Underground Deal: The Story of a Translation of the Talmud into Yiddish

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On reading “Hadarom” the Torah journal published by the Rabbinical Council of America, one is particularly impressed by the articles contributed by Rabbi Shemuel Huebner.

Unlike many other studies in the journal, Huebner’s articles deal exclusively with practical Halacha.  Huebner, is, indeed, the only collaborator of Hadarom who does not contribute articles on subjects he is privately interested in, but dedicates himself, at the request of the editor, to the education of practical problems, which might be faced by members of the Rabbinical Council.

His studies excel by their display of wide knowledge, beautiful Hebrew style and fine mode of representation, which enables one to follow without difficulty the most intricate of arguments.  Problems which Huebner has dealt with in recent issues, include such as the status of the Mumar, adoption, counting of the Omer before nightfall and priests studying as physicians.  Most of these problems have been discussed in various response of modern timers.  In their case, Huebner enumerates and explains the different views expressed on the subject, and adds thereto views and comments of his own.

He devotes much time to his articles and sometimes would spend days in the search of a rare book or journal which might contain some material of relevance to his work.

Reading his articles or discussing them with him, one might never guess, that their author, in addition to his wide, Jewish knowledge, is in command of several European languages and is also an accomplished scholar in Greek and Latin.

Most interestingly, Huebner who serves as rabbi of congregation “Linath Hazedek” of East Flatbush, has also translated into Yiddish several tractates of the Talmid.

The story of these translations is worthwhile recording.

Huebner, a native of Galicia, settled in Berlin after World War I.  Soon after the rise of the Nazis to power he emigrated to Vienna.  Following the Nazification of Austria, Huebner, who was arrested for a short time, fled to Belgium.

In 1940 the Germans invaded Belgium, and when in 1942 they began the deportation of Belgium Jewry to extermination camps, Huebner and his family went into hiding.  After having spent about six months in the house of a Belgian barber Brussels, where he was constantly oppressed by the fear of being discovered and by the worry of procuring means of subsistence, Huebner was told by a fellow Jew, that Netanel Lefkovitz wanted to see him.  Lefkovitz was one of Belgium’s richest Jews.  During the Nazi occupation, he went into hiding, and from there supported the Jewish community with his vast fortune, part of which he had succeeded in salvaging.

Realizing, how meaningless riches were in the face of the destruction of the Jewish community, he thought also of supporting a great literary venture, which would eventually immortalized his name.  He conceived of a plan to translate the Talmud into Yiddish, and having heard of Huebner, wanted to entrust him with this task.

The two men met clandestinely.  Lefkovitz offered Huebner to support him and his family in the hideout, provided the latter would dedicate himself to the translation.  Huebner agreed.  Though having at his disposal only a few of the Sefarim, which he would have normally needed, he began the translation.  On Sundays, when the Gestapo and SS men would usually get drunk and house searches were, consequently, not expected, Huebner would meet with Lefkovitz to report on the progress of his work.

Until the liberation of Belgium, Huebner translated in his hideout three tractates, Baba Kamma, Baba Metzia and Berachoth.  From then until his departure for the Untied States, a short time after the conclusion of the war, Huebner translated the tractates of Baba Bathra and Shabbath.

Lefkovitz, having survived, is now back at the helm of his enterprises and plays a prominent part in the Jewish communal life in Belgium.  Soon after the war he began with the publication of the translations prepared by Huebner.  In 1952 the translation of Baba Kamma appeared.  It was well received and Huebner himself was awarded the Zvi Kessel Prize of Mexican Jewry.

For technical reasons the publication of the translation of Baba Metzia had been delayed.  Its printing was only now completed, and the first copy arrived in the United States several days ago.

By Tovia Preschel
Jewish Press

10/6/1961