P.C Smith and William West

[Chris]

But they can't choose the moment the last day of the month fall.

As for renting flats at the time, contracts would have been very similar to the nowadays ones.
Rent are paid from the first to the last of the days.

That's also an interesting idea, but I suspect it would have been more common to rent by the week.

And if they had been constrained to move on that day willy nilly, it would have been rather unchivalrous of Schwartz to disappear and leave his wife not only with all the work to do, but all the Sabbath-breaking as well.

[Canucco dei Mergi]

And if they had been constrained to move on that day willy nilly, it would have been rather unchivalrous of Schwartz to disappear and leave his wife not only with all the work to do, but all the Sabbath-breaking as well.

a woman ?
an orthodox ?
please.

[Chris]

a woman ?
an orthodox ?
please.

Perhaps it's a language difficulty, but I don't quite understand what you're trying to say there.

[Canucco dei Mergi]

Perhaps it's a language difficulty, but I don't quite understand what you're trying to say there.

You speak about chivalry.
Here is a question of tradition and sticking to it without any free margin available.
Not any.

[Chris]

You speak about chivalry.
Here is a question of tradition and sticking to it without any free margin available.
Not any.

But there would have been "free margin" available for his wife, apparently?

Anyhow, on the pertinent point about whether people in the East End rented by the month, and people had to move on the last (or the first?) of the month, I'm quite happy to be corrected if you can provide some evidence for that idea. But it can be dangerous to say "It would have been like it is now" when speaking of the late Victorian period.

[Canucco dei Mergi]

But there would have been "free margin" available for his wife, apparently?

No.
No free margin.

[Canucco dei Mergi]

But it can be dangerous to say "It would have been like it is now" when speaking of the late Victorian period.

Dangerous ?

You mean for my personal integrity ?

[Chris]

Your utterances are a bit delphic. Perhaps you mean Schwartz hired some Gentiles to do the work? The newspaper comment doesn't read like that to me, but who knows?

By "dangerous" I just meant that there can be a danger of jumping to a false conclusion.

[Canucco dei Mergi]

Your utterances are a bit delphic. Perhaps you mean Schwartz hired some Gentiles to do the work?

Maybe there were Gentiles asked for help or maybe not, who knows.

It could be a possibility and you can bet that if they had heavy wooden furniture Schwarz's wife could not have had the strength to do it by herself.

But it doesn't matter.
Schwarz spoke about his wife and don't count on orthodox jews to break tradition even by an inch.

I see you have a little problem here in catching the point but I don't see at what level exactly.

[Chris]

I see you have a little problem here in catching the point but I don't see at what level exactly.

Only that you seem to think it inconceivable that Schwartz would have lifted a finger on the Sabbath, but apparently have no problem with the idea of his wife lugging around furniture.

[Simon Wood]

Hi Chris,

You're obviously not Jewish.

Regards,

Simon

[Canucco dei Mergi]

Only that you seem to think it inconceivable that Schwartz would have lifted a finger on the Sabbath, but apparently have no problem with the idea of his wife lugging around furniture.

Doesn't matter what I think.
Indeed I do not think anything here. Tradition is what it is no matter what one thinks about it.
No work on Shabbat - you don't write you don't even alight fire - you don't even hint at it. Schwarz had to go. Not even the fact that he comes back well after the ending of the Shabbat (sunset) is coincidental. The wife had no choice herself, everything is dictated by the interpretations of the 'righteous ones'. No discussion possible.
Why should I found it 'inconceivable' ?
Not the case believe me.
Must go now. Was a pleasure.

[Chris]

You're obviously not Jewish.

No, I'm not Jewish, but I know the fourth commandment doesn't include the words "men only"!

[Simon Wood]

Hi Chris,

You're one up on me.

Rest easy.

I will never argue "the bigot's encyclopaedia" with you.

Regards,

Simon

[Chris]

"Canucco"

What I don't understand - and I hoped I'd made it clear enough in my previous post - is why you seem to think it would have been acceptable for Schwartz's wife to work on the Sabbath, but not for Schwartz to do so.