Kedoshim. Morais, Sabato. 1897 · Sabato Morais Digital Repository · Legacy Projects from Judaica DH at Penn Libraries

Title

Kedoshim. Morais, Sabato. 1897

Author

Morais, Sabato

Date Created

1897

Format

10 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 9, Folder 23

Has Format

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p34747960/manifest.json

Link to Colenda

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p34747960

Provenance

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

Is Format Of

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/judaicadh/morais/main/TEI/SMBx9FF23_2.xml

content

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

68

97
For Kedoshim

Who would believe that a born Jew, reported to have sat at the feet of Joshua Ben Verachya--a great renowned Mishaic Sage, which I was addressing a vast multitude of his countrymen, should have fell into a hugely blundered? Did he do so purposely? We should give Was there a method in his great error? Was it intended for a particular purpose? The ques--tion deserves some consideration. The new testament tells us, that among the in the course of his teachings, of the man of Nazareth in his sermon at the mount, he alluded to what we have read in our Parasha, as follows: "Ye have read heard that it was said, thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy, but I say unto you love your enemies, and pray for them that per-secute you". We may challenge any to search from cover to cover what is mistakenly called "the old-testament," and in order to find the second part of the quo--tation, I meaning that we are commanded to hate our enemies. Surely My hearers surely remember that in the five books of Moses we are commanded enjoined to assist in saving the property of one who hates us, as for instance, when his ox or his ass had strayed away,

or it when it is being crushed under too heavy a burden. Surely, my hearers remember also that in the book of Proverbs we are so ordered instructed commanded: "If thine enemy be hungry give him to eat" and again" "Re--joice not when thine enemy falls." Such sentences are household words to every Jew acquainted with his scriptures. How came it then, that the teacher, who is looked upon by hundreds of millions as infallible, cited Holy Writ wrongly faultily? A possible solution to that query may be found discovered in a parable attributed to the same preacher, and reported in one of the gospels. It reads thus: a certain lawyer stood up and tempted Joshua Ha-Nozri the man of Nazareth saying; Master, what shall I do to inherit eter--nal life? And the man of Nazareth Joshua said to him: what is written in the Law? How readest it thou? And the other answering, said. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself the Lord thy God with all thy heart, & with all thy might soul and with all thy might and with all thy strength and thy neighbor as thyself. And the man of Nazareth Joshua said to him, thou hast answered right. Thus do, and thou shalt live.

But the other questioned again and said: Who is my neighbor? The man of Nazareth made answer and Joshua Ha-Nozri evading a reply to the query said: A certain man person man was going down from Jerusalem and to Jeri--cho, and he fell among robbers, that both stripped him and beat him and departed leaving him half dead. And by chance a certain priest was going down that way, and when he saw that man person man, he passed by on the other side. But And in like manner, a Levite also, when he came to that place, and saw the man person man, passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where the man was, and when he saw him, was moved with compassion, and come to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on them oil, and he set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And in the morrow he took out two two pence and gave them to the hose and said: Take care of him, and whatsoever thou spendest more, I, when I come back again, will repay thee. Which of the three, thinkest thou, proved a neighbor unto him that fell among robbers?

And, the other said. He that showed mercy on him; and the man of Nazareth then, Joshua said to him. God and do thou likewise. Now brethren, you cannot help to have re--marked the mention purposely made of the priest and the birth in a disparagingly manner and of the Samaritan with much praise creditably in words of praise. Why, I ask, was a Samaritan pointed out as the impersonation personification of Charity? If the object was to teach us that all human beings may be stirred up to do kindness, why not choose as illustrations, a Greek, or a Phe--nician, or any heathen? The following si the reason, in according to my mind. In the sublime nineteenth chapter of Leviticus, mainly devoted to moral precepts,--the chapter which forms part of this sabbath's section--we are ordered not to take vengeance nor bear any grudge against the children of our people [Hebrew] Are we then allowed to do so against others? I say To that I answer: privately personally not, politically nationally yes. We must love our neighbor like ourselves, or to say it, as the meek Hillel put it [Hebrew] "What is unpleasant to thee, never do not unto others." But what if we are nationally attacked

