Yithro. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. 1888 · Sabato Morais Digital Repository · Legacy Projects from Judaica DH at Penn Libraries

Title

Yithro. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. 1888

Author

Morais, Sabato

Date Created

1888

Location(s)

United States -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia

United States -- Pennsylvania

Format

12 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 13

Has Format

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p3dj59274/manifest.json

Link to Colenda

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3dj59274

Provenance

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

Is Format Of

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/judaicadh/morais/main/TEI/SMBx9FF13_9.xml

content

On Itró 88
45

Brethren. By a singular coincidence the prophetic section which was read in the synagogues this Sabbath, formed the text of a sermon which a clergy--man delivered in a church last Sunday. An abstract choicely worded that came under my notice, carried my thoughts back to the history connected with the sublime vision that had suggested the Christian minister's semi-meataphysical sermon.
Uzziah, or Azariah, as he was also called, mounted early in life the throne of Judah, which the misrule of some of his predecessors had imperilled. A King at sixteen years of age, needed sound instruction. He must be surrounded by men free from the taint of selfishness; men filled with awe at the Majesty of the holy Law, and eager to hold the Sovereign and his subjects in virtue, by unswerving fealty to the Sinaic constitution. The new monarch had no lack of soul-inspiring mentors. Contemporary with him were prophets, whose wisdom is yet the [?] of God-loving Israelites. Amos, the plebean shepherd, dauntless, direct, incisive in his denunciations of wrongs;

Hosea, who summoned all to repentance [Hebrew] calling with clarion blasts that did not grow faint [Hebrew]. Perhaps Micah and Joel also, an--nouncing the glories of Zion, resurrected by means of righteousness and Jonah also may perhaps have witnessed Uzziah's coronation. But the book which dwells on the deeds of that monarch, makes special mention of a Zechariah, possessed of a Divine un--derstanding [Hebrew]. He led the royal youth aright, his devotedness levelled down the path that might conduce to godliness. Thus straightforwardly directed, prosperity attended every step of the willing disciple of prophetism. Warlike tribes journeyed as vassals to the capital of Judea with rich tributes. Buildings, lifting their high turrets, fortified and embelished Jeru--salem. Uninhabited deserts resounded with the strokes of the laborer's hammer; mountain peaks echoed forth the songs of vintagers; valleys were enlivened with the music of gurgling streams. For to broaden the country when Providence had destined him to rale; to gild it all around

with might and beauty was Uzziah's noble ambition. He could rely on an army, that he had splendid--ly equipped, to follow his command; he could de--pend on the love of a nation, whose welfare he had sought to promote. Nothing seemed wanting to restore what previous misgovern--ment had dragged to the verge of destruction; nothing to renew the days, when tranquillity within, and power without made Judea happy and respected. Nothing was wanting, save the quality which we all are so apt to leave be--hind, as we ascend the steps of fortune's lad--der--humility.
Observe. A solemn festival is held at the Tem--ple. A Vast multitudes have their looks revit--ted on a new corner. The King steps forward; he wears no regal garments; strange is his attire. Clothed as a priest, he advances. He waves a censer to lay the morning national offering on the golden altar that stood before the Holy of Holier. The diadem which had long fitted

his bro well, did not suffice his ambition any more. He must don the ephod and the mitre. A struggle ensued. The daring Ruler was bid to desist; not to presume to usurp an authority belonging, according to the ordinance of Moses, to the progeny of Aaron. He resisted and threatened; his wounded pride might have reenacted the crime of which Saul became guilty against Ahimelech and his sacerdotal followers, in the madness of an un--conquering jealousy. But.....suddenly the Temple shook; its roof rent asunder, and through the breach, the sun poured down floods of light, to show the affrighted assembly a ghastly sight; most hideous.
Terrific was that earthquake, never forgotten in Jewish annals, always recalled by poste--rity as a memorial of God's displeasure with human haughtiness. [Hebrew] [Hebrew]. For refulgent beams through the crevices, revealed the disfigurement of the Mo-narch immediately to be cast out of the com-

