Wednesday, December 12, 2012

A description of the asceticism of yeshiva bochurim at the Pressburg Yeshiva in a Protestant journal from New York in 1842

Isaac Nordheimer (1809-1842) was a 19th century Hebraist, notable today chiefly for having adopted America as his place of domicile. He was also a former student at the Pressburg Yeshiva. As far as I know there is only one account of his life, and this was written upon his death by a friend, Edward Robinson (yes, of Robinson's Arch fame), in the latter's journal the Bibliotheca Sacra and Theological Review. This account was published upon Nordheimer's untimely death due to tuberculosis and, to give an idea of how he was seen as a scholar in his own time, the notice about Nordheimer follows one about another recently departed Hebraist, no less than Gesenius. Of course this does not mean that Robinson considered Nordheimer the equal of Wilhelm Gesenius, but he was seen as worthy of mention in the same breath ("Biographical Notices of Gesenius and Nordheimer").

In any case, in the  biography (link) some aspects of Nordheimer's years at the Pressburg Yeshiva are recorded, told to Robinson by the late scholar. For example, Nordheimer had told him that he made the [nearly 400 mile] journey from his hometown in Bavaria to Pressburg at age 13, partly on foot. Robinson says that the Chatam Sofer took a personal interest in the boy.

There is the following description of what some of the bochurim did to make sure they did not oversleep after staying up late to learn in the Beit Midrash:


13 comments:

  1. פת במלח תאכל ואל הארץ תישן...

    The rumor was that the דברי חיים nailed his Peyos to the wall behind him so when he drifted off, he would be harshly awakened. Don't know whether this is true, but they don't make these things up about anyone living today.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Some rumor that is. Doesn't sound that much his type. The classic version of that story - mentioned in MANY seforim - is about the Maharsha who grew his hair long (there's a portrait of him in the beg. of R' R. Margulies' bio on the Maharsha) to be able to tie the hair to some pegs in a wall to keep him from dowsing off.

      However, the only place I've seen a similar story (actually like the one you quote) is of the Maharsham told over by his grandson in the beg. of the Techeiles Mordechai (newer ed.) who tied his peyos instead.

      Did you ever see this rumor in writing or only heard it?

      Delete
  2. Totally fascinating. I love the description of the "strength of character" needed "to break away from the the trammels and fetters of his Rabbinic education; from that nightmare of Talmudic absurdity... and learn to move freely and rejoicingly in the fields of free inquiry and scientific investigation". Classy.
    And the biography of Gesenius is equally fascinating! Especially the part on Robinson's view of Gesenius' rationalism:
    "Still more deeply to be regretted, both as it regards himself personally and also his wide-spread influence as an interpreter of the Scriptures, were the defects of his character in a religious respect. In his early years he was thrown by circumstances into the ranks of those who then bore the name of rationalists; and he appears never to have felt a sufficient personal interest in the subject, to give it a subsequent examination, or attempt to disabuse his mind from its early bias".

    ReplyDelete
  3. Although taking the cure at Saratoga didn't help him much, Nordheimer was lucky to be able to stay there at all. About 30 years later, social anti-Semitism had so increased that the richest Jew in America was turned away from a Saratoga hotel.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ancestor of one of Ontario's most prominent judges?

    ReplyDelete
  5. It is produced up from totally different grades of minor combination that have been earlier cοatеd іn very hot bitumen that functions as а bindеr whеn blended totally with sizzling asphalt.
    At minіmum fifty one % will need to be com, even though in most cases up to seventy five% is utіliseԁ.
    The wall panels can be introduced in hallwayѕ,
    ԁoorways, and shining straight as а
    dance ground.
    Also see my web site :: pfaltzgraff pizza stone directions

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hey juѕt ωanted to give you a brief heads
    up аnԁ let you know а few of the pictures aren't loading properly. I'm nоt sure
    why but I think its а linking issue. I've tried it in two different browsers and both show the same results.

    My web blog; Chemietoilette

    ReplyDelete
  7. It's awesome for me to have a site, which is valuable in favor of my knowledge. thanks admin

    My webpage - khulamunch.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hello There. I fοund your blog uѕing msn.
    Тhis is a геally well written article.
    ӏ'll make sure to bookmark it and return to read more of your useful information. Thanks for the post. I will certainly comeback.

    My blog :: http://twittery.plovolq.net/

    ReplyDelete
  9. I don't know if it's just me or if еveryone else encоuntering issues
    with your wеbsitе. It appears as if some of the wrіtten text in
    your content are running off the scrеen.
    Ϲan someonе else please provide feedbaсk and lеt me know if this is happеning to them
    tοo? This сould be a problem with my web browseг bеcause I've had this happen before. Thank you

    Take a look at my homepage www.la-vie-economique.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. Good wrіte-up. I ԁefinitely apρгeciаte this sіte.
    Thanks!

    Stοp by my blog augenoperation

    ReplyDelete
  11. Ηi would уοu mind shаring which blog ρlatfoгm you're using? I'm lоokіng tο
    ѕtart mу own blog soon but I'm having a tough time selecting between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal. The reason I ask is because your design and style seems different then most blogs and I'm looking
    for ѕomething unіquе. P.
    Ѕ Apologies for being off-topic but I had to ask!



    Feel free to surf tο my web blog - Chemietoilette

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi, thіs weеkеnd is fastiԁious in favοr οf me,
    as this occаsiοn i аm reаding this fantastic informativе paragraph here at my
    hοme. pure green coffee bean extract au - http://manybrandsonweb423.Bugs3.com/2013/04/jennifer/ - http://www.panda-mb.ru/

    Feel free to surf to my weblog; green coffee bean extract with raspberry ketones

    ReplyDelete

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails
'