Literary Production. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. Apr 1891 · Sabato Morais Digital Repository · Legacy Projects from Judaica DH at Penn Libraries

Title

Literary Production. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. Apr 1891

Author

Morais, Sabato

Date Created

1 April 1891

Location(s)

United States -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia

United States -- Pennsylvania

Format

10 pages on 4 sheets

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?

Language(s)

English

Source

Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies

Sabato Morais Collection, Box 10, Folder 9

Has Format

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p3q52fx8b/manifest.json

Link to Colenda

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3q52fx8b

Provenance

Transfer of Custody from the Hebrew Education Society, 10 March 1913.

Is Format Of

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/judaicadh/morais/main/TEI/SMBx10FF9_12.xml

content

S. MORAIS,
546 N. Fifth St.
Philadelphia,

157

April 91
Judaism stands on the defensive

Last Sabbath we read an additional portion from the Pentateuch, indicative of the approaching Hebrew month, on the fifteenth of which Israelites celebrate the Passover. That historic holiday, occurred last year almost three weeks sooner than the forthcoming one; that is, on the fifth of April. For, I scarcely need say that it can happen as early as the 26th of March, although not later than the 24th of April. But as generally Passover and Easter come together, or very close to each other,--for the latter was origin--ally intended to copy figuratively symbolically reproduce the former, substituting church sym- sym -bols bols for the synagogual rites and rules of the Synagogue. practices--I have taken occasion, perhaps more than once, to contrast the two festivals. I remember distinctly, at all events, that a year ago on the first day of Pesach, I sub--mitted to my hearers the thoughts which the Matzah--or un--leavened bread--inspires, and those which the belief in a man-god's resurrection awakens. I did not mean by the words I spoke uttered to offer my Christian neighbor an

offence affront, for the religion which we profess teaches toleration. Our patriarchs reckoned gentiles among their allies; Aner, Eshcol & Mamre were the confederates of Abram [Hebrew] our prophets declared even our national enemies the objects of God's care hence entitled to our personal consideration, [Hebrew] [Hebrew] "Assyria is the work of my hands" [Hebrew], while some of our renowned Rabbis asso--ciated with heathen Sages, Trained in such schools, I have learned to respect my fellow man of every creed, so long as he does not make his own religious notions publicly aggressive. Still, some who heard me speak, objected to my discourse. They considered deemed it inadvisable to exhibit to view the mystic dogmas confessed by a majority, in order to bring out in bold relief the reasonable doctrines of the minority. But with due deference to the objectors, I hold that I did not overstep the bounds of propriety, for it is usual to hear 2at this season with1 ministers in the Church to invite Jews to seek salvation by forsaking the ancient faith. Why should I not then, in honor and defense of my religion, show that [Hebrew]. "Israel is saved by the Eternal Lord with an everlasting salvation"? Why should I refrain from giving my brethren

the scriptural assurance that [Hebrew] "The Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our King, that He will save us"? Now, to prove that I am not drawing on the imagination, when attributing to Christian preachers an offensively proselytising spirit, I will tell how this very week I casually met a coreligionist, who is ordinarily brought in contact with church goers. He stated that on the Friday preceding Easter, one of his acquaintances related that upon the same day prayers had been offered for the benighted Jews, that they might see the light of the gospel. It is not, as some allege, only men bound within a narrow compass of knowledge that indulge in such cant, but persons distinguish--ed for their vast learning will urge us to exchange Judaism for Christianity. No less a scholar than the late Franz Delitzsch, familiar with the whole range of our Hebrew literature, was caught by death when almost in the act of finishing an essay,

which tried to explain the motives, that ought to induce Jews to accept the doctrine of the messiah--ship of the man of Nazareth. I do not for a moment doubt the sincerity of the author, and I must award to him the merit of moderation in his efforts. I am even grateful to the German savant, for having exposed the falsities of the man Rohling, a hater of our race, who dared assert that according to Talmudical or Kabbalistical teachings, Christian blood must be mixed in the dough of the Passover bread. Nevertheless, the dogma of a predestined mediator between man and his Maker as the sole means of forgiveness, is the idea running through some of the multifarious Delitzsch's+ writings of Delitzsch the Leipzick professor. All in this country may not have read the works of that erudite scholar, but many must have listened to a high prelate of the Presbyterian church, whose recent demise called forth wide spread regrets. For great was his reputation for varied learning, and as head of the University of New York, as President and very active member of the Society for the prevention of crime, as Pastor of a large and influential congregation

