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The Collection of the Words of the Lord [Jacob Frank] from the Polish Manuscripts Edited, Translated, and Annotated with an Intr

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The Collection of the Words of the Lord [Jacob Frank] from the Polish Manuscripts Edited, Translated, and Annotated with an Intr The Words of the Lord [Jacob Frank] ed., trans., ann. by Harris Lenowitz i The Collection of the Words of the Lord [Jacob Frank] from the Polish manuscripts edited, translated, and annotated with an introduction by Harris Lenowitz Professor of Hebrew, University of Utah Copyright © 2004 by Harris Lenowitz. All rightsi reserved. The Words of the Lord [Jacob Frank] ed., trans., ann. by Harris Lenowitz ii Table of Contents Introduction………………………………………………………………………..iii-xiii The Collection of the Words of the Lord [Jacob Frank]…………………………..1-388 The Chronicle (Kronika)…………………………………………………………..389-410 Errata to the editions of J. Doktór………………………………………………….411-418 Cover illustration from Y. Emden, Sefer Shimush (Amsterdam, 1758-1762) photocopy, 178 Copyright © 2004 by Harris Lenowitz. All rightsii reserved. The Words of the Lord [Jacob Frank] ed., trans., ann. by Harris Lenowitz iii The Collection of the Words of the Lord [Jacob Frank] A brief historical introduction Frank1 was born in 1726 in a village near Husiatyn and spent his first two years in Korolowka, moving then to Czernowitz with his family (according to the Kronika (see below). He died as “Baron” Jacob Joseph Frank, in Offenbach in 1791.2 His father, Lev, 3 was an itinerant peddler and perhaps a bookbinder or a preacher. As a boy, Frank 1 The major works on the life of Frank and the history of the movement are H. Skimborowicz, The Life, Death and Teachings of Jakob Jozef Frank (Polish; Warsaw, 1866), a journalistic account (from the Tygodnik Illustrowany in fact) of no particular virtue; H. Graetz, Frank and the Frankists: the History of a Sect (German; Breslau, 1868) is based on R. Y. Emden's polemic materials, particularly those in Torat Ha- kana'ut and Sefer Shimush); Z. L. Sulima (pseud. Walery Przyborowski), The History of Frank and the Frankists (Polish; Cracow, 1893), which though quite inaccurate served S. Dubnow as his principal source; A. Kraushar, Frank and the Polish Frankists (Polish, 2 vols.; Cracow, 1895; v. I only, Hebrew, (N. Sokolow); Warsaw, 1895) vv.I-II Jacob Frank: The End to the Sabbatian Heresy, ed. H. Levy (English, Lanham: 2001) is a poor translation with a crank introduction by the editor; M. Balaban, Towards a History of the Frankist Movement (Hebrew; Tel-Aviv, 1934); P. Arnsberg, From Podolia to Offenbach: the Jewish Holy Army of Jakob Frank (German; Offenbach, 1965); G. Scholem, "Frank, Jacob, and the Frankists," in Encyclopedia Judaica (1972); A. Mandel, The Militant Messiah (Atlantic Highlands, 1979), J. Doktór, Jacob Frank and His Doctrine against the Background of the Crisis of Traditional Polish Jewry of the Eighteenth Century, (Polish; Warsaw, 1991). This is not the place for a detailed assessment of this large literature, not to mention the many essays; it is of very mixed quality. An important contribution to the study of Frank has been made by Dr Pawel Maciejko in his Oxford dissertation, The Development of the Religious Teachings of Yakov Frank (2003). 2 Y. Liebes sod haemuna hashabtait (Jerusalem, 1995) 193, 194 explains that Frank’s first name, Yakov, connects him to more than one Shabatian understanding of the name, i.e., that of the patriarch, particularly in relation to the change of the name of that figure to Yisrael. Liebes suggets (194) some gematriatic possibilities open to his followers to interpret Frank’s last name as well. In the first case we are dealing with interpretations by followers (or antagonists) of a name given him by his parents; in the second, again with interpretations of his name, the difference being that Frank himself chose his last name. Viewing dictum 2029 in which Frank contemplates a new dispensation and a new name for himself one wonders whether it might not have been Yisrael (but see Liebes’ arguments supporting the precisely Shabatian propriety of Yakov); or perhaps ‘emet. (Liebes finds a continuity in the employment of this noun, or adjective, in connection with the Shabatian messiah.) It is worth noting that Frank cites the verse ‘emet me’eretz titzmah (Ps 85.12) in dicta 199, 1103 and that one might see there the expression of the high evaluation he placed on lowliness, further stressed in connection with the patriarch’s later name in dicta 421 and 63, 86 (based on Shab 156a); and with a stunning inversion in 623 and 1285. 