Hesped with a Dvar Torah

 Now I can see the complete article about Rabbi Dr. Cohn. Here's the full translation:

Kleines Feuilleton

In Memory of Rabbi Dr. Cohn in Breslau.

The highest honor one can give to the dead consists in letting the lips of those at rest speak. So in honor of the recently deceased Rabbi Dr. John Cohn in Breslau, who is known through his valuable work on the German translation and commentary of the Mishnah (Parts V and VI, Berlin and Wiesbaden), I wish to recall in grateful remembrance a forty-year true friendship and connection to share with my family an interpretation of a Mishnah passage that he gave me during our last meeting. His explanation, as he told me, is new and might, I believe, be of interest due to its general content.

Since this information is already a year and a half old, and its reproduction comes through someone whose life's work is not in the rabbinical field, the responsibility for its wording falls to the writer of these lines. In the final Mishnah in Peah it says: "Whoever actually would have needed to take (charity) and does not take it, will not die of old age without having supported others with what is his. For it is written: Blessed is the man who trusts in God, and God will be his support [Jeremiah 17:7]. Likewise it is with the judge who judges with truth."

One asks: How does the judge fit into this Mishnah passage? The answer is: The person in poor circumstances who renounces gifts may only do this based on certain prerequisites: He must first correctly assess the situation and the circumstances surrounding him, secondly he must have confidence in his own strength and personality, and thirdly he must rely on the blessing of the Most High. That he has acted reasonably will later be confirmed by the help of the Almighty. The righteous judge also needs three conditions for his judgment: meaningful examination of the facts, belief in his own judgment capability, and finally trust that he will be guided correctly by the Most High in his decision. A judgment rendered on this basis provides the judge with a good conscience as reward, and he is called a companion of God. This is the connection between the judge and the distressed person who rightly believes he must not accept human help. The Mishnah further compares a judge who takes bribes with one who deceives others by pretending to have a disability in order to partake of their charity.

A. L.

This article is from "Der Israelit" (The Israelite), as indicated in the header of the page. You can see "Der Israelit" printed at the top of the newspaper page, along with "Nr. 7 Seite 5" (No. 7 Page 5) and the date February 15, 1934 ("15. Februar 1934").

"Der Israelit" was a German-Jewish newspaper that served the Orthodox Jewish community in Germany during this period. It reported on matters relevant to observant Jews and, as we can see from this memorial piece, included remembrances of important religious figures like Rabbi Dr. John Cohn.