Yithro. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. 1894
- Title
- Yithro. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. 1894
- Author
- Morais, Sabato
- Date Created
- 1894
- 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/p3513vg14/manifest.json
- Link to Colenda
- https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3513vg14
- Provenance
- Transfer of Custody from the Hebrew Education Society, 10 March 1913.
- Is Format Of
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/judaicadh/morais/main/TEI/SMBx9FF13_11.xml
- content
-
S. MORAIS,
546 N. FIFTH STREET,
PHILADELPHIA.
94
On a proposed Sabbath league
in N.Y.
Sabbath Itró
43
"The Jewish Sabbath Observance Association," is the title given to an object thoroughly good, as viewed from the standpoint of religious consistency. To accomplish that object, two important meetings were recently held, and another will be called for next week. It is fitting that the Jewish Theological Seminary, solemnly pledged to raise defenders to Holy Writ, as traditionally received, should arrive bring together into its consecrated building our New York brethren, who are eager to declare save the fourth commandment of the Decalogue from the scandal of extinction. I have read the proceedings of the meetings with unusual interest and I anxiously look for a final result. Would that my mind responded to the wishes of my heart! My thanks to the prime movers of the blissful blessed proposition, would be the warmest which ever emanated from my inmost soul. Relying on the efficacy of a pious example, I might have just reasons to an--ticipate a close imitation of it in Philadelphia. If merchant princes in the great metropolis, counting its Hebrew population by the hundreds of thousands, were
palpably to show that God did not deliver His most solemn binding declaration at Sinai to be divided by posterity, our people in large centres might shame misleading leaders, who preach the impossibility of keeping the historical Sab--bath in busy America. But my zeal for the cause is dampened by the records of the past. Some decades ago, a Sabbath league was entered into among rich Israelites of our neighboring city. Those who headed it are not all dead. The survivors could tell of the enthusiasm which the project aroused. Physicians and lawyers, generally the busiest of men, promised to reduce their practice within a compass as narrow as compatible with their callings, in order to sanctify, partly at least, the day of the Decalogue. The healthful influence grew further. In the West, a similar alliance was contracted. It lasted, so long as none entrenched upon it, but no sooner greed, or an outside pressure, or the fear of being supplanted by the less scrupulous, made a pre breach in the league, than it became a loose chain, beyond the chance of fastening its rings once again together. What hap--pened in Cincinnati occurred in New York; hence,
I surmise, arose a novel institution in the shape of Friday evening late services. It was argued that if Israelites cannot bring their material interest as an offering to the Sabbath, they might be willing to sacrifice amuse--ments, the theatre, and the concert and the ball--to listen to synago--gue hymns and a sermon. I may be short sighted, but I could not see in the same light what my colleagues considered a token of respect to the Decalogue. I objected to seconding the idea of greeting the sabbath queen; long after the parting sun has bid her come in to her faithful subject in peace [Hebrew] I objected to my people coreligionists calling sabbath obser--vance, what is a thinly disguised deception. But another reflection held me back from sanctioning that illegitimate compromise. Friday evenings at home can best promote the ends of the Jewish faith. An air of sanctity pervades the domestic hearth, when parents and their offspring remain in doors, even sitting longer than usual at the family board, enjoying a meal, preceded and followed by prayers and psalmody. They, as the Rabbis figuratively put it, angels are invited to enter the abode of tranquility [Hebrew]
In my judgment, neither the mellifluousness harmony of vocal and instrumental music, nor the eloquence of a speaker, can supply the place of that real sabbath keeping. I may be pardoned for assuming the role of a critic, but according to my mode of thinking, late Friday evening Sabbath religious meetings set a premium on Sabbath breaking. They tacitly say to Israelites who absent themselves from the Divine services upon the Sabbath day: "Be at ease; your conscience has no cause for self-reproach. You have entirely fulfilled your duty"--a teaching offensive to the code of morals, because very false. No: the duty has not been fulfilled, by giving an hour to the Synagogue, when at perfect leisure, as a substitute for the commandment which we have read this morning [Hebrew] "But the seventh day is the Sabbath unto the Lord thy God. In it thou shalt not do any work." Now, the well meaning Israelites who convened in New York at the building of the Jewish Theological Seminary, are evident-ly loth to stamp their [?] movement with a lie. Some would testify to the genuineness of their intention, by declaring ine--ligible as members of the designed association, Israelites who do not now observe the Sabbath. Others, again,
