Exegetical lectures. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. Undated
- Title
- Exegetical lectures. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. Undated
- Author
- Morais, Sabato
- Format
- 11 pages on 5 sheets
- Language(s)
- English
- Source
- Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies
- Sabato Morais Collection, Box 12, Folder 2
- Has Format
- https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p33f4m640/manifest.json
- Link to Colenda
- https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p33f4m640
- Provenance
- Transfer of Custody from the Hebrew Education Society, 10 March 1913.
- Is Format Of
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/judaicadh/morais/main/TEI/SMBx12FF2_1.xml
- content
-
An exegetical lecture
Beloved hearers! It has been my aim (though probably with--out success through my deficiencies) to unfold before your eyes the beauties and truths treasured up in Holy Writ. Accordingly I have seized every opportunity to draw your attention to certain passages in the respective lesson of the Sabbath, which might furnish your minds with new and useful ideas. But I confess that had I made the exegesis of the Bible the exclusive subject of my discourses, I should not have imparted one a thousandth part of the profitable knowledge to be derived from that heavenly book. A long experience has convinced me that only an incessant study of the original, can exhibit in its true light the matchless worth of the code which is Jacob's inheritance. No exposition however accurate can reproduce the weighty sense of the sacred text. We may by its means sip some refreshing water from the spring of wisdom, but it will never enable us to quaff thereat. It may be argued, that such result is the common lot of any translated work, for, each language possesses peculiarities, which are totally lost when couched in a foreign diction. But while I admit the correctness of such reasoning, I contend that neither in extent nor in importance is the difference, in other cases, so great as with regard to the Hebrew.
The Rabbis have said, that when the Greek translation of the Pentateuch was executed by order of Ptolomey Philadelphus, darkness envelopped the earth; which hyperbole undoubtedly signifies how, through that human production, erroneous conceptions would be formed touching the word of the inspired legislator. No, my friends! a thorough acquaintance with the language, which is the bounden duty of Israelites to learn, is solely capable to open our understanding to the compre--hensive meaning and spirit of the volumes we revere. The section of this morning offers many striking instances, in support of my opinion, but for the sake of brevity, I will cite only two. And in commencing with the very first verse of the Parasha we have recited, I need but repeat the general interpretation to demonstrate its inadequacy to express its import "and God spoke unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the Lord" I may have formed a wrong judgment, but I consider that the proper definition of that sentence, will ever remain concealed to him who is not versed in the sacred tongue. Moses had assumed with extreme hesitation the task imposed by the Deity. The know consciousness of his want of eloquence, and his exceeding meekness combined to deter him from confronting a mighty king, and demanding the freedom of his bondmen.
Yet, inspired with commiseration for the oppressed and assured of his brothers' cooperation, he had at length undertaken the momentous charge. But when the deeper anguish of his fellow-believers, evinced that his zealous endeavours had been abortive; that instead of loosening the fetters that chained his victims, the tyrant had rivetted them, the heart of the son of Amram grieved to its core, and he laid his complaint before the Lord. To comfort his servant, and reanimate his gloomy spirits, God appeared to him and said [Hebrew] I am "Adonai" But what does that single word contain, must the untutored in Hebrew ask, that it could suffice to arouse the prophet form his despondency, and breathe into him an unflinching faith?... In answer to that query, the learned will show the lack of a corresponding term in any language to express a word, each letter of which bears a distinct meaning. For, Yod, Ha Vav, Ha,--that ineffable name uttered only by the high priests in the sanctuary--denotes not alone the self-sustaining existence of the Eternal, but also his attributes of mercy. All the nations of antiquity recognized some superior being, pos--sessed of unlimited powers, whom in their respective language tongues, they styled a God; but Israel alone has a word in his language, which comprises the Omniscience, the Omnipre--sence, the Omnipotence, and boundless goodness of Him, who
