Vayehi. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. 1893 · Sabato Morais Digital Repository · Legacy Projects from Judaica DH at Penn Libraries

Title

Vayehi. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. 1893

Author

Morais, Sabato

Date Created

1893

Location(s)

United States -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia

United States -- Pennsylvania

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 9

Has Format

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p3hh6cr8c/manifest.json

Link to Colenda

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3hh6cr8c

Provenance

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

Is Format Of

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/judaicadh/morais/main/TEI/SMBx9FF9_4.xml

content

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

93
[Hebrew]
On David, his last will and his deeds

Had not my feelings;dictated Had not certain events by which wrought up my compelled my feelings were wrought up, compelled the remarks which that I made last Sabbath, my discourse would have been then of an entirely different character. The Haftorah chosen from the second chapter of the first book of Kings had suggested a subject which, to me, is of some interest. I shall present it this morning. Among the illustrious personages who figure in Holy Writ, David undoubtedly occupies a front rank in various capacities. Nevertheless, the impertent unprejudiced reader cannot avoid detecting glaring faults among the shining virtues of that famous king. In my judgment, those faults are particularly repre--hensible, when committed towards the close of an exceptionally checkered career. We may over-look mans natural frailty the effects of an impetuous human nature, which offending morality, in man's early years, or long before old age has crept on. We may forgive the excessive order which in fighting championing for a cause, disregards, for a time, the demands dictates of human--ity. The sacred historian, who chronicled seven wrongs in David, recorded also his utter humiliation that at the [Hebrew] "Thou art the man," pronounced by the fearless prophet.

And so He recorded He likewise the restraining of sounded that told us how the hands which had shed reddened human [?] the battle field with blood were restrained held back restrained from building a Temple in honor of the Universal Lord. [Hebrew] We, who are ourselves cannot trust not always to rise above the meeting of low low appetites and vicious [?] unrighteous desires, may pass over transgres-sions fallen into which others have fallen under exciting circumstances, but we shrink from contemplating a coldly premeditated act of cruelty, done when about to leave this earth and all its associations. Admit: Joab the general in Chief of David's army, was fierce and unrelenting in his hatred. Shimei the Benajmite, was villainous and contemptible, hypocritical, but neither ought to have been implacably remembered in David's last will and testament. The military services which the first had rendered, should have forced back into its scabbard the avenging sword of vengeance. To the other, amnesty royal pardon has been promised. He ought to have been spared. Why then the terrible legacy? Why was Solomon commanded not to allow Joab and Shimei to end their days naturally? Whoever has studied David's character well carefully, must have discovered a failing, not singular to be sure, but attended with the saddest consequences, when it ex-ists in crowned heads.

He that by his an indomitable courage and by surpassing abilities had knit together into a compact nation, twelve tribes not always formerly harmonious; he whom his contemporary Asaph so graphically described [Hebrew] [Hebrew] [Hebrew] God "made choice of David His servant and took him from the sheepfolds. From following suckling lambs He brought him up to feed Jacob His people and Israel His inheritance. And he did feed them according to the integrity of his heart and guided them by his skilful hands"; even the same mighty leader was unconquerably weak in dealing with his own household. That infirmity of purpose which had caused a murder, sedition, & rebellion among his offspring, and finally left a stain upon a document that the latest posterity ought to might otherwise have read with unction admiration & profit. For, we all approve of David's injunction to his royal successor, to walk in the ways of God, as commanded prescribed in the Law of Moses [Hebrew] [Hebrew] We all delight in David's recommendation to Solomon to show unwavering gratitude to a family, whose father had been to him a friend in need.

[Hebrew] But we instinctively recoil at the thought that the same document, demanded two deeds of blood. Was there for it any justification? None, unless we choose so to so term a parental moral blindness. David who had shed bitter a flood of tears over the well merited ignominious death end of wicked Absalom; oblivious of his obligations to the people at large, who had encouraged by his overindulgence Ado--nijah's plotting to reach seize the throne, who had suffered the outrageous conduct of Ammon to go unpunished, yearning now towards Solomon with an unwise love, beyond religious wisdom asked of him to rid himself of two malcontents among his subjects. That dying request, is to the deced descendants of the Judaean king, even to oursel--ves, a thrust in our hearts and a pang I feel then, and yet who dares withal deny David's greatness? Let a brilliant but not unveracious Renan, rail and belittle and traduce. He who searches through the pages of "the history of the people of Israel" with eyes unblurred by prejudice; with eyes open to truth, and not closed deliberately shut against taminous evidences proofs, will discover the youngest son of Jesse, a consummate warrior, a statesman, a poet, a Hebrew

