Levi Cooper is a Rabbi in Tzur Hadassah and on the faculty of Pardes. He is contributing editor to Jewish Educational Leadership.
Ethical Wills
How can we transmit a lasting message to future generations? Some people seek a legacy in the form of an edifice that will bear silent testimony to our existence long after we have passed away. Others publish books that will be read when we are no longer around to tell stories. Still others prefer a less tangible form of inheritance: a way of life, a set of values, sacred practices that will be transmitted from one generation to the next. But how can we bequeath the intangible to the next generation? One tool is the Ethical Will which provides a forum to leave an endowment that transcends the confines of property ownership. The Ethical Will can be written at any stage of life, but naturally it becomes more important upon the demise of the author when all that is left is the parting words penned as a last will and testament.
As opposed to a regular will, an Ethical Will has no legal standing and cannot be enforced by the courts. Its power is persuasive; the instructions weigh on the conscience of the addressee to fulfill the wishes of the deceased. This is the forum where a person has the opportunity to leave a final message for children, descendants and indeed posterity.[1] The term Ethical Will, however, may be misleading for such a will need not necessarily deal solely with matters of ethical behavior; the purview of the Ethical Will is far broader. Perhaps the modern Hebrew term for an Ethical Will – tzavaah ruhanit, a Spiritual Will – is more apt. Nevertheless, this instrument can be employed as a forum to transmit and emphasize ethical teachings and to encourage ethical behavior.
Ethical Wills have been part of Jewish tradition since Biblical times.[2] The Torah records two examples: As Jacob nears the end of his life, he calls his sons to his bedside, offers them parting words and requests that they ensure he is buried with his ancestors in the cave of Makhpelah and not in Egypt. In a similar vein, Moses instructed the people immediately before his demise.
Mosdot Tevel
In Vienna 1820 Rabbi David HaKohen Friesenhausen (ca. 1756-1828) published a work in Hebrew entitled Mosdot Tevel (Foundations of the Universe).[3] On the title page of Mosdot Tevel, Friesenhausen tells us that his work contains three sections that heretofore had not appeared in Hebrew. The first section of Mosdot Tevel deals with the heliocentric cosmology as formulated by the Polish astronomer and mathematician Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543). The second section discusses with the geometry of the Alexandrian Greek, Euclid (fl. 300 BCE). The third section of the work, entitled “The Book of the Will: Instructions of the Author to his Children after Him,” contains Friesenhausen’s Ethical Will.[4]
Friesenhausenhad procured rabbinic letters of recommendationwhich he printed in Mosdot Tevel, including such a letter from the illustrious Rabbi Moshe Sofer (Ḥatam Sofer, 1762-1839). The Ḥatam Sofer, together with other rabbinic personalities in Hungary and Moravia, was one of the prepaid subscribers to Mosdot Tevel.[5] In addition to the rabbinic recommendations, Friesenhausen mentions that his mathematical work could also be vouched for, though not by rabbinic personalities.[6]
The Book of the Will:
Instructions of the Author to his Children after Him
Friesenhausen’s Ethical Will is lengthy, containing 43 detailed instructions spread over 74 pages. Though it would rightly be classed as an Ethical Will, most of the instructions do not focus explicitly on ethical behavior – the ethical guidelines in Mosdot Tevel are often subtle. Thus Mosdot Tevel begins with matters of a theological nature. Friesenhausen detailed principles of faith, such as the existence and nature of God, the function of prophecy, Divine origins of the Oral Law, eternal nature of the soul, Free Will and Election of the Jewish People. Clearly for Friesenhausen it was important to convey his understanding of central themes in Jewish thought. Unsurprisingly, Friesenhausen repeatedly stressed fidelity to Torah, including the observance of mitzvot. Towards the end of the treatise, Friesenhausen included a harsh critique of Maskilim who had forsaken tradition, as well as an honest appraisal of the failings of traditional rabbinic Judaism in his day.[7] In this paper, I would like to focus on a number of other themes that recur in Friesenhausen’s Ethical Will. Admittedly my choice of themes is eclectic: I have tried to highlight points that are either indicative of Ethical Wills, of particular relevance to contemporary educators, or have not been explored by scholars.[8]
1. The Intended Readership
At the beginning of his Ethical Will, Friesenhausen turned to God and stated the purpose of his writing:[9]
My entire salvation and desire in this written will is to instruct my descendants in Your good ways which they should follow, and to help them cleave to You so that they will be in awe of You out of love, and so that they will keep Your statutes and Your commandments that You have bequeathed to our forefathers… and in order that they will straighten out their deeds in Your eyes and they will attain happiness and true success for all time and for eternity.
