Lecture 1. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. Undated · Sabato Morais Digital Repository · Legacy Projects from Judaica DH at Penn Libraries

Title

Lecture 1. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. Undated

Author

Morais, Sabato

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 12, Folder 3

Has Format

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p38s4k75h/manifest.json

Link to Colenda

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p38s4k75h

Provenance

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

Is Format Of

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/judaicadh/morais/main/TEI/SMBx12FF3_1.xml

content

Historical lecture
1st

Brethren. A well-founded boast of the age in which we live is that the history of olden times, has claimed the serious attention of scholars. Jews and Christians have go alike gone deeply searched dived into that subject, and they have laid before the reading public, in a larger or smaller size, and in a more or less attractive form, volumes recalling events which affected the religious, social and political condition of once famous na--tions. It cannot be a cause therefore a matter of surprise to find that the past of our people should have drawn to it the minds of the thought--ful; for, Israel preceeded some of those nations of antiquity, it met others as contemporaries face to face, and it has outlived many to this day. The writers who have taken up discussed Biblical and post-Biblical subjects topics are very nu--merous but and not at all confined to any nationality. English & French, Italians and Dutch, Swede and Poles have contributed to swell up that stream of learning. But without intending it as a detraction of the merits of any, I must do the Germans the justice to say that they have shown an unsurpassed activity in that line of study. I am free though to admit that Judging of their labors, as far as I can gather from extracts and quotations in various translations, I must disapprove of the spirit of daring criticism generally prevailing, but I cannot help admiring a a most patient researching, and an untiring industry. No one has labored more worked with greater diligencely than our coreligionist, Hirsch Graetz. His success is a history in eleven volumes,

--to which, I think, he has lately is adding a twelfth, ranging from the birth of our nationality to the present time. century. An abridgment of that colossal work has been promised in English and French, but neither has yet appeared. When Mr Magnus the Revd Mr Magnus of London and Rabbi Wogue of Editor of the Univers Israelite at Paris shall have completed their undertakings, they will have greatly invaluably benefitted those who cannot understand the original.
Now: with regard to what happened to events which befell our ancestors from the period time that Abram the Hebrew left home and kindred, and travelled abroad, where he might spread out wile --to spread abroad his reli--gious views connection sentiments--to the period of the Babylonian captivity, we all may consult the books, commonly called "the Bible." All men Every person can read them, for because there is scarcely a language, or a dialect spoken throughout the world, into which the our Scriptures have not been rendered. I do not assert that the contents is always clear to our intelligence. Such a declaration would be worse than folly. It would betray the shame of having never given the writings which should serve us as a have treasured up the learning of over a standard of duty thousand years and of scores of minds, a careful perusal. I, for my part, confess that my long studies have been insufficient to explain to me innumerable passages in Holy Writ. But what I meant to say is, that, while the history and literature of our

people in early times are comprised in very widely universally known volumes--the Bible--, our history and literature in the ages succeeding the exiles into Chaldea, have to be looked for in a quantity of varied and scattered writings. These are now a days studied sought after by only a few, and fewer still possess the ability to lay out their contents systematically. Hirsch Graetz has accomplished that herculean stupendous task. I myself am not so bold to attempt anything above my mental strength, but guided by the faint light I have received, I shall try to present to view some points of interest and instruction, which are may not be within reach of all my hearers. When Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, had his eyes cruelly put out by order of Nebuchadnezzar and was carried in fetters, to Ba--bylon to die in a dungeon, the Hebrew nationality was virtually broken up. Jeremiah did his utmost to prevent avert that calamity sad end. He used the power of inspiration, and his ardent zeal to beg of a small number of the poorer classes who had been allowed by the conqueror to stay in Palestine, that they would settle down peacefully at home and trust in God for a brighter future. But his endeavours availed nothing. The prophet himself who had wished to die in the country of his birth and of his love, was forcibly dragged by a party of misguided zealots malcontents

