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

Title

Vayesheb. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. Undated

Author

Morais, Sabato

Location(s)

United States -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia

United States -- Pennsylvania

Format

9 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 7

Has Format

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p39s1m537/manifest.json

Link to Colenda

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p39s1m537

Provenance

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

Is Format Of

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/judaicadh/morais/main/TEI/SMBx9FF7_2.xml

content

On Parashat Vayesheb
[Hebrew]

[Hebrew] "Joseph was sold for a slave. They found his feet in fetters, his body was laid in irons, until the time that his own word came to pass, when the will of the Lord purified him". So reads a record left of one of the noblest of human characters. The description will be found in a writing which offers a bird's eye view of the history of our peo--ple, from the patriarchal ages to the conquest of Palestine. You may feel curious to know the author of that short but comprehensive pro--duction. Well: it has come down to us posterity anony--mously, but I see in that composition the master-mind glowing with devotional thoughts. The versatile genius of David must have penned it. The aim of that crowned shepherd of old had been to prepare an imposing service for the Temple which he longed to hand raised to the God of salvation. To that end his fertile imagination enriched Israel, and by means of Israel the whole civilized world, with sublime effusions, best fitted as a communion between earthly creatures and their Divine Maker heavenly Creator.

I mean, the Tehillim, or Tehilloth--that matchless collection of praises, prayers and hymns chastening but cheering, humbling the spirit, yet lifting it high to the head-spring of comfort. David's righteous ambition to be the poet laureate of the King of Kings showed itself first, when the ark of the covenant, long exiled and kept away form the Mosaic Tabernacle, was brought to hailed in the new capital of Israel and enshrined under the veil. You remember the narrative of that soul-stirring incident. An enthusiastic reception was to have been given to an object worthy of the most profound reverence. All the tribes, like a swelling stream, overleaping its banks, had flowed into Jerusalem. For the ovation was emphatically national. Not to [?] a mortal being, preeminent for his warlike exploits, or universally famous for his political influence had that countless multitudes gathered together. Not to pay homage to David, the victor of hundred battles, the ally of powerful rulers, but to greet the quickening word of the Supreme--the ten command--ments of Sinai--had the immense concourse assembled under the shades of Zion.

The son of Jesse, the greatest in Israel, mingled with the lowliest, in acts of devotional joy. His ardor was not dampened by the taunting reproaches of the proud daughter of the house of Saul. What Michael ridiculed as derogatory to regal dignity, David deemed most honorable. For the once fugi--tive and persecuted could, with deep-felt sincerity, say, "His is the happiest day of my life." In time of affliction he had vowed to glorify his celestial Deli--verer, and now, the Monarch whose friendship east--ern potentates sought, now, he that dwelt in a palace which the renowned craftsmen of Phoenicia had built, could not rest, while his eager wish remained unful--filled [Hebrew] "I will not let my eyes sleep, nor my eyelids slumber, till I find a seat for the Eternal, a Tabernacle for the might One of Jacob." So had David promised, and the consummation of his desire loomed high. The man who had shed blood in fighting his people's battles was not suffered by the Deity to rear a Sanctuary in Him whose appellation is Adonai Shalom, the Lord of peace, but David but he foresaw its erection at no distant period.

He beheld the glistening spires towering heaven--ward in the city, which he had captured from the insulting Jebusite and and had chosen as the metropolis of his kingdom. For that David the son of Jesse had accumulated treasures, for that he had drafted models and plans, and in anticipation of that important event, he thus hailed the entrance of the ark of the testimony into Jerusalem. [Hebrew] "Rise O Lord! for Thy resting place, Thou and Thy oracle, the sign of Thy omnipotence. Thy priests shall be clothed in righteousness, and Thy devout ones shall sing, 'for the sake of David Thy servant, do not reject Thy annointed'". That was the address of welcome from the throne to the glorious comer[?]. Then the skilful musi--cians and glowing poet appointed the Levites, whose prerogatives was to make the habitation of God vocal with the strings of their instruments and their sacred songs. For that purpose David composed and doubtless arranged harmoniously, the psalm where the historical character which forms the central figure in our Pentateuchal section is fittingly described in the language of my text. [Hebrew] Joseph was sold for a slave. They forced his feet in fetters, his body was laid in irons, until the time that his own word came to pass, when the will of the Lord purified him."

