R S. R. Hirsch and [R.] A. Geiger - and [R.] Google

Thanks to a combination of Google books and Google Translate. I am sort of able to read some of the fascinating material on Geiger's relationship with R' Hirsch in his Leben in Breifen (also contains some letters to Shadal - and lots of other stuff). A coherent translation of some of this material can be found in Mordechai Breuer's article on R' Hirsch in L. Jung, Guardians of Heritage. Google translate is only somewhat useful as the "backwards I speak" German syntax is preserved but I will place this here anyways as it is very interesting.

First letter (from the Hirsch's Oldenburg period):

The correspondence from Chen R i s is he [p. 38 above],

you have probably read, if not, then yes you rush to read it, because it is a strong revival for the increasingly declining sense of community. Probably to his encouragement (as my friend from Frankfurt writes) "the Jews in Frankfurt, Karlsruhe, the Palatinate and other clubs have formed and are no less objective than the total Emancipation of Jews in Germany to win." Quick now was the message among local Jews and to Eskeles has to Frankfurt colleagues, to give them to collect customer and if the matter confirmed what no doubt is, will the local connection. Nor are the Jews of Baden Chen already at large with Dukes asking for complete equality eingekommen. - You, a stronghold of Israel and certainly not the last of the Jews eventual liberation from the oppressive shackles of desire, which is just only the intellectual development and the truly spiritual life may lead, you will not even the matter, at least, the effect of connecting your community so that the immoral usury ausgetilgt the perishable, that true education finally penetrate and that miserable, shallow nature, both by the indifference of all Higher trade with a merenational, as well as by lack of opportunity for dignified training arises, stop, and Israel is celebrating its determination could approach? Their communities have certainly little trouble with gaining their full rights, because the Grand Duke and a very liberal sense, but also a lot of sweetness against the Jews proves. Would the Jews but the whole of Germany finally scbmählichen their bondage by efforts of any kind to an end, and indeed they may, in the current liberal, is vigorously developing and advancing time! Do you think this matter is not for your professional and secular not appropriate, because is not mental and physical freedom precisely together and gave us not the story in its references to the flower of the Jews in Spain and to the medieval darkness that adequately taught in Germany? If you're a bit can help, what a reward awaits

Your! --

(apparently a postscript)
Excellent is a larger philosophical direction for now and look at all the things of this position from that which brought me this semester. It has thus a unity both in my Gemüthe, as in my work, which are not unlike fruitful can be. Not true, dearest Hirsch, you have me at our first meeting, because I still in the shackles philological Kleinigkeitsjagd was beaten quite often have to be ridiculed. Admittedly there has been an interest therein which does not perish, but everything is subordinated to a higher purpose, and the smallest note in the language 'wins new life by going back to their origin from the human spirit and how this is just their own view of things and of life in every nation abspiegelt. - Frensdorff and I live in beautiful harmony and friendship among amusement fierce disputes over a Chatef Segol, etc. together. During this holiday we read together, the Kantian critique of Dr. Bobrik, I read two of my staff in the Arabic of the Quran Vineyards, voted for me again More Nebuchim started, which I with much pleasure (in literary-historical sense) almost up to the end of the first Theil read. - Dr. Lövy, a rabbi in Ulfeid is below the two disputes Partheien with the largest, almost indescribable Pompe rabbi to have been used in Fürth, Fürth in mind! - Our private club speakers bloom beautifully continued, although he still received no increase, and some of them in free and some speeches written exercises in the orator muse and your friends to a large Theile catch back to the latter, the upper hand to win .... What I meant by "a Realisirung Hope" wanted, I really do not now, but you, Best, know that my hope is now not at obtaining a job and probably only on some one proficiency relates .... I have a few days ago with a very own kind of fun to read a book whose reading I wish you well. It is called "philosophy of history or tradition. Frankfurt a. M. Verlag der Buchhandlung Hermann'schen. 1827 '. It is, as I know, Professor Molitor in Frankfurt. You get the same by such a strange mystical contemplation of the newer driving time and it has, in my perhaps at this point most of you such a different view striking juxtaposition worthy of deep and ideas alongside baroque mind jumps that psychologically it certainly is odd. Live well.

