The Jewish outlook., 1907-12-13
THE WISH OUTLOOK

crime?
cit is an all-important, burning
question:" exclaimed Keidansky, and
he stood up and excitedly walked
back and forth about the table. Then
he stopped, put one foot on his chair,
and leaning toward the table he
pointed with his left hand in the di-
rection of Mr. Zweifel and went on:
"This here thing touches Il very
vital point in our existence. We have
to settle the matter. 1t COMES very
near being question of life and
death. We have been living life of
abnormal goodness and eXtravagant
virtue We have been squanderers of
moral force When this becomes more
patent to the world, and our enc
mics will no longer be able to deny
the facts, they will shift their posi-
ton to a convenient point and asesrt
that we are too good to live. 1t will
be shown that onr example may be-
come very dangerous in IL world
wherein whole classes of people live
by virtue of their vices. We shall be
told that we are too good to live, and
it will not be difficult to argue that
we are too lazy to die. 1t becomes nee
essary to show that we too have today
the stuff whereof desperaodes and
martyrs, heroes and criminals are
made. 1t becomes necessary to do
this and We must for other and larger
reasons begin to claim the right to do
wrong. The Yiddish writer who
raised the question even goes as far
as to say that first among the rights
which we should seek to establish
should be the right of ignorance and
wickedness. | almost agree with that
It's about time we asserted our hui
manity, and made our claim to be as
bad as any other people. The writer
has. at any rate, brought up vital
matter. To be sure. my friend. DR..
Max Nordau. has brought up the same
question in an address at one of the
early Zionist congresses. but the mat
ter was not taken up for discussion in
the Yiddish press. and so it was left
where it was. Nothing is ever settled
until it is settled on the East Side
Here everything is brought to con-
cltsion and worked out into the most
beautiful theory And nothing ever
dsturbs the theory: it remains intact.
"This superior life is killing. Talk
about the strenuous life-it is a play
thing beside it. Think of the strain
of always having to be good. to be bet
ter than anyone else: more upright,
more just. more kind. And then we
must always be brighter, cleverer,
wiser. than anyone else. We must
have more insight and more foresight.
We must have the gift of prescience
and omniscience. We must be real
prophets. even though we. are engaged
in the tailoring trade and work in
sweat shops. The Jewish child is al
ways told that he must distinguish
himself in school. that he must study
night and day. rake his little brain
until it is exhausted. so that he may
graduate with some honors. 1t was
while he was thus talking to his lit
tie son that the question suddenly oc-
Cured to the Yiddish writer; why
must we be better than anyone else?
"And / ask with him, Why must
we always surpass everybody! Why
must we always distinguish ourselvesy
Why must we always be ashamed of
our faults. afraid of our frailties7
Why must we grieve so much about
the few Jewish criminals with which
we are blessed? We all feel so badly
about them. and are always seeking
circumstances Wo arc