Samson Raphael Hirsch

In 1830, Hirsch was elected chief rabbi (Landesrabbiner) of the Principality of Oldenburg. During this period, he wrote his Neunzehn Briefe über Judenthum, (Nineteen Letters on Judaism) which were published under the pseudonym of "Ben Usiel" (or "Uziel"), at Altona in 1836. This work made a profound impression in German Jewish circles because it was "something new — a brilliant, intellectual presentation of Orthodox Judaism in classic German, and a fearless, uncompromising defense of all its institutions and ordinances".[2]

One of the young intellectuals strongly influenced by the "Nineteen Letters" was Heinrich Graetz. Following a personal letter that Graetz wrote to Hirsch, Hirsch offered Graetz to host him at his own house for the continuation of his studies. Graetz then lived at Hirsch's house in Oldenburg from 1837 to 1840, as a pupil, companion, and amanuensis.[5]" Hirch's major works are discussed in further detail below.

In 1838, Hirsch published, "as a necessary concomitant" of the Letters, his Horeb, oder Versuche über Jissroel's Pflichten in der Zerstreuung, as a text-book on Judaism for educated Jewish youth. He had written Horeb first, but his publishers doubted that a work defending traditional Judaism would find a market in those times with reform in vogue.[2]

In 1839, he published Erste Mittheilungen aus Naphtali's Briefwechsel, a polemical essay against the reforms in Judaism proposed by Geiger and the contributors to the latter's Wissenschaftliche Zeitschrift für jüdische Theologie (such as Michael Creizenach); and in 1844, he published Zweite Mittheilungen aus einem Briefwechsel über die Neueste Jüdische Literatur, also polemical in tendency and attacking Holdheim's Die Autonomie der Rabbinen (1843).[2]

Hirsch remained in Oldenburg until 1841 when he was elected chief rabbi of the Hanoverian districts of Aurich and Osnabrück, with his residence in Emden. During this five-year post, he was taken up almost completely by communal work and had little time for writing. He did, however, found a secondary school with a curriculum featuring both Jewish studies and a secular program, for the first time employing his motto Torah im Derech Eretz ("The Torah is maximalized in partnership with worldly involvement").[2]

In 1843, Hirsch applied for the post of Chief Rabbi of the British Empire. Out of 13 candidates, mostly from Germany, he reached the shortlist of four: Nathan Marcus Adler, Hirsch Hirschfeld, Benjamin Hirsch Auerbach, and Hirsch.[2] Adler won the position on December 1, 1844. With 135 communities having one vote each, Adler received 121 votes, Hirschfeld 12, and Hirsch 2.[1]

In 1846, Hirsch was called to the rabbinate of Nikolsburg in Moravia, and in 1847, he became chief rabbi of Moravia and Austrian Silesia. In Austria, he spent five years in the re-organization of the Jewish congregations and the instruction of numerous disciples; he was also, in his official capacity as chief rabbi, a member of the Moravian Landtag, where he campaigned for more civil rights for Jews in Moravia.[2]

In Moravia, Hirsch had a difficult time, on the one side receiving criticism from the Reform-minded, and on the other side from a deeply traditional Orthodox element, which found some of his reforms too radical. Hirsch placed a much stronger emphasis on a deep study of the entire Hebrew Bible, rather than just the Torah and selected Bible readings, in addition to Talmud, as had been the custom of religious Jews up until then.[2]

In 1851, he accepted a call as rabbi of an Orthodox separatist group in Frankfurt am Main, a part of the Jewish community of which had otherwise largely accepted classical Reform Judaism. This group, known as the "Israelite Religious Society" ("Israelitische Religions-Gesellschaft", or IRG), became, under his administration, a great congregation, numbering about 500 families. Hirsch remained rabbi of this congregation for the rest of his life.[2]

Hirsch organized the Realschule and the Bürgerschule, in which thorough Jewish training was provided, along with those aspects of secular training deemed true according to the Torah (Torah im Derech Eretz). He also founded and edited the monthly magazine Jeschurun (1855–1870; new series, 1882 et seq); most of the pages of the Jeschurun were filled by himself.[2] During this period he produced his commentaries on Chumash (Pentateuch), Tehillim (Psalms) and siddur (prayer book).

In 1876, Edward Lasker (a Jewish parliamentarian in the Prussian Landtag) introduced the "Secession Bill" (Austrittsgesetz), which would enable Jews to secede from a religious congregation without having to relinquish their religious status. The law was passed on July 28, 1876. Despite the new legislation, a conflict arose whether "Austritt" (secession) was required by Jewish law. Hirsch held this was mandatory, even though it involved a court appearance and visible disapproval of the Reform-dominated "Main Community" (Grossgemeinde). His contemporary Isaac Dov (Seligman Baer) Bamberger, Rabbi of Würzburg, argued that as long as the Grossgemeinde made appropriate arrangements for the Orthodox element, secession was unnecessary. The schism caused a terrible rift and many hurt feelings, and its aftershocks could be felt until the ultimate destruction of the Frankfurt community by the Nazis.[2]

During the final years of his life, Hirsch put his efforts in the founding of the "Freie Vereinigung für die Interessen des Orthodoxen Judentums", an association of independent Jewish communities. During the 30 years after his death, this organization would be used as a model for the formation of the international Orthodox Agudas Yisrael movement. Hirsch had a great love for the Land of Israel, which is apparent from his writings, but was opposed to the proto-Zionist activities of Zvi Hirsch Kalischer.[2] He opposed any movement to wrest political independence for the Land of Israel before the Messianic Era.[3] In later works, he makes it clear that Jewish sovereignty is dependent only on Divine Providence.[6]

