[Avodah] TIDE and the Lithuania Yeshivas

[Yitzchok Levine]

The following is from page 128 of Hermann Schwab's book The History 
of Orthodox Jewry in Germany. This translation of the original German 
book appeared in 1950. Hermann Schwab was an uncle of Rav Shimon Schwab.

The process of spiritual healing which Hirsch set going amongst 
German Jewry might be described as a renewal of the 'Naase venishma' 
position at Sinai -'all that the Lord hath spoken we will do' - first 
the deed and then profound study. In the course of several 
generations this spiritual life would rise up anew.

And that, indeed, is what actually happened. At about the period we 
have now reached in our narrative, a movement began to make itself 
felt within German Orthodoxy which sprang up from the very devotion 
to Judaism the " homecomers " had so ardently longed to see there: 
the urge of the young men to learn at the Yeshivas of the East. First 
singly, but later in ever increasing numbers, they left the temperate 
atmosphere of their homes to settle down in completely new 
surroundings. Rarely has the process of transplantation been 
accomplished so rapidly and with such success. The young men from 
Frankfort and Berlin, from Hamburg and Leipzig easily settled down in 
their new environment. They studied the Talmud. The Houses of 
Learning at Slobodka and Telsh, at Mir and Baranovich became dear to 
them. States could rise and vanish outside in the world-they heard 
only the voice of the Torah and they spent year upon year content to 
do so. The picture of home became blurred. In comparing and weighing 
up the past and present, the scale holding their childhood's 
inheritance became lighter. Some began to doubt its value, others 
declared that it was not genuine and tried to forget it; a few grew 
hostile to it. Who can judge which path leads nearer to a life 
suffused with Torah in all its aspects-religious, social, human. 
Hirsch's teachings and example had illumined the childhood of these 
new Talmud scholars. In questioning or rejecting Hirsch's 
interpretation of "Yafe Talmud Torah im derekh eretz," they forgot 
that for the best part of a century this interpretation had served as 
a guide to thousands and had saved three generations for Judaism. [53]

[53] About twenty years ago, the author paid a visit to an important 
personality in Lodz and was surprised to hear that the little son of 
his host was called "Samson     Raphael ". "No wonder you are 
surprised," said Mr. A.  G. Fridenson. who wore a "Kaftan" and 
Khassidic silk cap. "During the child's brisrrrilo I was asked 
whether there were no great men in Poland from whom to choose a name, 
to which I replied that I could only regret that there had been no 
Samson Raphael Hirsch in Poland fifty years previously and that I 
wished to honour his memory in my son".
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