Vayera. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. 1893
- Title
- Vayera. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. 1893
- Author
- Morais, Sabato
- Date Created
- 1893
- Format
- 10 pages on 4 sheets
- Language(s)
- English
- Source
- Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies
- Sabato Morais Collection, Box 9, Folder 4
- Has Format
- https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p3m902p2f/manifest.json
- Link to Colenda
- https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3m902p2f
- Provenance
- Transfer of Custody from the Hebrew Education Society, 10 March 1913.
- Is Format Of
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/judaicadh/morais/main/TEI/SMBx9FF4_6.xml
- content
-
S. MORAIS,
546 N. FIFTH STREET.
PHILADELPHIA,____________1893
The character of the Shunammite [Hebrew]
A typical Jewess stood before my mind's eye this morning. I looked, perhaps I might discover a genius, a new Deborah invoking God's salvation in poetic strains; a Huldale chas--tising sin with a prophetic rod. The woman I saw was neither. Nor did she speak in such accents as the woman her predecessor of Tekoa-styled ,dulled in our Scriptures [Hebrew] "a wise woman," spoke; nor even in the manner as that a Beruriah of the Talmud would have made herself heard. Yet, the Shunammite was great,_so are we assured by the sacred historian [Hebrew]. Have you traced the lives of that greatness? Follow me and you will be shown them. There stands her house. The front door twins upon its hinges. and It frequently opens to welcome the stranger, who need rest and food & rest. A worthy descendant of Sarah, who encouraged and helped her husband in the exercise of kindly hospitality, the mistress of that house governed it her home by the rules of unstinted generosity.
We would certainly consider her an [Hebrew] and praise her as such if she only responded to the appeal of creatures who begged stood asked felt the want of for a meal, because for kindness is nobleness enobles human nature, but our commendation must increase proportionately to the higher degree of largeheartedness that she manifested. Let us look again: you we are placed face to face with an exceptional character, one in whose veins the blood of the righteous founder of our people copiously flowed. Like Abraham, who begged pilgrims to be allowed to entertain them [Hebrew], so that [Hebrew] "the great woman" of Shunem, urged Elisha never to pass by her dwelling place, without entering to be greeted as a most honored quest. The prophet accepted [Hebrew] That is a patriarchal trait of which we of the God of Abraham, may rightly boast, [Hebrew] the imitation of which by [?] may well be our boast made by us, I say [Hebrew] the seed of Abraham the friend of God. [Hebrew]. But work ye now the influence of a wife, whose sentiments are thoroughly Jewish Abrahamic. It is agreed on all hands that the Shunammite was not distinguished for the possession of qualities, which lifted her far intellectually far above her sisters in faith. Judging her fro by the record lelf left in Holy Writ, I would not belittle her, if I said that she was simply a modest, an exceedingly retiring woman;
She made making no pretention to learning; she had having no ambition to shine in society. Her fire side set the [Hebrew] all aglow with love for domestic virtues. In her habitation she the Shunammite did exall many--not in fashionable soirées, but acts of practical goodness. Her woman--ly intuition discovered that Elisha was more than any ordinary guest upon whom she bestowed kind attention. "Better than a man, a woman can dis-tinguish the character of those who deserve to be treated most hospitably," write the Rabbis [Hebrew] [Hebrew]. Som She had soon learnt that the spirit of God rested upon Elijah's faithful attendant; that, like the master he whose mantle had fallen upon his shoulder, the disciple journeyed from city to city in the interest of Israel's belief. That woman [Hebrew] whose greatness consisted in the practice exercise of broad wide beneficence, had a request to make of her husband. We are not told of the man's circumstances. Indirectly we can infer that he was a prosperous farmer, tilling the ground and hiring others to help him in his work. Still, what his wife asked may have appeared in his sight to his mind novel and extraordinary.
He should have a room built in his own premises and furnished with the necessary objects of comfort for the exclusive use of Elisha. His holy vocation, his trials in the prosecution of his arduous duties, de--manded that token of deep signal appreciation. Now, I gladly confess that even in our matter of fact generation times, the number of Jewesses who devote their thoughts to charitable endeavours is con beyond calculation. I shall not be guilty of the offence which some occupants of the pulpit commit, when, similarly to Isaiah, who denounced the luxurious extravagance of the female sex of his own days, depict our maidens and matrons in repulsive colors as being solely as wedded to corruptive fashion, to seductive self-admiration, to outdoors diversions with at the neglect of home [?]. Too unjustly [?] is the condemnation. Not because wrong does exist in that direction, and many not a few follow it to the rain of families and the ultimate sinking of healt hand reputation, ought we to deny that a vast amount of what is sequally unusually supremely laudable, is accomplished by self-denying daughters of the Hebrew race.