to Daphne, in Egypt. From that moment to the restoration of the exiles under Cyrus the Great, history is entirely silent about the state of our people. We are not told anywhere explicitly how our predecessors were governed, in the country of stood their capture, in their social, religious and political relations to, the country of their captors. A Psalm which must certainly have been composed by a patriot who grieved over the fall of Judah, and the Baby--lonian bondage--the 137th Psalm--goes for to show a keen feeling of deep humiliation, and bitter resentment against the victors. But no scribe was found, as formerly, to chronicle facts incidents of weighty importance. We possess, how--ver, two books which indirectly furnish us with consider--able historical information--the books of Daniel and Ezekiel. From the first we may justly argue that Jews though aliens were not regarded as an lower inferior caste, but that, on the contrary, their natural talents were recognized and made use of by royalty. For we notice perceive that four noted lads of our belief --and there may have been many more besides--were supported by the government, and taught trained at its expense in the language and learning of the Chaldeans. We may also infer that--comparatively speaking--freedom of worship was granted, for when the enemies of Daniel determined to destroy that pious Jew, they had to play upon the vanity

of Darius, or Cyaxeres II, and urge him to pro--claim himself a divinity deity, demanding exclusively divine honors for thirty days--nothing unusual among kings of antiquity--in order that the man they hated should be put to death for offering them prayers to his own God. Of course, worship consisted, then, as now with us, in praises and entreaties [?] entreaties to the Al--mighty and not in burnt-sacrifices, which had must have immediately ceased at the destruction of the Temple. Whether our ancestors in Babylon possessed had, like ourselves, Synagogues to hold together holy convocations and some uniform prayers, cannot be positively ascertained with positiveness. A legend which may have some foundation, relates that the ten thousands transported to Chaldea in the days of Jehoja--chin, before the final overthrow, and among whom the Bible reckons craftsmen and locksmiths of different kinds, built up in the city of Nehardea a synagogue, using in its construction stones and earth brought over form the Holy Land. Possi--bly those outcasts had, as a common ritual, a number of ancient psalms of a supplicatory character. For the strokes of misfortune may have softened the hearts once hardened in idolatry, so that the Lord, forgotten in the land of the fathers, was remembered in the land of the foes. But the reformation could not have been very general, for Ezekiel, who doubtless was taken to Chaldea among the very earliest prisoners, though addressing his inspired word from afar mostly to the Jews who still

lived in Palestine, reproved nevertheless occasionally his brother-exiles for their neglect of moral and ceremonial precepts. It is clear that the social and religious toleration freedom comparatively liberty measurably enjoyed was not taken advantage of by all as means to a noble righteous end. The crying sin of our people in every age; the sin of copying gentilism in man- habits -ners and practices, had hold of a large portion of our ancestors exiled from their homes. Hence, we hear Ezekiel so rebuke them: "What comes up into your mind shall not be at all; when you say 'we will be like other nations, like other families of different lands, worshipping wood and stones.'" It was not the fear of persecution being denied rights which begot that impious thought wish thought, for the political condition of the captives would seem to have been more than tolerable. We may deduce from several passages of the prophet whom I have just quoted, that the Judeans were allowed to administer their own affairs, through their elders, and were assigned certain sections of the country to dwell in unmolested. and were governed by their own princes and elders But it was the same proclivities, against which the luckless unhappy Jeremiah preached to no purpose in the streets of Jerusalem, that called forth the denunciation of Ezekiel by the waters of Chebar.
I do not put any faith, however, in the legend of some

fathers of the Christian of the primitive ancient Christian Church, that the prophet of the exile was killed by the people it he admonished. They tell us the same fathers of the Christian creed that church, accuse us, without the least authority, about of having caused also the death of other inspired teachers of Israel, with the view in order, I imagine, to paint us in the blackest colours. But neither do I credit all that Benjamin of Tudela of the twelfth century and his contemporary Petachyah of Ratisbon, or Regensburg, relate. According to them the grave of Ezekiel, which had a magnificent edifice on the top mausoleum, [?] and other stately edifices around, pos--sessed vi miraculous powers. And both of them would regale us with astounding startling stories. Later travellers agree that the spot near the river Euphrates, called now Cabor Rephil, and pointed out as the tomb of Ezekiel is considered genuine by Arabs Mohammedans as well as Jews, and it is has become an object of superstitious reverence. We, my brethren, should pity the aberrations of mind which lead men to pay homage to the dust of prophets man. We love and honor the not the dry bones, but spiritual the ever fresh memory of the illus--trious preceptors of our race, as we see it embalmed in the effusions of their illumined intellects. The history in which we may be engaged for some time, will offer for our admiration, individuals, who, without claiming a prophetic superhuman vi--sion, became proved by their saintly wisdom a safe guide and light to the house of Israel.

Identifier

p38s4k75h

identifier

SMBx12FF3_1