Literary Production. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. Undated
- Title
- Literary Production. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. Undated
- Author
- Morais, Sabato
- Date Created
- 1894
- Format
- 9 pages on 4 sheets
- 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/p3m61c792/manifest.json
- Link to Colenda
- https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3m61c792
- Provenance
- Transfer of Custody from the Hebrew Education Society, 10 March 1913.
- Is Format Of
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/judaicadh/morais/main/TEI/SMBx10FF10_7.xml
- content
-
S. MORAIS,
546 N. FIFTH STREET,
PHILADELPHIA, PA.
94
[Hebrew] 94
A legend in connection with the drowning of
the Egyptians in the red sea--& a disbelief in angelic
angels' advocacy of peoples and countries.
The legendary writings of the Rabbis, are choice gardens in which one may gather many a sweet flower. Contrasted with the intricate ways of the Halechah, where laws are laid down, the paths leading to the allegories of the Midrash, gain very much in their attractiveness. We may form an approximate idea of the pleasure, which those stories afforded the people at large, by an event that happened. Rabbi Chiyá was a thorough master of the traditions of Judaism, as far as it regards the rules and regulations received from the fathers, or enlarged upon by the Sages, as a guide to Hebrew communities. One day he was lecturing at a place adjoining that of another Rabbi, whose acquaintance with legends had made him very notably popular, for Abbahu could entertain and instruct and enchain the minds of his hearers by anecdotes illustrating a moral lessons of which appealed to the feelings sentiments. On that occasion Rabbi Chiyá suffered the mortification of seeing his audience gradually thin off gradually and swell increase the number of the assemblage, who that was listening to Rabbi Abbahu. The latter with a humility worthy of a Rabbi, tried to pacify his colleague by comparing his own lectures to cheap trinkets which find many buyers, whereas few only can Judge of the value of precious stones, to which he kindly com-pared the traditional teachings of Rabbi Chiyá.
Still, the words thus spoken were only a palliative to lessen the pain of wounded feelings. No wonder that the sore was not easily removed. The Talmudists them--selves agree that great preference was given to legendary tales, most especially in times of national sufferings and dire persecutions, when the mind was not capable of bending over the study of oral impartings and required a diversion acting likewise as a sooth--ing comfort balm. Some of our predecessors attracted so much importance to Rabbinical legends that Oriental phraseology they were wont said hyperbolically to say, to study our legendary literature is to to learn how to under-stand God [Hebrew]. But it must be confessed that the choice of garden of flowers, which Midrashic learning decidedly is, has a quantity of been encumbered with thorns and briars too often met among its fragrant roses. Already men, whose orthodoxy is above suspicion, deprecated the transmission in writing of some of the legends, calculated to lower the character of the Jewish religion. Who could excell Judah Hallevi in devotion to the Law and traditions? Scarcely any; nevertheless in his the imaginary dialogue, between where he introduces a Jewish Sage and instructing the King of the Rasars, who had been converted to Judaism, our philosopher poet confesses that in the Talmud subjects have been intro omitted -duced, which our reason must reject cannot accept. He attributes that circumstance to an eager wish on the part of the disciples of the Sages to hand down what they had heard,
without seizing upon the sense of what their preceptors may have intended really to convey. I was reminded of that sensible remark of the immortal Andalusian on reading a legend connected with the great historical event, the anniversary of which Israelites celebrate at this season everywhere. It relates what follows: At the hour that when God decreed to let that the Egyptians must drown in the red sea, Uzza, the advocate of Mizraim, stood forth and addressed the Deity thus: Creator of the world. Thou art called known as the just and righteous Lord, the Lord who does not commit wrong nor shows partiality. Why then wilt thou punish with drowning beings that I care for hold in my [?]? If they have tyrannized over Israel, the freed slaves have gone marched forth free and to liberty enriched with what compensates for years of y servitude. As he finished speaking, the Lord summoned together the whole hierarchy that peoples the heavens, and lay the case before it for decision. The arguments adduced by the Lord in defense of His course was approved of and by the assembled angels, &, being pronounced Uzza's pleading faulty, and he was dismissed. But before retiring from the presence of the Lord, he petitioned for mercy on behalf of Egypt under his special protection. Immediately Gabriel arose and laying a at the foot of the Divine throne a brick the symbol of a rigorous serfdom, he exclaimed:
Do Surely they do not deserve pity, who have pitilessly made a people work beyond the power of endurance? At that moment Justice prevailed over mercy. Now, I have invited attention to that legend, simply to exemplify what I and many of my superiors hold true res--pecting the belief in Angelology. That the existence of an intermediate order of beings between man and God, cannot be denied, all who have read the Bible attentively must admit, but it is also beyond doubt that in many instances the word "angel" applies to any object performing God's will, whe--ther in nature or in His dealings with nations. Too nume--rous would be the quotations by which I could support my assertion. Let two suffice. The psalmist in his grand delineation of God's handiwork says: [Hebrew] "He maketh the wind His angels," namely His messengers--flaming fire His ministers." And in Haggai the prophets we read [Hebrew] [Hebrew] "Haggai the angel of the Lord-- meaning the messenger--said by a message of the Lord, I am with you quoth the Lord." Still, confessing that, without doing violence to the plain text of Holy Writ, we cannot explain away the Jewish belief in angels, as incidents in the life of the patriarchs, it is beyond doubt that not till comparatively later ages, have angelic beings received such active pro--minence as the legend which I have quoted would seems to indicate.