Nevertheless, I could scarcely assert that the Shunammite of that unsophisticated age, could vastly very largely find now counterparts of her disposition. I mean Jewesses who honor piety and sacred learning to the point of giving offering the possessor thereof a home and every mark of unstinted generosity. As a reason for the absence of the genuine veneration formerly evinced towards the representatives and custodians of religion, it was lately declared that modern rabbis are unworthy of it, that they were too self-important; that they do not fail to open a current of mutual sympathy, which ought to flow from the pulpit to the pews, no--tably among those who constitute the main factors in the upbuilding of our hoseholds--our wives and mothers. There may be some grain of truth in the assertion charge, but at all events our Haftorah clearly demonstrates that the Shunemmite did not anticipate any reciprocation to her exceeding benevolence. She was generous in obedience to her Jewish instincts; she was respectful because sacred knowledge must elicit reverence, or, to say it with the Talmud, because such reverence, such respect is offered to the Bestower of Wisdom is equivalent to the adoration of Him who is the Fountain Head of Knowledge. [Hebrew] [Hebrew]
Brethren. I began my remarks by extolling the Shunammite as a typical Jewess and her own ingenerous words prove my description unmistakably correct. Elisha was alive to a sense of deep gratitude. Now could he make his generous hostess understand realize that he did feel under great obligation? That he was anxious to prove it his sentiments by some personal exertions? He sent for the mistress of the house, in which he was so nobly welcomed, and inquired whether his influence in high places could be to her of some service. He said [Hebrew] He said: [Hebrew] "Behold thou has been careful for us with all this care, what can be done for thee? Wouldst thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the army?" You have heard her answer: [Hebrew] "I dwell among my own people". Exemplary Jewess! Thy retiring modesty, is thy handsomest adornament. Thou cravest for nothing more beautiful. My peo--ple are those in whose circle thou delightest preferest to move. That is the humble sphere thou hast chosen, because it does not excite against the petty jealousies and envy.
To bask in the sunshine of political or social greatness will not bring thee healthful warmth, but consuming heat. Yes, the Shunammite moved within among her own however lowly their position circle. To help the poor and the stranger, to make her husband the participant of her goodly work, to become the exponent of the virtues of her race, of the religion of her ancestors, was her ambition. Her week[sic?] days she sanctified by deeds of active kindness; the sabbath and festivals she honored by imbibing pious instruction from the lips of men fit to give instruction. Look once more the child so longed for, so fondly loved, has been taken home to his mother to drop lifeless on her knees. She must see the prophet who had foretold her the happiness of which she is suddenly deprived bereft. She will not sadden grieve her husband's heart by the grievous sorrowful tidings, but requests to leave him a short brief while, that she may visit Elisha at mount Carmel--the famous spot where the trial between false polytheism and the truth of the Unity, was made by Elijah, and were where the disciples of the Tishbite met for holy purposes. "Wherefore art will thou going to him to say? It is can neither new moon nor Sabbath" [Hebrew]
the husband inquired. he knew that his wife devoted those days the Shunammite consecrated to her creed, days set apart by the Divine Legislator Moses and thy prophets for national [?] [Hebrew] [Hebrew]. Never would she dare to be seen abroad on Sabbath and festivals unnecessarily, never could she be met then in market places to making purchases, nor to driving abroad for recreation and thoughtlessly then flippantly riding in her carriage for sport. The association of those qualified to add strength to her devotional nature she ther then sought, their advice she consulted in order to be confirmed in habits of practical goodness, which were for her the title, wherewith the Biblical historian has ennobled her, [Hebrew] "A great woman" Brethren. Disclaiming any approach to the character of the exalted being whom the Shunammite generously entertained, ex-pecting in no way services in the same direction at the hands of Philadelphia Jewesses, I nevertheless ardently wish that my well meant counsel may secure to many a one the title of [Hebrew] "A great woman." I shall not urge just now a redoubling of unabated ef--forts in behalf of charity. That essential pleading I may reserve for another occasion. But I would beg of my sisters in faith to hal--low Sabbaths and festivals, never scandalizing God-fear--ing Israelites by a demeanour that ill agrees with the sanctity thereof, but to set our men an example of right--eousness and make our homes a temple of religion, a seat of spirituality, even the like that of the great woman of Shuman. - Identifier
- p3m902p2f
- identifier
- SMBx9FF4_6
Part of Vayera. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. 1893
Morais, Sabato, “Vayera. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. 1893”, Sabato Morais Digital Repository, accessed September 18, 2024, https://judaicadhpenn.org/legacyprojects/s/morais/item/91325