Memórias do estabelecimento e progresso dos judeus portuguezes e espanholes nesta famosa cidade de Amsterdam (Account of the Establishment and Progress of the Portuguese and Spanish Jews in This Famous City of Amsterdam)
David Franco Mendes
1743
On the Election of a New Cantor
On the night of 20 Iyar 5503 [May 14, 1743], the sad news was announced regarding the death of the most exemplary ḥazan [cantor] R. Sem[uel] Rod[rigue]s Mendes, in Narde, where he had gone to recover from a debilitating condition from which he was suffering because of prolonged ill health. And on the same night, they brought the corpse to his house and at 8 o’clock on the following day, he was transported to the study house near the synagogue, where they recited kinot [dirges] for him. Among these, was one composed by R. Yeḥiel Foa. At 11 o’clock, they made another circuit of the synagogue while he was carried by the ḥakham [rabbi] and Torah scholars. He was not given any title but ne‘im zemirot Yisra’el [sweet singer of Israel]1 for this was the instruction he left in writing and his hashkavah [remembrance prayer] was recited on the Sabbath morning of the Torah portion Behar-Beḥukotai, before the Torah reading itself. On the same day, there was someone in the synagogue who intended to make an offering to the ḥazanim, just like when the deceased was alive, and Ḥazan Aaron ha-Kohen de Lara, with the approval of the president, Jacob Jessurun Pinto, delivered the offering at mevarekh [blessing]. This innovation provoked dissension and factiousness in the congregation—some approved and others disapproved, but in a completely disjointed manner. In the afternoon, some yeḥidim [full members] gathered, in contrast to what happened in the beginning and there was one particular person who instructed the ḥazan in what to tell the other ḥazanim. Since the ḥazan did not feel disposed to do so, he insisted again and again that it should be this way and not otherwise. Many yeḥidim came to his aid, causing a tumult and shouting loudly: “Tell the ḥazanim, tell the ḥazanim.” Upon seeing this commotion, the president promptly cast the penalty of malediction against anyone who would retort, but he was not satisfied until he instructed the same ḥazan to repeat the declaration of the same punishment against those who would not quiet down. Thereupon, a profound silence pervaded the sanctuary and, placing the Torah scroll in the ark, the president made various offerings on account of his two-month departure and also to the mevarekh but not the respondent. The next day, the mahamad [board of governors] fined the respondent twenty florins and they henceforth confirmed the offering to the mevarekh.
On the 10th of Sivan, the mahamad declared publicly that the post of the deceased officiant be filled by a meritorious person and that those who could prove their capability of discharging the duties of the aforesaid post should submit their request by the following Wednesday, entreating the yeḥidim to conduct themselves decorously and calmly during the examinations, without engaging in uproarious antics and without excessively applauding or disapproving this or that candidate, on pain of malediction and a monetary penalty to be paid to the mahamad, with the recommendation to the yeḥidim that they vote their conscience without passion in favor of those whom they believe to be the qualified. [ . . . ]
The day of the vote, scheduled for the 12th of Elul, was postponed because there were many elders who claimed that votes be cast for two ḥazanim and the majority of the mahamad disagreed. During this time, ardent requests for a vote were made, some favoring one candidate while others another (the aforementioned prohibitions and imprecations notwithstanding). Most supported Laguna, Gomez, and Brandão, through petitions, gifts, intervention by persons of authority, and by threat of withholding benefices. Meetings of elders, together with regents, were held in private homes to find an expedient way of restraining the passions of the parties and satisfy everyone, and they agreed to elect one of them as assistant ḥazan. This was approved by the mahamad and, since this action required the approval of the elders of the nation, inasmuch as it was a matter of a new position and a new officiator, they summoned to appear on the 28th of the same month those authorized to ratify the election, stipulating their salary at 250 florins per annum, 60 florins for renting a house, and a separate emolument. As soon as they received notice of the second, ninth, and tenth propositions of this decision, they withdrew their petitions. The following night, the mahamad convened and, by majority vote, elected Joseph de Ishac Sarfatim. They summoned him and, once he was in attendance, had him sign the accords of his admittance to office, and the next day they awarded 150 florins to the ḥazan Kohen for the estimable assistance he provided the petitioners.