never had a beginning. It is well known by every scholar, that though the punctuations of that adorable name, direct us to pronounce it "Adonai," or, the Lord we worship, still its literal formation, impresses on the mind the grand truth, that the future--(indicated by the Yod--) is, like the present (pointed out by the Ha & Vav-) revealed before the supreme, and that the present past (signified by the last Ha-) is made to accord with his wise and beneficent govern--ment of the universe and its inhabitants. So that if we desired to convey a faint idea of the knowledge com--municated to Moses by the term under discussion, we would be obliged thus to paraphrase it. "I am He that liveth eternally, that guideth current events, and remembereth all that has past since the creation, rewording the righteous according to his piety, and meteing out to the wicked his deserts." For, it was by so sublime an imparting that the Almighty sought to dispell the sorrow occasioned at the sight of unrelenting per--secution, and to strengthen the hand of his missionary of liberty. Weherefore he continued: The fathers of the nation, whose enfranchisement thou must accomplish, acknowledged me as the Dispenser of all good "El Shaddai" The God, who supplies the maintenance of his creatures, with the solicitude which the loving mother exhibits when nurturing her infant at
the breast; but thou whom I have more brightly illumined by the revelation of my higher attributes, wilt understand that it is my well as it is in my power, to fulfil the promise I made to the patriarchs. And notwithstanding that the actual position of their descendants seems to human eye to preclude all hope, yet they shall march to freedom, and become my to me a people of treasure. Such is, my dear Brethren! the pith of the sentence wherewith the lesson of this Sabbath opens, and of the five that immediately succeed it; all of which depending in a great measure upon the correct definition of the unutter--able name of the Supreme, prove the necessity of our drawing instruction from the original source, instead of gathering it from small small streams.
The second passage to by which I propose to substantiate my argument, and for the comprehension of which, I am indebted to the writing of the renowned Naftali Hetz Wessel, occurs towards the end of our Parasha. Among the punishments which the obduracy of Pharaoh brought upon Egypt, there came a terrible storm accompanied with hail, which de--vastated the land. Subdued by bodily suffering, but not by sincere contrition, the refractory king, besought Moses, as he was wont, to pray for the removal of that infliction. The servant of God, raised his voice to heaven, & calm ensued.
But in recording that fact, the Hebrew uses an expression which is imperfectly rendered in the accepted version "And the rain was not poured out (any more) upon the earth" [Hebrew] But the verb [Hebrew] is not equivalent to, "pouring out" [Hebrew] or [Hebrew] would correspond to that English phrase. Yet the sacred text must no doubt appear strangely worded, to him who will not ponder thereon, for, it would read "The rain was not melted down upon the earth" But, mark well, my friend, for, that which at the first sight is deemed inapplicable, will be adjudged scientifically precise, when scanned with serious reflection. The language in which the Pentateuch was transmitted to us, is that which the Eternal spoke, when He communicated his will to man, consequently it partakes of the perfection of the celestial speaker. So that in this instance, what excites our surprise, because singular, has treasured up a knowledge at which the world has arrived only after thousands of years, and most profound researches; namely, the causes which producing rain. That the exhalations from the earth, and watery evaporations are converted into clouds, when at a certain height in the atmosphere, is a theory universally accepted. But how those condensed bodies are again dissolved into a fluid, and made to drop down, is a question that has engaged the attention of the learned from the remotest ages. It has been said, that as they come
in close contact, they strike against each other and occasion their decomposition. But that that action would be insufficient by itself to effect the breaking and precipitating of a compactness of vapours, becomes obvious, when we bear in mind that in Egypt, for example, the falling of rain is an exceptional occur--rence. Yet it is surrounded by seas, and its celebrated Nile irrigates the entire land. Can it be supposed that throughout the year, and under a skry of intense heat, the Sun has no power to absorb the moisture emanating from those great sources & form clouds therewith? Reason and the senses answer negatively. If then it is so, beyond contradiction, we must necessarily conclude that together with the mutual pressure of the clouds, to which I have alluded above, a stronger force must combine in opening them, and causing their contents to be discharged. And that likewise to the absence of that force, is the want of rain to be ascribed. Now, my Brethren! what that force is, which remained unknown to the scientific world until within a comparatively modern age, Holy Writ teaches in one simple phrase [Hebrew] "And the rain was not melted down upon the earth" The subtle substance which produces liquefaction, departed from the Egyptian atmosphere. In short, it is electric fire that actually dissolves the accumulated exhalations,
