Literary Production. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. Oct 1894 · Sabato Morais Digital Repository · Legacy Projects from Judaica DH at Penn Libraries

Title

Literary Production. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. Oct 1894

Author

Morais, Sabato

Date Created

19 October 1894

Location(s)

United States -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia

United States -- Pennsylvania

Format

9 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 10

Has Format

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p3804z398/manifest.json

Link to Colenda

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3804z398

Provenance

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

Is Format Of

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/judaicadh/morais/main/TEI/SMBx10FF10_4.xml

content

S. MORAIS,
546 N. FIFTH STREET.
PHILADELPHIA, 189

145

For the day of Kippur [Hebrew]

It was nearly published as a whole nearly entirely
in the Jewish Exponent
with some corrections & emendations

Miss O'Reilly's Report, which all must have read in Philadelphia papers on the 24th day of last month, was a very sad revelation the sadder to Jewish hearts, because it bore on its face the aspect of genuineness. That to the dishonor of the fair name of Israel, out of 555 black spots--not homes and not houses--the writer should have discovered the largest elements of wretchedness among our people of foreign birth, is a record offensive to the re--ligion which we profess, discreditable to merchants of our faith, while humanity shudders at the nar--rative. Inequity alone could have conceived the sweating system, so prolific of evils--a system stunting the growth of children employed under it, bending with premature old age men and women in the prime of life, tainting the atmosphere with foul vapors, bereaving many a mother of her young.
Incredible it would seem, if the informant were not reliable, that in this century of undoubted pro--gress; in this century and in this country, whose inven--tive genius has increased a hundred fold what contributes

to indoors and outdoors comforts, morals should ne--vertheless be still so low, that an Isaiah would with righteous indignation would repeat his denunciatory address against the rich: "Ye have in your houses what ye have robbed out of from the poor" [Hebrew] "What mean ye that crush my people and grind the face of the poor" [Hebrew]. Brethren. The spirit of Moses spoke then by the lips of the son of Amoz, for, none more compassionate than the legislator who had stood in holy communion with the God of Sinai. Not alone in the denial of rightly earned wages Moses condemns as wicked, but even the delay of payment he declares a sin. The inspired Lawgiver who in the book of Leviticus asked that we shall not let our journeyman go home at night without his daily hire [Hebrew] [Hebrew], respected the same commandment with greater emphasis in Deuteronomy, shortly before his death [Hebrew] [Hebrew] "Thou shalt not defraud a hired man poor and needy"--that is, thou shalt not take advantage of his unfortunate condition--"whether he be one of thy brethren,

or of the strangers that are in thy land, within thy gates" [Hebrew] "On the same day thou shalt give him his wages, let not the sun go down upon it, for he is poor, and he has set his heart upon it" [Hebrew] "He may cry unto the Lord against thee, and it will be a sin unto thee." How the soul of our immortal teacher would kindle with wrath at the thought of such scenes, as recently witnessed in Philadel--phia! Families vegetating in holes, poisoned with pestilential air, stitching, and stitching and stitching, twelve or fourteen hours a day to receive what does not suffice to procure a scanty meal. For, among the heartrending sights described, was the terrible spectacle which met Miss O'Reilly's searching in Alaska St. A man, his wife and five children occupying a single room in which all ate, worked and slept. The father being in poor health, was unable to help any. The mother was blinding herself over a work that brought almost nothing. She complained of the

hard times and said: "I can get only bread for my child--ren" The proof of her statement was evidenced in the five little ones being gathered about a very small table, upon which had been placed a loaf of rye bread. Like a lot of young wolves they made a scramble for possession, until each had succeeded in getting a share, as much as the tiny would hands of the smallest tightly holding what it could grasp. That was their noonday meal. How the soul of Moses would burn with indignation at man's revolting cruelty against his fellow-man, he that forbade the least unkindness to dumb animals, he who would not allow, young a nest of birds to be taken off while the mother is there lying by her young; he would would not allow two beasts of unequal strength to be tied together yoked abreast when at work; not even to muzzle an ox so as to prevent its eating of the grass of the field, in which he it labors for the benefit of its owner. Upon this day of atonement, our supremely humane legislator would thus address a people whom he sought to instruct nobly: "Progeny of Abraham, the merciful. Let those who are guilty of a heinous crime, go in search of the places which testify against their inhumanity and bring there

an atonement offering, which will change disease into health, hunger into full satisfaction, gloom into light. That will be a Kippur most accept--able to the Lord". Brethren. I pray fervently hope that none whom I address is stained with the grie--vous sin which Miss O'Reilly imputed against to heartless merchants and the agents of their insatiable greed. I gladly buoy myself up with the belief that not one comes under the condemnation of Jeremiah: "Woe unto him that builds his house by unrighteousness and his chambers by injustice; that makes his neighbor work without wages and gives im not his hire." But I beseech all within reach of my voice to bring an expiatory sacrifice for any trespass committed. by Let it be the exercise of beneficence, which has life as a reward the enjoyment of a terrestrial life, as a reward, and immortality [Hebrew]
It is not a figure of speech in which I indulge, but a truth very melancholy indeed which I must report. Star--vation with its gaunt visage has stood at the gates of the United Hebrew charities. For the twenty fifth year of its existence was marked by suffering unforeseen and unprecedented. Not infrequently poverty

follows close at the heels of improvidence. A father's intemperance, or his disposition to venture his earnings at the gaming board, has plunged a families into the lowest depths of misery. But it was not the fault of many wage-earning men and women, if in the year 1894, idleness inactivity refused them bread. A far extended stagnation in trade, the impossibility to obtain situa--tions, when forges and factories were closed, or had reduced their workings to a minimum, when shop-keepers dismissed their helps, or retained only very few, compelled the industrious to beg and brought our United charities to a strait never before experienced. The news that the institution had closed its doors, spread abroad, and all who have the honor of Philadelphia Jews at heart, lamented the circumstance. But that honor was soon redeemed, for thousands were poured in into the trea-sury to prevent scenes, too distressing to behold. Still, more than the emergency fund supplied was spent, and now the United Charities looks to us prayfully and hopefully for donations, which will

exceed by far those of past years. I rejoice to notice that among donors, some of our Mickvé Israel figure prominently, but I mean no reflection on any of my brethren especially, when I add that, contrasted with other congregations, we stand below the mark.
Nothing human is perfect and it is not impossible that in the administration of a most difficult, arduous and delicate trust, errors may occur, but personal experience warrants me to say that our generous gifts are now distributed with a sys--tem that commends itself to our approval. The of-ficials are entitled to our confidence, for each m labors in his sphere with a zeal which practical religion inspires, and while the oldest member of the Mickvé Israel congregation presides by an honorary title due to his venerable age and character, the actual President, his coadjutor, the unwavering and untiring corps of women, at whose head stands an Esther,--the queen of charity benefactions--labor unitedly to a blissful end. [Hebrew] "Happy is he who considereth the poor, the Lord will deliver him in the day of sorrow trouble"

Identifier

p3804z398

identifier

SMBx10FF10_4