[1] – See pp. 7–11.
[2] – “Von Schulen ist keine Spur in England, daher auch nicht von Gelehrten; kein dortiger Rabbiner hat einen Platz in den Jüdischen Jahrbüchern der Gelehrten. Zum Studiren war keine Zeit, und keine Ehre lockte und stärkte den Wissbegierigen”—Geschichte der Israeliten, vol. vii., p. 165.
[3] – For the original refer to [Appendix G.] of Lecture II.
[♦] ‘consirable’ replaced with ‘considerable’
There is, however, a current opinion amongst the modern English Jews, that especially “the sayings of the wise men of Norwich and of York are quoted in some of the additions made by the expounders of the Talmud.”[1] I must confess, I cannot vouch for the correctness of that opinion. I addressed once a letter on this subject to the editor of the “Jewish Chronicle,”[2] hoping to elicit from his numerous well-educated readers, information on the above. The learned editor seems to have mistaken the purport of my letter to him, and therefore gave an answer not at all to the purpose. It is the following given in a note:—
[2] – See [Appendix I].
“With every deference due to Dr. Jost, and the research displayed in his History of the Jews, we are bound in this instance to support Mr. Moses Samuels’ opinion, that we had great men living in England eight hundred years ago. Although the Rev. Mr. Margoliouth might have read through the Talmud again carefully (no easy task!) he must have overlooked the passage in Josephoth [Tosephoth I suppose] (not having a Talmud at hand, we must defer the quotation of ‘chapter and verse’ to our next number), where the חכמי נרוויש (wise men of Norwich) are mentioned. Mr. Samuels’ opinion is also supported by the authority (no small one, even if compared with Dr. Jost and the Rev. Mr. Margoliouth) of the שלשלת הקבלה (Chain of tradition), which places ׳ר מאיר מאינגלטירה (Rabbi Meyer of England) in the same category with Jarchi, Rabenu—Tam, and Maimonides; vide שלשלת הקבלה fol. 41, p. 2.—Amsterdam Edition, 8vo.”
That the Jews had learned men in this country, I know full well, and the editor of the “Jewish Chronicle” might have known this by my quotation from Ben Virga. It is the especial mention of the wise men of Norwich and of York, that I am anxious to know about. Nearly two months have passed away, and the promised “quotation of chapter and verse” has not been given yet.[1] To return, however, to the immediate subject.
[1] – It is now about a year since he made this promise, I venture therefore respectfully to ask him once more for a fulfilment of the same.