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

Title

Yithro. 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 13

Has Format

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p3n29ps50/manifest.json

Link to Colenda

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3n29ps50

Provenance

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

Is Format Of

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/judaicadh/morais/main/TEI/SMBx9FF13_4.xml

content

Some explanatory remarks on
Parashat Itró

Dear Brethren! In the prefatory remarks of to my last address, I maintained, that the opportunities of which a Jewish Minister can avail himself to afford religious instruc--tion, beyond the limits of the Synagogue, are, for reasons al- which -ready therein explained, exceedingly rare. But I did not presume by that assertion to exclude the possibility of so desirable an occurrence, for, my own social intercourse would bear testimony against that presumption. I have, sometimes voluntarily, at others fortuitously, exercised the privilege granted to my vocation, and attained the object prefixed in my mind. In fact, it is my design that you should judge yourselves of my endeavours to succeed in that respect, by submitting to your mature reflection a few strictures elected by a query propounded to me simply in the course of conversation. They are connected with that most essential biblical passage we have perused this Sabbath. And although subsequently formed into an essay, and illustrated by appropriate quotations, they are substantially the same as they were colloquially imparted. Lend me, dear friends! your indulgent serious attention, that you may dive into the profound truths they are intended to unfold.

The book of Ecclesiastes contains the following important ma--xim. "Be not with thy mouth, nor let thy mind be hasty to utter any thing concerning God, for, God is in heaven and thou art upon earth, let therefore thy words be few" I greatly apprehend that my efforts to elucidate a theme in itself a very abstruse, may occasion a contravention of that salutary rule laid down by the wisest of men; consequently I will give utterance solely to that which I may deem necessary indispensable in order to reconcile the idea of the incorporalityate of the Supreme with the biblical passages which appear to contradict that verity; and especially with that which ascribes to Him the inscription of the Decalogue. That God is incorporeal, both reason and Holy Writ jointly teach us. Reason tells us, that whatever is material, is necessarily circumscribed within narrow limits, and liable also to continual alterations. Now, He who governs the whole universe must needs be ubiquitary, ergo God cannot be confined within space. He who has ever existed, cannot be affected by time, ergo God is unchangeable. Holy Writ likewise repudiates the belief in God's corporeity; firstly, by

emphatically charging Israel to be heedful lest they make any image to represent the Deity, for, it says declares "that on the day He spoke in Horeb, no form appeared to the assembled mul--titude (Deut 4.15) secondly, by showing the impossibility of portraying Him in any guise" to whom can you liken God, and to what could you ever assimilate Him? (Isaiah 40.18) Thirdly, by asserting his omnipresence "Am I a God near at hand, but not from afar off? Can any one hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him?" (Jeremiah 23.23) fourthly, by proclaiming his immutability "For, I the Lord have never changed" (Malachi 3.6). It then clearly ensues, that whenever the Scriptures apply to the Deity terms which denote materiality, they must be considered as words borrowed from human language, to suit human understanding. Had, on the contrary, superhuman expressions been employed, to signify the dealings of the Almighty with his creatures, men, who receive all their impressions, through the senses, would have certainly failed to unfold then purport. For, even the faculties of the mind and of the soul, mortal beings are constrained

to depict in a manner totally material, so that they will say, for instance "The mind's eye; "the feelings of one's conscience," "the dictates of the soul" and so forth. Now, if such a contrivance is indispensable in relation with the spiritual part of men,--which is but a faint reflection of that pervad spirit which pervades the universe--how could they finite creatures have otherwise conceived the actions of Him, whose essence is unfathomable? To reveal to teach us then what nature, without revelation, was incapable to communicate, namely, the performance of good, and the eschewing of evil, the law has needfully lowered the Most High to the level of earthly beings, and attributed to Him deeds and qualities which appertain exclusively to the latter.
His providence is denoted by an all-seeing-eye [Hebrew] (Zechariah 4.10) His mercy by an ever-open ear (Pslams 34.16) [Hebrew] he is said to be ireful, when He withdraws his blessing from sinners (Deut 11.19) [Hebrew] He is styled "jealous" when debasing idolatry estranges his in--telligent creatures from the worship due solely to Him (Deut 32.16) [Hebrew] Oftentimes, the execusion of his will, is signified by an issue of his mandate or by his speech (Psalms 33.6.9) [Hebrew] When his interposition, either as a reward or as a chastisement to man, is extraordinarily preternaturally visible,