I say that the inspired bard wrote it then, not--withstanding the verbal discrepancy existing in that same composition, as registered in the 16th chapter of the first book of Chronicles, and the 105th psalm. I hold that David is the author of that production, which he intended to be alternately chanted in its various readings. For no effusion of his genius could he more appropriately have given to the Levites to sing in the national worship, than that which briefly narrated the sufferings of the exemplary son of Rachel, and his abiding trust in Almighty God. Aye: well he wrote it [Hebrew] "the will of the Lord puri--fied him". It is the crucible of trials that we show of what size and what mettle our spirit is made. Joseph sold for having spoken frankly; Jo--seph imprisoned for having overcome scorned to yield to a fearful temptation, was passing through an ordeal, whence he would issue forth sublimely perfect. His history plainly related as Moses received it, was to the ancient tribes, and will continue ever to be, a lesson which all the maxims of moralists and the sentences of philosophers cannot equal.

That lesson which speaks volumes of truths, pre--cious to man in every relation of life, as a child, as a brother, as a father, as a citizen, or as a titled official, is in our portion of the Pen--tateuch more particularly directed to youths in a subordinate condition. Not exactly like Joseph-- reduced to mere chattel--but still subject to the will of another who has the right to command. Let them study the demeanour of that Hebrew lad. It may reconcile many a rebellious will to orders considered imperious, and therefore resisted. It will teach that a dependent station cannot degrade him who fills it with a keen sense of duty, and with singleness of purpose. Joseph did not expect a remuneration for his arduous labors, but his heart told him that obedience to those who have a claim to our services is virtue, and to promote their inte--rest is righteousness. He did not grow impa--tient because he could not at once exchange drud--gery for a less toilsome and more congenial office.

Nor did he sit and repine over his hard fate, but proceeded with alacrity, certain that his ser--vices, if valuable, would be rewarded with confidence. [Hebrew] "And the Lord was with Joseph," we read, for God is always with the well-principled and the diligent. The slave became the virtual ruler of the house, because his master took notice of that unswer--ving fidelity which challenges respect. To that unimpeachable honesty, I judge, the youth owed his escape from the effects of a false accusation. And when a prisoner, without a cause, still his industry, tampered the severity of his condition. It would not be difficult for any one of us to trace the want of success in the lives of many individuals to an opposite conduct; to restlessness under a wholesome restraint in early years. The experience of my hearers will help me in the assertion that Americans may look back and have a just cause to attribute a failure in their undertakings to a spirit of mistaken independence; to a confusion of ideas, darkening the intellect, so that it cannot discover between social freedom and moral obligations.

But I have spoken to day mainly to instruct a young brother, who needs our encouragement, our sympathy and counsel. Deprived of paternal support, and doubtless necessitated soon to go out into the world and earn his bread by the sweat of his brow, he should be shown here, in the dwelling of Israel's God, the way he must follow to obtain favor and rise by his own merits. Joseph is a fitting model to any, and specially to a child, who may be thrown among strangers. Seeing the children of the wealthy enjoy leisure, and himself tied down to work, he may occasionally feel as if Providence had been unkind to him. We must this day give the lad the assurance that he will have no cause to despond by reason of that dis--parity, that a better future awaits the industrious than the heir of riches, that he will proffer by his exertions, that the Almighty will bless his ef--forts, if the heart accompanies them; if the drift of his endeavours is not to gain opulence and swell high with popular praise, but to do right &c &c &c ...

Identifier

p39s1m537

identifier

SMBx9FF7_2