Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 6.107 November 26, 1996 1) Young Sholem Aleichem tries convoluted manipulations (Louis Fridhandler) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 25 Nov 1996 13:29:29 -0500 From: lfridhan@aol.com Subject: Young Sholem Aleichem tries convoluted manipulations A letter from 30-year-old Sholem Aleichem to his brother Elyohu reveals something about social customs of 1889 in a state of rapid change. Courting and marriage protocols were obviously in flux. The letter was written in Hebrew and translated into Yiddish by Itskhak Dov Berkovitsh, himself a Yiddish and Hebrew master. Tendency to flowery style is a property of Hebrew melitse. The transliterated Yiddish is given below (edited here and there). My translation (in my next post) is from the Yiddish. (Traduttore, traditore?) Sholem Aleichem was guardian of the niece who is the young woman targeted for a marriage proposal. The convoluted maneuvers proposed to manipulate a couple (especially the woman) not very much younger than Sholem Aleichem testify to the aggravations imposed by resistance to rapid social change. The phrase, hayntike tsaytn (modern times), was later echoed in the Tevye story about Tsaytl, Hayntike Kinder (Modern Children). The major part of Tevye's stories is concerned with Tevye's anguish in dealing with changing marriage customs he cannot yet accommodate easily. This letter was written six years before the first Tevye story was published, and ten years before Hayntike Kinder was published. The subject retained Sholem Aleichem's attention. The P.S. is interesting. Sholem Aleichem wants his brother to write Hebrew, not Yiddish. Although Sholem Aleichem was already a very famous writer of Yiddish he was not yet a Yiddishist. Was he still oppressed (as some of our contemporaries are) by the notion that Yiddish was not fit for respectable discourse or literature? Kiev, September 6, 1889 Mayn tayerer bruder! Der shidekh, vos es hot mir forgeshtelt dayn froy, mayn shvegern Maryem, vegn H. *, iz mir zeyer gefeln, vorem ikh hob shoyn lang gehert vegn di dozike mentshn, az zey zaynen gehoybene, rekhtfartike un fun erlekhn veg, ubefrat az der Doktor * iz a bagloybter mentsh, vos ale vos zeyen un kenen im hobn im lib, kheyn un laytzelikeyt bakroynem im, un siz gevis zikher af azelkhe mentshn, az zeyer yingerer zun iz oykh a guter un an erlekher un a tayerer mentsh. Nor siz faran a sotn af dem dozikn veg, un er shteyt inmitn veg un zayn shverd iz oysgetsoygn in zayn hant; --- a tokhter fun di yidishe tekhter _hayntike tsaytn_ vet nit aynshtimen beshum oyfn tsu farbindn zikh durkh a shadkhen oder afile durkh dem khosn aleyn, in fal az er zol kumen zen un gezen tsu vern, zol got hitn! Deriber, oyb di zakh gefelt dem H. *, badarf er zayn akhuts a khosn mit sheyne oygn, oykh a groyser diplomat. Dehayne: az zayn kumen aher zol zayn farshtelt (inkognito); un azoy vi er hot do a gebildeter bruder, dos iz der Doktor *, un der doziker doktor iz mayn fraynt shoyn bay a halb yor, deriber vet shoyn laykht zayn, az der yungerman zol kumen tsu zayn eltern bruder, un beyde veln konen araynkumen tsu mir in hoyz tsu zukhn mayn bakantshaft, vi der minheg iz in der velt, un bay mir in hoyz vet yeder gebildeter mentsh gefinen a nutsn, vorem mayn hoyz iz a zamlhoyz far khakhomim un maskilim in Kiev, vi es iz bavust tsu ale vos kumen in dem toyer fun mayn shtot. --- Mayn eytse iz, bruder, az du zolst ot di ale zakhn ibergebn dem H. *, un er fun zayn zayt un oykh zayn zun fun zayn zayt zoln shraybn tsum eltern zun dem doktor, un nokhdem, oyb zey veln gefinen, az der veg iz glaykh far zey, zol kumen der bashprokhener, dos heyst der khosn, keyn Kiev tsu bazukhn zayn bruder, un az er vet zayn do, vet er far zikh gefinen a veg tsu bazukhn mikh in mayn hoyz, un ikh vel im forshteln far mayn froy un far der tokhter fun mayn shvoger, un oyb er vet zey gefeln, un oyb di zakh iz bashert fun got, vet der doziker yungerman zayn der gliklekher af der erd, vorem on khanife kon ikh zogn af der tokhter fun mayn shvoger: _az voyl iz dem, vos vet aza hobn_. Un veys, bruder, az me leygt mir for far ir shidukhim mit _hundert toyzent rubl_; nor di oygn fun undz alemen zaynen nit tsu gelt gevendt, nor tsum kern aleyn. .... Dem iker hob ikh _nit_ fargesn: ot di ale zakhn muzn zayn bahaltn un farziglt .... Un der iker fun ale ikrim - az di bashprokhene kale zol nit visn un zol nit farshteyn keyn brekl zakh, anit vet, khes vesholem, kumen der sotn tsu avekshteln zikh far got, tsu kalye makn dem inyen fun onheyb biz sof, un di gantse zakh vet vern tsu nisht... Sholem P.S. af yedn fal bet ikh dikh tsu shraybn mir _hebreyish_ un nit yidish. [Dos Sholem-Aleykhem Bukh, p.35] [English translation] Kiev, September 6, 1889 My dear brother! The match proposed by your wife, my sister-in-law Miriam, about Mr. * is much to my liking because I've heard for a long time that these people are cultivated, upright and honorable, and especially that Doctor * is a trusted man well like by all who know him. He is crowned with charm and graciousness. It is most certain of such people that their younger son is also good and honorable and a fine person. However, there is an evil spirit on that path, and he stands in the way, and his hand has drawn its sword. A Jewish daughter _in these modern times_ would under no circumstances agree to make a commitment through a marriage broker or even with the suitor himself if he comes to see and be seen. God forbid! Moreover, if the matter appeals to H. *, he must be, besides a prospective bridegroom with nice eyes, a person greatly gifted as a diplomat. And so his visit here must be disguised (incognito). His educated brother, Dr. *, lives here and has been my friend for half a year; and so it would be quite natural for the young man to come see his elder brother. Together, both will come to my house seeking an introduction, as is the general custom. As all who enter the gates of my city know, educated people find it of use to visit me because my house is a gathering place for the wise and enlightened of Kiev. My advice, brother, is to convey all of this to Mr. *. He and his son should write to the elder son, the doctor. Then, if the way seems clear, the aforementioned suitor should come to Kiev to visit his brother. While here, he will find a way to visit me at home, and I will introduce him to my wife and to the daughter of my brother-in-law; and if he pleases them, and if the matter is fated by God, then this young man would be the happiest man on this earth, because without flattery I can say this about the daughter of my brother-in-law: _how fine for the one who would have such a person_. Know this, brother, that people propose matches for her to me at the level of _one hundred thousand rubles_; but the eyes of us all are directed not to money but to the essence. .... I have _not_ forgotten the main point: all this must remain hidden and sealed. .... and most important, the intended bride should not know nor understand the slightest bit, or, heaven forbid, the evil spirit will stand before Got to spoil the matter from beginning to end, nullifying everything. .... Sholem P.S. In every case, I ask you to write me in _Hebrew_ and not Yiddish. Louis Fridhandler ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 6.107