bequeathed to those who study them with proper knowledge. Not only would this study grant the soul eternal life, it would also afford us success in contemporary matters. Give someone knowledge and ethical wisdom in his customary activities, and he will find favor in the eyes of God and man. A wise man of our generation saw this, the famous scholar and eloquent speaker, the honorable Moses Mendelssohn, and he translated the Torah into the German language in clear, flowing language. The this person and his great power of advocacy in German became well known, for he accomplished great good in his work, as we will discuss further in Chapter VII.",
                "Similarly, the study of etiquette, science and mathematics, besides being the glory of those who know these subjects, prepares them to assist in strengthening the kingdom and its inhabitants. It is also necessary for the pillars of our faith and the roots of reverence for and love of God and increasing the honor of God and his creations and his holy words in human hearts.",
                "Those who go the <i>bet hamidrash</i> [house of study] should learn history and current events, so that they know how things came to be, who were the first statesmen, how kingdoms were established, which countries seized land from other countries until today, what are their customs, activities and laws. For these facts help us understand the words of the Torah which tell us of conquests dating from the early descendants of Noah, and the the countries named after the first people who settled there with their families. We can learn about Nimrod and Ashur, the story of the four kings and the areas they conquered, and similar events in the Torah and the Prophets. To anyone who has no expertise in ancient history, these things are like an unexplained dream, and he will not be at ease with them.",
                "They also promote the love of and reverence for God. When one knows the practices of these early peoples and how they quickly departed from human knowledge, he will know why God did not choose them, and why among all the peoples, God chose only His servant, our patriarch Abraham, may he rest in peace, and entered a covenant with him and his descendants. They will understand the Torah and the commandments that He gave His children to distinguish them from the abominations of these nations. They will see that all the stories of the Torah are very faithful and practical, and this will strengthen the hearts of students and accustom their minds to think about all matters with an understanding heart. They will not imagine worthless ideas and will no longer believe old wives’ tales and all those who tell them strange and bizarre things. The study of history will make a person wiser when he reads the stories of people from all the nations before us, their customs, thoughts and councils. He will understand their outcomes: how their good ideas worked, and how they took over entire kingdoms, and raised individuals who made great reputations. On the other hand, he can see what resulted from the bad ideas which led to the fall of great kingdoms that once were exalted, and the destruction of great heroes. This knowledge will elevate man’s heart and lift him above the thoughts of the foolish sleepy throngs.",
                "The same is true of knowledge of the design of the world: to know its length and width and contents, and the boundaries of each state, and how they relate to each other, and the merits of each of them, and the location of the seas and great rivers, etc., that is geography. History is also necessary to understand the essence of the Torah that mentions states that conquered the generations following Noah, and the travels of Abraham, and the boundaries of the land of Israel, and the route of the Israelites in the desert, and the seas and rivers that are mentioned in the Torah, and the books of the prophets. Without this knowledge, it all seems strange and bizarre, but one who knows this information will understand that the information is correct in reality. For this reason, we must know the nations living in the many countries in the four corners of the world, their history, attributes and faith. This knowledge can be used when dealing with important people, who will seek advice about it in every kind of transaction.",
                "It goes without saying that this applies to the study of natural science, including the study of inanimate objects, plants and living creatures, minerals and the earth, and the study of mathematics, including arithmetic, measurement, and astronomy, etc., which are tied to the laws of the Torah, such as the rules of mixed species, determining the calendar, signs of kosher and non-kosher animals, etc. Those who turn a blind eye from these topics are referred to by Isaiah: “They regard not the work of the Lord; neither do they see his handiwork.” (5:12). These are all included in the saying “Then you will understand reverence for God” (Proverbs 2:5). Because of these studies, a person will understand the greatness of God’s strength, God’s honor will be increased in his heart and he will revere God. We do not need to elaborate further on this topic, since earlier authors have written about it at length. These matters gladden the heart, for God loves truth, and it is appropriate for us to do the right and proper thing."
