 In the first period, he followed the example of the "Maskilim" and the "Haskalah" and demanded the reform of Judaism; he differed however from the Maskilim in that he was much less extravagant, his style being free from the flowery "meliẓah" used by them, and his ideas being marked by soberness and clearness.His "Orḥot ha-Talmud," mentioned above, and his autobiography, "Ḥaṭṭot Ne'urim" (The Sins of Youth; Vienna, 1876), contain a description of his material and spiritual struggles; both made a marked impression upon the earlier period.His influence in the second period, that of Jewish national reawakening, in which he actively participated, also was due to this characteristic style.