He is represented as descending from his height (Genesis 11.5) [Hebrew] (Exodus 19.20) [Hebrew] Thus I could long continue to cite examples which verify the assertion of our Sages, that the law has unavoidably adopted human language, because it was intended for human comprehension. Having hitherto briefly proved from reason & Holy Writ that God is incorporeal, and that the biblical passages, which at first sight, appear to gainsay that truth, cannot be regarded in a literal sense, I shall proceed to solve the query arising which from the delivery of the ten commandments, and their inscription upon the tables of stone, give rise in our mind. I shall however preface my observations, by stating that whatever I may utter on this momentous topic, will be a mere hypothesis, which I may succeed in substantiating, but which I would not dare to offer as an authority.
When Moses recalls to the mind of Israel the appalling cir--circumstance of God's revelation upon Sinai, he frequently alludes to the fire that blazed on that hallowed mountain. "The Lord spoke unto you in the midst of the fire "His words thou didst hear from the midst of the fire" (Deut 4.36) (Deuto 4.12) "These words the Lord spoke to all your assembled multitude on the mount from the midst of the fire" (Idem 5.22) "The ten commandments which the Lord spoke to you on the

mountain from the midst of the fire" (Idem 10.4) These and similar sentences interspersed through the fifth book of the Pentateuch have occasioned created the opinion entertained by sundry various authors, that each sound of the cornet, emitted through the fire, the words which furnished the minds of the hearers with the sublime ideas they conveyed. God to whom nature is obedient, bid the air, which issued from the loud instrument to shape itself in such a form by which He might communicate his will to the mortals. But although Israel had previously sanctified themselves for this awful advent, they could not long endure the divine manifestation. It was too appalling terrific to be witnessed by finite creatures "And ye said, behold the Lord God hath showed us his glory and his greatness ,and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire; we have seen this day, that God doth talk with man, and he liveth. Now therefore why should we die? for this great fire will consume us, if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any more, then we shall die, For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God, speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?" (Deut 5.24. 25.26)\And the theory advanced, would also explain a verse (in Exodus 20.18) occurring in our Parasha

which the authorized version has in all likelihood misinter--preted [Hebrew] "And all the people saw the voices (not the thunders) the flames, the noise of the trumpet and the smoking mountain" for, according to our rendering argument, which is corroborated by the Hebrew text, they actually beheld the sound which unfolded to them, already elevated minds, the basis of every religious and social duty. And the same truths which tended progressively to illumine all the children of the same Eternal Father, were twice in a wondrous manner impressed upon two tables of stone. Peculiarly remarkable is the diction of Holy Writ touching the last-named communication. It is said that the writing was the writing of Elohim, and by the finger of Elohim graven upon the tables. The word "Elohim" as it is familiarly known, is does not always stand as an appellation of the Deity, but is likewise with propriety applied to persons of distinction, or to any thing object imposingly great. Of the former case we find, "Thou art a prince of Elohim amongst us" that is, "a mighty prince" (Gen 29.5) of the latter, we meet "And Nineveh was a vast city of Elohim," to wit--"an exceedingly large city." (Jonah 3.3) In addition to our knowledge of this fact, we must bear in

mind, that the term "Haroot [Hebrew]" rendered in the English "graven" stands alone in the whole Bible, and that we con-jecture its meaning merely by analogy with kindred words; so that even the construction and peculiarity of the verse which records the incident under discussion, justifys our saying, that as the azure vaults of heaven, have been called by David" "the work of the finger of God," (Psalms 8.4) namely, the effect of his sovereign will, so was the writing of Elohim--that mar-velous writing, marvellously imprinted upon the tables, through by the mere wish of Him, who "spoke and it was accomplished."
With the aforesaid observations I strove, my dear Brethren! to satisfy the mind of an intelligent querist. They are concise, but, as I remembered the healthful aphorism of King Solomon, I judged them sufficient as an elucidation of a subject which is, after all, above our reach, for such is indeed the knowledge of God, of his attributes and actions. But if nevertheless it is correct that every Israelite should become the possessor of an enlightened reli--gious belief. If it is desirable that every one who adheres to the Mosaic code, should endeavour to comprehend the sublime verities wherewith it is replete, still, I confidently assert, that the doctrines continued in the Decalogue, require not the outward support

Identifier

p3n29ps50

identifier

SMBx9FF13_4