Friesenhausen added who he was addressing:
Heed my children, pay attention my grandchildren and great-grandchildren, through the last generation.
Throughout the treatise, Friesenhausen specifically turned to his descendants whenever he wanted to enforce a particular point.[10] The final page of the Ethical Will is adorned with a poem and here too Friesenhausen implored his descendants to preserve the document for posterity:[11]
My children and your descendants through the last generation!
Place the book of the Will in the bookcase
Guard it, please, more than the treasure of kings
For it will renew its youth for lengthy days to come
[I] authored it so that you will serve your God
David the son of Meir the Kohen, your father.
Yet printing an Ethical Will in a book with prepaid subscribers indicates that the author believed the message to be relevant to a wider readership. Indeed in some passages, Friesenhausen addressed both audiences:[12]
And now, you my children! And every reader besides you! Know…
Perhaps Friesenhausen’s decision to publish his Ethical Will addressed primarily to his children can be understood in light of his view on the success of others:[13]
And since for every person who truly loves people, he does not suffice with his own success and that of his children and generations who come after him, rather, he will seek and greatly desire the success of everyone else.
The dual nature of Friesenhausen’s audience is apparent throughout the Ethical Will.
2. Pursuit of Knowledge
Another aspect of Friesenhausen’s legacy is the importance he placed on the need to pursue both Torah study and Ḥokhmah, literally wisdom, a reference to scientific inquiry. In one place Friesenhausen talks of his unparalleled achievement in attaining mastery in both fields:[14]
And you, my descendants, know that I myself, your father, studied much Torah, more than most of those who know science in our day. Neither did I neglect science, more than most and almost more than all the masters of Torah in our time.
Friesenhausen appeared to be aware how this would sound and he offered a parenthetical explanation reminding the reader of his primary intended audience:
I cannot protest the dear reader who will consider me haughty, but he should consider that I address [primarily] my children and not strangers, who may or may not believe.
Friesenhausen continued, however, reinforcing his self-appraisal, adding that his wide travels justifiably led to this bold assertion:[15]
And apart from this, what can I do if I have traversed almost all of Germany, Bohemia, Moravia and Hungary, and I have not found a person who knows sciences yet has studied Torah properly, nor someone who has studied Torah properly and has also sufficiently delved into science.
When Friesenhausen discussed Haskalah and those Maskilim whose scientific pursuits led them away from Torah, he insisted that the two – Torah and science – are complementary, and those who make a claim to the contrary are merely revealing their own inadequacy in one of the disciplines.[16]
While studying natural sciences was important to Friesenhausen, time was not to be divided equally between Torah and Ḥokhmah. Friesenhausen felt that minimal time investment was sufficient for an understanding of science, while the bulk of one’s time should be dedicated to studying classic Jewish texts. Friesenhausen explained:[17]
There is no need to study the aforementioned works of sciences for great amounts of time of the days of his life, for even if he will delve into them for only an hour or two a day, he will reach his goal. To recognize the greatness, wisdom and exaltedness of the Creator, may He be blessed, it is not necessary to know the aforementioned sciences in their entirety, rather it is sufficient to know the main ideas of each. .
Friesenhausen was aware that the study of the natural sciences could not be done effectively from books that were written in Hebrew, he therefore offered a form of annotated bibliography of the few recommended books in Hebrew and supplemented this list with recommended books in German.
3. Languages
A further aspect of the intended audience, is the choice of language – not so much the language of the Ethical Will but more so the language of the scientific portions of the book. Friesenhausen was well aware that a scientific work in Hebrew would not appeal to all, and it was in this vein that Friesenhausen offered an insightful comment on the book’s sales potential:[18]
Indeed most lovers of science seek it not in the Hebrew tongue, and most lovers of the Hebrew tongue, seek not science.
In the Ethical Will, Friesenhausen lamented the lack of available scientific literature in Hebrew:[19]
For indeed they will not find the sciences written in a book in the Hebrew language, save for a miniscule amount. Moreover those that are to be found, the majority are unsatisfactory for what is needed.