            ],
            [
                "Our community needs to write new books of beliefs and knowledge for our youth to study in school. The Emperor also wisely addressed this in his wisdom, instructing that such books be written according to the accepted philosophy for teaching our students wisdom and ethics. When we pay attention to this, we will say any illumination of these ethical writers undoubtedly pales in the strong light emitted from the flame of our Torah. However, the light of our Torah will be of no use to beginners and students. It requires wisdom of the heart and superior intellect to draw on the great knowledge and ethics from the original source and from the depths of the Torah’s eloquent language. It is a matter for the wise, and not for novices. We must first compose books on the topic of beliefs, which every Jew must accept. They must be written in clear language, which the author should adapt for a youth’s comprehension, so that from their childhood they will all learn the path of faith and its details in a uniform manner. To demonstrate the correctness and veracity of the matter, each such detail should be described by the author and supported with explicit sources from the Torah. Thus, when they grow up, even if they fail to increase their knowledge with the study of Mishnah and Talmud, they will not depart from knowing these ways that are prerequisites for human life in this world and the next.",
                "These books of moral education for students in our school will cover etiquette and manners which are included in secular knowledge and which are to some extent tied to the commands of God. They will also cover the strengths and weaknesses of the soul, which are the inclinations of people that effect their actions, like wisdom and discernment, faith and stubbornness, happiness and sadness, love and hate, generosity and miserliness and many others like this. Almost all the ethical lessons of this type are tied to the divine commandments of the Torah, such as “You shall not covet” (Exodus 20:14). “You shall not take revenge nor bear any grudge… but you shall love your neighbor as yourself” and “You shall not hate your brother in your heart” (Leviticus 19:17-18). They are also mentioned in the books of the prophets. “Those who are of a perverse heart are an abomination to the Lord” (Proverbs 11:20). “Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord” (Proverbs 16:5) and many others like this. The authors must align their work to the high level of the Torah. They should clarify their words with discernment in a proper way, so that they will enter the hearts of those who hear them. They should cause their readers to open their hearts to receive this message so that they will enable righteousness to flourish. They will grow wise in the future with God and with people, as Solomon said at the beginning of Proverbs, “To receive instruction of wisdom, justice and judgement and equity.” When a discerning person studies the lessons of our Torah, and understands them well, he will see that they are all based on justice, judgement and equity and are pleasant and acceptable to the hearts of all men.",
                "God forbid that they would be considered in opposition to the ideas of wise, intelligent men of the nations, or that there be any nagging concerns that someone might stumble because of them. God’s Torah would not cause such a thing, nor would the words of the sages of the Mishnah or Talmud, if they are properly understood. A great example is the law of charging interest. The Torah said, “You may charge interest to the gentile, but not to your brother.” (Deuteronomy 23:21). This means that it is permitted to charge interest to people of other nations as is customary in one’s country, since people there charge each other interest, whether 4% or 5%. However, charging more than the law permits is sinful, and in the case of loans to Jews, we may not even charge 1%. It is a royal decree, like all the laws of the Torah, which are superior to human knowledge. When King David listed the good behavior that a person should never depart from, he said, “Who shall dwell upon your sacred mountain? … He who does not lend money at interest” (Psalms 15:8). The Talmud says this refers to someone who does not charge interest to a gentile, even though that it is permitted by the Torah (Makkot 24a). This is a moral teaching that has been lost. So it is with so many things.",
                "The author must divide the subjects and arrange his material in a proper way so that it will be easy for the students who study it. He must first explain man’s duty to God, including love, reverence, following God’s ways, and purity of thought, etc. Then he must explain man’s duty of to his county’s King, ministers and judges, and then his duties to every person. All this should be presented as moral teaching with proof texts from the Torah and prophets and the words of our sages of blessed memory.",
                "These booklets and ones like them must be written by their authors in clear, easily understood Hebrew. Then they should be clearly translated into German by someone who has mastery of that language. Using this translation, the teacher will explain to his students the content of the book, and the students will benefit from both versions. They will learn Hebrew and German. The Hebrew version is necessary so that our youth can learn grammar, the roots of the language, the rules of expression and the differences of the roots of various synonyms and related words in order to understand God’s laws and his Torah. If they succeed and elevate their studies to include Mishnah and Talmud, they will draw out truth from the expressions of the Torah and from understanding the roots of the language to benefit them all their days."