The Rabbis themselves have unequivocally stated that the origin of distinguishing angels by name, emanated from Babylon. It was during our ancestors' exile in Chal--dea that they learned to assign to angelic beings certain appellations to angelic beings which they considered best fitting [Hebrew] [Hebrew]. In fact, it is only Daniel, who lived as a captive under the reign of Nebuchadnezzar and some of his royal successors, that attached proper names to angels. In his book we first read of Gabriel wand Michael figuring as superhuman creatures, friends to Israel. but the slightest knowledge of Hebrew will show that the names are simply connected with God in His acts or in His essence-- Gabriel signifying God's man, or His herald doing His celes--tial wish, and Michael meaning "Who is like God"? What I deprecate in is the acceptance of a theory that classifies an--gels and appoints to each the supervision or protection of particular peoples and countries. I deprecate it, as implied from the Midrash which I have cited, because to me it seems hostile to Mosaism, and derogatory of God's Omnipotence and Omnipresence. In all humility I say it. I repel the notion, because it conflicts with my idea of pure Judaism, centering all powers in the One all ubiquitous; even the Keeper of Israel who neither slumbers nor sleeps. I repel it, and deem it wrong in the compilers of the Ashkenazic ritual, to have
introduced invocations, to angels as mediators between us contrary to the spirit of our Bible and our heavenly Custodian. Not They are met frequently in the old liturgy and notably in that of Rosh Hashanah during in relation to the sounding of various notes of the Shofar. But not Not once do I meet that angels were prayed to by men who figure conspicuously in our Bible scriptures, reading it the sacred volumes from beginning to end. Search--ing through the prophets I read find [Hebrew] [Hebrew]. "Turn unto me Me and be saved, ye all the ends of the earth, for I am God and there is none else" and what Isaiah told us in by the inspi--ration of the Supreme Ruler, is echoed forth through--out the writings of our Seers and psalmists. Daniel himself, in whose book angels play an important part, never im--plored their assistance, but he has left us a touching petition and confession before God alone, at the conclusion of which he tells us what follows: "While I was speaking and pray--ing and acknowledging my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God, for the holy mountain of my God; yea, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Ga--briel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning being made to fly swiftly, touching touched me about the time of the evening oblation and instructed me and talked with me and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to make thee skilful of understanding."
Let us recall the Rabbinical commentary of a Scriptural passage
as embodied in the Haggadah or Seder [Hebrew] [Hebrew] "I will pass through the land of Egypt, I myself and not an angel, I will smite all the first born. I myself and not a seraph, on all the gods of Egypt will I execute jud--gment. I myself and not a messenger, I am the Everlasting and none other is." What I have merely hinted at, Ger--man scholars have made the subject of profound research. I shall will not fatigue my hearers with further observations, and shall close with some remarks to the lad who has just reached his religious majority. - Identifier
- p3m61c792
- identifier
- SMBx10FF10_7
Part of Literary Production. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. Undated
Morais, Sabato, “Literary Production. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. Undated”, Sabato Morais Digital Repository, accessed September 19, 2024, https://judaicadhpenn.org/legacyprojects/s/morais/item/83234