Anniversaries. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. 1877 · Sabato Morais Digital Repository · Legacy Projects from Judaica DH at Penn Libraries

Title

Anniversaries. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. 1877

Author

Morais, Sabato

Date Created

1877

Location(s)

United States -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia

United States -- Pennsylvania

Format

8 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 11, Folder 2

Has Format

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p35q4s51j/manifest.json

Link to Colenda

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p35q4s51j

Provenance

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

Is Format Of

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/judaicadh/morais/main/TEI/SMBx11FF2_12.xml

content

For the 17th anniversary of
the 7th st Synagogue.

Brethren! This year the anniversary sermon has been deferred longer than ordinarily. You may have observed that heretofore it was delivered on either of two sacred days. If the New Moon occurred before the Sabbath preceding the week in which Pentecost is celebrated, I spoke concern--ing the dedication of our new Synagogue upon that Sabbath. If it happened later, I addressed you on the topic the first day of the festival. I ought, accordingly, to have alluded yesterday morning to the occasion, on which we entered we this edifice, seventeen years ago. But a long expe--rience has shown me that of all our holidays, "the feast of Weeks" attracts the smallest number of my American coreligionists to the house of God. Why it should be so, I am at a loss to divine. For, were I asked, which of our solemn seasons might claim priority, I would unhesitatingly answer: that wherein we learnt our duties, is entitled to the highest distinction. Admitting that Judaism, and the religions derived form it, hinge on the event of the Passover; for, unless we had be--come a separate and free nation, the knowledge of

Holy Writ could neither have been acquired, nor disseminated,--a fact of which we are reminded by the compilers of our ritual, who to the performance of almost every practice they attach the sentence "a memorial of the coming out of Egypt"--; Admitting that Ju- also that -daism the institution of the Sabbath had precedence to the delivery of the Decalogue, and that the latter meant only to give it the strongest confirmation; still, the day of Sinai may be rightly regarded as a central light, from which, like so many luminous rays, the tenets and ordinances of our faith emanate. Why it should not exhibit the largest multitude of worshippers in the sanctuary, I cannot imagine. To raise the ob--jection,--captiously made by some, that the Scriptures are silent about the real season, which we now cele--brate, would be a denial of both the written and the oral law. To say that the fiftieth day form the presentation of the first sheaf of the barley-produce to the Temple has lost its significance since our dispersion, and to solemnize on it the promulgation of the ten commandments is to do what history does not warrant, would show a want of reflection inexcusable in any Israelite.

We cannot prove to the world mathematically that the sixth of Sivan is the day on which the Duty revealed His will to a priestly assemblage, but we can approximately demonstrate it, even with--out taking into consideration the oral teachings of the fathers. That this is the third month of the ec--clesiastical year,--which, in deference to the great event of the deliverance from bondage begins in Nissan--, none can doubt; that the word Chodesh, as in "Ba--Chodesh Hashelishi" often stands by itself in Biblical style to signify the New Moon, none acquainted with the Hebrew language will gainsay. Consequently, we may believe what is accepted by our comment--ators, that the day of our fathers' arrival at Sinai was the first of Sivan. And as we are told that the people, upon reaching that desert in Arabia, encamped opposite the mountain, namely, the mount--ain of which Moses must have spoken, as having been hallowed by the vision of the burning-bush, and by the expressed pre-ordination of God, it follows clearly,

that soon after that, the three days preparatory to the promulgation of the Decalogue commenced. Hence, the greatest of all events in history, must, of neces--sity, have taken place early in Sivan. But we believe also what men who obtained instruction from prophets, have handed down. They have assured poster--rity that the festival which Israel solemnize at this period of our year is doubly sacred; that it recalls the sense of gratitude evinced by their ancestors at God's blessing, when the fields smiled with the a pro--mised abundance, and its recipients conveyed to the habitation of the Lord two loaves made of the first wheat the soil had yielded, and that it is, more--over, the anniversary of the birth-day of that matchless declaration, which underlies the constitu--tions of civilized mankind. And this double feature, they set before us, when they wrote in our liturgy, "Thou (O Lord) hast given us this feast of Weeks, the season of the delivery of our Law", an utterance, my brethren, universally repeated in Israel, and sanctioned, likewise, by authors, who, cannot be said, to have been influenced by Rabbinical imparting.

Why, then, the disciples of the Sages should esteem lightly what is of primary importance, I am unable to explain, but, as they do not as a role prove they adequately value it, by a thronged gathering in throngs at the Tabernacle of prayer, I have postponed that which I wished ot say to my congrega--tion, to the Sabbath-day; when I hoped that a larger number than usual would of assemble in our consecrated edifice. Well: dear hearers! We have some cause this year, for self-gratulation. This religious body of ours, having attained the venerable age of nearly a hund--red years, was considered decrepit, and verging on the grave of dissolution. Thanks to a watchful Providence, not alone it has kept alive, but it has given signs of renewed vigor. Our Synagogue has had the power to draw persons, who derive pleasure from carrying out ancestral usages. For, scarcely once in all the services here performed,--independent of the ordinary Friday evenings and Sabbath morning-worship--, scarce--ly once has the requisite number been found wanting. The minor sanctuary of the Mikvé Israel Congregation, is now the cynosure of all eyes, that are not closed to the ne--cessity of supporting Judaism by outward as well as by inward agencies.

Coreligionists, connected with other congregations, attend it with great frequency, certain to meet, what is at present, rarely met observed elsewhere, I mean, the per--formance of the worship with undeviating regularity, and an indiscriminate bestowal of religious honors on all attendants. But another cause for rejoi--cing, is the faint but still perceptible wish in parents,--who contribute to the stability of our Synagogue--, to supply their sons with instruction in Hebrew. A wish which I interpret as a happy prognostic; for it may beget a revival, the good effects of which can never be overestimated. The distinguishing character--istic of the dwelling where the God of Sinai receives the homage of His adorers, must indispensably be the use of the language in which He delivered His will to the priestly nation. None born of our race, should remain entirely ignorant thereof, but our sons ought early to acquire a taste for the culti--vation of a learning which alone can save the bond of our unity from disruption, and Jewish communities

from extinction. Grateful to all fathers and mothers who, impressed with a their solemn obligation, do not begrudge the remuneration given to the private teachers, striding to enable their offspring to sing understanding--ly the sacred hymns and psalms of the Synagogue. I must also express my satisfaction that some of my young brethren have availed themselves of my gratuitous efforts, in larger numbers and with more constancy than formerly.
If our new structure, has not perceived in its 16th year, the realization of that for which every stone thereof must long--its deliverance from any entanglement with an association which may partly claim it as its possess--ion, it has nevertheless not suffered temporarily, while it has, in a small degree, prospered spiritually.
Its temporal directors still evince great interest, and have not slackened their exertions in promoting its welfare. Under their administration, broad but judicious, liberal but economical, firm but mild, the permanence of the Mickvé Israel Congregation, whose 17th anniversary, we celebrate will be secured. "The glory of this latter house, shall be greater than the former--and in this place will I give give peace saith the Lord of hosts." So may it be. Amen.

Identifier

p35q4s51j

identifier

SMBx11FF2_12