            ],
            [
                "How nice it is when something arrives at just the right time! The wise researcher, the Honorable Rabbi Moses Mendelsohn has published a fine German translation of the Torah. As noted in Chapter V, many good things will emerge from this for the Jewish people. When educators teach their students Torah using this German translation, which is written in very clear language, the students will become accustomed from their youth to speak the local language properly. Thanks to this translation, they will understand the meaning of the text as written.",
                "Until now, our teachers would stammer, not knowing how to speak German properly. It was impossible for them to explain to their students a Hebrew saying, if the child did not understand its meaning. In order to explain something written in a language that the student does not understand, using a language that he does understand, both have to be expert in the language that they both understand and speak clearly. The meaning should be properly translated into the language that is imprinted on the student’s heart. This cannot happen when neither the teacher nor the student can speak the language fluently. If the teacher does not know how to translate a word into German for his student, the student will become accustomed in other contexts to use some of the corrupted words used by his teacher. This makes the students’ studies worthless. It will distort in their mouths the pleasant, pure refined words of God. Furthermore, most of the teachers have no expertise in Hebrew grammar and certainly not in eloquent expression. These mistakes will be imprinted upon the hearts of the students. However, with proper translations, they will all learn in the same way, they will speak their language clearly and will learn Hebrew grammar properly, using the explanations that became clear in the translation. When the teachers are not linguists, they translate the Hebrew words in a way that their students cannot properly understand, using German words that are distorted and incorrect. The holidays and their pleasant songs will be meaningless to the students, lacking attractiveness and beauty. They will be a burden and a bother.",
                "Many of our youth did not continue their studies. When they grew up, they conducted business in the land and occasionally became affiliated with others who have abandoned God and who told them about radical, foolish books, promising great things. These individuals relied on the eloquent rhetoric and attractive presentation of these books and were seduced by their words, giving greater weight to the attractiveness of the language than to the correctness of the content. They decided that they were words of truth because they never heard such eloquent language from their teachers. They decided that there is no beauty to the Hebrew language, no sweetness or majesty to the words of the Torah. They broke away to follow an empty path.",
                "With the new copy of the Bible, which translates the Torah correctly, free of errors in the German language, a youth will hear God’s Torah in pure, clean language, so that its words will enter his heart. He will comprehend them better and understand the purity of the language in this collection of beauty, good taste and wise expression. The smooth language of the secular books will no longer confuse them. They will see how much better the divine language is, how a few words can convey deep concepts and how “mere talk leads only to loss” [Proverbs 14:23] in the secular language. Those few who succeed to understand the teaching of basic principles will learn how each one is based on actual reality. As we began to explain in our book <i>The Locked Garden</i> and other books that we wrote on this topic, and in our commentary on Rabbi Moses Mendelsohn’s translation of Leviticus, the student’s desire to go deeper into the Torah will increase and he will in time grow in wisdom.",
                "Look, brothers and see. This language deficiency of the Jewish people is a problem that basically effects only our Jewish brothers living in the Roman Empire, where German is spoken. For our brother Jews from Spain and Portugal speak Spanish correctly in their homes and businesses. The Jews of Italy, Britain and France speak their respective languages properly. Those who live in the East speak Turkish and Arabic. Even our brothers in Poland speak Polish properly. Since many of them originally came to those countries from Germany, they still speak some German, but in a fractured, garbled way. They aren’t embarrassed about it, because their neighbors don’t speak German. Only we who live in German lands have no basis on which to justify our inability to speak correctly, because our neighbors speak the language properly.",
                "They have authors and poets who communicate fluently and beautifully. We have not bothered to learn from them or raise our children this way. Rather, we have become accustomed to raise our children under the tutelage of teachers from Poland who speak German improperly. Our sages would not have been satisfied with this, for they said that the members of the Sanhedrin had to be fluent in all languages and not rely on translators. King Hezekiah’s men, who were all righteous and good hearted, said to Rabshakeh “Speak to us in Aramean, for we understand it, etc.” (II Kings 18:26) The leaders of Jerusalem spoke Hebrew perfectly but also learned Aramean which was the language of Ashur.",
