Sabbath before Passover (Shabat ha-gadol). Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. Undated
- Title
- Sabbath before Passover (Shabat ha-gadol). Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. Undated
- Author
- Morais, Sabato
- Format
- 9 pages on 4 sheets
- Language(s)
- English
- Source
- Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies
- Sabato Morais Collection, Box 10, Folder 4
- Has Format
- https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p3930pf2w/manifest.json
- Link to Colenda
- https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3930pf2w
- Provenance
- Transfer of Custody from the Hebrew Education Society, 10 March 1913.
- Is Format Of
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/judaicadh/morais/main/TEI/SMBx10FF4_14.xml
- content
-
For the Sabbath before Passover
It was altered and corrected, and
partly published in the Record
as an editorial for the Passover of 1880
[Hebrew] "O ye seed of Abraham his servant, O ye children of Jacob his chosen ones. It is the Eternal our God, whose judgments are seen throughout the earth. For He hath ever remembered his covenant, the word he ordered for a thousand generations" Aye, while nature shall perform the will of her Creator, while the sun shall brighten our horizons the moon and the stars shed their radiance, Israel will continue a nation indestructible and unchanged. Let us glory, my Brethren, in that celestial declaration, let it incite us to solemnize the birth-day of our national existence, with joyous hallelujahs. Setting at our case, on the memorable night of Passover, our minds will review the eventful past . Like in a panorama, the Pharaohs of all ages, those tyrants, whose iron-rod scourged our fathers, will present themselves before our vision. There stands the great leviathan, who in the pride of his heart had said "the Nile is mine, even I have made it" but lo! the abyss has engulphed him; he shall rise no more. The blas--pheming chieftain of the Assyrian host follows. His sharp-edged sword threatens extermination. Who shall cope with so formidable a power? But the breath of our God blows thereon, and it suddenly withers. The plains of Judea are whitened with the bones of the slain. Our eyes rest an instant upon a city of brazen gates, and lowering walls. Its loftiness seems to
defy heaven itself, but the pride of Nebucadnezar sinks down below the level of the swelling Euphrates. No vestige is left of oppressive Babylon. We then turn to gaze on that crowned head, who set up his abominable idol into the holy of holies. His aspect excites within us conflicting sentiments. We know not whether to triumph over the inglorious end, or pity the folly of the Tyro-Grecian monarch. For, the sworn enemy of Israel's God is cankered by a fulsome distemper. Scarcely has he disappeared from that flitting scene, when we are appalled at the gaunt visage of one stricken likewise with corroding ills. It is the treacherous Idumean, who reached the throne, by wading through rivers of guiltless blood. It is Herod, the destroyer of the Asmonean's noble race and Judah's hope. A soraing eagle, scenting from afar off, the victims which he had prepared, darted upon its prey, and devoured the fairest portion of Jacob. Then faggots and pyres can be seen, reek--ing with the mangled bodies of the martyrs of our faith. Then we behold our Sages sealing with their blood the truths they had proclaimed. At that grievous spectacle, we exclaim in the words of the yearly repeated narrative [Hebrew] "Not only one has arisen against us, but in all ages men have arisen against us to exterminate us. And yet, we live, beloved
children of my people, we live, and they who sorely afflicted us, exist solely in the pages of ancient history, or are gasping for breath. The Roman empire, that long held us in its iron grasp, was shattered into fragments. Spain and Portugal, whose dominions extended from hemisphere to hemisphere, when the exiles of Judea found therein asylum and promotion, is reduced to a shadow of then its former self. Verily the promise given to the godly Abraham, has descended on his progeny. They that bless Israel, obtain blessings, but they that curse us, bring down on their heads divine imprecations. But are ye not, my Brethren! witnesses of a divine interposition that rescues us from destruction human machinations? Consider what the Lord our God did to the two kings who of late conspired against our own race. Our hearts were seized with consternation at the revival of the horrid days of the [?] and inquisition. We asked, we implored. The sound of a mother's wailing rang through the length and breadth of the civilized world. Yet the modern Pharaoh, supported by his fanatical ally, would not relent. The voice of outraged humanity did not withhold the engine set in motion to harrow the tenderest affections implanted by nature. But who has ever laid his hand against the chosen of God, and was not requited? Stretch your vision beyond the Alps, my beloved hearers! and behold the miracle wrought by the Guardian of Israel. The sceptre once so formidable, is
quivering in the feeble hand of our oppressor. Vain are the endea--vours of his hierarchical functionaries to uphold the decaying power. Against the walls of the Vatican an avenging hand has written "Mene Mene Tekel upharson." The amplitude of the land mastered over by a priestly-king, is, like that of his Teutonic confederate--given unto a new victor--even unto thee O Emanuel. Let us then raise the cup of salvation, brimful of gratitude, and on the night that our brethren, who have been delivered from a yoke doubly insup--portable, sing the praises of their living Redeemer, let us also acknowledge that He "hath brought us forth from sorrow to joy, from mourning to a festive season, from darkness to a great light" [Hebrew] But the expression of our thankfulness to the Almighty, must not die away with the night which elicits it. It must be fruitful of actions. We openly avow that our marvellous preservation; was designed by the Ruler of the universe. What duties does it then entail upon us? Can we imagine then for a moment, to consist of the cleansing of our dwellings from all leaven, and on the recital of the haggada? Will that entitle us to the glorious appellation of God's chosen people? No, our actions, my friends!