Further on Friesenhausen suggested that if he had the requisite funds he would start a biennial competition for family members to author beneficial books – either in the field of Torah or in the field of science – in the Hebrew language. Alas, Friesenhausen’s financial situation did not allow him to realize this vision. He therefore instructed his descendants to carry out his plan should one of them merit wealth.[20]
The first two stanzas of the poem printed at the end of Mosdot Tevel passionately describe the tribulations and tenacity of the Hebrew language.[21] Yet for Friesenhausen, learning Hebrew was a functional necessity, not an ideological priority. This is apparent when Friesenhausen talks about education, emphasizing the importance of teaching Hebrew language at an early age:[22]
And since it is necessary for the Nation of Israel to know the Hebrew language, not only for the boys to study Torah but also for girls to at least understand the prayers and supplications which we pray and beseech as prescribed for each day, it is, therefore, appropriate to train the children in verbs and nouns of the Hebrew language, and to explain to them all the prayers so that they have the ability to understand them.
The same utilitarian outlook, led Friesenhausen to encourage parents to instruct their children in the vernacular:
Do not be negligent to teach your sons or your daughters the language of the local nation in which you dwell, for as long as the Nation of Israel will not dwell in its own land, and as long as God will not ingather His banished ones, there is an extremely great need that one should understand the language of each nation amongst whom he dwells.
Later in the Ethical Will, Friesenhausen commented on women’s education and once again emphasized the need to teach girls Hebrew and the vernacular.[23]
Friesenhausen’s utilitarian approach is apparent again when he recommended the study of a third language besides Hebrew and the vernacular, in order to gain access to scientific texts:[24]
Since I have already let it be known that knowledge of sciences is beneficial for perfection of the soul, yet you will not find the sciences well explained except in one of the following three languages, namely German, French and English, therefore the person with a broad spirit should know at least one of these languages.
The choice between the three options, according to Friesenhausen, was to be left to the student:
And each person should choose for himself the language that will be easiest for him to study, for it all depends on the location, the time period and the context in which he is.
3. Education
Friesenhausen dedicated one lengthy section of his Ethical Will to the topic of raising children, beginning this excursus by explaining the centrality of the pursuit:[25]
Training the children and accustoming them to the path of Torah and uprightness, and to be diligent in their work and pleasant to human company, is a supreme principle in human success, all the days of his life on this earth, and to inherit the eternal world after his soul separates from his body.
Friesenhausen warned that available literature on child rearing was inappropriate, since Jewish education was distinctly different from the education offered by Gentiles. Granted one could consult these works, but only if Friesenhausen’s advice took precedence. Some of the directives offered by Friesenhausen focused on babies: be careful during the first three days after birth that the baby does not catch a cold; the baby is in danger of being suffocated if it sleeps in the mother’s bed; an early discussion supporting vaccination as opposed to variolation (an older practice of inoculating someone with the virus of smallpox to produce immunity – ZG), including the halakhic angle of the issue;[26] encouragement for mothers to breastfeed their babies,[27] and a warning against goading children to overeat.
Following the child’s growth, Friesenhausen moved on to early education stressing instruction in Hebrew language from a young age and continuing with a detailed educational program. Friesenhausen touched on a broad gamut of pedagogic issues, including reviewing material studied and rote learning, differentiating between peshat and derash when studying Bible, study of Hebrew grammar,[28] prudence in Talmud instruction and an acknowledgment that not every student will succeed in Talmud study, the need to teach a trade (aside from Torah),[29] and women’s education. The section on women’s education includes a warning to fathers not to hastily and inconsiderately marry off daughters: [30]
Also be careful, my sons, not to give your daughters to a man whom she desires not. Therefore do not hasten to give her to a man while she is still without knowledge to choose for herself according to her will. And do not focus on money, rather on qualities and level of perfection of the soul and the body, according to which a person is called by the title ‘human’.
Friesenhausen also included an impassioned plea to his descendants who might be conscripted to the army to remain loyal to the commandments of the Almighty so that the merit of good deeds will stand by them in battle. But Friesenhausen did not want his children to rely on merit alone:[31]
Furthermore, do this and live: Learn well the rules and tactics of battle, perhaps they will be to the help of God against mighty warriors.
Friesenhausen added a final reminder for Jewish soldiers:
And you should know that you are priests of God your Lord, who has distinguished you for the army of [holy] service, to go out and come forth before the nation of God to be scouts for them.
