.
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The Library
University of California, Los Angek
The gift of Mrs. Cummings, 1963
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THE SABBATHS OF THE LOED."
SABBATH MEDITATIONS
EACH MEDITATION CONCLUDING WITH AN
APPROPRIATE PRAYER.
BY M. H. BKESSLAU,
PROFESSOR OP HEBREW, ETC.
'H BTIP
Call the Sabbath a delight,
The Holy of the Lord, honorable.
LONDON:
PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR,
AND MAT BE HAD OF HIM AT
18, MANSELL STREET, GOODMAN'S FIELDS.
M.DOCC.LVIH.
LONDON:
PJllNTJED BY J. WEKTHEIMER AND CO.
CIBCUS PLACE, FINSBUBT CIRCUS.
TO THE MEMORY OF
HIS
LATE PIOUS AND DEARLY -BELOVED MOTHER,
GUTEL BRESSLAU,
THIS WORK
IS HUMBLY AND DUTIFULLY
DEDICATED
BY
THE AUTHOR.
nn / nyt2j o^n fj;
Sy ^nnn^ ipv n
o^n noa
2037462
PREFACE.
THE want of domestic Sabbath reading, such as is
calculated to instruct and to edify, has been so long
and so strongly felt in the Jewish community, that no
apologetic remarks are required for the introduction of
this volume. In the house of divine worship, the law
of God is read in the original arid sacred tongue, ac-
cording to ancient custom, but many, alas ! are not
conversant with the Hebrew language it is recited,
but not propounded. In some synagogues, pulpit in-
struction is exceedingly scarce, whilst in others the
pulpit is entirely mute; not to mention^ that circum-
stances may occasionally preclude attendance at the
house of God. But even the regular attendant feels
anxious to devote some part of the sacred day to
earnest reflection ; and after six days of worldly labour
and anxiety, longs for the Day of Rest, when he may,
in calmness and repose, think of higher, nobler, and
more lasting objects; he also stands in need of such
occupation during the remainder of the day as will
tend to his mental refreshment, and consecrate it a
" Day of the Lord."
We could not, therefore, select any reading more
effectually answering this laudable demand, and more
appropriate to the holy character of the day, than
Meditations on the Portions of the Pentateuch, recited
on each Sabbath; as well as on the Haphtorahs, or
prophetic lessons bearing on the same.
In these Reflections, we have endeavoured to en-
lighten obscurities, to reconcile discrepancies, and to
deduce from the scriptural narrative the moral lessons
VI PREFACE.
in which they so richly abound. In the course of our
translations, we have deemed it necessary frequently to
deviate from the authorised version, adopting the ren-
derings and interpretations of ancient and modern
Jewish commentators, which will be found much
clearer, and more in harmony with the context. Nor
have we lost sight of the beautiful and ingenious
parables and allegories of the Midrashim ; so powerfully
illustrating the Divine Word, and so largely contri-
buting to its spiritualisation. We found the field of
our traditional literature so fertile and productive of
moral and religious truths; we discovered in that
garden of knowledge so many flowers, fragrant with
sweetness, and abundantly containing seeds of useful
instruction, that we had no need to draw from foreign
sources to attain the end we had in view. We per-
ceived that those fields were irrigated " by the fountains
of living waters," and required no " broken cisterns"
of speculative and unsound doctrine.
These Meditations being of a devotional character,
we concluded each of them with a short but compre-
hensive prayer, embodying the principal points of the
lessons taught by Moses and the Prophets, in the
respective portions read on the different Sabbaths of
the year. May our humble but earnest efforts meet
with the approbation of the Public; and may our
hopes in the instruction which we seek to convey, and
the edification we are desirous to afford, be fully
realised.
M. H. BRESSLAU.
CONTENTS.
MEDITATIONS ON GENESIS.
Page.
First Portion
. . .1
Seventh Portion .
Prayer .
.,, . . 6
Prayer .
Second Portion
. :: . . 7
Eighth Portion
Prayer .
y '...', 12
Prayer
Third Portion
. 13
Ninth Portion
Prayer
. 20
Prayer .
Fourth Portion
". . .21
Tenth Portion .
Prayer .
. . . ' .25
Prayer .
Fifth Portion
. 27
Eleventh Portion
Prayer .
. 31
Prayer
Sixth Portion
. 33
Twelfth Portion .
Prayer
. 39
Prayer
MEDITATIONS ON EXODUS.
First Portion
'. l . . 82
Seventh Portion .
Prayer .
., , . 86
Prayer
Second Portion
'. " /<. . 87
Eighth Portion .
Prayer
. 90
Prayer
Third Portion
. 91
Ninth Portion
Prayer
. 95
Prayer .
Fourth Portion
. 96
Tenth Portion
Prayer
. 102
Prayer . .
Fifth Portion
. 104
Eleventh Portion
Prayer
. ; - . 108
Prayer . >
Sixth Portion
, .110
Prayer
. . .115
Page.
. 41
. 46
. 47
. 52
. 53
. 59
. 60
. 66
. 68
. 72
. 74
81
116
120
121
125
127
131
132
137
139
144
Vlll
CONTENTS.
MEDITATIONS ON LEVITICUS.
Page.
First Portion
. 145
Sixth Portion
Prayer .
. 149
Prayer . .
Second Portion
. 151
Seventh Portion
Prayer .
. 155
Prayer .
Third Portion
. 156
Eighth Portion .
Prayer .
. 161
Prayer .
Fourth Portion
. 162
Ninth Portion .
Prayer .
. 167
Prayer .
Fifth Portion
. 169
Tenth Portion .
Prayer .
. 173
Prayer .
MEDITATIONS ON NUMBERS.
First Portion
. 205
Sixth Portion .
Prayer .
. 209
Prayer .
Second Portion
. 210
Seventh Portion
Prayer .
. 214
Prayer
Third Portion
. 216
Eighth Portion .
Prayer .
. 225
Prayer .
Fourth Portion
. 226
Ninth Portion .
Prayer .
. 231
Prayer .
Fifth Portion
. 233
Tenth Portion .
Prayer .
. 239 Prayer .
MEDITATIONS ON DEUTERONOMY.
First Portion
. 281 Seventh Portion
Prayer .
. 287 Prayer . '.
Second Portion
. 289 ! Eighth Portion .
Prayer .
. . . 296 Prayer . ,, .
Third Portion
. ' . . .298 Ninth Portion .
Prayer .
. 305 Prayer .
Fourth Portion
; . .307 Tenth Portion .
Prayer .
. 312 Prayer .
Fifth Portion
.313 Eleventh Portion
Prayer .
. 320 Prayer .
Sixth Portion
; ; . . 321
Prayer .
. ' ,' ; " . 328
Page.
175
179
181
186
188
192
193
197
199
204
241
247
248
256
257
263
265
271
273
279
330
337
339
346
348
354
356
365
366
374
SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON THE PENTATEUCH
AND ON THE HAPHTORAHS.
-no
FIRST PORTION OF GENESIS,
rmua oyn , u ynv: -m yw& nioi , ran rnvp rx )n
" Lo, these are parts of His ways: and how little a portion is heard
of Him.
But the thunder of His power who can understand?"
Job xxvi. 14.
" Canst thou," says Rabbi Hunna, in the Midrash, " not fathom the
nature of thunder, how wilt thou solve the problem of the whole
creation ?"
GRAND is the history of creation with which Holy Writ com-
mences; every word, every letter, opens a wide field of
research for the mind of man. The more he ponders on it, the wider
the gates of knowledge open themselves to him. The deeper he
penetrates into the chambers of nature, the clearer he perceives
the light of God. By the faint glimmer of his own lamp, it is
true, he can hardly descry the objects of nature ; but, by the all-
illuminating and never-extinguishing light of God the truths of
revelation he will be able to discern the wonders of creation
more closely, and arrive at the conclusion " that God is the
Creator, and the Beginning of creation."
The inexhaustible mass of the world's literature, manuscript
and print, produces no history of the creation equal to ours; and
nothing testifies its genuineness more strongly than the fact, that
among the earliest and oldest nations and peoples of the earth,
have been found fragments of traditional tales and laws agreeing
with the revealed account of creation.
Eabbi Isaac asks, in the Talmud, " Why does not the Torah
(the book of laws) commence at once with the laws and statutes?
Wherefore begins it with the history of creation?" The. reply,
says the Rabbi, is found in Scripture: "The strength of His
B
2 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
works He hath first declared unto His people, and then gave His
covenant unto the world." (Ps cxi. 6). It was deemed necessary
by the All-wise, previous to his ushering the covenant of the law
into the world, to make manifest to mankind the power of His
majesty through the great work of the creation. And who can
read attentively that simple and sublime chapter of the creation
without reverential awe and devotional fear? Who can peruse
that unadorned, yet magnificent account of the birth of the
heaven and the earth, and all their host who can recite the long
series of wonders and miracles wrought, in calling to existence
out of nothing the innumerable flowers, herbs, and trees of the
field, the fowls of the air, the beasts of the earth, and the origin
of him who was to rule over them all the creation of man?
Must not the reader of that chapter of chapters shrink back into
his own nothingness at the awe-inspiring contemplations of God's
majesty? Must he not tremble with amazement, and his soul be
wrapped in fervent and pious admiration?
A talmudical philosopher justly observes, " Every sentence of
the first chapter of Genesis contains a history and a lesson : it is
the index of the Bible. Every act and every word (and the
wotds of God are acts) contains a moral instruction applicable to
ourselves; for every man forms a small world in himself." The
details of the creation are replete with allegorical interpretations.
The divine command, " Let there be," which called the woi'ks of
nature into existence, occurs ten times in this chapter. But who
doubts that the one single sentence, " Let there be the universe/'
proceeding from the irresistible will of the Omnipotent, would
have produced the same at once, which the ten-fold repetition of
"Let there be" begot? It is an allegorical allusion, our sages
tell us, to the Ten Commandments; the fulfilment of which con-
stitutes the covenant of God with mankind, and the conditions on
which the existence of the universe is based. Although the reve-
lations of the Ten Commandments followed thousands of years
after the creation, yet nSnn PQBTI&1 HGJ^D S|1D " the end of
the deed is first in thought;" and that revelation was the purpose,
and therefore the beginning in the Divine contemplation of the
great creation. Another great lesson is afforded to us by the
gradual development visible in the history of the creation, which
God had in his power to originate at once. It teaches us that
we can but gradually attain the benefits and enjoyments, physical
and mental, which the world affords. Even the angels had to
ascend and descend the ladder of nature, at the head of which
stood the Lord. We cannot reach the summit of eminence in
any of our aspirations, without carefully climbing up step by
step. The missing of one step often strains our further efforts,
and destroys the fruits of those we have already ascended.