Second letter:

S. R. Hirsch. Wiesbaden, 24 March 1833.
That Bangigkeit also a certain pleasure in this mix [in the joy of Geiger's employment] - who wanted to give you this verargen. If you are not from that cold, pale and lifeless indifference taken who is on the religious life with jen <> r superklugen contempt hinabsieht not the same as the most beautiful T31üthe, but as a manifestation of weakness of the human heart sees - how should the matter be on how and unstable nature is knitted? The would rather calmly, albeit with frustration, to those Nichtsthuer which all its own development course leave hinsehen; aher of those whose strong desire is known to him, he'd like to first, the firm assurance that they act in accordance with the Truth, not forcibly uprooting, not violent, are not forced to build. Whether these Bangigkeit but not too far from you is whether they have an insurmountable lead of censure, whether you are paying too much on the correctness of their view and insist Andersgesinnten almost discarded as a bad shepherd, I would like you to consider. Schön is fighting for his view, it is nice if the human mind and Gemüth is merged so that his thoughts and his feelings at the same time and in any conflict is reconciled to him, it is laudable, the light-minded and Willensschlecbten who are in crowd in the effectiveness of the larva to snatch them and their Gehaltlosigkeit or behind the dissemination of good hidden self to show, but everywhere, where a pure, good will to come forward, because I warn him welcome; That is our ultimate goal of a "think so I then, yes, we want all the real good move, it is a serious quest for the sense of a serious and religious Gemüth herstammt, and there is also the true religious feeling awakened, nourished and strengthened. Maybe even the direction is often a different, is that only justified what the only true direction must produce only so this will also be accepted. That I am effective in life that is closer, which in its serious concern at the same time also theilt my view, the next target in the same eye has the same means of achieving the same applies - as it would be possible otherwise? The effectiveness of the others, with the sprightly character, but not with the same next intentions are, I notice with Betrübniss, and my friend sorry for not to the manner and increasing, not because of wickedness, but the shortsightedness of the welfare but why not have the unwavering hope that any good from this care rises, albeit just not wanted. As much as I am also my own personal conviction is not merely mind thing, but deeply overgrown with my personality is so much a quest opposite me sometimes very grieved, so I have always this consolation: it stems from the good good intentions. But those who with wicked recklessness to the sublime daring, with the loose earth with wickedness and cunning selfishness calculate the holiest to ensure their petty advantages desecrate this, I would punish with sharp Geissel. - Now that the bodies of youth to mature age is called, friend, it's true, it has sadden many, and delicious, that people of mature age, so completely and utterly not suck, but, however, is the selfless devotion, even in this Was just to find. Still full of his quest, and with very ungeschwächter power, he's now at work, with no overwhelming obstacles to become the living fire of youth, with the cautious man of the paired, Nöthiger is. Believe me, that I seriously considered and I am exquisitely asked me whether these two essential conditions are not missing, because I do not quite have missed, I happily took the chair at which I become if I do not, therefore, certainly more right to eliminate the suspicion against me than you have, it is the diversity of opinion, which I made this step easier than perhaps you, I was aware of a good will, I had mapped out a path, and now I should consider whether the fact all my hopes do not lie penalty. And, God, it punishes not lying! I think the few months before they are useless here to have been brought, and though inconspicuous in germination and in tiny circles all hopes still lie buried, but then, I hope that the germs with due care, which I certainly can not be hervorsprossen and flowers and fruit to Daylight's support. You might say: yes, who with so much carelessness in the matter is, who is such a large, over appreciable self-confidence brings, which will of course also results over its effectiveness to see to believe. I would be very wrong urtheilen if this dächten. Light, cheerful spirit, I thank God, but where it is the seriousness, but this remains to be carried out, often it may also give a, with a larger, internal distrust against authority, although this is not always maintained itself; and what the flattering Vorspiegelungen concerned, I have the success of my efforts do so giebt is certainly little more sober people than I am, can not imagine that the word should be pushed into the heart, the doctrine must have worked