-munity and buried in the solitude of men, that are plagued with leprosy. In the opinion of the Sages, it was the hour in which the thrilling episode which I have narrated took place, that the burden of prophecy rested on Isaiah, and he was vouchsafed the grand vision recorded in our Haftorah, and which the Christian clergyman selected as the text of his semi-metaphysical discourse. We read that the sublime vision opened to the gaze of the sun of Amoz in the year that King Uzziah died. [Hebrew]. Now, ac--cording to the Talmudists, among those whose life may be considered a moral death, we must reckon the lesser of olden times, as all will rea--lize who are familiar with Holy Writ. In fact, history relates that from the moment that the loathsome malady laid hold of the presumptuous monarch, he was cut off from the association of the Congregation [Hebrew] The gifted being to whom magnificence of speech

and a sublime imagery came from on high, may have felt the shock that rocked the sanct--uary; he may have seen the sovereign of Judah hastened away like pollution from the sacred shrine. Then before his illumined soul the veil which separated the oracle with the Cherubim from the Temple proper, was flung aside. Isaiah beheld the King of the world loftily enthroned. Seraphic creatures wove His royal crown [Hebrew] [Hebrew] their hymns of praise made the hallowed edifice tremble; a sweet scented oblation darkened the house from sill to dome with wreathes of perfume [Hebrew he looked and lo! the God-extolling archangels had six wings; with two each covered his face, with two each covered his feet, and with two each [?] upward.
Let all apply that appendage of the Seraphs as they deem best. To me it has the deepest signi--ficance, when taken to typify the character of men exalted by Providence as exemplars; as messengers of the Almighty, in any capacity. Profound reverence is the prerequisite of such

Whose spoken teaching, or written instruction and demenaour must shape the minds of multitudes. Let us confess it without ambiguity. By the highest flight of our intellects we cannot reach God's understanding. How much less dare we imagine that His Essence can be mirrored forth in our souls? If minis--tering angels hide their countenance, when in the presence of their Sovereign Lord, how can mortals stand forth and audaciously say: "We have discovered the secret powers of creation," "and we demand popular acceptance. Rising generation! hearken unto us; do not heed the lessons of the past; they are the offspring of abject errors. Your fathers groped in the dark. We have entered the council chamber of the Deity, and brought you a knowledge fault--less." No, Israelites, modesty; a suspi--cion that our premises may be groundless, and our conclusions false, should inspire us with fearful caution [Hebrew] "God detects deficiencies in His Angels" [Hebrew]

"How much more so in those that dwell in houses of clay"?...[Hebrew]. "Who die away without wisdom." Reverence, profound reverence must pervade our soul always, but most intensely while in the act of rendering public homage to the author of worlds, the Universal Father, reverence in thoughts, reverence in language. Let all re--member Uzziah's fate; let Hebrews chiefly remember that ere Isaiah went forth to preach, his lips were purified with a sacred fire [Hebrew]
But we learn likewise that the Seraphim covered their feet with their wings. Have we [Hebrew], "Kingdom of priests and holy nation," we, the appointed missionaries of a belief destined to humanize and unify mankind, run after worldly goods; rushed headlong to attain a goal, where plaudits and approving smiles awaited us? Let us pause and bethink ourselves, and feel abashed before the Master, whose work we should have sped on; let us blush that our feet were quickened by the

clinking of perishable gold, and stood still at the call of duty. Position and fame and honors, are nothing in comparison with the obligation of doing the mission assumed, blissf blissfully. Typical of perseverance in the pursuit thereof are our feet on which the body rests for all its movements: The archangels, presenting a human shape, covered theirs. Even they, fearing to have fallen short of their allotted task, hid their forms. But each of them could rise higher by two wings [Hebrew]. What were those agencies of their elevation? I repeat it, my brethren, reverence, profound reverence and self-distrust before the Lord. The lowly shall be exalted. Finite indeed is our understanding; fallible is our judgment, yet in the same manner as when we thrice proclaim the Lord of Hosts Kadosh, we essay to model our action after that of the celestial beings, who encircle His throne & reverently do Him honor, so we may like them become spiritually uplifted, by copying the archangels in their awe for the Omnipotent and their self-abasement in His

Divine presence. Every Jew who bows meekly to a Supreme Ruler, whose power and goodness we behold in His handiwork, but whose existence and ways are unfathomable, every Jew who admits his incapacity to perform God's will in absolute perfectness, but who strives to reach up to that goal, is God's angel, lifting high his own nature, and hallowing his great Master.
And here I may not be taxed with unworthy motives--surely I can have none when I confess that the actions of brother-Israelites, who, during the week in which we are Biblic--ally reminded of our Sinaic charge, dealt thought--fully, justly and compassionately towards fel--low creatures, who became involved in the con--sequences of an intoward event; that the action, I say, of a Philadelphia firm of our persuasion, in its endeavours to mitigate the evils attending an enforced inactivity, was a cause of unfeigned satisfaction to me. For I

interpreted the demeanour a Kiddush Ha-shein, a sanctification of the name of Him whom we adore and must extoll among gen--tilism. It is thus that we illustrate the Divine choice made at Sinai; it is thus that we verify our attestation, when, like the Seraphim, we proclaim: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory" May we ever be imbued with such sentiments, and may we deserve God's approval; and the good-will of all the sainted and the right--eous. Amen.

Identifier

p3dj59274

identifier

SMBx9FF13_9