our actions, will prove as such. The greater will be our exertions in furthering the object of our national existence, the higher shall we stand in the presence of the Eternal. Israel has been declared his first-born, but in order that he might teach the younger branches of the human family the way of truth. His life shaped after the model shown unto him at Sinai, must in silent eloquence preach rectitude, self-denial, charity and piety. It must draw the confession from the gentiles, that no nation has statutes and judgments so righteous, as those which Moses taught govern their lives Moses promulgated. But in order that our efforts may ever tend towards that noble goal, we must be illumined by a light from above. Our beacon must be our comprehension of the doctrines contained in Holy Writ. So long as we remain in ignorance of their spiritual import, our religion will be but the performance of sundry practices, from which a sneer of the scoffers may estrange us. Our religion will be but a structure raised on a bed of sand. If we desire to fulfil our task we should become deeply imbued with the verities of which we are the depositories. That is the learning we should most assiduously cultivate, for the prophet has written, that "when our children are taught of the Lord, their peace will be great" [Hebrew] yes, the moral happiness of Israel depends on the knowledge and the execution of the will of their Maker. The world, which now,
even in countries that boast of equality, asperse their name, will encircle their brows with the laurels of religious supremacy, when all their offspring shall exhibit a life of stainless purity. Such is our mission, my Brethren, during the protracted captivity. Our fathers endured the first in Chaldea, that the land of the patriarchs might be purged of idolatry, we suffer the second, that the men of every land may learn from us to cast off the image of silver and gold which he hath made to worship, to the moles and to the bats, so that the Lord alone be exalted [Hebrew] [Hebrew]. We must therefore return to the path we have abandoned. Instead of intoxicating the minds of our children with foreign lore, let us point out to them the purling waters, which descend from the hills of Zion, whence blessing cometh to Israel. Between each caress and each embrace, let us speak to them of their noble origin, of their matchless history, of their admirable laws. Let us speak also of the devotion with which our ancestors clung to the standard of truth, when the whole of mankind was arrayed against them, of their glorious destiny, of their divinely promised redemption.
This is chiefly demanded of us by the ensuing festival, for we are thus enjoined [Hebrew] Thou shalt tell thy children on that day. This is done because of that which the Lord wrought for me, when I went out of Egypt"
Our living word must kindle in their breasts the religious feelings which will pervade their future existence. And nature has lent us the means for its accomplishment. We are regarded by our tender offspring, as the best interpreters of the word of God. None can therefore impress it more deeply on their hearts. Zealous men may aid us in irrigating the plants we have reared, but we must fully qualify ourselves for the holy charge trust. Our own culture must supply our tendrils with vitality. Still, our mission of love, though steadily pursued in our homesteads will be but imperfectly executed, when circum--scribed within that sphere. A learned expositor has said, that Holy Writ, by the expression "thou shalt tell thy son" implies also the child of every one of our fellow-believers. We are therefore bid the to carry beyond its pale the instruments of salvation. Wherever thou canst exercise thy faculties for the spiritual improvement of thy coreligionists, there, O my Brother! be numbered among the foremost. In what place soever thou canst bring to bear the influence of thy kindly instincts to bear on the advancement of Israel, there my sister! labor with alacrity. Be not deterred by the weight of the charge. Suffice it if thou bringest a willing mind to cooperate towards the elevation of thy race. The work will not be completed by thee [Hebrew], but even, like the handful of flour, which was accepted by God, as a holocaust, will thy exertions be counted righteous--ness by Him that watches our steps.
Let then, beloved hearers! the ensuing Passover, while it awakens grateful emotions, remind us also of our obligations as the first-born of the Eternal Creator. While our enfranchisement from the shackles of ancient and modern Pharaohs enliven our national spirits, let it admonish us to betake ourselves to sober actions, so that we may here--after stand before the world as the prototype of holiness and virtue, that our conduct round our fire-sides, in social intercourse and in public relations, may reflect lustre on our nation, glory on our religion, and exaltation on the name of the One protecting God we adore. So may it be. Amen. - Identifier
- p3930pf2w
- identifier
- SMBx10FF4_14
Part of Sabbath before Passover (Shabat ha-gadol). Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. Undated
Morais, Sabato, “Sabbath before Passover (Shabat ha-gadol). Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. Undated”, Sabato Morais Digital Repository, accessed September 19, 2024, https://judaicadhpenn.org/legacyprojects/s/morais/item/91161