Yithro. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. 1894
- Title
- Yithro. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. 1894
- Author
- Morais, Sabato
- Date Created
- 1897
- Format
- 10 pages on 4 sheets
- 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/p38s4k830/manifest.json
- Link to Colenda
- https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p38s4k830
- Provenance
- Transfer of Custody from the Hebrew Education Society, 10 March 1913.
- Is Format Of
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/judaicadh/morais/main/TEI/SMBx9FF13_10.xml
- content
-
S. MORAIS,
546 N. FIFTH STREET,
PHILADELPHIA, PA.
97
Explanatory on Itró
46
To receive circulars and pamphlets is with me, and most likely with all ministers, a circumstance of constant occurrence. To read them all, would be, in many instances, a perfect loss waste of time. To ack--nowledge numerous letters is also a task not infrequently irksome. Still, in order not to appear rude, I have invariably imposed upon myself the obliga--tion of invariably answering them all, either verbally, or in writing. Regarding circulars and pamphlets, I confess that unless I can discover at a glance some points of interest, I lay them aside. This week, however, a printed sheet of paper, was sent to my address, the heading of which at--tracted my attention. It related to one of the essen-tial precepts of our religion--the fourth command--ment of the Decalogue, which we have read this Sabbath morning. What surprised me in a measure, is that the paper appears seems to have emanated from the Girard College, in which institute, I judge, it was also printed "pro bono publico" for the good of the public at large.
I know that Stephen Girard was so decidedly opposed to matters of faith denominational religion, that he forbade even the mere entering of visiting by of the college which he founded and munificently endowed by clergymen of any denomination into the col- -lege which he munificently endowed. He feared that clerical influence might clandestinely thwart his wishes. But since the testator can no longer cannot personally object, his executors did have allowed the institute which he created, has been to become altogether transformed. It has made ample room for Protestant christ--ianity. Chapels services denominational lectures and books of instruction aim to add to the number of believers, who swear by a man-god. So formidable is the power of the majority, that persons individuals and corporations entrusted with the guidance of the college, think it irreproachably correct to ignore the expressed will of him, whose immense legacies created the said college and richly main--tain it to this day. The paper sub--mitted to my perusal, hinged upon the duty of observing what he it calls "the true Sabbath." Its author starts with the idea that by reason of the spherical construction of the earth, which occasions a marked difference of time between different parts of the globe, it becomes absolutely impossible
for any race or sect to observe the same day as the a sabbath. To illustrate this point, he drew a diagram, showing how starting from leaving behind a given meri--dian and travelling on, we shall find for instance that when, the morning of Sunday dawns here, it will be Saturday evening in another place; or that as the distance increases about a whole day, anticipating preceding or retarding succeeding the Sunday sabbath will be noticed between the two far off localities. The argument is of course very correct. All understand it Neither we Jews, dispersed throughout the world, can keep Saturday together, as our Sabbath; nor Christ--ians, who miscall Sunday, the Sabbath, can cele--brate it simultaneously. But as I am naturally concerned only about the day which the fourth com--mandment of the Decalogue has declared holy, I will say, that latitude and longitude do not at all affect its observance. Let me explain. In the wilderness of sin, our ancestors were first told for the first time that God had originally sanctified the seventh day [Hebrew], and that to pay it proper honor, they should not then,
go, as usual, go in search of manna, for a double portion thereof would be supplied on Friday. The question whether the patriarchs and their offspring kept the Sabbath, must remain an open question. The Bible is silent in that regard respect. The Talmudists do state that the se--venth day was always sanctified I am inclined, by our olden predecessors. With due deference be it said, I incline to doubt it, particularly so, because during the centuries of Egyptian bondage, the enslaved would scarcely be allowed to rest one day in seven. We read [Hebrew] "The task masters urged me them on, saying, fulfil your works; even your daily task." Now: when from the top of Sinai the ordinance to remember the Sabbath day was enjoined, I think that the Divine Legisla--tor meant to allude to the instruction teaching given in the wilderness of sin. In fact, the very object assigned to the ordinance, would show that God's design was primarily to let all creatures, rational and irrational enjoy bodily repose a full day once a week. The idea is perhaps brought forth more forcibly by Moses in the repe-tition of the Decalogue in Deuteronomy [Hebrew]
