FROM THE WEDDING,
A BIOGRAPHY
by JOSEPH LEVINE
Chapter 1
Why the title "From the wedding" (A kind of preface and present for my children.)
Master of the Universe, I ask of you, that you should not leave me in my old age and give my hand the strength to hold the pen and write my own autobiography, because I believe that every person has experienced enough troubles in the short span of a lifetime. One must be an angel to endure everything with patience and without being dissatisfied. That is why it is my true wish that people should read this book. You and I, young and old should read this book at least once a month.
The book is a true mirror which shows how we once lived and how we live now. In this book you will find tragedies and comedies. This will help the reader become a better person to G-D and man. I hope that everyone who will read this book-man or woman, young or old, green or yellow, Polish or Russian--will find in this book a little something which they like and that the book is worth its price.
Beloved, dear children and friends. I am beginning to write a book entitled "From the Wedding". It could be "From Life" since life is comparable to a wedding. As the Talmud says, Hai Almah D' Boy Halulah Domah which means that the world is similar to a wedding. When one goes to a wedding, one is revived and happy, full of high hopes, with joyful fantasies. Prior to the wedding, one does not know what kind of pleasures the wedding will bring. Therefore, one flies to the wedding helter_skelter, all hustle and bustle, not having time to talk to anyone. But one returns from the wedding not so excitedly. Now he has time. Calmly and unhurried he discusses what he saw; who he met at the wedding, what honors were given. He discusses everything slowly as he is no longer as excited as when he was going to the wedding.
Therefore, you should not wonder when a man such as I, who worked over 50 years, always rushing, never having any time, that now, that I have time to write the story of my life that it should occur to me to compare it to a wedding.
For I see that I am returning from the wedding--from life--from the beautiful past life. For this is no longer living, only waiting for death. For I saw the Angel of Death come to my wife while she sat, in what appeared to me as good health, in the synagogue over her prayer-book and took her to a place from which no letters or regards can be sent. In short, I see the end.
So I said to myself, now is the right time. Get with it and write. No one knows what tomorrow will be. You must write as soon as possible since time does not stand still. In case you should die, people who think they know you and understand you will come and think things which are pure fantasies. Therefore, you yourself should tell who you are and what you are and write your autobiography telling what you know and remember!
Also, you should know that writing an autobiography, an authentic life story, not fiction, is as good as giving an accounting of my entire life before my readers, confessing before the whole world. Writing a biography is the same as writing a will. Therefore, I actually want this book to be for my children a true will. They will not have to fight when they will have to divide their inheritance. I will leave none.
This is the best of my possessions, and you should read it from time to time. Perhaps you or your children can learn something from it. May He who gives the ability to a man to write and remember everything which occurred in his life also help me to not omit anything which happened to me which may be of interest. Things which I have experienced in this great world that I have pushed through and endured in the few decades of my life, in the seven generations of Hell through which I have gone.
I will tell all gradually, divided into chapters and paragraphs, into separate stories, one following another. From me, your father, the author of this book.
Joseph ben Ariah Leib Levine
The first day of the Portion Vaera,
24 Teves 5692.
Brooklyn, New York,
January 3, 1932.
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2 comments:
In 1932 my Great-Grandfather, Joseph Levine, published his autobiography in two volumes. He wrote it in Yiddish. A few years ago, my mother, of blessed memory, counted about 150 living descendents of Joseph and Chase Levine, almost none of whom can read Yiddish. So my wife Fagy (with a little help from me) has been translating the book. I intend to publish the whole autobiography here, over time, for the family. I encourage participation in the form of comments, pictures, etc.
Hi! My name is Steph, and we're distant relatives. Joseph Levine is my great-great-grandfather (through Rita, daughter of Esther), and my parents have a copy of the first eight chapters of what I think are your translations. I found your blog by searching Joseph's provided full name into Google.
Is there a way we could get in touch? I'd love to know more about my family!
-Steph
(also, there is a possibility I have posted this twice-- I apologize if that is the case!)
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