4. Hasidism
One of the most interesting aspects of the Ethical Will is how Friesenhausen portrays Hasidism, and specifically the portrait of Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum (1759-1841). Rabbi Teitelbaum, commonly known by the title of his posthumous work Yismaḥ Moshe, served as Rabbi and Hasidic master in Sátoraljaújhely, the Hungarian town where Friesenhausen served as a Dayan from early in the nineteenth century.
Without mentioning Rabbi Teitelbaum by name, Friesenhausen including a scathing attack against him in his Ethical Will. The facts detailed by Friesenhausen – the origins of the anonymous protagonist, his fame before reaching Hungary, his use of amulets to cure ailments, his popularity as well as other historical tidbits mentioned – fit the biography of the Rabbi Teitelbaum perfectly.[32] The assault was similar though not as harsh as the critique of the ethical objections voiced by the Mitnagdim against the Hasidim, with one significant difference: Friesenhausen’s attack was personal.[33]
Friesenhausen began by describing the contemporary hasidic milieu and then instructing his children not join the ranks of the Hasidim without being certain of the righteousness of the particular hasidic leader. Friesenhausen’s instruction was borne of his own encounter with the anonymous protagonist:[34]
When he arrived [from Przemyśl, Galicia to Sátoraljaújhely, Hungary – LC], I too was amongst those who respectfully greeted him, and I immediately recognized from his words and his actions that he was a conceited person who exceedingly sought honor: All the greats of our time were considered by him to be as naught and nothingness.
This first impression, however, did not deter Friesenhausen, for he saw other qualities in the protagonist:
And since many a time I heard from his mouth halakhah and aggadah, deep matters that were pleasant to the listener, and also in fear of God and love of peers I considered him to be a wholesome person, also in worldly matters and human conduct I saw him to be knowledgeable and erudite: Because of all these qualities he was esteemed and exceedingly worthy in my eyes, and I did not avoid coming to him twice or three times a week.
Alas, as time passed Friesenhausen became disenchanted with the behavior of the local hasidic leader, seeing him as an unethical leader:
And after doing thus for many days, his actions proved themselves that he was not wholesome in fear of God and love of peers. And his inner self is outward appearance. For I recognized him to be a bad-tempered person who reaps honor from the degradation of his friend. He boasts before the masses about his piety and asceticism and his great wisdom, and is not afraid to denigrate and embarrass others in public. He shows himself to be disdainful of profit, yet in truth he loves silver and gold in order to amass them for himself, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Friesenhausen had no doubt in his mind: The more he observed the hasidic master’s behavior the more he was convinced of his unethical conduct and his corrupt character. Friesenhausen chose to distance himself from the protagonist, though his local rabbinic duties required almost daily contact at certain times. These interactions led Friesenhausen to the conclusion that the hasidic master did not have an impressive command of Torah – not Talmud and halakhah, nor Kabbalah – though Friesenhausen acknowledged his unrealized potential. Friesenhausen further cast aspersions on the spiritual pedigree and capabilities of the hasidic master.
Friesenhausen’s excursus ended with a clear instruction to his readership:[35]
And this matter has brought me to instruct you not to join people like this, unless you clearly know by repeated observation that he is [indeed] holy. And besides this, you should be wholehearted with God your Lord and with his holy Torah, so that you do not cross the boundaries which the early ones have delineated.[36] And do not believe a person who predicts the future and do not seek them from him. And you should steadfastly know that any person who boasts about this and is not known to be a prophet of God, he is a wicked person of trickery and deceit, do not have pity on him and do not protect him: For he is a false prophet, even if he lies only once.
Given the identification of the anonymous protagonist, this attack has a surprising twist: Rabbi Teitelbaum headed the list of prepaid subscribers at the beginning of the work.[37] Moreover, in 1816 when Friesenhausen embarked upon a journey to raise funds for publishing his work, Rabbi Teitelbaum issued him with a letter of recommendation filled with praise![38]
It appears that Rabbi Teitelbaum increased his hasidic activity in the latter part of 1815, following the death of influential hasidic masters in Poland and Galicia. According to one scholar, this was too much for Friesenhausen, who consequently decided to leave the city and embark upon his journey.[39]
Friesenhausen himself added a further piece to the puzzle. While Friesenhausen was on his travels, Rabbi Teitelbaum ruled in abstentia to his disadvantage when he awarded Friesenhausen’s wife a higher weekly stipend from the capital Friesenhausen had left behind. When Friesenhausen returned to Sátoraljaújhely and saw his dwindled funds, he was angered by Rabbi Teitelbaum’s ruling.[40] To be sure, this court ruling was not the source of contention between the two, for Friesenhausen’s distaste for the city’s rabbi centered on the latter’s Hasidic activity and his comments focused on his personal conduct. Nevertheless, one cannot help but wonder how much the court case in abstentia affected Friesenhausen’s attitude.