Another reflection suggests itself in the order of the creation
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 3
narrated in this memorable chapter. God first created the
mineral kingdom, then the vegetable kingdom, then the animal
kingdom, and, last of all, the king of the creation, Man. It was
the design of the All-wise to point out to man, immediately after
his birth, his destination activity and industry. Scripture
records, even before the fall of man, " And the Lord God took
the man, and put him into the garden of Eden, to work it, and
to preserve it.""* Although that lovely garden abounded with
orchards and trees of every description, yet was man told that
he was to work and to labour for the enjoyment of its fruit. To
teach him, at the same time, that the gratification of his physical
desires should not be excessive, but kept within bounds, he was
prohibited from eating the fruit of one of the trees. He Avas
tempted, but he could not resist the temptation: he fell, and with
him fell MANKIND.
Although man physically sinks into nothing, when compared
with the colossal celestial bodies, as observed by the Psalmist,
" When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the
moon and the stars which thou hast ordained ; what is man that
thou art mindful of him ; and the Son of Man that thou visitest
him?" Yet, mentally, man constitutes the principal, the focus of
the universe; for " Thou hast made him but a little less than the
angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour;" which are
the speech and the understanding. Marvellous as are the works
of the creation, wonderful as are the celestial bodies, as the sun,
moon, and the vast and innumerable planets, yet still more won-
derful and marvellous is the n$nV fc^53 the "conscious soul,
as the Psalmist exclaims:
" I will praise Thee, for awfully wondrous am I constituted.
Marvellous are Thy works, and above all my conscious soul." f
Ps. cxxxix. 14.
By "conscious soul" is understood that human mind, which,
by contemplation and perseverance in study and research, by the
continued and xinremitting progress of science, has produced most
beneficial results, and verified the words:
" Thou gavest him dominion over the works of thy hand ;
Thou hast laid all under his feet."
* The English Authorised Version has "to dress it," and to "keep it;"' but the
t" [
Hebrew text, ,mDK>?1 m3V? justifies our rendering as above; the root 12y
always signifying, "to serve," "to work;" mi3V D3fcOC "servile work."
( We have deviated here from the rendering in the Authorised Version; and it
will be found, upon investigation, that onr rendering is more in accordance with
the context, and also with the accentuation.
B 2
4 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
The human understanding, when properly applied, is called
wisdom, which dates from the creation; for it says:
" Before the mountains were settled, before the hills, was I brought
forth ;"
wisdom, which is contemporary with the creation of the heavens
and the sea ; for it exclaims :
" When He prepared the heavens I was there ;
When He set a compass upon the face of the depth ;
When He established the clouds above;
When He strengthened the fountains of the deep."
Wisdom even aspires, figuratively, to a co-operation in the
work of the creation ; for it tells us :
" When He gave to the sea His decree
That the waters should not pass His order ;*
When He appointed the foundations of the earth;
Then I was by Him, as one brought up with Him,
And I was daily His delight."
Let it be understood, that the wisest of kings here only per-
sonifies sound wisdom; that healthy understanding which can
boast " I have strength," by which good kings reign, and liberal
princes decree justice; by which the order of society is esta-
blished and maintained ; and by which virtue is revered and vice
despised.
But, speaking so much of wisdom and understanding., the
reader may ask:
' nm oia PIPNI
But where shall wisdom be found ? and where is the place of
understanding?
In reply, we point to that Book of Books, the beginning of
which is our present theme, and in which the more we search
the more wisdom we shall find. In that Book we must lay the
foundations for the study of sciences, and the contemplation of
the great monuments erected by the Divine Creator in the uni-
verse. Then may we read other useful works, written in various
languages, thousands and tens of thousands of which there are
extant, teeming with sound instruction, philosophical disserta-
tions but only after having founded our thoughts on the
philosophy of genuine religion, as taught in our Bible.
How necessary is it, therefore, to observe discrimination in
reading; how important to choose our literature with judgment
and propriety; this being one of the most essential points in the
path of life. Hence the awful responsibility resting upon parents,
teachers, and guardians, in the selection of works to be read by
the young entrusted to their care. It is a paramount duty closely
THK PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTOliAHS. 5
to watch over the reading of the young. Many a fine mind has
been perverted, and many a good heart has been corrupted, by
reading bad books in youth, leaving iinpressions that never could
be obliterated in advanced age. How miserable and wretched
are those philosophers without religion those who have imbibed
venomous maxims from impure sources of literature in the hour
of trouble and misfortune, when darkness surrounded them, and
the light of religion is shut out from their desponding hearts !
Whilst he who has studied the book of religion may say: "Unless
Thy law had been my delight, I should have perished in my
afflictions." The philosopher without religion has no solace, and
is lost in despair. Let us, therefore, carefully watch the tender
plants of youth, and guard them against those baleful influences
exercised by immoral reading. Let us impress upon the young
the necessity of at least reading the portion of the week from the
Bible; let us instil into his mind those unalloyed sentiments of
virtue and morality which pure religion is eminently calculated
to awaken; so that, in the day of prosperity, he may not become
haughty and overbearing, and in the night of adversity he may,
with some degree of confidence, pray with the Psalmist :
" I am Thine, O save me !
For I have sought Thy precepts.
This is my comfort in affliction:
For Thy word hath quickened me."
That the whole of the creation might have been accomplished
in one day in one minute or in a thousandth part of a minute,
by Him " who spoke and it was, who commanded and they were
created," can admit of no doubt, to any rational mind. But, as
the Divine Lawgiver, though He required no rest, deigned to
impress on our mind the duty of devoting one day of the week
to rest from labour, He had it recorded in Sacred History that
He created the universe, and the fulness thereof, in six successive
days, and rested on the seventh day. The resting attributed to
God must be taken in the same allegorical sense as the working.
Both are to serve as a lesson that, during the six working days,
we should be occupied in the active pursuits of life; whilst the
seventh day should be set apart for physical rest and mental ease,
devoted to sacred meditation, as a day blessed and sanctified by
God for that holy purpose.
We will now proceed to the consideration of the great purpose
of the creation Light, not only physical, but also mental
Light, without which the whole creation of the universe, how-
ever magnificent and stupendous, would have been nought. This
idea is beautifully illustrated in the pntDfin (prophetic lesson) of
the day:
"Thus saith God the Lord, He that created the heavens and
6 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
stretched them out ; He that spread forth the earth, and that which
cometh out of it ; He that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and
spirit to them that walk therein :
" I, the Lord, have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine
hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people,
for a light of the Gentiles ;
" To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison,
and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house.""
The spreading of this light was, is, and ever will be, the voca-
tion of Israel; and so long as we, the Israelites, faithfully
discharge the duties of that vocation, we may rest assured that
the prophecies of our final restoration will be speedily fulfilled.
We may well chime in with the Prophet:
" Sing unto the Lord a new song, and His praise from the end of
the earth ; ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein ; the
isles, and the inhabitants thereof.
" Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice ; the
villages that Kedar doth inhabit: let the inhabitants of the rock sing,
let them shout from the top of the mountains.
" Let them give glory unto the Lord, and declare His praise in the
islands."
PRAYER.
O LORD GOD ! Creator of heaven and earth, the heaven is Thy
throne, and the earth is Thy footstool. Thou hast stretched out the
heavens like a curtain ; Thou hast laid the foundations of the earth,
that it should not be removed for ever ; Thou hast covered it with the
deep as with a garment. At Thy rebuke, the waters fled; at the voice
of Thy thunder they hasted away. Thou hast set a bound that they
may not pass over. Thou waterest the hills from Thy chambers : the
earth is satisfied with the fruit of Thy works. Thou coverest Thyself
with light as with a garment; Thou hast appointed the moon for
seasons: the sun knoweth his going down: the sun ariseth ; and man,
whom Thou hast made to rule over the works of Thy hands, under
whose feet Thou hast laid all man goeth forth unto his work, and to
his labour until the evening. O Lordl I beseech Thee grant that the
light of Thy creation may ever guide me so that I walk not in dark-
ness : grant that in contemplating Thy stupendous work of the universe,
I may be deeply impressed with Thy majesty and glory ; that the
Lord's is the earth and the fulness thereof; and that humble man
oweth to thee alone, all his possessions. And finally, I implore Thee,
All-merciful God ! to fortify me on this Holy Sabbath, which Thou
hast given us for rest and meditation, in the arduous struggle for the
highest and noble purposes which, in Thy goodness, Thou hast placed
within the reach of Thy children on earth. Amen.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS.
-no
SECOND PORTION OF GENESIS.
yen p*
TO "> "hw cbw TID
" As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more ;
But the righteous is an everlasting foundation," Prov. x.. 25.
THE History of the Creation ends with the fall of Adam, and his
consequent death. Previous to our commencing the history
of Noah, the descendant of Adam, we will quote an allegory,
narrating the death of the latter, illustrating the mortality which
Adam's sin brought into the world, and showing that it is only
the body of man which perishes, but that the soul created in the
image of God, which inhabits man, returns to its heavenly foun-
tain and remains immortal.
THE DEATH OF ADAM.
Nine hundred and thirty years old was Adam, when he heard
the voice of the Eternal calling unto him, " Thou shalt die."
" Let all my sons appear before me/' said he to Eve, " that I
may see them and bless them." They then attended to the
paternal summons and stood before him, who thus addressed
them :
" Who among you will ascend the holy mountain, and implore the
Lord's mercy for me, that I may live ? I have eaten from the tree of
life, and, though its fruit is mixed with bitterness, yet would I like to
eat more thereof, and have my days on earth prolonged."
Seth, the most pious of his sons, then replied, " Here am I ; send
me." Adam consented; and Seth covered his head with ashes, girded
sack-cloth round his loins, and proceeded to the gate of Paradise, at
the entrance of which he was accosted by a cherub, with a flaming
sword, who exclaimed " Whither art thou going ?" " I come," replied
Seth, " to implore thee for the life of my father. I beseech thee to
allow my entering the garden, that I may gather some more fruit of
the tree of life; so that he may eat thereof and live."
"I cannot permit thee to enter," said the cherub; "I am placed
8 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
here to keep the way to the tree of life. Take, however, this branch,
that he may strengthen himself in his last moments ; for know thou,
that everlasting life is not upon earth. But hasten, for his hour has
come." Seth hastened away, and threw himself at the feet of his
father, saying :
" I could not bring to thee any fruit of the tree of life ; but here is a
branch, which the angel hath given me for thy last invigoration."
The dying man took the branch ; its fragrance re-animated him ; he
revived; and his soul was elevated. "Children," said he, "eternal
life is not here below. You will follow me. But from these leaves
inhale the breath of another life, and a happier one than this." His
eye closed, and his spirit departed.
Adam's children buried their father, and wept for him ; but Seth
wept not. He planted the branch on his father's tomb, and called it
the branch of new life ; " For," said he, " it will awake him from the
slumber of death."
The little branch grew up to a lofty tree ; and there were many of
the descendants of Adam who nourished themselves from that tree,
and to whom it afforded the consolation of another life. The tree grew
old, but withstood the withering blast, the scorching sun, the blighting
frost, and the sweeping deluge. It lasted for many generations, and
flourished incessantly until the reign of David, when his wise son grew
vain of his wisdom, and began to doubt his soul's immortality. The
branches then began to wither and decay, but the stem remained.