                "What can we say of ourselves who retain only some of the Hebrew language which is contained in the 24 books of the Bible? We are dispersed and subject to the rulers of a German speaking land. Why should we appear to them to be stammering and chattering like birds? Hebrew is one thing, and German is another thing. One is for sacred speech, faith and Torah, and the other for worldly matters, business, personal interaction, etiquette, natural sciences and mathematics.",
                "Notice that sometimes our country’s wise men and leaders speak to us of matters of faith and ideas. When a wise Jew wants to explain a verse or a passage, he does not have the vocabulary to translate it so it will be favorably considered by his listeners. He obscures his wisdom with fractured syntax. King David said “Declare His glory among the nations, etc.” (Psalms 96:3) All men are obligated to teach one another what they observed of God’s glory and greatness, to elevate God’s truth. In our time, thank God, all the kingdoms throughout most of the world, equally recognize God. They all know that God is above all his creations; that He has infinite power and glory; that he examines every heart; that all is revealed to Him; that he rewards those that revere Him and punishes those who abandon righteousness; that He watches over them at all times and hears their prayers; that He conducts his universe with justice; and that His ways are holy, merciful, slow to anger and abundant in kindness. Like these, many other essential ideas have their source in the Torah. There is no disagreement as to these ideas among all the religions, since they all were derived from the Torah. If so, we can speak to one another without having to touch those areas where we disagree. At some point, we differ, and each has the religion and customs of his ancestors. We do not need to get involved with these areas, and no one should hate members of other religions in his heart or start an argument with them on this account. This will be addressed in the appropriate places in the books of ethics and good manners which will be written, as noted in Chapter VIII.",
                "Due to the lack of fluency in other languages, people are separated from each other. “There is no speech nor are there any words; their voice is not heard.” (Psalms 19:4). However, righteous and wise leaders of the Jewish people composed many books on wisdom and morality in Arabic, such as Bahya Ibn Pekuda’s <i>Duties of the Heart</i> and Maimonides’ <i>Commentary on the Mishnah </i>and <i>Guide for the Perplexed</i>. Several highly regarded books were written in Spanish by our Jewish brethren. There is no difference between these languages and German; they are all equal in stature.",
                "Our young people will learn Torah through the guidance of these translations from teachers who are fluent in German using better methodology, together with studies of language and grammar. When they grow up and speak with the nobles of the nation about the Torah, they will quote the desired verses with eloquence, as they were taught by their in school, since they will have learned to speak the language fluently in their youth.",
                "Our young people will learn to speak well from these translations and will be protected from the pitfalls of rhetorical errors. They will come to know the power of rhetoric and its impact on the soul of the listener who recognizes the greatness of the soul of the speaker. Three people can say the same thing, each in his own style, but the words of the one who speaks in a correct and properly balanced way will penetrate the heart of the listener and have the desired effect. This is like great poetry which wondrously surpasses other forms of speech, for a poem recited perfectly in all respects acts powerfully on the soul, awakening its sleeping potential.",
                "But all this is foreign to the adults of our community who grew up without learning elevated pure language. They did not pay attention to the fact many of the books that were written with the holy spirit and which teach the people the love and reverence for God were composed with a poetic structure. For example, the books of Psalms, Proverbs, Job and the Song of Songs. Most of the prophecies of Isaiah and many prophecies of Jeremiah and Ezekiel, and almost all the Minor Prophets contain poetry. Even the Torah has wonderful poetry, like the Song at the Sea, the prophecies of Balaam, the Song at the Well and <i>Ha’azinu</i>. How great is this poetry and how much divinity can be seen in them by a pure soul! Nevertheless, most of our community won’t bother to see it or even look at it.",
                "All the kingdoms that have ever been founded which were moved to engage with the purity of language and the wisdom of the soul and other areas of knowledge, developed and elevated their great poets. They understood that the knowledge of poetry wonderfully elevates human creativity. Why haven’t we seen any of our children in Germany and Poland become a famous poet for several generations? Even though most of the books of the prophets included poetry, the children of our great nation did not have parents and teachers who introduced them to poetry. We must not say that we would not benefit from poetry, especially since God’s prophets and our kings and leaders chose to use it.",
