Shmuel Yosef Agnon (1887-1970) | Jewish Renaissance Blog (original) (raw)
Olim Tour Agnon Residence in Jerusalem (photo by Nathan Roi)
By Nathan Roi
Moshe Nissim, Former Israeli Finance Minister and son of Chief Rabbi Yitzchak Nissim, once told me that he would join his brother for Shabbat afternoon strolls to Shmuel Yosef (S.Y.) Agnon in Jerusalem’s Arnona neighborhood. They would fill the spiritually uplifting visits with intellectually stimulating dialogue, yielding true “Oneg Shabbat” for the three religiously observant conversers.
Just before he passed away in the Kaplan Rechovot Hospital, Agnon asked that he be given his head covering. Then he closed his eyes…
Agnon lived a multifaceted, yet simple lifestyle. Unlike poet Chaim Nachman Bialik, Agnon resided in a down-to-earth apartment and shunned hosting guests – except for on Shabbat. Agnon left no doubts for his guests as he plastered his wall with placards reading, “don’t switch on the lights on Shabbat”. The bottom floor of Agnon’s apartment featured a living room and small kitchen, with the upper floor housing Agnon’s vast archive and study.
Pretty much to the very end of his days, Agnon would work 12 hours per day, standing and leaning on his stander as he gathered material and wrote. The varied subject matter of Agnon’s books ranges from free flowing compilations of Hassidic stories to modern prose written in Mishnaic style. A true “talmid chacham”, Agnon went to great lengths to edit and rewrite his drafts, drawing inspiration and terminology from wide-ranging layers of traditional Jewish literature. Agnon also treasured classic Celtic and Scandinavian literature, as evidenced by his library.
Over the years, I’ve accumulated almost all of Agnon’s works and hundreds of articles about him, even at times when purchasing his books put a financial strain on me. Agnon is the most written about Israeli author, and his works continue to inspire Israeli creators today.
Shuly Rand’s Etrog in the film Ushpizin echoes Agnon’s short story, “The Tzaddik’s Etrog”:
Agnon’s primary writings reflect “Jewish Renaissance” at its best, with all of his works drawing heavily on Jewish sources.
Click here to read an excerpt (Hebrew) from Agnon’s “In the Prime of Her Life”, which exemplifies his use of Jewish sources. The article also features a rare voice recording of Agnon reading the story.
Born in Buczacz, Galicia, Agnon made Aliyah to Israel, but later left to Hamburg, Germany. Working in Hamburg together with Professor Martin Buber, Agnon started archiving Hassidic stories, but most of the books they gathered were ravaged by a fire that broke out in Agnon’s home. Buber subsequently published the archetypal book of Hassidic stories, “Or Haganuz”, with Agnon periodically writing short Hassidic stories. These were compiled and published as a collection following Agnon’s death.
Agnon wrote many stories about his Galician hometown, Buczacz, including his classic novel, “A Guest for the Night”, which foresaw the obliteration of the Diaspora in the Holocaust.
Agnon’s stories about the Land of Israel are filled with great love for the land and for the people who live there, peppered with sarcasm and the curiosity of a child. His monumental work, “Only Yesterday”, characterizes this genre.
Agnon also wrote treatises on Jewish thought and observance, including “Days of Awe”.
Agnon, whose 41st yahrzeit (11 Adar Aleph) is marked this month, is the lone Israeli recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature.
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About Nathan Roi
Nathan Roi is a journalist with over 20 years of experience and 18 books behind him. Holds degrees in Hebrew Literature, History and Law; and completed his Masters Degree in Jewish Philosophy Magna Cum Laude. Dreams of writing a PhD Thesis on the 20th century continuers of the Musar Movement, including Rabbi Eliezer Eliyahu Dessler and his student Rabbi Chaim Friedlander. Happily married and proud father of five wonderful children. נתן רועי פרסם 18 ספרים ועבד למעלה מ- 20 שנה כעיתונאי וחבר מערכת. בעל תארים בספרות, היסטוריה ומשפטים, ואחרון חביב תואר מוסמך במחשבת ישראל בהצטיינות יתרה. חולם לכתוב עבודת דוקטור על הגותם של ממשיכי "תנועת המוסר" במאה העשרים ובהם: הרב אליעזר דסלר זצ"ל ותלמידו הרב חיים פרידלנדר. אב גאה לחמישה ילדים מקסימים ובעל לאישה נפלאה.