Many of the blossoms and flowers of the tree of immortality, however,
had been distributed among several nations on earth, by the de-
scendants of Seth, who thus promoted in the world the seed of
immortality.
The author of this allegory, no doubt,, alludes here to the pro-
pagation of the doctrine of the immortality of the soul, by those
to whom God had revealed Himself, even before the giving of
the Decalogue, and that its tradition came down to those Greek
philosophers who wrote in later ages elaborate essays to prove that
which had been known to the first infant of the creation.
THE DELUGE.
One of the descendants of Adam was Xoah, who survived the
fearful deluge which destroyed the earth 1656 years after its
creation.
The Midrash Rabba thus introduces this memorable event:
nsio
TID*
" As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more ;
But the righteous is an everlasting foundation."
Amidst the corruption and violence which prevailed on the
earth, Noah distinguished himself as a just and perfect man.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 9
The term " perfect" is qualified in Scripture, by the subsequent
words " in his generation," according to some commentators. It
appears to us, however, that it redounds to his firmness of cha-
racter, showing as it does, that he became not infected with the
contagion of vice and demoralization which occasioned the devas-
tation of the world. His implicit faith in God is proved by his
following the dictates of God, respecting the building of the ark,
as a means of saving him from the flood a vessel which, in
the course of nature, appears inadequate to the immense number
of its inmates, and inefficient to withstand the fearful flood. But
Noah doubted not and asked not. " According to all that God
commanded him, so did he."
To Noah, then, applies the latter sentence in our text : " As
the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more: but the
righteous is an everlasting foundation." The preservation of
Noah's life and that of his family became the foundation of the
new world, after the old one had been swept away by the all-
destroying deluge, and after " all in whose nostrils was the breath
of life had died."
That the saving of Noah's life and the perpetuation of the
human race, as well as that of the beasts, the fowls, and of every
thing that creepeth upon the earth, might have been effected
without resorting to the precautionary measure of the building of
the ark, can admit of no doubt in the mind of any one who
believes (and who can boast of a mind and not believe?) in the
omnipotence of the Creator; nor can there be any question as to
inadequacy naturally speaking of a vessel of 300 cubits
in length and 50 cubits in breadth, to contain the thousands of
beasts, fowls, and animated beings on earth, particularly when we
recollect that there were seven of each kind of the clean beasts
and two of each of the unclean, assembled in the ark. Equally
impossible does it appear again naturally speaking that this
comparatively small vessel should have been able to contain,
besides the immense number of animals, the food and provision
which was required for such a host of inmates to maintain them
for twelve months (within ten days), the time which they had to
remain closed up in the ark. Perceiving, therefore, as we clearly
do, that the very preservation of the world from the ravages of
the deluge by the ark, was not natural but miraculous, we are
startled by the question : As a miracle was required to effect the
preservation, could not the Author of that miracle have saved the
world by his Omnipotent will and command, without building
the ark? Moreover, would not the wonder-working hand of God
have become more manifest to Noah and his generations had the
Lord accomplished the saving of the world without the appa-
rently natural and human measure adopted in the building of,
the ark ?
10 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
The reply to these questions is found in Scripture itself:
>D 71 3W} 1W S'DfcS 'PI
" The Lord sat above the flood ; yea, the Lord sitteth as King for
ever." Ps. xxix. 30.
Sacred History shows us, that whenever the Lord wrought a
miracle to save an individual or a people, he commanded man,
notwithstanding the supernatural manner of his salvation was
obvious, to follow the course of nature, and to find, as it were, the
means in himself. The Divine purpose in this combination of
miraculous and natural circumstances being, to teach man that he
must not leave any lawful means untouched, by which he may
save himself, and then God will assist him. No man dare trust
to miracles and rely upon them, until he has exhausted every
legitimate resource in his power for his safety. Whilst the
Creator thus by a miracle saved Noah, his family and every
other being that was in the ark, yet would he impress upon Noah
the lesson of endeavouring by natural means the building of
the ark, to effect his preservation from the threatening destruc-
tion. " The Lord sat above the flood." His Omnipotence was
beyond the reach of the deluge, yet did he command Noah to
resort to apparently natural means for his escape, because "the
Lord sitteth as King for ever," and was desirous of implanting
this lesson in the minds of his subjects : ' ' Try every means to
save thyself before thou canst hope for help from God."
THE RAINBOW.
When the flood had abated, and the earth became dry, Noah
and the other inmates left the ark by the command of God, who
made a covenant with him and the earth, "That there should no
more be a flood to destroy the whole earth." The token of that
covenant was the rainbow. Sceptics and infidels have seized
upon this passage as a proof of the scriptural writer's non-
acquaintance with natural history; for, say they, "Knowing as
we do that the appearance of the rainbow is a natural consequence
of the breaking of the sunbeams through the rainy clouds, we are
relieved from the superstition that the Lord has ' set it in the
clouds (as the Bible has it) for the token of a covenant."
If we, however, examine this passage attentively, we shall find
an ample refutation of this charge against the scriptural writer.
Let us observe that the Hebrew text says not " I will set my bow
in the cloud, >r but " I have set my bow in the cloud." The
appearance of the rainbow, it is true, was by no means a miracle
manifested after the flood, but had, no doubt, appeared before,
whenever the two elements stood opposed to each other ; but the
Almighty said that as the rainbow indicates the ceasing of the
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 11
rain (which in the course of nature causes its appearance), so it
will be a token of the covenant which God hath made, that the
floods shall cease and no more devastate the earth. A more
apt and striking symbol of that covenant could not have been
manifested by any heavenly sign, than that of the rainbow, in
which the benign and appeasing Spirit of God, after his just
wrath, is most sublimely illustrated to the human eye and mind,
and cannot fail to elicit the blessing which we pronounce when-
ever its variated colours remind us OF GOD'S COVENANT WITH
THE EARTH.
Whilst one part of the Scripture thus replies to the sceptic,
another passage, which occurs in the ffaphtorah, (prophetic por-
tion), of this Sabbath, points out the moral lesson of the Deluge.
It runs thus:
p pxn y *ny m
" For this is as the waters of Noah unto me ; as I have sworn that
the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so have I
sworn that I would not be utterly wroth with thee, nor rashly rebuke
thee." Isaiah lix. 9.
It shows how the Divine Judge tempers justice with mercy;
how he wounds and heals; how he rebukes and forgives; how
lenient in inflicting punishment, and how unbounded in his
mercy and favor IJNTtt D'TMSfcO yjTPS- "For," (here
again we deviate from the authorised version, and rather follow
Mendelssohn, the Jewish translator), " His anger endureth but a
moment, but His favor through a whole life P'
The earth had been thoroughly corrupt and filled with violence,
The laws of society, even the laws of nature, were set at defiance.
Even the brute creation had been made subservient to the abomi-
nable lusts of corrupt humanity. The destruction of the earth
became inevitable. Yet the same edict which pronounced the
destruction decreed the preservation. It killed and preserved
life (riTlDI JV)- All the fountains of the great deep had been
opened up, the foundations of society had been shaken, and " the
windows of heaven were opened." The justice of Providence
above interfered.
"The voice of God, the Lord, was upon the waters, the God
of glory thundered/' The mighty element of his behest was at
war with man and brute ; but the innocent dove, with the olive-
leaf in her mouth, proclaimed peace, and Noah knew that the
Divine wrath was appeased. The bow appeared in the clouds as
a token of the covenant that the course of nature should not be
reversed ; that while the earth remaineth, seed-time and harvest,
cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night shall not
cease.
12 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
The same spirit of justice, blended with mercy, to vindicate
right, but not to annihilate, to chastise and to spare, manifests
itself in the preservation of Israel as a nation, throughout all her
tribulations, as emphatically told by the Prophet in the Haph-
torah, which we read this Sabbath.
" For a small moment have I forsaken thee ;
Yet with great mercies will I gather thee I
For a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment ;
But with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee !
Saith the Lord, thy Redeemer."
This manifestation of the Divine pleasure in saving and res-
cuing persecuted Israel, is reflected in the rainbow which appeared
after the deluge:
*' For this is as the waters of Noah unto me.
As I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over
the earth,
So have I sworn that I would not be utterly wroth with thee, nor
harshly rebuke thee."
PRAYER.
ALMIGHTY FATHER ! when I seriously reflect on the sin of the first
man, Adam ; on the crime perpetrated by the son, Cain, against his
own brother ; and further, on the corruption and violence of the gene-
ration of Noah, which provoked the Divine wrath, and caused the
deluge to come upon the earth and sweep away so many of thy crea-
tures, I am reminded of the words of Holy Writ, " Shall mortal man
be more just than God ? Shall a man be more pure than his Maker?
Behold, He put no trust in His servants, and His angels he charged
with folly. How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose
foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth ? They
are destroyed from morning to evening ; they perish for ever without
any regarding it. Does not their excellency which is in them go away?
They die even without wisdom." But, terrible as Thy wrath and retri-
bution upon sinful man may be, Thy mercy and Thy grace are still
greater, and sustain falling mankind. Were it not for Thy clemency and
forbearance, many of us would share the fate of those who perished by
the deluge. And as amidst the waters of the flood, Thou causedst the
rainbow of grace to shine as a token of Thy covenant with the earth,
so I now implore Thee, gracious God, that whenever, by our failings
and shortcomings, we have incurred the Divine displeasure, Thou
rnayest cause the rainbow of Thy longsuffering and forgiveness to
appear, so that we may be re-admitted into Thy paternal love, to
approach the throne of Thy glory, and, by prayer and humility, attain
salvation. Amen.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 13
"I1D
THIRD PORTION OF GENESIS.
T "3 *o -nojp pn* rvni
" The wicked are overthrown, and are not ;
But the house of the righteous shall stand." Prov. xii. 7.
corrupt age which " filled the earth with violence" having
J- been swept into eternity by the fearful deluge the building
of the tower of Babel, intended " to reach unto heaven," having
been frustrated, and its projectors scattered abroad by the Founder
of Language and Speech a man arose who regenerated the
fallen world, and elected by God to become a blessing to all the
nations of the earth, hoisted upon its ruins the flag of truce, and
reconciled the universe with his wrathful Creator. That man was
Abraham. Nursed in the cradle of idolatry, reared in the hot-
bed of Polytheism, and bred in its profligacy and abomination,
he, nevertheless, understood and proclaimed the unity of God,
broke to pieces the idolatrous images worshipped by his own
father, and, armed with the invincible weapons of that faith,
escaped unscathed the fire of the furnace in Ur of the Chaldees.