Undoubtedly Friesenhausen’s works can be further mined for historical data. Nevertheless, even a cursory look at his Ethical Will provides a snapshot into the nature of this medium, how it may reflect the issues of the time and how a person might use this instrument to leave a message for descendants and indeed for posterity.
[1]I am reminded of the comedy skit entitled “The Reading of the Will” from Bob Booker and George Foster’s 1965 performance-cum-album You Don’t Have to be Jewish: “This is the last will and testament of our dear friend and relative Samuel B. Cohen: ‘I, Samuel Benjamin Cohen, being of sound mind and body, do hereby declare this to be my last will and testament. … Number Four: To my brother-in-law Louie, who lived with us all his life, who never had to do a day’s work, who knew how to handicap the ponies better than anybody, who only smoked the finest cigars – mine; to my brother-in-law Louie who all his life said that I would never remember him in my will … hello Louie.’”
[2]On Ethical Wills in Jewish Tradition, see for instance: זאב גריס, ספרות ההנהגות: תולדותיה ומקומה בחיי חסידי ר’ ישראל בעל שם-טוב, ירושלים תש”ן 1989, עמ’ 53 ואילך.
[3]The title page gives Mosdoth Thebel as the English title; herein: “MT”. I am deeply indebted to Benjamin Brown who first brought this fascinating work to my attention.
Meir Gilon authored a thorough Hebrew article on Friesenhausen detailing his biography and the influences that shaped this unique character: מאיר גילון, “ר’ דוד פריזנהויזן בין קוטבי ההשכלה והחסידות”, בתוך: משה כרמלי-וינברגר (עורך), בית המדרש לרבנים בבודפשט תרל”ז-תשל”ז: מחקרים בתולדותיו והישגיו במדעי היהדות, ניו-יורק תשמ”ו, עמ’ יט-נד (herein: “Gilon, Friesenhausen”). Besides Gilon’s article there is a short entry on Friesenhausen in the 1903 edition of the Jewish Encyclopedia.
[4]MT, pp. 66b-93a. Meir Gilon commented that the primary value of Mosdot Tevel was the Ethical Will (see: Gilon, Friesenhausen, p. 20). The Ethical Will was authored sometime after mid-1815, for in one passage Friesenhausen mentions “the demise of three shepherds of the Hasidim in Poland, who were famous as men of deed (anshei maaseh)” (MT, pp. 78a-b, section 19). Friesenhausen is referring to the deaths of Rabbi Yisrael Hopsztajn of Kozienice (d. September 28, 1814), Rabbi Menaḥem Mendel of Rymanów (d. May 29, 1815) and Rabbi Yaakov Yitzḥak Horowitz of Lublin (d. August 15, 1815). Gilon surmised that sections of the Ethical Will were written as late as 1820, the year of publication of Mosdot Tevel, though an earlier draft was written in 1814 (see: Gilon, Friesenhausen, note 23 at p. 51; p. 37 and note 33 at p. 52).
[5]See: MT, p. 6b; 13a
[6]MT, title page, emphasis in original:
ובטוח אני בו שלא ימצא איש בו משפט מעוות, כאשר העידו עליו שני חכמים מפורסמים, האחד הוא האדון ביריא פראפעסאר הלמודיות בבערלין, והשני האדון טעמפעלהאף שכבר הלך בדרך כל הארץ, והי’ בעת ההיא שר צבא הארטילעריא שם.
These two people are mentioned again in Friesenhausen’s Ethical Will, see: MT, p. 73a, section 13.
[7]See: MT, pp. 83a-85b, sections 28-33; Gilon, Friesenhausen, pp. 23-26. Meir Gilon eloquently suggested that Friesenhausen should be viewed as someone who stands in between traditional rabbinic Judaism, Hasidism and Haskalah, offering a sharp critique of all three streams. I have chosen not focus on Friesenhausen’s appraisal of traditional rabbinic Judaism or Haskalah in this paper. I will address Friesenhausen’s appraisal of Hasidism below.
[8]The one exception is Friesenhausen’s appraisal of Hasidism, which has been discussed by Meir Gilon. I have chosen to return to it because it piqued my interest as I unraveled the tale, because Gilon made no mention of one salient detail, but most pertinently of the ethical angle of Friesenhausen’s words.
