Funeral orations. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. 1874 · Sabato Morais Digital Repository · Legacy Projects from Judaica DH at Penn Libraries

Title

Funeral orations. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. 1874

Author

Morais, Sabato

Date Created

1874

Location(s)

United States -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia

United States -- Pennsylvania

Format

3 pages on 1 sheet

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 6

Has Format

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p38w38m6v/manifest.json

Link to Colenda

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p38w38m6v

Provenance

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

Is Format Of

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/judaicadh/morais/main/TEI/SMBx11FF6_8.xml

content

For a funeral.
The hair was is dishevelled; the countenance bedewed with tears. The shriek uttered pierced all hearts. Who is she advancing coming night, wrapped in grief? The Talmudic legend pictures her as Piety bemoaning the loss of her votary. See her hover round this coffin; goodness and charity echo her laments. Dear friends! Often I am seized with compunc--tion. Perhaps a wish to soothe the distress of the living, elicits an exaggerated praise of the dead. The eyes of sympathy mistake tinsel for genuine gold. But all was sterling in the character of the Jewess, over whose remains I bend in sorrow. The quivering lips, the moistened eyes at the sole mention of her departure hence, are the testimonyies of which a Congregation in Israel bears to a life of complete virtue. I knew Louisa B. Hart first when she bestowed the sweetest ministration of love upon her mother. That devotion partaking of the angelic, re--vealed to me the depth of her soul. But when at her generous board, I learnt that a sparkling intellect adorned the pure spirit, ad--miration blended with esteem for the professor of human excellencies. Fluent and choice in speech, she would enchain the attention of the listener, and convey instruction, in a delightful and easy converse. Her home over hospitable, aye: hospitable in the widest sense of the word, manifested a studied desire on the part of the hostess to draw

thereunto the best in the community. Rising talents that they might improve by contact with the riper judgment of age. The learned more advanced in years, that they might experience a keener enjoyment of life by social intercourse with sprightly youth. But one thought ruled the actions of our noble-minded coreligionists. To set Judaism in the foreground, and direct to it the respectful looks of all with whom she associated. She believed with a firm faith that the grandest monument of wisdom is the religion of Moses and the Sages, and to illustrate her convictions she brought called to her aid whatever the powers with which nature had bountifully endowed her with. Liberal, friendly, beneficent towards those who held opinions jarring with her cherished sentiments, she still unobtrusively claimed the supremacy of for the olden creed. None could tax her with fanaticism, because she followed to the letter the written and the oral law. Her brethren, who content themselves with a mere taint acknowledgment of the truths under--lying the Sinaic legislation, must have seen that her unflinching adherence to the lessons beautifully illustrated in the life of her imbibed from a righteous mother, was more than not a senseless habit a petrified form, that it meant devoted fidelity to principles. Who will copy so bright an examplar? On whom of the women of my people shall fall the lovely mantle of my departed friend? We stand sadly in want of successors to her piety; if so zealous and skilled a labour in the field of education and charity can with any facility be secured.

The Sunday-school, an object of her fondest solicitude in years past, whether as a teacher or a superintendent, and holding always a high place in her affections; the female beneficial society, which brought out in bold relief the qualities of the mind and of the heart she eminently possessed; the Foster-home, in whose success progress she her feelings were enlisted, and to whose inmates she had often proved a counsellor, and personal friend; the United Hebrew cha--rities, with the directors of which she cooperated that the needy might lack neither bread to eat nor raiment to put on; the hapless host of hapless creatures, whom she mercifully raised from abjection, may search and succeed at length to fill the loss sus--tained. But the synagogue; the synagogue representing a real not a fictitious worship; the synagogue representing a living, breathing throbbing, a heart-felt service to communion with God, and not an artificial, constrained service, sits low and bewails her own bereavement. For who will supply the place of her devoted daughter in this century, when she dares not put forth a single claim to obedience reverence?, in a century, when her brow furrowed with age, excites but the derisive smile of multi--tudes? Aye: she weeps at thy departure, O sainted Jewess? For thou wast her house. Of thy tried faithfulness she could boast. Charity did become in thy hand the torch light with which thou kindlest the flame of joy, midst the gloom of solitude.

Knowledge, was the lever wherewith thou didst strive to uplift the humble, and win sublimity for these already high-stationed. By their agency thou didst govern thy home with kindness and discretion, and didst deal with thy fellow-creatures most uprightly and beneficently. But piety was thy crowning virtue; it singled thee out among the distinguished few, whose existence it still adorns. Piety gained for thee our undisputed eminence in the world of probation. Oh! let its sweet memory abide therein eternally. Let it be as frontlets between our eyes, recalling duties unfulfilled. It may reclaim the audacious sinner; beckon back to the path of rectitude from perdition the heedless and unwary. Let not the path round which thou hast strewn choice flowers, become an arid wilderness. Raise for us, by prayer at the footstool of Grace, kindred spirits that may tend it with care.
Imparadised soul of my devoted friend! Pray that the divine virtue in the reward of which thou art beatified, be reflected reproduced in the de- character -meanour of loved relatives, who grieve over thy severance from the mortal coil. Thy name shall then be everlasting. Thou wilt then be an wall endless blessing. We shall rejoice on earth, and thou wilt ascend to higher glories in the heaven of heavens. Amen.

Identifier

p38w38m6v

identifier

SMBx11FF6_8