From the darkness of idolatry which obscured the earth^ Abra-
ham caused the all-illuminating light of God's unity to shine
forth in its full power and transcendant truth the light which
is indicated in the allegorical phrase of the Midrash, " A bril-
liant diamond was suspended from Abraham's head, which illu-
mined the whole universe." Its brilliancy is still manifest in the
light of civilization which it diffuses over those countries and
those climes, where the penetration of its rays was not impeded
by the sword of Paganism ; and its genuineness still proved by
its lasting character, which has withstood the heavy and incessant
blows inflicted on it by the iron hammer of tyranny and oppres-
sion. The unity of God is, indeed, a precious diadem, whose
variegated colours reflect the manifest attributes of the Deity,
each shining forth brilliantly to guide the inhabitants of the
earth ; but which no physical power, however great, can separate,
and no spiritual craft, however subtle, can divide. And it is this
14 SABBATH MEDITATIONS OX
great doctrine which Abraham made it his mission to promulgate
through the earth it is this grove which Abraham planted in
Beer-sheba, where he called upon the name of the Lord the
Everlasting God.
Abraham's father, according to tradition, was a sculptor. One
day he went out, and left his son Abraham in the studio, where a
man entered, and asked for an image, which he wished to pur-
chase. One which had just been finished by the hand of the
artist particularly seemed to please him. " How old art thou?"
asked Abraham. " Sixty years/' was the reply. " And a man
of sixty will worship a god scarcely one day old ! " The man
left, covered with shame.
Another day a woman brought an offering of flour for the
idols. Abraham received it; and, when she had gone, took up a
hammer and destroyed them all, except one, in whose hand he
put the hammer. When the father came home, and found all his
idols broken to pieces, he became wroth. " Who has committed
this wickedness?" "No one," replied Abraham. " A woman
brought a meat-offering, and when I handed it to the idols, they
began to quarrel and dispute who should first of them have his
meal. The largest, however, then grew passionate; he took the
hammer and demolished them all." " Son," said the father,
" thou art jesting with me; are inanimate stones able to commit
such acts?" " Well," said Abraham, " may thy ears hearken to
what thy mouth speaks." The father, who well perceived that
the blasphemy against the idols would endanger the life of his
son if it became known, took his son to Nimrod. When that
mighty man heard the accusation, he said to Abraham: " Thou
despisest my idols; well then, let us worship the fire." "Why
not rather the water which extinguishes the fire," asked" Abraham.
" Well, then, we will worship the water." " But why not
rather the clouds which bear the water?" " Well, we will wor-
ship the clouds." " But why not rather," asked again Abraham,
" the wind, which disperses the clouds?" " Well, then, let us
worship the wind/' But why not rather man, who understands
how to shelter himself from the wind?" asked Abraham. " I
perceive, then," said Nimrod, " thou art seeking to evade my
questions by empty talk. We keep to the worship of the Fire,
and let the God whom thou adorest come and save thee." When
Haran, Abraham's brother, who was just present, heard this, he
said : " Whose faith now proves victorious, his god will I worship
in future." Abraham was then thrown into the red-hot furnace,
and came out unscathed. "To which party dost thou belong
now?" asked Nimrod. " To that of my brother/' replied
Haran; " for his has proved the right one."
Thus became Abraham the means of propagating the know-
ledge of the ONE God, by opening the eyes of the idolatrous
THE PENTATEUCH AND IIAPHTORAHS. 15
world to the futility of polytheism, and by showing to the insen-
sate heathens, how ridiculous it was to worship any being but
that which is the Creator of every being. Arid thus became
Abraham the instrument in the hand of God, to save the uni-
verse from destruction. To him then applies the second line of
our text :
" The wicked are overthrown, and are not;
But the house of the righteous shall stand."
Faithful to the duties of his sacred mission, the preacher of
the Unity of God Abraham unremittingly exerted his bene-
volence with the one steadfast purpose before his eyes. At home,
his tent was hospitably opened to every wanderer, who, after
partaking of a refreshing meal, was initiated by the pious host
into the doctrines of the Unity, and his mind purged from the
dross and mysteries of Polytheism. On his journeys, Abraham
sowed the seeds of the true faith, and enjoyed the blessings of
his fruits: for " the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life ; and
he that winneth souls is wise." (Prov. xi. 30). It was such
fruits which Abraham gathered from his labours: he saw the
tree of life blossom, and its goodly branches extending over the
earth ; and thus did he " win the souls" of his fellow-creatures.
This is, no doubt, the true meaning of the phrase which fre-
quently occurs in the history of Abraham, mentioning first, "the
substance which he gathered," alluding to his temporal wealth ;
and then, " the souls which he had gotten in Haran." (Gen. xii. 5).
Nor did Sarah, his wife, according to tradition, remain inactive
in the sacred cause. " Abraham," say our sages, " convinced the
men, and Sarah instructed the women." At the gate of his tent
sat he, to invite the weary itinerant to the reviving shades of the
oak ; and to refresh his languishing heart with meat and drink.
When the fatigued guest had recovered, he overloaded his hospi-
table entertainer with thanks and blessings. "What!" said
Abraham, " me you bless? Rather bless Him who giveth food
unto all His creatures, and from whose hands I received it, to give
it unto thee." " Who is He, and where is He?" asked the aston-
ished traveller. And Abraham solemnly raised his voice, and
said: " He, who created the heaven and the earth, is the all-kind
Father, who provideth for all His creatures ; it is He who killeth
and reviveth; it is He, that woundeth and healeth; He, who
fashioneth the infant in its mother's womb, and causeth it to see
the light of the world/' " Pray," said the guests, " teach us
how we are to worship that Benefactor, and manifest our grati-
tude to Him." Abraham then taught them the blessing:
" Praised be He, who giveth bread to every creature on earth !"
And he instructed them in that faith, which became afterwards,
and which ever will be, the guiding-star of mortal life, and the
beacon showing the path to Life Eternal.
16 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
These are but a few sketches which tradition, founded on
scriptural authority, draws of the life of Abraham, the first mis-
sionary in the history of the world. The narrative of HIS
mission has obtained credence among all classes of mankind ; for
unlike the missionaries of a modern creed, did Abraham perform
his sacred task. No ambition of power or office, no desire for
influence and wealth, actuated his onerous and unostentatious
career. When the priest of the Most High God, Melchizedek,
brought to Abraham, the Conqueror, after the battle with the
four Kings, bread and wine, and invoked the blessing of the
Most High God, the Possessor of Heaven and Earth that
acknowledgment was all that Abraham required. When the
King of Sodom offered Abraham all the goods of the spoil, to
which the victorious leader had a just claim, did he accept the
offer? Did he receive the substantial testimonial? or did he ask
for any elevation in lieu of it? "I have lift up my hand to
the Most High God," said the disinterested missionary, " the
Possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take even from a
thread to a shoe-latchet, save only that which the young men
have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me,
Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre, let them take their portion." No
wonder that such a preacher can make true proselytes, no sur-
prise that he could convince his audience of the truth as it is in
the Unity; his disinterestedness and absence of all selfishness
vouched for his sincerity, and for the veracity of the account
which his history has handed down to the world. The reward
and remuneration which were due to Abraham, the unpaid
missionary, were, however, soon after this scene, accorded him in
a vision. " Fear not, Abraham/' said the God of Truth to his
faithful servant, " I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great
reward." A powerful shield and a glorious reward ! The Eternal
Himself, whose name he proclaimed, and whose indivisible,
immutable, and yet all-merciful, and all-forgiving characteristics
he had preached, and taught to his heathen contemporaries, in
spite of the burning furnace prepared by Nimrod, and in the face
of the deadly sword which was suspended over his head by
idolatrous fanatics. Read we only and reflect on the life of that
man, and we shall no more wonder at the choice made by God,
who appointed him "the father of many nations;" who of HIM
made a great nation; who instituted him a blessing for all the
families of the earth ; and unto His seed the Lord promised that
land, where idolatry and its abominations were uprooted, and
superseded by a faith which their great ancestor established, and
the moral lessons which it inculcates spread light and civilization
over the globe.
The lite and calling of Abraham is thus alluded to in the
Haphtorah of this Sabbath :
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 17
TV D^Sfci ' D'U nsfe pv ' iW? iriKip* / pmc mi&a Tyn *a
" Who stirred the righteous one from the east, called him to follow
him, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings."
Isaiah xli. 2.
After the corrupt and violent generation, with the exception of
Noah and his family, had been swept from the earth by the
fearful deluge, another generation arose, whose arrogance and
presumption caused their dispersion, their vain and monopolising
designs having been defeated by the confusion of tongues with
which the Divine Creator of speech visited the inhabitants of the
city and the tower " whose top was to reach unto heaven."
Thus are the ambitious and dangerous schemes of people often
frustrated by discord and divisions in the ranks of the designing
band, owing to the jarring interests of mercenary individuals;
whilst union and concord are more likely to reign in a company
or society engaged in a good cause, where no personal interests,
but the general welfare, form the motives and objects of all and
every one alike. The Tower of Babel stands forth in the Scripture
history, as a warning to rash and presumptuous schemers, who
commonly confound themselves, and whose evil designs are scat-
tered to the wind like chaff.
Again the earth was in a state of darkness, overcast with the
vapours of moral corruption and the mist of paganism, with its con-
comitant abominations. The right of the pure knowledge of the
true and only God, the genial warmth of morality and virtue,
inculcated by genuine religion they were wanted to save the
lower world from destruction. And that light appeared from the
east, in the mind of ABRAHAM.
True, Noah was a righteous man " in his generation ;" but he
lacked the capabilities and qualifications for a universal leader
and guide. A bold, intrepid spirit was required, a man un-
daunted by overwhelming opponents, a mind fearless of scorn
and threats, a man of valour and of truth, hating covetousness, in
a word, a righteous man and that man was Abraham.
Noah was a good man, he built an altar and offered burnt
offerings, he planted a vineyard and was excessively gratified, but
we do not discover in his life any desire or effort to improve his
fellow beings, less virtuous than himself. To be the leader of vast
multitudes, to enunciate a great principle, to reprove and improve
his contemporaries, a mind of the highest moral courage and
integrity is required, a man of undoubted sincerity, of proved dis-
interestedness, a man who lives not for himself but for the world
such a man was Abraham. We see him not only build an
altar in gratitude for the Divine promises and blessings, but we
find that he proclaimed the name of the Eternal.
We see him part company with his nephew, not in order to
c
18 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
avoid strife. But no sooner did he learn that his nephew was a
prisoner, he fearlessly came to the rescue with a handful of men
three hundred and eighteen of his household in pursuit
of overwhelming forces, and delivered the captive. We see the
same Abraham after this heroic and successful exploit, disinte-
restedly refuse all the substance and wealth offered him by the
vanquished King of Sodom ; nobly answering, as we have already
stated before, " I have lifted up mine hand unto the Lord the Most
High God, the Possessor of Heaven and Earth, that I will not
take from a thread even to a shoe-latchet, and that 1 will not
take anything that is thine, lest thou shalt say: I have made
Abraham rich." He was satisfied with his victory, the saving of
Lot and his family; but he had another and still greater satis-
faction to hear the great and sublime truth that he taught
and proclaimed -the knowledge of the unity of God from the
mouth of Melchizedek, who, according to the words of Scripture,
was " a priest of the Most High God." Melchizedek had
evidently become a disciple of the doctrine of the unity of God;
he did not attribute the victory to chance, but he said: " Blessed
be Abraham of the Most High God, Possessor of Heaven and
Earth (the same expression and attributes made use of by
Abraham), and blessed be the Most High God, who hath delivered
thine enemies into thine hand." A noble disciple, worthy of
so noble a teacher.