[9] MT, p. 66b. On the number of children Friesenhausen had, see: Gilon, Friesenhausen, note 16 on p. 50.
[10]See, for instance: MT, p.70a, section 9. For other family specific passages, see also Friesenhausen’s discussion of the possibility of his kohen descendants studying medicine (MT, p. 77a, section 18(10), briefly discussed below in note 31), and the writing competition that Friesenhausen envisaged for his children (MT, p. 79b, section 20; briefly discussed below near note 23).
[11]MT, p. 93a.
[12] MT, p. 79a, section 19. For the context of this passage see below.
[13] MT, p. 82b, section 27.
[14] MT, p. 70a-b, section 9; see also: MT, p. 83b-84a, section 29. This self-appraisal is in stark contrast to the opening paragraph of the Ethical Will, where Friesenhausen offered a self-deprecating admission of his ignorance and lack of talent (see: MT, p. 66b, opening paragraph). It would appear that this statement is merely a literary device; Friesenhausen really did believe in his somewhat unique capabilities. Dedication to both Torah and scienceis a recurring theme in Friesenhausen’s Ethical Will, see also: MT, p. 79b, section 20; p. 82b, section 27.
[15]Friesenhausen embarked on his travels in order to raise money to publish Mosdot Tevel. On Friesenhausen’s wide travels, see his apology at the beginning of the work: MT, unnumbered pages, p. 3ff. See also: Gilon, Friesenhausen, p. 36.
[16] MT, p. 84a-b, sections 30-32; see also: Gilon, Friesenhausen, pp.22ff; 43ff.
[17] MT, p. 72b, section 12.
[18] MT, p. 2a. Gilon concluded his article with this sobering appraisal (Gilon, Friesenhausen, p. 48):
פריזנהויזן שייך אפוא לאסכולה, שבימיו כבר עברה שעתה. הוא פעל כל חייו מחוץ לזמנו ומחוץ למקומו. כתב ספרי מדע בעברית בזמן ובמקום, שיהודים שוחרי חכמה כבר קראו ספרים בגרמנית, וקוראי עברית לא היו מעוניינים בקריאת ספרים כאלה בעברית, ואפילו ראו בכך סכנה ליהדות.
It could be that Friesenhausen published his Ethical Will as an appendix to his mathematical work in an attempt to make his book appeal to a broader audience.
[19] MT, p. 72b, section 12.
[20] MT, p. 79b, section 20. Friesenhausen added a mechanism for checking whether the book that would be written was indeed beneficial, a mechanism accepted in academic circles today:
…ולמען נדע אם הספר ההוא אשר יחובר הוא רב תועלת, יתנו המחברים את ספריהם ליד שלשה רבנים המפורסמים לחכמים ואנשי אמת ושונא בצע … והם ישפטו על הספרים המחוברים
Given the financial aspect of the competition, Friesenhausen also warned against pseudepigraphy.
[21] MT, p. 93a:
“אַתֶּם הַשָּׁמַיִם בִּשְׁמֵי מְרוֹמִים / מִבְּלִי אוֹמֶר וּמִבְּלִי קוֹל נוֹאֲמִים / כְּבוֹד יְ-ה-וָֹ-ה וְתִפְאַרְתּוֹ הֲלֹא תַגִּידוּן / גְּדֻלָּתוֹ בְּפִיכֶם תַּעֲנוּ וְתָעִידוּן / אַךְ עַמִּי שָׁכְחוּ שְׂפַתְכֶם הַבְּרוּרָה / לָכֵן הֱיוֹת מֵלִיצְכֶם נַפְשִׁי בָּחֲרָה. זָקַנְתְּ מְדִידָה וְשַׂעֲרוֹתַיִךְ לְבָנוֹת / וְעוֹד לָךְ עֶדְנָה כַּיָפָה בַּבָּנוֹת / הַמְעַקְּשִׁים חָשְׁבוּ לֵעוֹר הַיְּסוֹד בָּךְ / הֵנַפְתִּי יָדִי וְחָזְקָה מִשְׂגַבָּךְ / עֲטֶרֶת הַלִּמֻדִּיוֹת הָיִית לְפָנִים / וְעַתָּה יְהַלְלוּךְ נְעָרִים גַּם אֵיתָנִים
This poem is the only place in the Ethical Will in which Friesenhausen uses the Tetragrammaton.