when they distill water upon the ground. And that self-same powerful agent which at the bidding of its Creator had brought on proud Myriam as fearful a visitation as it was uncommon, ceased to act at the petition of the faithful messenger of the Lord. The country which by an ordinance of Providence is fertilized through the overflowing of its rivers, witnessed no more what it experienced, through its inequity, in the days of Moses. For, the vapors it raises are not forced downward by electrical impulse. And the interesting knowledge derived from the passage at issue, is graphically revealed, if I may say so, in the philological composition of a sentence in the book of Psalms [Hebrew] "He causeth exhalations," or, literally, what can be uplifted," to ascend from the bottom of the earth," but as they by themselves are unable to drop down again, it continues [Hebrew] "He made lightnings for the rain" the fire they contain separate the watery mass and it returns whence it came. And it beautifully concludes [Hebrew] "He bringeth forth wind out of his treasures; the air put in motion, drifts the rain wheresoever God has designed. Beloved hearers! The two instances which I have adduced to prove the comprehensiveness and vigour of the language which bears the impress of the Almighty, form but an insignificant minority to the evidences that the student can discover while pondering on the original
text of the Scriptures. Not without cause have our Rabbins called it [Hebrew] "the holy tongue", for independently of the halo cast around it at on the memorable day that Israel heard the Decalogue, it possesses an inherent sanctity. Its very expressions are a health--ful knowledge to those who seek it its phrases are a fountain of wisdom. Shall we then, my friends! cast it away from our midst as unworthy of utterance? Shall we follow the impure current of innovations, and address our God in languages comparably inferior to that of our prophets and Sages? Shall we cease to acknowledge our faith in those blessed words, which have ever thrilled the hearts of Israel, and which sound lifeless in the tongues of the gentiles? Oh never! Let every one of us who has been reared in ignorance of his national language, privately commune with his Maker in that which he best com--prehends, but let him not attempt deliberately or by indirect means to remodel therewith our public worship. Let him rather atone for his neglect, and betake himself to a study, which will open to him treasures, not of material, but of spiritual gain; that is, the truths and beauties of the heavenly volumes. And if age or circumstances withhold from him that important acquisition, let him procure it for his children. In lieu of cramming their young minds with learning, which, in all likelihood, will prove superfluous in their future walks of life, let him employ their faculties in mastering a language, which awakens invigorating thoughts, noble aspirations,
universal love. Accept, my friends! my humble advice, as My friends! Prompted by a sincere desire to render my scanty knowledge you may dispose of my feeble strenuous efforts in disseminating the conducive to the dissemination of our holy language. Deeply imbued with a sense of the duties knowledge of our holy language. which my position demands of me, I have, at various times offered gratuitous instruction. A few availed themselves thereof, but the majority + And may the Almighty grant every one of us acumen of intellect to learn with ease, a strong memory to retain our knowledge, facility to impart it to our fellow-beings, and an unflinching will to observe and execute the spiritual teaching of his inspired servants and Israel's sages. Amen.
+ disregarded the call. This day, on which I have endeavoured to impress on your mind the necessity of cultivating the field of Hebrew literature, let my exhortation be accompanied with the frequently repeated assurance, that my strenuous efforts are at the disposal of the Congregation, whose spiritual improvement I have at heart, whether it be by public or private tuition. And may the - Identifier
- p33f4m640
- identifier
- SMBx12FF2_1
Part of Exegetical lectures. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. Undated
Morais, Sabato, “Exegetical lectures. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. Undated”, Sabato Morais Digital Repository, accessed October 18, 2024, https://judaicadhpenn.org/legacyprojects/s/morais/item/83595