We are fully aware of the several traditional interpretations as
to the identity of this Melchizedeck, King of Salem. In these
meditations, however, which we humbly dedicate to the general
reader, we shall adhere to the advice given by Sirach: " Do not
search in that which is above thee, and do not inquire into that
which is hidden from thee, and thou hast no business with
mysteries." We also follow the wise king's instruction.
K pan pa
" Consider diligently what is before thee."
Again, to follow the scriptural history of Abraham. We see
him aged and childless, listening to the Divine promise, that his
offspring should be as innumerable as the stars of heaven.
Impossible as such an event, humanly speaking, must have
appeared, we are nevertheless informed that Abraham put implicit
faith in the Divine predictions, and this faith was fully accounted
to him as righteousness.
The sceptic will shake his head at this implicit faith of
Abraham, in things humanly incredible, the rationalist will sneer
at the perusal of events naturally impossible; but as Abraham
was led forth and told, " Look now toward heaven and tell the
stars, if thou be able to remember them;" so may we tell the
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPIITORAHS. 19
sceptic and the rationalist, "Look now toward heaven, and
contemplate the sun, the moon, the stars, and the wonders of the
skies, can you explain their origin and their tremendous powers
rationally, naturally, humanly? Look, now, at the vast creations
on earth, whether in the animal, vegetable, or mineral kingdom,
Can you fathom their primitive existence? Look, now, at your-
selves, how ' fearfully and wonderfully^ you are constituted ; think
of the very faculty of your being able to think? Is not the con-
stitution of the human frame itself superhuman? And must you
not exclaim with Job, PI17N nTHK ^SSODI ' Even from my
flesh I see God ?' Must you not come to the conclusion that all
nature is a miracle, baffling the human understanding, and
wrought by a Supreme Being, omnipotent, omniscient, and omni-
present, far beyond the reach of the sense of mortals. You will
have to admit that every creation is a miracle; you will have to
admit that what you call nature, you cannot explain ' naturally;'
admit then that He who wrought the miracle of the wonderful
creation, works miracles every day, such as you behold, and such
as, through the short-sightedness of the human mind, you cannot
behold. Philosophy and argument, without religion, are like the
dry bones, it requires the spirit of belief to animate them."
To recur to the hero of our narrative for he was truly a
hero Abraham. We have portrayed the features in his character
as they appear in the portion of the Bible to be read on this
Sabbath, intending to follow up the narrative of his life in our
next meditation. Meanwhile we have seen sufficient to compre-
hend the choice of Providence, deigning to appoint the pro-
claimer of the sublime doctrine of Monotheism, and whom he
honoured with the epithet " My friend" (^Plltf DH^ON), tne
progenitor of the race which to this day maintains the same
sacred truth. For the steadfast adherence to the doctrine of the
unity, our fathers and mothers underwent great troubles and
suffering, which they bore with such resignation as could be
endured only by reliance upon Him who assures Israel through
the prophet (in the Hapthorah of Sabbath next), " Fear thou not,
for 1 am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God; I will
strengthen thee, yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of
my righteonsness." This is a figurative term for faith, as in our
text Abraham is called "the righteous man;" and, as in the
passage cited above, Abraham's implicit belief was accounted to
him as righteousness.
The whole of the sublime chapter of the Haphtorah, which we
quote, abounds in predictions most favourable to the Jewish
people, and cannot fail in strengthening the weary, and giving
us fortitude in adversity and misfortune. We may be truly
thankful for possessing writings so full of consolation, affording
solace in the hour of distress. Ought we not to be exceedingly
c 2
20 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
fond of such encouraging and consolatory reading? Ought not
the youthful generations especially, to devote a few minutes, at
least, on every Sabbath, to read the Haphtorah ? Ought we not to
remember, with deep emotion and reverence, the origin of
reading the Hapthorah, that there was a time when the ruling
government prohibited not only the practice but even the reading
of the law of Moses, on pain of death, and portions from the
prophets were substituted. Let us praise the Almighty, that we
now enjoy the privilege of publicly reading the law of our inhe-
ritance, and the liberty of publicly carrying it out without sacri-
ficing, but, on the contrary, thereby enhancing our reputation as
a people.
PRAYER.
O OMNISCIENT GOD ! Thou hast called the generations from the
beginning: Thou, Lord, art the first, and with the last art Thou.
Thou hast chosen Abraham fearlessly to proclaim Thy unity, as the
progenitor of that people which is to continue the sacred mission amid
surrounding nations. By Thy Omnipotence Thou hast sustained Thy
faithful servant Abraham, under the severest trials and struggles
against heathen tyrants ; yea, against his own idolatrous father. I
beseech Thee, O Lord, that Thou mayest strengthen me also in the
hour of trial and temptation, that I may come forth unscathed from
the furnace of exciting allurements ; so that I may remain unshaken in
the faith of Israel. And as Thou didst fortify our ancestor Abraham in
his belief in the Possessor of heaven and earth, to resist the temptation
of mundane wealth and treasures, so I implore Thee that Thou mayest
also fortify me in firmly adhering to that faith, not to fall into the snares
which power, influence, and worldly gain may spread out before me ;
so that I may always have Thy glory before my eyes ; for if Thou art at
my right hand, I cannot fall, nor can I be moved. Amen.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 21
.1 -no
FOURTH PORTION OF GENESIS.
D3 &n> nru
n^nn n?o
" Thou hast given a banner to them that feared Thee, that it may be
displayed because of the truth. Selah." Ps. Ix. 4.
THE trials which the Ruler of Providence causes his pious ser-
vants to undergo, and the temptations they have to resist, form
the banner to be displayed, after the victory of virtue over vice,
and of unshaken faith over wavering belief. It exhibits to the
world the triumphs which a steadfast adherence and implicit con-
fidence in God can achieve, even in the most unequal contests.
It is displayed, as the Psalmist tells us, in our text, " because of
the truth."
Abraham's life was one uninterrupted course of trials. No
sooner had he firmly withstood the one, than he had to encounter
another more difficult, more severe during his long pil-
grimage.
Scarcely had the promise of an heir in old age been made to
Abraham a promise in which, however improbable in the
course of nature, he placed implicit confidence scarcely had
this joyful tidings been brought to him by the angels of God,
when he was startled with the prediction, received from the mouth
of the Divine Judge himself, that the overthrow of Sodom and
Gomorrah was at hand, because of their violence and corruption.
Abraham's conduct, on being made acquainted with the terrifying
determination of the irresistible will of the Omnipotent, repre-
sents his noble character in a light as clear as his soul was pure.
Although Abraham well knew that the devastations of those
cities would not interfere with the blessing vouchsafed to him
that from his promised son should arise a great nation although,
on the contrary, the fall of these seats of vice and corruption,
must have tended to the increase of Abraham's wealth and influ-
ence in his own country, yet did he most humbly and most perse-
veringly implore the mercy of God on behalf of those who had
incurred the heavy penalty of death; and he besought the Lord
to pardon them on account of the few righteous that might be
22 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
among them. After appealing to God's forbearance, though " he
himself was but dust and ashes" a deep humiliation for a man
of Abraham's wealth, piety, and lofty prospects after having
heard that there were not fifty righteous men to be found among
the myriads which inhabited the two cities, he prayed for mercy,
on account of the forty-five, which might be found, then for the
forty, then for thirty, then for twenty, and he only gave up all
hopes, when he heard from Him " who knoweth the ways of
men," that there were not even ten righteous to be met with
among the number of so many wicked. Then only did Abraham
return unto his place, convinced that no human intercession could
appease the just wrath of God against the cities, whose iniquitous
inhabitants were not only impious and infidel, but were cruel
oppressors and haughty tyrants, devoid of all feeling of compas-
sion, and destitute of all the better parts which elevate man
above the beast. Their violations of the laws of hospitality, a
virtue which generally dwells inherent and intuitively in the
breast of the native of the east ; their abominable and bare-faced
demands from the strangers who sought shelter under the roof of
Lot, bespeak their incorrigible corruption, which a later prophet
thus denounces :
" Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom ; pride, fulness of
bread, and abundance of idleness was in her, and in her daughters ;
neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.
" And they were haughty, and committed abominations before me ;
therefore I took them away as I saw good " Ezek. xvi. 49, 50.
Modern and ancient history present no character in which so
much piety and humility were combined as in Abraham's. May
his persevering petitions on behalf of vicious Sodom, serve as a
lesson to the zealots of our age, who to errors (if errors they be)
less formidable and less injurious, apply harsh and violent mea-
sures; and rather than intercede for the soul which they believe
to have erred, deny it mercy in his last stage, and thus, instead
of performing their peaceful mission of reconciliation, widen the
breach, and perpetuate the separation.
Abraham's heaviest trial, however, was the divine command to
offer his only Son as a sacrifice. In this trial, the faith of Abra-
ham proved firm almost beyond human endurance. At the age of
one hundred years he was blessed miraculously with an heir,
from whom a great nation was to spring forth. And yet, when
the Lord said to him, " Take now thy son, thine only son, Isaac,
whom thou lovest, and offer him for a burnt-offering" a com-
mand than which anything more appalling to human nature
exists not Abraham rose up early in the morning, without a
murmur, without the question (\v hich he had a right to ask)
" And if I offer him, what is to become of the promise, that
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAH8. 23
from him shall arise a great nation?" And he took Isaac, his
son, and clave the wood for the burnt-offering (that burnt-offer-
ing being no less than his only child !) and went to the place
which God had told him.
