Lecture 20. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. Undated · Sabato Morais Digital Repository · Legacy Projects from Judaica DH at Penn Libraries

Title

Lecture 20. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. Undated

Author

Morais, Sabato

Location(s)

United States -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia

United States -- Pennsylvania

Format

10 pages on 4 sheets

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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

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https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p3h98zz2w/manifest.json

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https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3h98zz2w

Provenance

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

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content

Post-Bibblical Lecture
20.

The wisdom of Moses the inspired lawgiver was rightly appreciated by the men, who framed the Constitution of the United States of America. They established that only a native born citizen could be eligible to the highest executive of--fice in the government. Even so we read in Those far-seeing legislators profitted by the sentence in Deuteronomy: "Thou art not allowed to set over thee an alien who is not one of thy brothers." It is natural to suppose that a person who first saw the light of day in the land where his parents dwelt; whose first utterances were in the language of that land, and whose first associations were contracted within its borders, must feel a deeper interest in its welfare the social and political welfare thereof, than a foreigner.
Antipater, the pretended friend of Hyrcanus II was an Idumean--converted affiliated to Judaism by the mistaken policy of John Hyrcanus I--but still a stranger to the feelings that urge the sacrificing of self-interest upon the altar of patriotism. Intensely egotistical, he cared nothing that Judea be chained to the triumph--al car of Rome, if it was the vehicle which for carrying his family to the seat of power. The wife of Antipater was likewise an alien. The blood coursing

through her veins had not flowed down from Isaac--the child of promise--but from Ishmael the father of the Arabian nation. Possibly she belonged to the tribes of Itureans, whom Antigonus, brother of Aristobulus mistakenly again compelled to embrace the Hebrew faith. Thus her offspring issued from a stock engrafted upon ours, but not ge--nuinely Jewish. Hence And therefore post-biblical history testifies to the want of love for Israel and the Law in her four sons, Phasael, Herod, Joseph, and Pheroras, and in her daughter Salome.
Antipater after the fall of his friend Pompey, lost no time in turning to the winning side and ingratiating himself with Julius Caesar. He rendered the suc--cessful triumvir valuable services by dispatching an army of auxiliaries to Egypt, where the Roman general was fighting. Egypt had been since the days of Alexander and Ptolemy Soter thickly populated with Jews. These also Antipater brought over to the assistance of Caesar, by producing a writing from the high-priest at Jerusalem--Hyrcanus the Asmonean--in which Caesar was described as a friend of favoring the Jewish nation. Antipater reaped a large reward. He received the title of citizen of Rome, and Governor of Judea--Hyrcanus retaining, besides

the high-priesthood, a shadow of royalty. Now could the Idumean grasp the sword with which to strike the Asmonean race irrecoverably. In vain Antigonus son of Aristobulus II prayfully asked for redress. His father had been poisoned by the hirelings of Pompey, his brother Alexander met with an ignominious death by the same treacherous agency. Antipater was believed to have been the secret instigator of those atrocious deeds. But remonstrances availed nothing. Caesar had been effectively aided by Antipater, and him the Roman declared his faithful friend. The Idumean, strong in the protection of Rome, began to parcel out the country among his children. He appointed Phasael his oldest, commander in Jerusalem and its vicinity. To Herod, his second son, he entrusted the whole mountainous region of Galilee. The character of Herod is strikingly brought to view at once. He was bold even to arrogance, unscrupulous even to ferocity, from his early youth. No sooner had he been placed in possession of his office, than he showed his irrepressible temperament. It would be very difficult for any one to decide, whether Herod was

always wrong on the severe course he followed stern measures he chose. Thus, For instance, if it were true that a certain Hezekiah and his party, when he arrested and put to death, infested Galilee and committed outrages, we should suspend our condemnation of the severe means used to rid the coun--try of a lawless faction. But our ancestors had a right to look upon such doings with suspicion and dread. Here was a descendant of the stranger, ignoring all existing authorities, and arbitrarily assuming to inflict---ing the severest extreme penalty of the law. To day it was, perhaps, a band of robbers that Herod killed with-out a trial; to-morrow the innocent may might be sum--marily executed to gratify personal jealousies and animosities. Alarmed by what happened in Galilee, some of the most influential in the country, called on the feeble-minded Hyrcanus. They spoke words which kindled, for a moment, sparks of self-respect in the breast of the shadowy king. He heard moreover the cries of the mothers and widows of the victims of Herod's arbitrariness. They came to the Temple, and asked pitifully entreated for justice at the hands of him who was an Asmonean, a ruler, and a president of the Sanhedrin.

