The Wisdom of Alfred Edersheim. David Mishkin
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Beifuss Edersheim, was from Frankfurt, Germany.5
Adolph Saphir wrote the following:
He had been brought up luxuriously in Vienna, and was one of the leaders in fashion. He was highly educated, spoke Latin fluently, knew Greek, German, French, Hebrew, Hungarian and Italian. When [Adolph] Cremieux, head of the French Bar and in 1848 French Minister of Justice, visited Vienna he was welcomed by an address given by Edersheim on behalf of Jewish youth. The address was given when Cremieux attended the synagogue, and Edersheim had been chosen as the young peoples’ representative. Cremieux was so impressed by the young Edersheim’s oratory that he desired to take him to Paris under his patronage and provision for life, to train him as a barrister. Edersheim’s family, however, would not allow him to go.6
In 1841 Edersheim entered the University of Vienna to study philosophy and medicine. There he became one of the founders of the democratic club, and was active in public discussions and debates. Suddenly, his father lost his wealth, and Edersheim transferred to Pest (Budapest) to continue his education. This move would prove to be quite providential in regard to his faith. In Pest he earned money as a tutor of various languages. He again involved himself in “the liberal element” and was considered “dangerous” by the censors because of some of the topics of his writings.7 Pest also had a thriving Jewish community, which had recently been undergoing some changes.
At the genesis of the Pest Jewish community, it was orthodox in its outlook, but the leaders were enlightened and receptive of the changes that Moses Mendelssohn promoted. Due to demands of the reform-minded Jewish elite, there was a disruption in the Jewish community after the death of Rabbi Israel Wallman in 1826 . . . The decisive year for the Pest Jewish community was 1833 when the election of a new rabbi emerged as an issue. In 1836, after long and careful considerations rabbi Low Schwab was chosen to be the rabbi in Pest as a compromise between the Orthodox and the Reform trends . . . During his time Pest became the leading political, religious and economic centre of Hungarian Jewry.8
Meanwhile, there had been much excitement in the Church of Scotland regarding Jewish evangelism, largely centering around the role of Israel in biblical eschatology. Leading figures in the movement included Robert M. McCheyne and Andrew Bonar. At a speech before the general assembly of the Free Church of Scotland, Bonar declared: ‘when we give the Jews their proper place in our missionary work, we might look for special blessing at home, for, “Blessed is he who blesseth thee.”9
The Scottish Mission first sent a delegation to Palestine to consider missionary possibilities. On route in Egypt, one from among the delegation fell off his camel. This, in turn, led to events which required them to pass through Pest on their return trip. In Pest they would meet the Archduchess Maria Dorothea (the wife of Archduke Joseph – the uncle of the Austrian Emperor). Dorothea was a devout woman who had been praying for seven years that God would send people to carry the gospel to that city. She would prove to be an important ally for the Church of Scotland’s work in that part of the world. In 1841, John Duncan became the first Scottish missionary to Pest.10
Edersheim began to study English as a student at Pest. His private tutor was a Jewish man named Dr. Pogros. When Pogros had to leave, he introduced Edersheim to Rev WilliamWingate, one of the missionaries from Scotland. Wingate was a former Glasgow merchant who loved the Jewish people. He had “a university education and some knowledge of theology.”11 This was another extraordinary turn of events.
The Church historian, Ferenc Balogh remarked that this was a highly unusual event leaving a young Jew under the care of Protestant missionaries. Balogh attributed it to the recognition of Duncan’s influence and acceptance by the Jewish community.12
Wingate was the first to give Edersheim a New Testament, which made a profound impression on the young student. Jacob Gartenhaus, in his book Famous Hebrew Christians, recorded Edersheim’s reaction to the gift.
From Wingate I received the New Testament. I shall never forget the impression Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount made on me, nor the surprise and the profound feeling I experienced while reading the New Testament. The ‘Christianity’ which I knew as such hitherto was not Christianity. What I did not know was the teaching of Jesus which opened to me such unfathomable depths.13
In those days, there were many Jews who underwent baptism as a means to furthering their political, social or economic situations, with no interest in the gospel itself. Therefore, special care was given to new Jewish believers to confirm their commitment. Edersheim (along with Adolph Saphir) began to study with John Duncan, whose great love for the Jewish people and his proficiency in Hebrew earned him the nickname “Rabbi” amongst his friends. Edersheim made a clear profession of faith and was baptized in April 1843. Almost immediately afterward, he began to teach English to other students, with the condition that the Bible would be the only lesson book.14 Regarding some of these new Jewish believers he was teaching, Duncan wrote,
In this city more than a hundred Hebrew converts have since been baptized in the name of “Him whom the nations abhor” . . . . They used to read day after day the Epistles of Paul, as if they had been letters that had come by that morning’s post.15
Another place where the Church of Scotland sent missionaries to the Jews was Iasi (“Jassy”), a city in the Northeastern part of Romania. The team was lead by Daniel Edward, who actually arrived in Hungary even before John Duncan arrived in Budapest. Edersheim joined Edward to reach his own people with the message of Jesus. There were considerable struggles, including organized opposition led by Rabbi Aaron Moses Ben Jacob Taubes of the ultra orthodox Chabad movement. There were also internal issues. According to records from the sending organization, Edersheim faced difficulties with the Committee over his intention to get married. There was also a disagreement between him and Daniel Edward regarding finances. Edersheim was cleared of all suspicion, but the Committee chose not to reinstate his services in Jassy.16
It was decided that Edersheim would return to Scotland with Duncan. At first, he had some difficulty leaving, as the government of Austria required all its citizens to serve in the military. Fortunately, a well known missionary to India (John Wilson) had just arrived in Budapest. He was regarded by authorities as a “man of distinction,” and had considerable influence. He was allowed to take several people with him on his travels back to Scotland. Edersheim was chosen along with Saphir and one other, thus releasing them from military service.17
Edersheim went back to Scotland and joined Duncan to continue his studies. Duncan would become the first professor of Hebrew and Oriental languages at New College, Edinburgh. Edersheim later went to the University of Berlin to continue his theological education (studying under another noted Jewish believer in Jesus, August Neander). Although he was now ‘off the mission field,’ his identity as a Jew and his desire to reach his people with the gospel never wavered. His vast writings provide numerous examples of this. However, he apparently had reservations about some of the existing missionary structures.
Jew and Christian as I am, ‘Missionary Meetings’ are becoming odious to me. The benevolent pity over the poor Jew, by those who neither know nor can sympathise with him, my soul abhorreth.18