addressing our people, before the conquest of the land, the archprophet said regarding the [?] and scope of the Sabbath: "Thou shalt do no manner of work &c..... "In order that thy man-servant and thy maid-servant may rest like thyself." [Hebrew] Now, let us reflect. Even after the conquest of Palestine, when the tribes scattered about to enter into the respective possession parcelled out to each, it became geographically impossible for all, to ce--lebrate the Sabbath precisely at the same time. The author of the circular to which I have allu- had reference, -ded reasoning from a Christian stand point recognizing the impossibility of a simultaneous Sabbath, argues in favor of setting apart any one day out of seven, and be believes he considers that plan in that a sensible and righteous manner, to carry out the fourth com--mandment of the Decalogue. will be performed. Not so, we children of the covenant of Horeb argue. For, we read it is written [Hebrew] "But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord thy God," as to say: if the termination of the work of creation, does not suffice to teach thee the real day selected, the miracle of the manna demonstrably shows it. Nor is it because of the difference of latitude and longitude, that we Jews might f be permitted to choose one day out of seven, and call it "Sabbath." Never. I know that some in the advanced wing of radicalism fond of a Sunday service have so twisted
and perverted the sacred text, so that it might tally with their false interpretation. But the definite article [Hebrew] "the seventh day" gives them the lie. I am naturally asked: how do you then reconcile the national observance of the one day with the marked distance of localities? Surely And the querist adds the remark, that very correctly, that when we greet the incoming of the Sabbath, in Eastern countries, working time has already arrived, while in very far off Western countries, it has not may not yet arrived. Well, brethren. Your Bible and mine has reconciled the apparent discrepancy. Each Jewish community fixes the hours of Sabbath, in accordance with the established reckoning of time il in its dwelling place. So it This procedure was contemplated and permitted by the heavenly Lawgiver. A single quotation will suffice to prove that verity. In the twenty third chapter of Leviticus, where all sacred days or are enumerated, we read it is written: "Six days work may be done, but the se--venth day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. Ye shall do no manner of work; it is a Sabbath unto
the Lord, in all throughout in every one of your habitations" [Hebrew] Clearly therefore, we are right to count in counting the coming in and the going out of that sacred day, conformably with the geographical position of the earth, in which we happen to dwell. But because we Now, Israelites acknowledge a still higher motive for the institution of this sacred day, I deem it fitting to close my explanatory talk with a Rabbinical legend. Says a Midrash: When The Almighty took counsel with the angels that encircled His throne, about the advisability of imparting to the people just freed from bondage, guiding rules for their guidance of life. Then, the Torah, clothed in wisdom, came forward and spoke thus: O Lord of the Uni--verse! Might not man, because compelled to till the ground, in order to bring forth what feeds his body, to reap and gather in the fruits he planted, to sell and earn a livelihood, might he not by reason of that neglect a study necessary to his spiritual welfare? The Lord answered. I have provided for that; I have destined one day in every week to reign as the queen of religion [Hebrew]. Upon that day, the recipients of my benefactions under the reign of that Princess of spirituality will have the opportunity, of which they must avail themselves, to bend their thoughts on that which yeilds a lasting advantage
here on earth and thereafter. Brethren. I imagine that Isaiah was penetrated with that truth, when he pronounced the Sabbath a delight, a most honorable precept of our creed; when he called the man blessed, who takes good heed not to profane the sabbath [Hebrew] when he promised every one who obeys that ordinance, and holds fast on that Divine covenant, elevation in the holy mountain of God, joys in the upper--most dwelling of prayer. Surely, I would be false to my avocation, if I did not exhort my brothers and sisters in faith who enter these holy courts, to leave behind on the seventh day what is temporal and fleeting and centre their minds on the typi--cal precursor of that life where a Sabbath-rest is unalloyed and everlasting. May That by our obedience to the 4th commandment, each of us may be allotted that heavenly inheritance, is verily my supplication to the gracious Lord of our fathers; our Divine Legislator and so may it be Amen. Protector. - Identifier
- p38s4k830
- identifier
- SMBx9FF13_10
Part of Yithro. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. 1894
Morais, Sabato, “Yithro. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. 1894”, Sabato Morais Digital Repository, accessed September 18, 2024, https://judaicadhpenn.org/legacyprojects/s/morais/item/91343