Hyrcanus yeilded to the strong pressure; he summoned Herod before the highest tribunal in the land. But the son of Antipater did not comply, till he could secure a shield, which would prove beyond doubt be prove his deliverance defence. He applied to Sextus Caesar--a near relative of Julius Caesar, who was the Governor of Syria, and signified the necessity of Roman protection intervention. That official wrote to the impotent Hyrcanus to beware of the dealings of take heed of how the Sanhedrin dealt towards his favorite Herod. Emboldened by that letter, the son of Antipater executioner of the Galileeans put on his audacious looks and entered the presence of his judges like a soldier ready for the battle. At that unusual sight, no one found could summon master the courage to speak. Dead silence continued for a while. At last, one arose and addressing the court and Hyracanus said: "O ye that are my colleagues, and thou who art our king, have you ever seen a man about to be tried by us on the charge of murder, present himself in such a a manner? Does not every person coming here evince in his behaviour humility, as if impressed with awe? But this Herod comes in his military garments, with his shining helmet, accompanied by his troops, as if to intimate that he will slay us all, if we dare pass sentence upon him.

Now, I am not surprised at his defying the law to save his life, but my compliments is are with you, where my colleagues and with our King, for having suffering such an act of insolence. But know you ye all that there is a great God, and that this very man, whom through Hyrcanus you mean to acquit, will one day punish you and your king." The effect of that speech became visible. But when Hyrcanus saw perceived that Herod would have been condemned to death, he hindered the proceedings, and oc--casioned a delay, so as to adjourn the meeting. In the night a secret message was conveyed to Herod, that he must stealthily leave the city to avoid danger. Herod burning with wrath rage went straightway to Syria, and bought of Sextus Caesar a title to a territory near Judea. He determined frm there to enter Jerusalem at the head of an army and take revenge on Hyrcanus, who had com--pelled him to appear before the Sanhedrin like a culprit. He would have carried out his cruel purpose, if his father and his brother Phasael had not gone forward to meet him. and Their arguings dissuaded him from proceeding to an act of rash--ness which might have compromised them all with the Romans dictator.

Enough if the Jews at the capital had been shown learnt of what how terrible it is was to offend Herod.
But the conduct of the fearless member of the Jewish tribunal, who attempted at least to chastise insolence and vindicate right, contrasts so nobly with the behaviour of his cowardly colleagues, that a wish is felt to know more concerning that man. Josephus calls him "Sameas," and severla have been the conjectures about his historical identity. Most writers, however, incline to think that Sameas of Josephus is "Shemajah" of whom honorable mention is made in the Mishna treatise Aboth, and to whom the fol--lowing maxim is attributed. "Love work, hate the assumption of authority, and seek not to be known by men in power." This aphorism, which the condition of affairs in Judea may have elicited, offers a slight idea of the character independent spirit of the Sage. A lamentable change had taken place. Since the wily Antipater and the violent Herod had become the real masters of the country, the wisest policy was to be content with humbly earning a daily livelihood by the sweat of one's brow. A lowly station in the enjoyment of security was preferable to a lofty station which could only be gained through corruption and servility to Rome.

But a circumstance told in the Talmud, sets She--majah even more fully in the same light of an undaunted teacher of truth, as he had showed himself in the hall of the Sanhedrion. Both he and his colleague Abtalion, were descendants of families that have embraced converted to Judaism, but both were nevertheless upright correct in their doings, and sincere in their sentiments convictions. At the expiration of a day of atonement, the high priest, who probably was a creature of Herod, having performed all the ritual services, was accompanied home, as customary, by a vast concourse of people. Shemajah and Abtalion also left the Temple, intending to call upon him, who had officiated in the Holy of Holies. But so greatly were the two Sages respected, that many among that throng fell back to follow them. This token of deference manifests towards men he deemed his inferior, excited the jealousy of the Pontiff, and he vented his spleen as soon as the distinguished visitors arrived at his house. "Let the progeny of heathens come in peace" was the caustic greeting. To which Shemajah and his colleague promptly answered: "The progeny of heathens who copy the deeds of Aaron--loving peace and pursuing peace--have a right to be welcome; not so the progeny of Aaron the priest, who deviate from the example of their pious ancestor."

A scathing rebuke well deserved by a minister at the altar whose tribe with unworthy of his office. For with [?] the founder of his tribe the Lord established an enduring covenant for the noblest holies purpose; that the priest might stand in fear of wrong and teach the law of truth; walk uprightly and turn away a multitude from the path of sin. No doubt, it was when they who had a divine claim to the office of national preceptors fell from the lofty standard designed by Moses; when they degenerated into sycophants, and prided them--selves in the wearing of the golden breast plate and mitre, but not in shining virtues, not in serving as models of right--eousness; it was then that the Sages drew towards themselves the affectionate reverence of the people.
The despotic Herod made and unmade Pontiffs to subserve his wicked ends, but if he exposed thereby to disgrace the Temple and its ceremonials, he could not rob the Torah of its dignity. The Rabbis and their disciples held it high.
We have thus far reached only the threshold of the history of the son of Antipater. The further we proceed, the deeper will be our abhorrence of the man set over us, who was not one of our brothers.

Identifier

p3h98zz2w

identifier

SMBx12FF3_20