                "The great non-Jewish poets in our generation have testified that the glory and beauty of Biblical poetry is unsurpassed in all the other known poetry in history, like the works of Homer, Pindar and Horace. Why have we abandoned it? All this happened because from our youth. We grew up with teachers who were deficient in language, who taught us to speak in crude and vulgar language, and not like the pure language of the wise people of the nations and their leaders. We did not learn grammar or eloquence, and our ears were not opened to understand the greatness of the human soul and its ascent, and the grace of speech that God bestowed to us to complete the improvement of our souls with our words. Speech is the emissary of the thoughts of our soul and the messenger of its attainment. Its task can only be properly accomplished with words that are refined and uncorrupted and with pleasant expression and a listening ear. These are the words that a person must learn in each language from experts in that language, even better if it someone with a great soul. These teachings will remain deep in the student’s soul and the divine fire will repose there. Without the divine spirit, this fire will be extinguished, and they will not benefit from His light nor be warmed by His legacy.",
                "However, there is hope if our youth now begin to learn the Hebrew language and proper grammar and if in school they use the translation of the Torah mentioned above which has the poetry of the Torah presented in verse form. The teachers will explain to their students what a poet has to focus on to make his poetry sound beautiful and arouse the soul of the listener with its words, images and figures of speech. Then the students’ souls will be awakened from their slumber and many of them will feel its benefit in their souls and learn its ways. A few of them will achieve the ultimate purpose of the matter and themselves become poets and eloquent speakers."
            ],
            [
                "We covered a few of the details of this topic, but there are many others that we have not raised which were foreseen by the great Emperor in his wisdom. The edict that he promulgated included all that was said with a few very valuable words. He ordered the Jews to establish schools to teach their children proper German, and every wise person should be delighted to hear this order and understand the great benefit it entails to our future children. It is for you, my brothers and teachers, to approach this great task, to establish schools and to have all children participate so that through them there will be hope for our children to accomplish the valuable successful outcomes discussed above. Everything that is founded on righteousness and wisdom will easily grow, expand and be our salvation for generations to come. All beginnings are hard, especially something like this that introduces sudden innovations in our community that our ancestors have not been accustomed to for several generations. Great men like you should not be afraid or weak, for there will be a reward for your participation. You would only be renewing the proper customs that we had in ancient times that were forgotten only because of the hate of our oppressors, as we noted in Chapter III. Now you should direct your attention to put everything in order. Beginning this matter truly requires great supervision and study. It is essential to choose teachers and instructors who are intelligent and God-fearing people with a good understanding of Hebrew language and grammar. They will accustom our youth from birth to read and understand both languages well. The students will study Torah, for we have no better or more appropriate text than the above described edition by Moses Mendelsohn, translated in pure language, with interpretations based on the simple meaning of Scripture, and based on our traditional commentaries.",
                "If perhaps you do not have people in your district who understand both languages well, you should seek them from throughout the Jewish people and bring them from a distance. Within three years, their wellsprings will be spread out in your communities and many of your children will become educated masters of the language and will help their brothers. Many of your young men will endeavor to learn well from the teachers who will come to you. Many will move to other places, and knowledge will increase, as will etiquette, science and mathematics, after our good children will be enrolled to learn these subjects in the schools of the scholars of the land. Each will learn the subject that appeals to him. One will succeed in this field and another in a different field. After a few years, they will become the teachers and educators of the congregations of Jewish children.",