A talmudical legend tells us, that Abraham's first thought,
after receiving the divine command to sacrifice Isaac, was, how he
:ould gradually and delicately make his beloved wife, Sarah,
acquainted with that awful injunction; as the sudden hearing of
such an event might produce a shock too violent for her to over-
come. " Sarah/' said he, after long reflection, " prepare a sump-
tuous feast, for this day will be oae of great joy/' " Why,"
asked she, " what is this day more than any other? Is not every
day of our life one of joy and delight, after having been blessed
with a child, by the bounty of God, in our old age?" " Thou
shalt soon know/' replied Abraham. Sarah prepared the feast ;
and when they had sat down to it, Abraham thus addressed her:
" Knowest thou, that in my third year I already knew my
Creator and adored Him; and our son Isaac is growing up to
manhood without that knowledge?" " What is to be done,
then?" rejoined Sarah. " I know a place," answered Abraham,
ft where male children are instructed, and sanctified in our faith,
and thither will I take him." " Depart in peace," replied the
pious wife. And Abraham rose early in the morning, took wood,
fire, and the knife with him, whilst Isaac hung on the neck of his
fond mother, whose tears were mingled with her kisses, and
whose blessings followed the earnest father and the sad son to the
gate of the house. They both departed. On the road, an evil
spirit, in the form of an aged man, came up to Abraham, and
asked, " Whither goest thou so early in the day?" " To
prayers," was the reply. " But what is the wood, fire, and knife
for?" " To provide for meat, if I should stay away long," an-
swered Abraham. " No !" cried the spirit, " not for prayer, but
for murder art thou going to kill thine own son. Kemember
what wickedness thou contemplatest, and be sure, it will be fully
revenged." " It is the will of God," rejoined Abraham, and
went on. They had scarcely proceeded a few steps, when their
course was again interrupted by the appearance of the evil spirit,
in the form of a noble youth, who asked Isaac, " Whither art
thou going, dear friend?" " To learn wisdom and knowledge,"
answered the innocent lad. " Where," rejoined the spirit; " in
life or in death ? Knowest thou that thy father is leading thee to
the slaughter?" " The Father's will be done," said Isaac, in a
firm tone, and left him standing aghast. The evil spirit then
proceeded to Sarah. " Where is thy husband, and where is thy
son?" inquired he. " He is gone to teach my son the knowledge
of God." replied she. " But thou usedst not to separate thy son
a moment from thee; thou wouldst not even allow him to go
24 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
before the gate of the tent." " No matter, he is gone -with his
father/' said Sarah, calmly. " Who will never bring him back,"
roared the spirit. " Then be the will of the Creator done ;
praised be His name to eternity ! " replied the afflicted mother, and
lifted her hands up to heaven.
This parable is, no doubt, composed with a view of demon-
strating the pious devotedness which animated the family of the
Patriarch, and the resignation to the will of God which pervaded
their minds. Though the hearts of Isaac's parents beat as ar-
dently as those of modern parents for their child and still more
so, as the birth of that child was most unexpected and miraculous
though his soul was bound up with theirs, and in his life they
lived yet no love, however fervent, no attachment, however
strong, was allowed to interfere with the command of God
even when that command amounted to no less than the death of
the son by the father's own hands.
The short dialogue between Abraham and Isaac on the road to
the land of Moriah, as given in Holy Writ (Gen xxii. 7), is
graphic of the firmness of the father, and the innocence of the
son. Abraham's reply to the child's enquiry after the lamb for
the burnt-offering "My son, God will provide Himself a lamb
for a burnt-offering" indeed, the whole narrative is so simple,
and yet so touching, that comment would mar its sublimity.
Father and son were ready and willing to obey the mysterious
behest of God. With his own hands the hoary patriarch bound
his son, and laid him on the altar; his own hand was stretched
out to strike the death-blow on the neck of the child for whom
he had so long sighed and prayed, when his life was spared by
the same omnipotent will which gave it.
That He who foretold the birth of a child by a mother ninety
years old, must have also been able to foretell the obedience of
Abraham, that he would not withhold even his only son from
God, must be obvious to reason. The trial could not, therefore,
have been originated by the Omniscient for the purpose of ascer-
taining the result, but with the view of publishing it ; not with
the motive of learning it, but with the desire of teaching it. Nor
does the Hebrew text of the passage, where the Lord manifests
His satisfaction at the result of the trial, say, " Now I know that
thou fearest God," but " Now I have known ('fl^T T\T\^} 5 or,
" Now has come to pass what I knew," indicating the previous
knowledge of God of the firmness of Abraham's faith, which
he now made known to his age and to mankind in general.
Abiaham had been, before the trial, the missionary, preaching
faith and proclaiming it since the trial, his obedience had
become the model of faith. He was a preacher who acted up to
the letter and spirit of his exhortations a preacher who thought
of his sermon after the delivery of it, as well as before it.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 25
The above parable also personifies the allurements to trespass
and the enticement from obedience. The enticers are generally
friends or companions. To Abraham the evil spirit appeared in
the shape of an old man, and to Isaac in the form of a noble
youth. And as they remained staunch to, and unflinching Irom,
the religious creed which they professed and taught, so may every
Israelite, amidst trials, however severe, and under afflictions, how-
ever calamitous, remember the prophet's admonition: " Look
unto Abraham, your father, and unto Sarah, that bare you; for
I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him." An
attentive reading of this Sabbath's lesson, will impress us with
the trials of Abraham and Sarah, and their steadfast adherence to
the Unity of God. Look we to that example and follow it, and
we shall also be blessed and increased.
In the Haphtorah of this Sabbath, taken from 2 Kings, chapter
iv., we have another instance of that implicit faith in the Divine
Word, which renders man happy on earth, and secures his salva-
tion hereafter. We read in that portion of Scripture, that when
Elisha, the prophet, passed Shunem, he was treated with remark-
able hospitality by a pious woman, because " she perceived that
he was a holy man of God." She induced her husband to pre-
pare a little chamber, with all the requisites for his comfort
only for the honour to shelter and entertain one whom she revered
as a messenger of God. He in return prophesied to the childless
wife, similar to the angel who appeared to Abraham, " about
this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a
son." The prediction was punctually fulfilled ; the happiness of
the parents, however, was soon blighted, for the child died. The
distressed mother, relying on the divine power, naturally thought,
that He whose prophetic spirit had interceded with the Creator
for her being blessed with a child, might also, by prayer and sup-
plication, succeed in restoring her son to life. Elisha soon follow-
ed the distracted mother into the house, and " behold the child
was dead, and laid upon his bed. He went in, therefore, and
shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the Lord? When
she came into the chamber, he said, " Take up thy son, 1 ' (for the
child had opened his eyes and revived). " Then she went in, and
fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took her
son, and went out."
Thus was the Shunammite rewarded for her trust in God ; and
such is the efficacy of prayer, that she was miraculously blessed
with a child, and still more miraculously was that child, when
dead, by prayer restored to life.
PRAYER.
FATHER OF MANKIND, Thou hast implanted love and affection in the
hearts of parents towards their children, and hast commanded children
26 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
to respect and obey their parents. But, however strong and binding
their parental love may be, it must yield to the love of God ; as Abra-
ham, the faithful, was ready to offer his own beloved son as a sacrifice,
because the Parent of All demanded it. However precious life and its
enjoyments may be, filial obedience, as in the case of Isaac, must make
any sacrifice ; especially if demanded by the Heavenly Creator, whose
will and wisdom are inscrutable. Grant, O Lord, that the example of
Abraham and Isaac may always be before our eyes ; so that fond
parents may ever treat the laws of morality and religion as paramount
in the rearing of their offspring, and not indulge them in the infringe-
ment of these laws . whilst children should implicitly obey their
parents, whether in youth or in manhood, so long as the parental
advice and instruction is in harmony with the divine behest. But of
what avail are all examples, and all human resolutions, without aid and
support from Thee, O God ? Will not our determinations, however
firm, often yield to the weakness and frailty inherent to our flesh, when
the powerful ties of blood and friendship interpose and shake our fixed
resolutions ? It is therefore only with Thy Divine assistance that we can
execute our intentions, and with Thy support that we are able to carry
our determination into effect. We therefore beseech Thee that Thou
mayest strengthen our weak hands, and uphold our tottering knees, in
the fulfilment of the duties which, in Thy infinite wisdom, Thou hast
set before us for our happiness and salvation. Amen.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS.
"n TTD
FIFTH PORTION OF GENESIS.
rnn
hVnp DS? Nin rrm SJNN?
" The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his
place where he arose." Eccles. i. 5
A S the great luminary in heaven ascends and descends, but never
-LJ^ entirely vanishes, so, the Divine Spirit, which breathes in the
souls of the righteous on earth, never entirely disappears; but as
soon as it leaves the body of one, it transfers its light to another,
that it may shine forth to illumine the world. The bodies
change, but not the spirit. No sooner had the pious Sarah
departed this world, than another woman arose, equally virtuous,
and equally animated with the spirit of devotedness to God the
Eternal (though nursed in the cradle of idolatry), and secured to
that son whom she most loved, the blessings vouchsafed in the
covenant with Abraham, and which laid the foundation of the
destinies of Israel. That woman was Kebecca.
We read in this Sabbath's lesson, "And Abraham was old,
and well-stricken in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in
all things;" upon which the sages in the Midrash observe, there
are men who grow old in appearance, though their age does not
reach many years; there are others who reach a very high age,
but do not appear old. Men who spend their years in excessive
gratification of earthly enjoyment, without exercising their mind
and their more elevated parts, grow old before their time, and the
years which they have lived are unprofitable to themselves and
to society, having been wasted in mental inactivity; whilst
every year and every day of those who have worked and la-
boured for their own instruction and the benefit of their fellow-
men, is replete with salutary effects and beneficial results, both
for themselves and the world at large. Of Abraham, Scripture
therefore says, that he was old; but of his age, every minute had
produced some good result, from his incessant labours to impart
to his contemporaries and descendants the knowledge and the
faith with which the Lord had blessed him.
28 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
The number of high priests who officiated during the first
temple, was but twelve in all. They were all virtuous and
conscientious men, whose private and public career was pleasing
to God and man. They all lived to a great age. The priests of
the second temple, however, were about a hundred, for they were
unworthy of the service of God, and had usurped the high office
which they successively filled by means of violence and cor-
ruption. Bribes and artful influences paved the way to office for
one; banishment and assassination of his enemies were employed
by another; but the career of their grandeur was but short, and
they were hurled to the grave in the prime of their years, all
except Simon the Just. This faithful servant of God and bene-
factor of man, was for a great number of years the ornament of
the sacerdotal profession. He died in a good old age, and full
of days.
The last will of Abraham expressed a desire that his son Isaac,
who had become the depositary of the great covenant, and whose
life had been miraculously called into existence, and equally
miraculously saved, should take a wife from his own country and
from his own kindred. The circumstances which led to the
finding of Rebecca, a relative and countrywoman of Isaac's, are
most remarkable, and indicative of the ways of Providence. Nor
did the aged and faithful steward of Abraham, who had imbibed
the spirit of morality and faith from his pious master, attribute
the success he met with in the selection, to any assiduity or skill of
his own, but to the irresistible will of God. Before his journey
with Isaac, he prayed to God, " Send us good speed this day."
And after his meeting with Rebecca, who he perceived was a
companion suitable to his young master, and from the same
country and kindred, he " bowed down his head, and worshipped
the Lord." How few men of the present age " bow down their
head," when success attends their labours ! How seldom do we
meet with one who prospers in an undertaking, and by an extra-
ordinary event anticipates his triumph, like Eliezer, and yet
" worships the Lord," and attributes the success to providential
intervention, rather than to his own merits and talent, or, as the
phrase goes, to " chance." Even Laban and Bethuel, who were
idolaters, recognise in the extraordinary meeting of Eliezer and
Rebecca at the well, the finger of Providence, and said, " The
thing proceedeth from the Lord, we cannot speak unto thee bad
or good." And when Abraham's servant heard their words,
which implied consent, he again " worshipped the Lord, bowing
himself to the earth." His worship consisted in his bowing
himself to the earth, admitting as a worthy disciple of Abraham,
that he was nothing but an instrument in the hands of God, and
the triumph which he had achieved in his mission was caused by
none but the Great Ruler of Providence, and was not a matter of
chance.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 29
Ere we proceed to the history of Isaac, we cannot leave the
miraculous combination of circumstances which united Isaac with
Eebecca, without deducing the moral lessons which it teaches.