1743
The first night of Rosh Hashanah, the mahamad publicly declared that, since various yeḥidim had transgressed the prohibition of seeking votes—on pain of malediction—with regard to the election of the ḥazan, they decided to absolve from this penalty those who had incurred it, and the ḥakham and the rabbinic court went up to the ark to conduct a regular ceremony. Upon the conclusion of this event, the ḥazan announced that the following Sunday, the Fast of Gedaliah, the individuals would come to the chamber of the mahamad to cast their votes for a ḥazan during the morning hours and they gave notice of their having elected an assistant ḥazan. Once this notice was disseminated, the ḥazan Kohen recited the Misheberakh [blessing for health] for his election, which was celebrated by the entire congregation. As gabbai [beadle], Abraham Henriques Ferreira left his seat and went down to take the aforementioned Sarfatim from where he was sitting and conducted him to the ark, where he was received by the ḥazan Kohen in a loving embrace, and the next day the newly elected officiant recited the Mussaf [Additional] Prayer.
On Shabbat Teshuva [the Sabbath before Yom Kippur], he prayed on the occasion of his first public appearance and sang a quatrain found in Kol tefila ve-kol zimra [Every Prayer and Every Chant], page 54, and paid his donation of 233 ducats, equaling 28 ducats, 6 Spanish pesos, and 23 florins. On the morning of the fast, the mahamad and the ḥakhamim convened in their room, and the president of the nation, Mosseh de Chaves, sitting at the head of the table, handed each yeḥid who approached, a notice bearing the names of the candidates for them to choose one of the names by secret ballot, telling each one to fold the notice before placing it in the hands of ḥakham Israel, who, believing it to be authentic, placed it in the ballot box, which was sealed with the seal of the congregation, and the key to which was in the possession of the aforesaid ḥakham. On that day, the calls for the votes were so vociferous that proxies and signed votes of those unable to appear in person were produced. These documents were carefully examined by the mahamad before being cast in the box with the rest and, since this task was carried out during Minḥah [the afternoon service], a cushion was brought in, on which reposed the sealed ballot box. They encircled it with ribbons and, placing seven seals on them, they placed it for safekeeping in the president’s cabinet. After the prayer service and breaking the fast, they returned to the mahamad accompanied by ḥakham Israel. Once the doors to the patio were closed to prevent turmoil, and after the seals were deemed to be intact, they opened the box. Upon adding the votes of the yeḥidim of distinction, the ḥakham withdrew the votes and, collating with some of the community leaders, who noted them down separately, they found the results to be, as follows:
5503, 1743
For Abraham Lopes Laguna 148 votes
For Joseph Gomes Silva 182 votes
For Benjamin Diaz Brandão 51 votes
For Solomon Saruco 2 votes
For Samuel Oeb 1 vote
384 votes and one blank ballot
whereas the tally of the yeḥidim was 414.
They sent notification to the aforesaid Gomes of his election, ordering him to appear to receive congratulations and sign the accords of his admittance to office. During the morning, he sent word of his election to the homes of the yeḥidim and they went to congratulate him shortly thereafter. The following afternoon, several elders of the Nation, both yeḥidim and ordinary folk, sought him out at his home and accompanied him to the synagogue, where he was received with the great doors wide open and the ḥazan Kohen intoned the Barukh ha-ba’ [welcome] and the congregation followed suit. The afternoon service was conducted without reciting the prayer Nefilat apayim [the petitionary prayer]. The said ḥazan recited the Misheberakh, using the expression: “he who was elected ḥazan of this holy congregation and my fellow ḥazan,” whereupon psalms were chanted. President Chaves left his seat to seek him out and conducted him to the ark, placing him on the seat formerly occupied by the late ḥazan Mendes. When he had been congratulated with affectionate embraces by the aforesaid ḥazan Kohen and the assistant ḥazan, they intoned Psalm 57, thus bringing the ceremony to a close. The new ḥazan led the service on the following day as well as on the succeeding Days of Awe. He also recited the hashkabot [remembrance prayers] on the evening and the day of Yom Kippur, and on the intermediate Sabbath, he led services since this was his debut, chanting in the evening two quatrains from Kol tefilah ve-kol zimrah, page 55. He gave his contribution of 377 ducats equaling 32 ducats and 5 silver pieces. On 20 Tishri, the ḥazanim and the assistant ḥazan were summoned and handed their rotation schedule regarding prayers, etc.
Notes
[Ne‘im zemirot Yisra’el (Hebrew: “sweet singer of Israel”) is an epithet for King David. —Trans.]
Credits
Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 5.
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