                "The same will happen regarding the books that need to be produced in the areas of faith and traditional knowledge, for which you may have among you those who can write them. If so, good. If not (because it is hard to write books like this properly: they must be geared to a child’s abilities, conform to the ways of our Torah, be acceptable to the government ministers in that they don’t contain content that they are not comfortable with, and be written in language that can be easily translated into German) you will have to seek authors from throughout the Jewish people to find someone who can write them. The Jewish people is not a widower. There are always a few individuals in every generation who know how to produce such things judiciously. They can do a few books like this, but for now, we can start with the study of Torah with the above-described translation and with teaching the two languages. After some time, many individuals will write good, wise educational materials, and you will find individuals who have achieved mastery in all these areas.",
                "Therefore, carefully divide the youth into grades and levels, so that a child with not leave the classroom where he learns reading and grammar and enter the classroom where they teach him Torah, faith, and some ethics, until he has been examined by the heads of the school and determined to have fulfilled his requirements for the first class. Similarly, a youth should not advance from the class where he learned written Torah and ethical lessons to the class covering Mishnah and Baraita before passing his examinations. If it is determined that he is not ready to learn Mishnah and Talmud, it is better that he does not pursue those studies, but rather should study a craft that interests him, and he can continue with his studies of Torah and ethics. He will learn to revere God, to be a good neighbor in the kingdom and to be helpful to others with his behavior and faith. The same is true about those who would advance from the Mishnah class to the advanced Talmud class. Thus, each individual will achieve his potential based on his ability and performance.",
                "Those few who excel in Talmud and who have already successfully completed their studies in social manners and academic studies will be the leaders in the land, studying Torah for its own sake in the correct way that they have been accustomed to since their youth. With an expansive heart, they will fully understand the teachings of the Talmud, mastering reason and finding favor in the eyes of God and man. They will elevate our honor among the nations. Their brothers will each be lifted up in his labor and his work, to benefit his community, the throne and the kingdom. Not all of us were created to master the Talmud, to delve into the depths of our religion, or to teach others. God has differentiated among souls, giving each its potential from its creation. Each will be fulfilled according to its interests and abilities. As we have written in <i>The Locked Garden, </i>and more importantly as our sages said, of a hundred who enter the study hall, only two emerge as masters of the Talmud and five of Scripture [cf. Kohelet Rabbah 7:28]. Since this is true, why would we direct individuals to do work that they are not suited for from birth, for that would distance them from the work that they are best able to do?",
                "There are other things that individuals like you need to be concerned with, and I know that you will do so in your wisdom. This letter is first published as nothing but an expression of love and affection to the few who understand the principles necessary to decide what is truly good and what is bad. For the others, it is to teach and instruct them the purpose of the wise Emperor’s decree and to inform them that it will benefit them and their descendants forever, for both temporal and eternal success. I did not write this for those wise sage individuals among you who understand from your own knowledge more than I could tell you.",
                "Now my brothers, rabbis, officials and leaders of the generation, if you undertake to adopt reforms properly according to the command of our good ruler, you and generations of your descendants will be blessed. They will bless your names and memory, saying, bless our ancestors whose hearts were touched by God to do all these things for our benefit. Through you will grow the honor and glory of the Emperor who wisely commanded all this, making good reforms for all the inhabitants of his land, including our community. His laws will increase good and welfare. All our descendants will grow up with wisdom, doing good things for the general public. They will be known in the land and will be included among the subjects of our wise, brave and faultless ruler, Emperor Joseph II, may his glory be exalted. When his power to do good is recognized, all will say this is greater than mere human achievement, for the spirit of the Creator’s higher power is in him, helping and counseling him at all times. May God protect him with a canopy of peace in this world and the next. Amen.",
                "The words of your brother and servant,",
                "Naftali Herz",
                "son of Rabbi Issachar Ber Wessely of blessed memory."
            ]
        ]
    ],
    "versions": [
        [
            "Divrei Shalom v'Emet, tanslated by M. Bohnen, 2020",
            "https://www.sefaria.org/"
        ]
    ],
    "heTitle": "דברי שלום ואמת",
    "categories": [
        "Jewish Thought",
        "Modern"
    ],
    "sectionNames": [
        "Letter",
        "Chapter",
        "Paragraph"
    ]
}