and as an author, Dr Howard Crosby's opinions carried a heavy an immense weight. Evidently, however, they lacked broadness in one respect. For the reverend preacher made himself conspicuous shortly before his demise decease by defending an apostate form our religion, whose obtru--siveness became obnoxious to our people. The re--creant found in Dr. Crosby a strong advocate, not--withstanding most damaging charges, simply because the unscrupulous renegade has hired himself to the service of the church. The trade which he still plies is to lure the unwary into the abandonment of the ancestral belief. Consistent in his con--victions, that the Jew is beyond the pale of sal--vation, the learned Presbyterian minister would encourage proselytism and annually preach dwell on the necessity of our conversion--I mean pervesion--in order that we may be delivered from perdition. But why do I have reference to the minister of a denomination, whose articles of faith have remained unchanged? He held firm to the idea that a denial of the atoning power of the one whom the Romans executed at at Calvary, is like cutting off from the soul every hope of immortality.

The surprise is that the exponent of another deno-mination, which prides itself on its enlarged liberalism, intimated on Easter Sunday nearly the identical idea. The venerable nonagenarian clergyman of the first Unitarian church in Philadelphia, set forth the theory of a that an actual bodily reappearance on earth of the crucified one, to Nazarene hap--pened, as a proof that faith can conquer physical death. The sym--bolic cross, the music, the oratory formed a trinity, ill-according with the Unity, on which the sect which that Dr Furness represents, is credited to have its founda--tion stone. A feature which I noticed with pain is that a Philadelphia synagogue, employs the same singers and songstresses who figured prominently at the Easter ceremonies services in that church. Thus are our religious opponents given just cause to charge us with hollow professions; as postponing principles to outward appearances, the integrity of the a Jewish worship to expediency. Well: that compromise also doubtless enters into the plan now boldly advocated by radicalism. For in a late Sunday lecture its champion in our city, advised the amalgamation of Judaism with Christianity. The former must cast off

whatever savors of Orientalism, namely, as I inter--pret it, break down every vestige of the bridge con--necting the past with the present, and the latter must make a public denial disavowal of the divinity of the Galilean Jew. What species of religion such an im--possible fusion will create, I am at a loss to im--agine, unless it be a step in advance to the Ethical culture non descript which, I am assured, is now moving slowly backward in search of some outward aids for its support. No: abstractions cannot guide the bulk of mankind. We must per force employ ex--ternal forms to recall the inner requisites of the spirit, and those forms are the wisest which retain a people within the line of morality, without sacrificing the demands claims of reason. How the ceremonies of the Hebrew church have answered that purpose, let the approaching Passover so enlivening in its surroundings, fastening domestic ties, tell. The day on which its abolition, together with all that has come down from the East, will be abrogated, we shall retrograde in the path of practical goodness. We may set up on a lofty pedestal Philosophy as a deity, but it will be a deity incapable of holding humanity at large in integrity, incapable to save.

Not by destroying, but by purifying cleansing our rites and usages, we shall verify the words of the archpro--phet of the East [Hebrew] [Hebrew] "All the people of the earth shall see that the name of the Lord is resting upon thee, and they shall do thee reverence." I admit with Maimonides that Christianity is a wide step forward towards the reception of the Unity, when compared with the gross polytheism of polished Greek and all-con--quering Rome. Yet, what strides it must take, in order to reach the pure knowledge of God's absolute Oneness. For very slow it is from the to acceptation of our daily declaration of faith [Hebrew] and which the unknown author of the hymn where with which the Sephardic ritual closes its Sabbath service so expresses "Sole God, unequal and beyond compare, without division or associate". The hand that shapes human events, will guide lead intelligent creatures to unroll the volume on which to inscribe their names to the Eternal Lord. So have they predicted whose vision was uncircumscribed. As to ourselves, O disciples of Moses, it It is by holding fast to our creed, by defending it, by showing its saving powers through active virtues, that we may hope for to promote the final suppression of all species of idolatry, and for the sanctification of the One incorporeal, all creating and all-loving God.

Identifier

p3q52fx8b

identifier

SMBx10FF9_12