with a malice aforethought; to vex with a determined view to harass us politic--ally and overthrow our country, making common entwining into a league cause with foreign oppressors to hasten our destruct--ion? Now, all of that the samaritans did, from the hour that the exiles of Chaldea re-turned to their father's land. To our foes, they swore that they had not connection with us, tho' professing to revere the five books of Moses, which they, however, deliberately falsified. But if success happened to perch on our banner, they pretended to be part and parcel of our people, in order to share in any benefit that might result from it. The man of Nazareth who to prove show liberality associated with Pu--blicans--the tax gatherers of the Roman pro--consuls that misgoverned and overburdened Judea; he, who but who called scribes and Pharisees whitened se--pulchres, and laid the finger of contempt on priests and levites, knew well the history of Samaritanism in relation to Judaism and our ancient metropolis. But to him patriotism, was a secondary thought, if it ever entered his thoughts. We gather from the new testa--ment, that kingdoms and principalities were in this world were of no account to him, compared with the inheritance

of heaven, so was he wont to say proclaim. What, if Jerusalem and all of our national heritage was reduced to ashes, so long that men could be converted to his impracticable ideas? Priests and Levites were not with him, since they were against him, hence the uggly picture drawn of them. But the scribes and Pharisees whom he maligned, have taught that any one obeying God studying the will of God and doing His will it stands in the sight of the Almighty as high as the Pontiff in the holy of holy [Hebrew] [Hebrew]. Furthermore, a Jew is enjoined to love the stranger. In the same chapter, clearly misquoted by the supposed author of the new testament, we are imperative--ly ordered to treat the stranger foreigner as a native [Hebrew] [Hebrew]. But the Jew loved also his country passionately. He had not learnt to become, what we now call "cosmopolitan," which is surely a misnomer. for it is impossible; it is un--natural to feel the same depth of affection for every corner of the earth, as for the spot

in which we first saw the light of day, where our mother lavished upon us her en--dearments; the spot where she taught us to move the lips prayerfully; the spot where our earliest memories cluster. Therefore the Jew resisted the attempt to rob him of the object closest to his heart. He could not substitute for it the promise of a future inheritance beyond our finite conception. He did take revenge and here grudge against his country's deliberate inveterate foes. But say brethren, has Christianity followed, during the nine--teen y centuries of its existence the infensible theories enunciated in the new testament? Look around, and see its adherents battling for a piece patch of ground justly or unjustly claimed by different parties. Most positively I assert it, Christianity Europe and history bears me out, Christianity does not obey anywhere the command set forth in the sermon on the mount, "love your enemies, pray for them that persecute you." Admit: To follow that precept would be to transform altogether the na--ture that which God has moulded--and that can--not be done. But wherefore then make boast of what did not and does not exist? We must obey its our instincts, and in this consists lies the remarkable difference between Judaism and Christianity. The latter deals in imaginary possibilities; the former in what can

always be carried out il into daily practice. Yet, we may meet Jews; more particularly Jewesses, who profess to have drawn in--spiration from the new testament, and to have been dragged down by the ceremonialism of the old, as if, for instance, the our historical Passover recently celebrated, loses in comparison with Easter, or ostara, a name from which the festivity it is derived, in commemoration of the worship anciently tendered to a heathen goddess; or as if the feast of weeks, soon to be solemnized means less than the Pente--cost of the Christian church, allusive to the alleged descent of the holy ghost on the apostles. Israelites, study well, at least, the 19th chapter of Leviticus, just perused, and you will find charity of the noblest type recommended, answering integrity demanded, reverence for age, for acquired experience, for practical religion solemnly enjoined. Take those lessons to your various walks of life, and you will reach your final destination safe and sound in peace with man; in piece[sic?] with God.

Identifier

p34747960

identifier

SMBx9FF23_2