[22] MT, p. 75b, section 18(4). For the context of this instruction, see below. By way of comparison, see the ideological approach to Hebrew of Rabbi Yaakov Friedman of Husiatyn-Tel Aviv (1878-1956), as detailed in a previous article of this journal, see: “Hebrew in the Eyes of a Hasidic Master,” Jewish Educational Leadership, Vol. 7:1, Fall 2008, pp. 58-62. Friesenhausen was not oblivious to the religious problems associated with the new Hebrew literature that was available, see: MT, pp. 83a-b, section 29.
[23]See: MT, p. 76b, section 18(8). See also: MT, p. 82b, section 27.
[24] MT, p. 76a, section 18(5).
[25] MT, pp. 74a, section 18. The lengthy section on child rearing continues until p. 77a, and the quotations cited forthwith can be found there.
[26]Friesenhausen is referring to the development of the smallpox vaccine in 1796 by the English “Father of Immunology”, Edward Anthony Jenner (1749-1823). At the conclusion of the discussion, Friesenhausen reflected on the miracle of vaccination (MT, p. 75a, section 18(2)):
ועתה נברך ד’ אלדינו העושה נפלאות, אשר האיר עינינו ברפואה זאת, למען הציל עם רב מרדת שחת.
[27]Friesenhausen’s treatment of this issue would make modern advocates of breastfeeding proud (MT, p. 75a-b, section 18(3)):
בשתי שנים הראשונים הילד עלול לחלאים שונים, בפרט לחולה צמיחת השניים, ואז מחום החולה לא ירצה הילד לא לאכול ולא לשתות ועי”כ לפעמים הרבה תגבר החמימות עליו וימות. והנסיון הודיעני כי גם בעת חליו, לא ימאס הילד ולא יגעל בחלב אמו, ותהי’ לו הנקה זאת לסם חיים. וזולת זה בהגמל את הילד, לא נוכל להמלט מלהאכילו, למען החיותו, ואז מצוי מאד שנאכילנו יותר מדי צרכו, ויבוא הילד בזה לידי סכנה, לא כן הוא כאשר לא נגמלהו … ע”כ שמענה בנותי וכלותי, לבלתי גמל את ילדיכם בתוך שתי שנים ללידתכם, זולתי אם נודע כי הריתן בתוך הימים ההם, או גופכם חלוש מלהיניק.
[28]Friesenhausen seemed to particularly emphasize the importance of Hebrew grammar (MT, p. 75b, section 18(4)):
ועם למוד המקרא טוב להתרועע אתו למוד כללי דקדוק הלשון. ואין ראוי’ לכל בן תורה גדול או קטן להיות סכל בכללים ההם, כי הרבה פעמים שמעתי גדולי חכמי תלמוד דורשי’ ברבים ומפרשים דקדוקי המקראות, ולולי יודעים כללי דקדוק הלשון, היו בושים מלדקדק במקראות דקדוקיהם, ולפרש פירושים אין להם שחר. וכל איש בלתי יודע כללים ההם.
[29]Friesenhausen mentioned the need to study a trade in a further passage when he discussed the possibility of his descendants studying medicine. The discussion was precipitated by the issue that learning how to perform operations involved coming in contact with cadavers, a prohibition for kohanim (see: MT, p. 77a, section 18(10); see also: Gilon, Friesenhausen, p. 41). For more on teaching a trade, see: MT, p. 83a, section 28. In the context of the need to study a trade, Friesenhausen has an interesting comment about what Jewish society might look like following the Ingathering of Exiles (MT, p. 66b, section 18(7)):
ודע כי הארץ אשר יושביה אינם יודעים בכל מלאכת אומנת, לא תצלח. כי איך אפשר שתתנהג המדינה מבלי אומן, ואיזה אומנת שתחסר בה, יהי’ לה לחסרון לא יוכל להמנות. וכאשר יקבץ ד’ נדחי ישראל, אין ספק שנצטרך לכל מיני אומנות, ואם נהי’ כאשר אנחנו פה היום, לא ידעתי איך תתנהג המדינה? הכי יעשה ד’ ארובות בשמים, להוריד לנו אומנים משם, או נקח אותם מהעמים סביבותינו? לא טוב הוא הדבר הזה, ומה מאד נצטערתי בזקנתי כי לא למדתי אומנת בילדותי.
A similar comment appears in his introduction to Mosdot Tevel, see: MT, 9b-10a. This approach reflects part of the ideological program of European Haskalah; see: Gilon, Friesenhausen, pp. 46-47.