From reports of his family members, it seems likely that Hirsch contracted malaria while in Emden, which continued to plague him during the rest of life with febrile episodes.[2]

Hirsch died in 1888 in Frankfurt am Main, and is buried there.[2]

Hirsch's son Mendel Hirsch (in German) (1833–1900) was a scholar and writer; his granddaughter Rahel Hirsch (1870–1953) became the first female professor of medicine in Prussia.[7]

Hirsch's innovative and influential commentary on the Pentateuch [8] (Uebersetzung und Erklärung des Pentateuchs, "Translation and explanation of the Pentateuch"; 5 volumes published 1867–78), has been "hailed as a classic" since the publication of the first volume, Bereshit. According to Hirsch, the goal of the commentary was to expound the text by ascertaining the exact meaning of the words, their etymology, philology, and origin, and, this achieved, "to establish, on the basis of halakhic and aggadic interpretations, the Jewish Weltanschauung". [9] A feature of the commentary is its analysis of the meanings and symbols in the religious precepts (mitzvot), as below; this, again, as consistent with its discussion of the Hebrew. The commentary gained worldwide popularity for its scope of insight and information offered to scholar and layman alike, and is still widely referenced.[10] Oral Torah § In rabbinic literature and commentary provides further context; and see also Jewish commentaries on the Bible § Acharonim (1600–) and Yeshiva § Torah and Bible study.

Hirsch's Nineteen Letters on Judaism (Neunzehn Briefe über Judenthum), published in 1836 under the pseudonym "Ben Uziel", offered an intellectual presentation of Orthodox Judaism in classic German, and a "fearless, uncompromising defense" of all its institutions and ordinances. See under Oldenburg above. It was written in the form of a fictional correspondence between a young rabbi / philosopher and a youthful intellectual.[11] The first letter, the intellectual's, outlines the challenges that emancipation created for modern Jews, and questions the continued relevance of Judaism. The Rabbi responds in the subsequent letters, discussing, in a structured sequence, God, Man, and Jewish History; leading to a discussion of the Mitzvot and their classification (as employed in Horeb). This work made a profound impression in German Jewish circles, and has been republished and translated several times; it is still influential, and often taught.[12]

Nineteen Letters was translated to English by Bernard Drachman in 1899,[13] and in 1960[14] by Jacob Breuer based on Drachman's translation. The latest translation to English was prepared by Karin Paritzky and revised by Joseph Elias who states that they "benefited greatly from the two earlier editions."[15][16] Elias glosses Breuer's edition as "very readable" while panning it as an achievement reached "by the omission or simplification of a good many passages, so that the reader does not obtain the full meaning that the author intended."[15]

Horeb (subtitled Versuche über Jissroel's Pflichten in der Zerstreuung, “Essays on the Duties of the Jewish People in the Diaspora”), published 1838, is Rabbi Hirsch's presentation of Jewish law and observances, with particular emphasis on their underlying ideas, capturing the "unifying ideological threads"; these discussions are still regularly taught and referenced. [17] The title is a reference to the (Ten) Commandments; Mount Horeb, Exodus 3:1, is another name for Mount Sinai. Horeb is organized into six sections, according to Hirsch's classification of the commandments. As for the Letters, its historical background is the enlightenment, and particularly the beginnings of Reform Judaism, and it thus constituted an attempt "to lead the young generation of Jewry back to the Divine law."[18] See also below. In it Hirsch shows that the Torah's mitzvot, are not mere "ceremonies", but "duties" of Israel. It was then, to some extent, "a necessary concomitant of the Letters". It was conceived, also, to deal with the practical observances of Judaism - providing summarised Halachot relevant to each sub-section.

Rabbi Hirsch left in manuscript at the time of his death a translation and explanation of the prayer-book, which was subsequently published. His commentary on Pirkei Avot here, has been republished separately. His commentary on the book of Psalms (Uebersetzung und Erklärung der Psalmen, 1882) is still widely read; it underpins much of his siddur commentary.

Works here (besides similar mentioned above) include:

• Pamphlet: Jüdische Anmerkungen zu den Bemerkungen eines Protestanten (anon.), Emden, 1841- response to a provocative and anti-Semitic pamphlet by an anonymous Protestant
• Pamphlet: Die Religion im Bunde mit dem Fortschritt (anon.), Frankfurt am Main, 1854 - response to provocations from the side of the Reform-dominated "Main Community"
• Pamphlets during the Secession Debate:
  • Das Princip der Gewissensfreiheit (The principle of freedom of conscience), 1874
  • Der Austritt aus der Gemeinde (Leaving the community), 1876
• Ueber die Beziehungen des Talmuds zum Judenthum (On the Talmud's Relationships with Judaism), 1884 - a defense of Talmudic literature against anti-Semitic slanders in Russia

Most of Hirsch's writings have been translated into English and Hebrew by his descendants, starting with "Horeb" in the 1950s (by Dayan Isidor Grunfeld of London) and his Torah commentary in the 1960s (by his grandson Isaac Levi, also of London). Horeb was translated into Hebrew already in 1892.[19]

The publication, in several volumes, of his collected writings (Gesammelte Schriften or Nachalath Zwi) was begun in 1902.[2] The bulk of these, that had previously been published in German in 1902-1912 under the title Nachalath Zwi, were translated between 1984 and 2012 by the "Rabbi Dr. Joseph Breuer Foundation" (established to perpetuate the memory of Breuer, Hirsch's grandson, via publication of Hirsch's (and Breur's) writings).[2] Many of the Collected Writings are available online and linked here.