Descriptions of Hirsch taken from various letters:

Among these I call first S. Scheyer, who despite many theologians sway remained, and despite some jealousies and disputes with the acquaintance I was upright, then p. li. Hirsch '). He has great influence on me and sent me here in Bonn, which made life very pleasant. Bernays Hirsch was in Hamburg in a peculiar direction has been pushed, he had an excessive veneration of the Bible and those aftermarket philology in the same declaration was adopted. I had him seen in Heidelberg, where he was from Mannheim from ours. Community halibut friend visited had had him in Bonn

One evening, when we work together in the lecture went home, we talked of Goethe's poetry and truth, which I had read told us each of our circumstances, both the defendant standing alone Jewish theologians and agreed to a speaker to form association. I moved yet Ullmann and Hess added that they agreed willingly, and so we came four, which soon followed Scheyer in fifth, on Sunday the 6th December 1829 in my cellar and decided to us every Saturday in my office to gather, preaching alternately to keep the same strict recensiren. The following semester Frensdorff occurred and Rosenfeld added.

[Continued from 30 August 1830.] This association wishes viölleicht determined by Einfiuss to me and some he brought me with deer in close friendship connection and some friends, he looked at me with the theology and some he granted me the benefit and pleasure. After the deer had first speech (12th December), I recensirte on the following Thursday and said my opinion, both on the whole, than about the individual in homiletischer, philosophical and linguistic terms. We had a very long dispute in which I found his extraordinary public Beredtsamkeit, his acumen, his clear and quick capture learned to know and admire, but those disputes are not brought us closer, because sometimes the religious side was touched, and I, although I am always informed by the views only of the Jewish religion, was his view, not infrequently through the mine had come close. But we are approaching more and more and some by a joint review of the sermon of a third party and some of its cheap and nice determination of my sermon (January 2, 1830) and some by the fact that we are still in the same winter and summer in the following semester jointly cursors Thalmud read (Tractate Sebachim). Thus gradually mutual respect and love. I respected his exquisite spiritual gifts, his strict virtue and loved his good heart and he respected him my not quite reprehensible schein installations, loved my openness and my youthful mirth. His treatment was very useful and enjoyable.

The speaker was club for me Theil by Exercise in one finds the happiest and most open Gemüthlichkeit, the friendliest people and all the benevolent kindness make him very lovable, and his wonderful knowledge, which he regularly by a casual study on the patriotic Johanneum and by dealing with a trusted Bernays is acquired, making it highly appreciate worth. He has a healthy mind, good mental facilities, an excellent Fleiss and the noblest views, his religious views are, and what he learned by Bernays, but he's extravaganzas Hirsch alien. I love him very much, will try to religious groups for him and I with him even in scientific terms in the sequence closer to connect, since deer are likely soon, a place to stand a rabbi, is leaving the university.
We are seven comrades united; Hirsch studied under these positive religion on the way to justify the speculation, it is in philosophical investigations in the pulpit On; investigated the Ullmann Gemüth to pack, but often for nothing, can be quite good at Seheyer Alignment not encourage, Hess has no concept of a Fredigt; taught to speak Frensdorff; Rosenfeld is shallow and confused. We are deprived of the inspiring designs and inspired by a master, and when I look at it better flatterer macheu how easy it can be a Eitler delusion, an empty Vorspieglung be my own conceit. If but once a Jewish seminar at a university would be built where exegesis, and for Homiletik now Thalmud and Jewish history in true religious spirit would be carried forward, it would be the most fertile and instructive institution!

[For an earlier post on Geiger - see here]