We are all prone, in adversity, and disappointments of our too
sanguine expectations, to burst out in complaints against fate and
her whims, against fortune and her caprices; whilst in cases of
success and prosperity in our undertakings, however unexpected
and unforeseen may be such a result, we boast of our discretion,
our skill and our wisdom, forgetting that in most cases the
failures arise from our own indiscreet and precipitate actions and
words, and that success emanates from Him who reigns above
fate, and who, in His inscrutable wisdom, turns the wheel of
fortune, and guides it often for our welfare, when we imagine it to
be for our misfortune. The thankfulness with which Eliezer and
even Laban's family acknowledged the success which attended the
mission of the former, serves as a noble example worthy of the
consideration and emulation of all; and we would press it more
particularly on those, who habitually pass over this simple narra-
tive, without reflecting on the meritorious conduct of the indi-
vidual who figured in it, and led it to a happy consummation.
One of the most (if not the most] important undertakings in the
history of man individually, is undoubtedly that of marriage; it
is an alliance for life, a contract binding unto death. On the
choiceof a wife frequently depend the weal and woe, the good and
the evil which severally attend the human career. Every day's
history, however, shows the matrimonial choice not to be the
result of pre-meditation and deliberation, nor that of blind
chance, but that of a pre-ordained destiny by the Omniscient.
The v c aying that matrimony is a lottery may be a true one; but
the prizes and the blanks are allotted by an invisible Director,
from whose wisdom emanates the plan, and by whose Omnipotent
Will the distribution takes place.
Kemarkable as the circumstances were which led to the choice
of Rebecca by Isaac, there are every-day occurrences, resulting in
a matrimonial alliance, equally remarkable and extraordinary; the
only difference being, that in the Scripture narrative we clearly
perceive the interference of Providence, whilst in the bustling
scenes of life we cannot so distinctly trace the hand of a Superior
Euler, and are but too apt to ascribe the result to human cal-
culation.
A Roman matron once asked a rabbi what the Lord's occupa-
tion was in Heaven. Her rude question met with the jocular
reply, " He makes matrimonial alliances." "Ah," said she,
" I can do that too." She immediately summoned a hun-
dred male slaves, and the same number of female slaves. She
then placed the males and females in two rows, and passing
between them said to each, " Take thou this one, and take thou
30 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
the other/' She then left the room and had it closed. On
opening the door the following morning, a scene of confusion and
conflict presented itself, from which she started in dismay. Few
of the young couples could agree with each other; quarrelling
had ensued, which excited their passions to wrestling and fighting,
and had they not been at once separated, many would have paid
the penalty of marriage with their lives. The Roman matron
was soon convinced that matrimonial match-making was not as
easy as she thought; and that it required more skill and foresight
than we commonly possess.
Ere we conclude our observations on the lesson of this day,
our readers will bear with us a little longer, and pause to consider
the death of the greatest of heroes whom this earth produced
the patriarch Abraham a hero who has vanquished more coun-
tries than the greatest warriors of Greece and'Rome ever con~
quered, not by sword and his dagger, but by his faith and
precepts a hero who has achieved more important victories
than any modern tactician, not by wars and battles, but by peace and
conciliation a hero who has vanquished his enemies, not by kill-
ing, but by restoring them. And as the human eye fondly dwells
on the setting sun, as our heart throbs and becomes elevated with
pious devotion, when the last rays of the king of planets yet
redden the sky, as our soul and our lips join in praises unto God
when the purple mantle of the great luminary which clothes the
heavens gradually vanishes from our sight; remembering the
majesty, the splendour, and the glory with which he was clad
during the day; and reflecting on his salutary influences on man,
on beast, on herbs, and every substance on earth so do we
meditate on the departure of a universal philanthropist, like our
ancestor Abraham. " The righteous/' say the philosophers of
the Talmud, u depart this life, but never die." " He is like a
tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth fruit in
his season, and his leaf shall not wither." The never-withering
leaves are the immortal instructions in knowledge which men like
Abraham diffused through the world; the never- perishing fruits
are the civilisation and enlightenment which men like Abraham
disseminated over the face of the earth. Such plants can never
decrease, but, says the Psalmist, " flourish like the palm-tree, and
grow like a cedar in Lebanon." These plants, however, cannot
be reared and nursed in every soil, but on a peculiar one, which
the royal bard describes: " Those that be planted in the house of
the Lord shall bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be moist
and green ;" whilst the works of iniquity perish, and their bitter
fruits soon decay. This great distinction between the results of
justice and wickedness is made " to show that the Lord is up-
right, and there is no unrighteousness in Him."
The royal bard himself, as we read in the Haphtorah of this
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 31
Sabbath, 1 Kings, i., had in his old age the sad misfortune of
beholding his own son rising in rebellion against him, and pro-
claiming himself king. Scripture informs us of the cause of the
disobedience and rebellion of Adonijah, for " his father had not
displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so?
And he was a very goodly man/' Here we have at once two
reasons assigned for the misfortune which befel David in his old
age. Adonijah was handsome, and no doubt vain ; but instead
of restraining his vanity, his fond father would not rebuke him,
which indulgence made him proud, refractory, and rebellious.
The principal blessings of matrimony children especially in
the 'patriarchal ages, and in the East generally, are often turned
into a curse, when those children, as in the case of Adonijah,
proved disobedient and godless. Unhappy, indeed, are those
parents, who have but one child, and that child, in which all their
love and happiness is centred, becomes wicked and refractory.
Unhappy, again, are those parents whose hopes are disappointed
in all their children. In the case before us, however, the distress
caiised to the aged king by Adonijah, was counterbalanced by
the bright prospect open before him in the youthful Solomon,
whose wisdom in his manhood elicited the admiration of every
monarch and people on earth, and whose Proverbs still, after
many thousands of years, excite the wonder of mankind. It
was fortunate for David that his wife, Bath-sheba, powerfully
seconded her royal husband's efforts, in quelling the rebellion of
Adonijah, and seating Solomon on the throne. So when she
came into the king's presence and stood before him, " He sware
and said : As the Lord liveth that hath redeemed my soul out of
all distress, even as I sware unto thee by the Lord God of Israel,
saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he
shall sit upon my throne in my stead ; even so will I certainly do
this day. Then Bath-sheba bowed with the face to the earth, and
did reverence to the king, and said : Let, my Lord, King David,
live for ever."
PRAYER.
O GOD ALMIGHTY ! Ruler of Providence, Thou pre-ordainest the
fate of man, and the destinies of his earthly career. No event in
human life is more important than our matrimonial choice, on which,
frequently, depends our happiness or unhappiness till death. We have
before us the example of Abraham, who, instead of choosing for his
son, the heir of great wealth, a partner endowed with riches, and
descending from a family of rank, in his last will enjoined his faithful
steward on his oath, to go to his birthplace and to his kindred, and
from thence select a wife for his son ; because he was convinced that
the Lord would guide Eliezer in this important mission. May we,
32 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
O Lord, by Thy guidance emulate this example ; may we also, in our
matrimonial selection, not be dazzled by the glitter of gold or other
earthly possessions, but rest our choice upon that high character of
virtue and chastity, which is the ornament of woman, and without
which that holy union, which binds us unto death, is sure to prove a
lasting source of grief and affliction, which no wealth, however great,
can soothe. I implore Thee, Omniscient God, that in this and all
other events of life, my reliance be entirely upon Thy sure guidance
and Thy infinite wisdom, and that in the critical moments of my uncer-
tain days, whenever [ have to choose between two paths, I may not
depend upon my short-sighted judgment, but invoke Thy blessing
that Thou mayest lead me in the right path; as Eliezer prayed to God
at the well, that He may show mercy with his master Abraham. And
as Eliezer, after succeeding in his mission, bowed down and worshipped
the Lord, who had led him in the way of truth, so may we also in
prosperity bless and thank Thee only, the God of Truth. Amen.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 33
mi 1 ? in -no
SIXTH PORTION OP GENESIS.
" The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice -,
And he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him."
Prov. xxiii. 24.
A LTHOUGH Abraham had left many children besides Isaac,
-LA. the biblical history of Abraham's descendants rests upon the
life of Isaac alone, which forms the link of the chain of events
leading to the captivity in Egypt, and to the great era of the reve-'
lation on Mount Sinai, which maybe termed the consummation of
the first epoch in the history of the world. In Isaac alone was
centred the future prospects and fate of a nation destined to
uproot idolatry, and to become the depositary of that sublime
revelation, and the teachers and promulgators of the sacred laws,
which, combining morality with religion, superseded the poly-
theism of the Amorites and the Canaanites, and the abominable
human sacrifices and profligate services connected with it. The
portion of this Sabbath therefore commences, " And these are the
generations of Isaac, Abraham's son; Abraham begat Isaac."
Thus the history of the Bible is resumed with the generations of
Isaac only, to the exclusion of those of the other children of
Abraham, whose biographies are passed over in silence, as void
of interest; whilst that of the one in whom and by whom was
fulfilled the promise " for in Isaac shall thy seed be called," is
taken up. The fondness and love to an only son one so unex-
pectedly and so miraculously born and saved to Isaac, was not
manifested by his parents in the manner in which parents gene-
rally indulge an only child in self-willed actions and capricious
desires ; but by training him up to the same path of virtue and
morality in which they themselves trode, and by instilling into
him the same implicit trust and faith in God, which had conferred
on them respectively the titles of father and mother of people and
nations, remeftibering the words of our text: " The father of the
righteous shall greatly rejoice, and he that begetteth a wise child
shall have joy of him."
34 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
The character of Isaac's two sons, however, Jacob and Esau,
widely differed. Esau was a cunning hunter a man of the field,
absorbed in the enjoyment of the present, and careless as to the
happiness of the future; whilst Jacob was a plain and pious man,
dwelling in tents, where he devoted himself to the study of that
religious faith which had been instilled into his infant mind by
his mother Kebecca, who loved him more than his elder brother.
What renders the distinction between the characters of the two
brothers most remarkable, and historically important, is the fact
that they were not confined to the two individuals, but extended
to their descendants, the two nations which bore their respective
names Israel, the nation descending from Jacob (whose name
was also Israel), and Edom, the nation descending from Esau
(whose name was also Edom). Both nations received their pos-
sessions from God. Joshua told the people in the name of God:
" I gave unto Isaac Jacob and Esau; and I gave unto Esau
Mount Seir, to possess it; and Jacob and his children went down
to Egypt," whence they proceeded to inherit the land of Canaan.