of Hebrews. Perfect? No, by no means; still endowed with qualities that outshone the bright--ness of the crown which he wore. Firm in his resolve to humble the enemies of his race, but constant in his friendship to the defenders of Israel's honor and to their progeny. Loyal to the core to the his native country, but gently considerate in his pa--triotism. To me, an episode in David's life, per--haps scarcely noticed, is a full glorious revelation of his the mobility of his sentiments. An exile from home and wanderer, forced to en--trust his parents to the treacherous Moabites, in the hope of screening them from the implacable wroth of envious Saul, he had remained kept hidden in a fortress with the companions of [?] his sad lot. A garrison of Philistines was stationed in the sweet home dear spot from which hatred had banished him. "Oh that I could sip a draught out of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate", he cried out in an out a burst of affection for the dear place sweet home of his birth. Three heros broke through the inimical host, drew the water so long--ed for and brought it to their adored beloved chief. "God forbid," said David. "I will not drink the blood of men who stalked their existence to do me pleasure. This water I offer

to the Most High," and he poured it to the ground, as a libation upon the altar--a veritable sacrifice of self, in obedience to a sense of duty right. And who more generous than David in offering of parting with that which was his won to do his living Redeemer honor? Vast riches he had gathered by his conquests over Edom and Philistia, over Amon and Syria--the arch foes of Israel--but unlike royalty in his days and in ours, he did not hoard it the up wealth to luxuriate in kingly extravagances magnificence. Hark: I hear him the ruler speak to an assembled multitude of his subjects, [Hebrew] "with all my power I have set apart for the house of my God, gold, and silver, and copper and iron and timber, pre-cious stones and marble stones in abundance." Then turning towards facing his hearers listeners, he thus publicly blessed the uathor of all good. "Riches and glory proceeds from Thee... But who am I, and who is my people that we should possess the power to offer after this manner? but from Thee is every thing [Hebrew] O Lord our God! All this abundant store which we have prepared to build for Thee a house, for devoted to Thy holy name, is out of Thy hand and thine is all [Hebrew]

Brethren, much that belonged to our sacred literature we have lost, but very deeply thankful we must be feel for the precious appendix to the history of God's people. I mean, for the two books of Chronicles. They sent set forth in all its preeminence the great--ness of David's greatness, they relate his prowess, his His munificence, the deep sagacity of displayed in his administration, but notably, and at length, his foresight which dictated the splendid management of the ministrytion of priests and levites directed destined to officiate at the Temple, that he was not permitted to rear and tell together with his exhort--ations to the nation, that he had almost recreated, to rejoice in their success but with reverential awe [Hebrew] And yet, had even those two precious volumes sunk into the oceans of time, and the psalter alone floated across it in safety, David's real genius greatness would become manifest, and hundreds of millions would turn with glowing glowing affection towards the bard, who thus sung to the Lord: [Hebrew] "Yea, though I should walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me". The psalms of David are the imperishable legacy which we hold next to our hearts. Not every one opens to us a source of spiritual comfort; not every one uplifts

our souls to the Eternal, heavenward, but many direct our spiritual devotional vision to the mountains, of the Lord whence our help cometh. Rightly have our Sages declared that David exceeded surpassed all in the glorification of our Maker, and [Hebrew] & let us add, also in the beatification of mortals, while yet clothed in flesh. Could If creatures in sorrow, solaced by David's psalter, if repentant sinners brought by it to the foot--stool of forgiveness, if men in danger given reassurance by obtained reassured by it as that God is nigh, it if women in mental agitation calmed by it, the prisoner in his fear tranquillized gloomy dungeon brightened by it, the sick upon his bed, as--suaged by it; could, I say, all be wanted if all of them could whom received [Hebrew] "the annointed of the God of Jacob and the sweet pa pslamist of Israel" gladdened and inspired be reckoned, could be counted, only the sand of the sea might equal exceed them in number. Let us be grateful that David is ours, is David, with his human imperfections which at times that darkened his career, yet with also redeemed also but still radiant with the glorious marvellous deeds which he accomplished for us, and his people, in ages past; for mankind at large, interminably. Aye for time will be no mercy ere the effusions of the minstrels royal minstrel be forgotten, who sang [Hebrew] "Awake up my glory; awake, psalters and harp. I will awake up the morning dawn." We forgotten by the race of man

Identifier

p3hh6cr8c

identifier

SMBx9FF9_4