3 Information drawn from the dicta will cite the dictum number in parentheses. Frank's family seems to have been comfortable and to have occupied a respectable position in their society, though he mentions being sent away with his mother Rachel from his father and seems to speak of his father living apart in, if not being from, Wierzanka (the Kronika mentions Berczany as Frank’s place of birth) near Husiatyn (898). He mentions one grandmother in connection with astrology and magic (44) and another, or perhaps the same one, as charitable and beloved in her community (1034). He mentions a grandfather as Rabbi Jeka Tatar (2250). In the dicta his father seems to have held responsible positions, judging others, leading prayers, hosting important guests, etc. Frank often mentions his parents; his relations with his father appear in a late-life reflection of some interest (2226), given the number of stories he tells about him. The family Copyright © 2004 by Harris Lenowitz. All rightsiii reserved. The Words of the Lord [Jacob Frank] ed., trans., ann. by Harris Lenowitz iv traveled with his father west across the Dniester, south through the Balkans into Turkey/Greece. While in the Turkish heartland, his father (1205, Salonika) and later he himself were in contact with members of some sects which looked on Shabtai Zvi as the messiah.4 Frank became a trader himself and a caravaneer, conducting other traders. He mentions dealings in gray goods, leather, coins and jewels and there are many references to his work as guide/wagon-master. His term for his following, the Company, is one he uses in referring to caravans5 before becoming the Holy Lord (Polish, Swięta Pan, the equivalent of Barukhya Russo's title—his most important predecessor—Signor Sancto). While acquiring the customs, languages and habits of his suppliers and customers he seems to have become an applicant for "the leadership of the Shabbatean movement in Poland."6 He crossed the Dniester into Poland in 1755 with the intention of gathering followers. When his following became the object of pursuit by the Polish government at the instigation of some parts of the south Polish Jewish community, he crossed back into Turkish territory, claiming to be a citizen of that Empire. Throughout his life Frank demonstrated an ambiguous identity, ready to be, speak, relate, perform, wear whatever was expedient. In this first instance of shape-changing he betrayed his own followers; but his behavior was supported by a theology that stressed the importance and rectitude of such an act 7 lived in Walachia, principally in Czernowitz apparently. Most of Frank's life before 1760 was spent in Walachia and other parts of the Ottoman Empire. Biographical data from later periods appear in another Frankist document published by Hillel Levine, The Kronika, A Document of Jacob Frank and the Frankist Movement (Jerusalem, 1984). I am obliged to Professor Levine for having sent me a photocopy of the Lublin ms. 4 The particular Shabbatean sects with which Frank was in contact are only occasionally mentioned. The thorny matter of Frankism's relationship with Shabbateanism lies somewhat outside this work. Bibliography and some notes from the work of Tishby, Scholem and Liebes will appear in connection with the history of the Frankist movement, below. 5 From this same experience comes Frank’s use of the motif of the road and progress along it, from place to place, to reach its goal. Terms for walking, treading, following; highways, by-ways and trails abound on which leaders and followers pass, cross, etc. As I mention below I have tried to translate every word in the Polish with the same word in English to make these thematic more clear. 6 There was no unified Shabbatean movement in Poland (or anywhere else for that matter, after 1666). There were a number of Shabbatean missionaries and preachers as well as theologians. Some of these gained followings of varying sizes. (See works by Scholem, Tishby, Liebes and bibliography cited in them.) One must not overestimate the importance of Frank to his own sect. Important figures in his following were better educated Shabbateans than he; many disputed his leadership as well as his principles. 7 The pretexts which served the recognized Jewish community in this moment and later were two. One was directed towards gaining the help of the Polish authorities. In this effort the recognized Jewish authorities sought to have the group found illegitimate as a "new religion." Such were excluded from the governmental writ of religious legitimation. The other pretext, within Jewish circles, was based on a report of orgiastic conduct. The text of this report is found in Rabbi Yakov Emden's Sefer Shimush, one of the most important works in his anti-Shabbatean crusade. Emden's works, like the Ahavat David of D. Fleckeles set the trend to confuse Frankism and Hassidism. More than a little of the anti-Hassidic propaganda and feeling grew out Copyright © 2004 by Harris Lenowitz. All rightsiv reserved. The Words of the Lord [Jacob Frank] ed., trans., ann. by Harris Lenowitz v He returned eventually, after another arrest and flight and a conversion to Islam (often mentioned in the dicta, see particularly 1017 where he shows himself as having led other Jews to convert to the Turkish religion). By this time Frank had gained control over a substantial following, many of whom had been attached to Barukhya Russo ("the Second"), the leader of the Shabbatean group in Salonika (d.
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