[30] MT, p. 76b, section 18(8); see also: Gilon, Friesenhausen, pp. 26.
[31] MT, p. 77a, section 18(9). The final words are taken from the Prophetess Deborah’s critique of those who deigned not to take part in battle (Judges 5:23).
[32]That is, except for the reason for that Rabbi Teitelbaum joined the ranks of the Hasidim. Friesenhausen suggested that Rabbi Teitelbaum joined the Hasidim in a calculated social move to be a member of the more successful class (MT, p. 77b, section 19):
והוא הי’ מלפנים איש ריב לחסידים ההם, ואחרי רואו כי הם מתגברים יום יום ולא יכול להם, המחבר גם הוא עמהם, והתחיל להתנהג מנהגם.
By contrast, in hasidic lore, Rabbi Teitelbaum was coaxed by his son-in-law to visit the famed Rabbi Yaakov Yitzḥak Horowitz, the Ḥozeh of Lublin (1745-1815). At this meeting Rabbi Teitelbaum became enamored with the Ḥozeh and returned home a hasid.
[33]I say that the attack was not as harsh as the attacks of the Mitnagdim and that it mirrored their ethical attacks, for Friesenhausen was willing to accept and even justify certain Hasidic practices, such as changing the prayer rite, not donning tefillin on the intermediate days of the Festivals and the use of amulets.See also Gilon, Friesenhausen, pp. 33-36, 37, 41.
[34] MT, p. 77b-78a, section 19; the contemporary snapshot of hasidic life appears on pp. 77a-b. At the end of the section, Friesenhausen describes his belief in the veracity of hasidic tales of miracles, a belief that was toppled after his encounter with the protagonist (p. 79a).
[35] MT, p. 79a, section 19.
[36]This entire passage, from תמים תהיה to references about predicting the future and false prophets, is a paraphrase of דברים יח:יג-כב. The line about boundaries echoes דברים יט:יד. While the original verse refers to property encroachment (see the medieval commentators, ad loc), Philo of Alexandria (20 BCE – 50 CE) interpreted the verse in terms of continuing traditions of old: “Another commandment of general value is Thou shalt not remove thy neighbor’s landmarks which thy forerunners have set up. Now this law, we may consider, applies not merely to allotments and boundaries of land in order to eliminate covetousness but also to the safeguarding of ancient customs. …. For children ought to inherit from their parents, besides their property, ancestral customs which they were reared in and have lived with even from the cradle, and not despise them because they have been handed down without written record.” (Philo, De Specialibus Legibus, IV, p.149-150 in: The Special Laws, translation F.H. Colson, 1939, Vol. VIII, p. 101-102, XXVIII). Echoes of this approach can be found in the writings of the Geonim and subsequent codifiers (see, inter alia: תשובות הגאונים שערי צדק, חלק ד, שער א, סימן כ; שו”ת הרשב”א, חלק ד, סימן רס; טור, חושן משפט, סימן שסח. עיינו עוד: י’ הכהן מיללער, מפתח לתשובות הגאונים, ברלין תרנ”א, עמ’ 194, סימן קמו; אוצר הגאונים – בבא קמא, עמ’ 105, סוף סימן שד; תשב”ץ, חלק ב, סימן קלו).
[37] MT, p. 2a.
[38] MT, p.13b. The letter is dated as the year of ירים כס דוד על מכונו לפ”ק, that is [5]576 = 1816.
[39]See: Gilon, Friesenhausen, p. 35-36. See also: MT, unnumbered pages, p. 4:
מאז הוקם הגבר על להיות רבי לאסיפת חסידיו, וכורתי בריתו והחל לעשות מסחור עם קמיעותיו סרה האהבה מלבו ומהשטמה מלאה את מקומה. כי אזניו הקדושות לקחו שמץ פסול אשר לשוני מדברת נגד המשמור הזה, ונגד ידיעותיו בעתידות לבוא, והוא הדבר אשר עוד עיני החכם הפקוחות, והאטים לב העמוק והפתוח.
[40] MT, hitnatzlut neged hatomkhin beyadi [=apology to those who support me]. This treatise that was appended to the work for printing (and perhaps therefore does not bear page numbers) provides a fascinating insight into the printing process in early 19th century Central Europe. In his Ethical Will, Friesenhausen related to the folly of overspending, see: MT, p. 82b, section 27.