favored the idea of helping the needy, who are disposed to sanctify it, but who cannot from hallow it because of their straightened circumstances. I shall wait for further developments. Meanwhile, I frankly confess my misgivings, as to the ultimate issue. What failed in its scope three decades ago, when the Sunday-services abomination had not yet been concocted, is not likely to succeed now that many of our youths have become demoralized, under the unJewish impression that "the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath," as the new testament asserts, and that consequently to rest after our worldly pursuits do not demand our attention any longer, is agreeable to reason and acceptable to the Sinaic Legislator. To my clerical colleagues of New York, who have urged the necessity of trying to save the en--joined Sabbath, exposed to the danger of Christianization, which calls the Lord's day, what is a man-god's day; to my lay brethren of New York, who in good faith believe that [Hebrew] it is time to work for the Lord, as our people have set the Law to nothing; to all who have assembled twice and will assemble again at the building of the Jewish Theological Seminary to rescue from extinction what Moses, the prophets, our
sacred inspired historians, our psalmist and our sages, called the safeguard of Judaism, to each and all of them I say [Hebrew]. thy effort is in a straight direction. Mayest thou move onward and prosper [Hebrew]. Thou hast my prayer and sincerest good wishes, but not my sanguine expectations. Nay, I greatly appre--hend that an abortive attempt at present, may prove a set back fatal to the holy undertaking. It may be quoted hereafter to their support by men who teach that, the fourth commandment, treasured up as an everlasting agreement between the Creator and His covenant people, [Hebrew] is an utter impossibility in busy America. Well then: Am I hopeless? Not altogether. My looks are rivet--ted upon the structure, in which the meetings for the resuscitation of the Sabbath has been recently held. If but a few of the students whom we strive to im--bue with righteous sentiments, will respond to the constant appeals for loyalty to the Torah; if those for whose broad instruction we have just now pro-cured a rich and valuable library, will learn fidelity
and preach it, regardless of the material recogni--tion of clerical services; if promising lads for whose secular as well as religious improvement, we have largely augmented the staff of our professors, will grow sincere hearted while professor of a rightly balanced mind, and as such will remain immoveably firm in their convictions, we may not unreasonably found upon strong grounds our expectations for a better future. For, it is the vacillating character of some ministers, their hankering after popularity, however ill wrongly acquired, that brought on Philadelphia a crisis, culminating in the unblush-ing sanction given to the virtual abolition of the Sabbath and with it of dietary laws, of feasts and fasts and of the Hebrew language, each and all intended to perpetuate Israel and Israelitism. [Hebrew] "Take care of children raised in lowliness, for they will uphold Judaism," say the Rabbis. Guided by that aphorism, we afford shelter and tuition to some, high varied learning and a gra--tuity to others, believing that they will not let the Torah consume in the fire of ambition--namely a longing for a would be Rabbinate promising extravagant emoluments.
Reared in humble circumstances, our graduates may rest contented with working in a field that shall yeild a sufficiency to live without scantiness, but which will produce an abundant harvest of spiritual fruits. My gratitude is due to this congregation, that, notwithstand--ing its limited means funds, has encouraged from the out--set my humble efforts in a good direction. It is due also to my Philadelphia brethren, who have tangibly aided me in my struggle for a God-approved reform, and it is highly profoundly due to the memory of blessed ones here and elsewhere, who turned a generous thought towards the Jewish Theological Seminary, while making provisions for the time, when they would be called from earth to heaven. May none among the living nor among the dead be given occasion to regret their confiding trust. In the words of Isaiah, which we have read on this suggestive Sabbath I now pray: if but a tenth be yet remaining, and that also be lopped off and pruned, may enough be still left, to root into the Jewish soil a seed that will bring forth a holy plant imperishable. [Hebrew] - Identifier
- p3513vg14
- identifier
- SMBx9FF13_11
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/91384