The Haphtorah, or prophetic lesson of the portion of to-day,
thus illustrates the characters of the two nations:
" I have loved you, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, Wherein hast
thou loved us ? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the Lord. Yet
I loved Jacob, and I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his
heritage waste, for the dragons of the wilderness. Whereas Edom
saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate
places. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, They shall build, but I will
throw down ; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and,
The people against whom the Lord hath indignation for ever. And
your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The Lord will be magnified from
the border of Israel." Mai. i. 25.
Here we have, from the authority of God himself, through the
mouth of his prophet, the causes assigned why Jacob was more
favoured than his brother Esau; or' rather, why Israel was more
favoured than Edom: that it was the presumption and boasting
of the latter in their own power, and their defiance of the Omni-
potent, which tended to their destruction.
In the blessings given to the two brothers by their father, in
to-day's lesson, we distinctly perceive the features which distin-
guish the two characters. Esau was to live by his sword, and
Jacob by the power which his superior cultivation, caused by a
purity of morals and faith, had conferred upon him. It will be
observed that, in the blessing of Jacob, although the Patriarch
Isaac spoke of dominion over his brethren, and the submission of
nations to him although he said, " Let people serve thee, and
nations bow down to thee," he did not speak of a physical
dominion, or of a physical submission, but both spiritual.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTOEAIIS. 35
There is no mention made of the sword, or other physical
weapon ; but it was the spiritual weapon in the hand, or rather
in the mind, of Jacob's descendants, by which they conquered
their enemies. The blessing concludes with a sentence, which
every page in the history of nations corroborates: "Cursed be
every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth
thee."
The vindictive and sanguinary character of Esau is fearfully
described in the Scriptural passage: "And Esau said in his
heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand, then I will
slay my brother Jacob." Nor does it at all appear that Isaac,
notwithstanding his pre-disposition in favour of Esau, either
regretted or recalled the blessing given to Jacob. On the con-
trary : we read in the commencement of the twenty-eighth chapter,
that Isaac called Jacob and blessed him, and charged him not to
intermarry with the families of the Canaanites, but to choose a
wife from his own family, concluding : te And God Almighty
bless thee and make thee fruitful and multiply thee, that thou
mayest be a multitude of people; and give thee the blessing of
Abraham, to thee and to thy seed with thee." We also perceive
that Isaac, as well as Rebecca, who so tenderly loved Jacob, sent
him away to save him from the fury of Esau. We lay particular
stress on the latter blessing of Jacob by Isaac, as it affords a clear
proof of the confirmation of the previous blessing, which having
been obtained by stratagem, is considered by some biblical critics,
as unavailable.
Though to human understanding, the mode in which Jacob
obtained the former blessing is as unjustifiable as is the sale
of the birthright by Esau, it yet appears that Isaac before his
death perceived his error, in preferring Esau to Jacob, from the
solemn and affectionate farewell he gave to Jacob, previous to his
departure from the paternal roof; and on the other hand, his
disgust at the conduct of Esau, in marrying the profligate
daughters of Heth. Nor does it appear that when Isaac discovered
his mistake, in blessing Jacob instead of Esau, that he recalled
that blessing or denounced Jacob; but, on the contrary, we read
that " Isaac trembled very exceedingly and said, Who? where is
he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten
of all before thou earnest, and have blessed him?" Had Isaac
repented the mistake, he would have cursed Jacob; instead of
which, he emphatically concluded j"p!T *]Vn DH " Yea, and he
shall be blessed !" Isaac evidently saw that he had mistaken not
only the two persons, but the two characters; the voice of con-
science called to him, Jacob had deserved it more than Esau,
and the Heavenly Spirit whispered to him, " Yea, he shall be
blessed !"
Throughout the whole of the Scriptures we observe, that great
D 2
36 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
importance and consequence was attached to blessings and curses,
which the moderate thinker and rational philosopher may treat as
superstition and prejudice. With an equal degree of contempt
may he look upon the institution of blessing by the priests, or by
any human being. He may ask with a great deal of truth:
" What do I care about the blessings or the curses of one who is
but a man like myself is there any one but God who can bless
and who can curse?" Yet, we would reply to him, it nevertheless
appears from Scripture that God himself has attached great im-
portance to the blessings and curses of men to one another. A
second question might then arise : As God is the sole Euler of
events, of what avail can be the blessings or curses of man, and
what are they worth in reality? And why should we at all
regard with so much solemnity and devotion the blessing of the
priests, mortal men like ourselves?
The question is no doubt a startling one, but its solution is
found in Scripture itself, and in the very Haphtorah of this day,
taken from Malachi i. Indeed, the more we read the Pentateuch,
the more questions will startle us; but the more attentively we
read the prophets, the more clearly we find the solution. The
law of God, say our sages, is a light which never extinguishes,
but becomes clearer and lighter the longer it burns, and as by one
light we may kindle hundreds and thousands, so may we by the
comprehension of one idea, clear up a thousand questions and
mysteries, presenting themselves in the course of our studies.
A close examination into the circumstances connected with
Scriptural blessings, will shew us that they were not a voluntary
expression of the wishes and hopes of the individuals who pro-
nounced them, but the involuntary utterance by the lips and the
mouth, of the thoughts which the Supreme Being engrafted on
their minds and in their hearts. The inspired men, and the
prophets of Scripture, neither in their blessings nor denuncia-
tions, gave vent to their own feelings, but foretold the pre-
destined fate of individuals or nations to whom they were deputed
by the Ruler of fate, to execute the Divine mission. Hence the
incapacity of Balaam to curse Israel, however he or Balak might
have wished to do so, and hence his emphatic admission : " Have
I at all the power to say anything? The word that God putteth
in my mouth that will I speak." Balaam well knew that his
curses would be of no avail, after God Himself, who alone can
give authority to human blessings or curses, had told him:
" Thou shalt not curse the people, for they are blessed." The
crafty Balaam had no choice in the matter, and was compelled to
say to the messengers of Balak, " If Balak would give me his
house full of silver or gold, I cannot go beyond the will of the
Lord my God, to do less or more."
No wonder then that the blessings of these inspired men, whose
THE PENTATEUCH AND IIAPHTOllAHS. 37
words were the dictates of the Supreme Ruler of the universe,
were so eagerly sought for. No wonder, that Rebecca was
anxious to obtain the blessings of her pious husband, for her
favourite son Jacob. Such appeared to be the immediate effect
of a blessing on its object, that it revived the drooping spirit of
the afflicted. When Hannah, the mother of Samuel the Prophet,
in the bitterness of her soul from the provocation which she had
received from her adversary Peninnah, wept and prayed to God,
and was mistaken for a drunkard by Eli ; and when she vindi-
cated herself by the emphatic sentence : " Out of the abundance
of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto;" and when
Eli had discovered his error, and said to her: " Go in peace,
and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast
asked of Him," what a change do we perceive in Hannah's state
of mind ! The few words of blessing pronounced by Eli, turned
her sadness into gladness, and her grief into joy ! Scripture tells
us, "That the woman went her way, and did eat, and her coun-
tenance was no more sad ; and she rose in the morning early and
worshipped the Lord." The blessing of Eli was not a mere
sound of words, but a reality; for soon after, " The Lord remem-
bered her," and Samuel the Prophet was the fruit of that
blessing.
That the blessings which Isaac gave to Jacob and Esau, as well
as all the blessings and curses recorded in Scripture, were not the
mere expressions of human wishes, but the foretelling of events
pre-ordained by an Almighty will history, that most faithful
commentator of the Bible, that most correct interpreter of
prophecies, affords stronger proofs than we can adduce. Every
letter of Isaac's blessing has become a living fact.
Let us observe, that Esau was told to serve his brother Jacob,
or rather that Edom was to be subjected to the rule of Israel a
fact which is recorded in history, yet there was an additional
clause added to it: " And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt
complain, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck."' 3 *'
The import of this sentence is, that Edom was to serve Israel
only so long as the latter is entitled to that rule, by moral and
religious superiority; but as soon as Edom shall have cause to
complain, on account of the degeneracy of Israel into idolatry and
immorality, so soon shall Edom throw off his yoke from off her
neck. This blessing to Esau was most awfully verified in the
conquest of Judea by the Romans (the descendants of Edom)
when violence, corruption and superstition, had superseded virtue,
morality, and pure religion, in the House of Israel.
When prophets ceased from Israel, and holy inspiration had
* The English Authorized Version renders this passage: "When thou shalt
have dominion." We prefer, however, Jarchi's interpretation, " When thou shalt
complain."
38 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
vanished from among them, the authority for conferring blessings
was transferred to the priesthood. It became then a set phrase, as
dictated in the Mosaic Law (Num. vi. 22). But the prophetic
portion also alluded to, shows us of what character the priest
must be, if his blessing is to be available.
" And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you. If ye will
not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name,
saith the Lord of Hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will
curse your blessings."
Let us therefore not imagine that the blessing of every priest is
really a blessing, unless the priest himself is imbued with the
religion and morality which confer on him the sacerdotal au-
thority. The prophet then illustrates the commandment of the
blessing, and the conditions of the covenant made with the
priestly house: " And ye shall know that I have sent this com-
mandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith
the Lord."
" My covenant was with him of life and peace ;
I gave them to him for the fear of me,
And the reverence with which he adored my name."
Fear and reverence of God are the first conditions to render the
blessing effectual. The next conditions are thus described :
" The law of truth was in his mouth,
And iniquity was not found on his lips :
He walked with me in peace and equity,
And did turn many away from iniquity."
It is not only truth and integrity which the priest has to
follow and exercise, but also peace and equity two noble
requirements for a priest to adorn his sacred office, and to effect
good among his flock. Conciliation is the true spirit of priest-
hood; fanaticism and persecution defile the sanctity of his func-
tions; for it is not to punish iniquity, but to turn many away
from iniquity. The next conditions are instruction to the
public :
" For the priest's lips should keep knowledge,
And they shall seek the law at his mouth."
He must himself keep and perform what he preaches, if his
instructions are to make an impression; his lips must keep wisdom,
if the people are to seek knowledge of him. All these conditions
rest upon the one principle that his blessings are profitless and
void, unless they have the sanction from on High, " for" con-
cludes the prophet :
" He is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts."
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPI1TOKAHS. 39
May then, the priests of our age endeavour to cleanse them-
selves before they undertake the important task of blessing others;
may they, in a spiritual sense, perform Q 1 ^ HX^J (lifting up
their hands) after they have cleansed them, to bless the people.
Indeed, it will not be too bold to assert, that the ceremony of
washing the hands and feet of the priests in the Temple, previous
to their performing any service, indicates the necessity of spiritual
cleanliness of conscience and hands. Then, and then only, may
we expect the fulfilment of the most glorious of blessings: " The
Lord lift up his countenance unto thee and give thee peace !"
As to the preference given to Jacob by Rebecca, we again
refer to the passage in this day's Haphtorah:
" I have loved you, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou
loved us ? Was not Esau Jacob's brother ? saith the Lord. Yet I
loved Jacob, and I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage
waste, for the dragons of the wilderness. Whereas Edom says, We
are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places.
Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down;
and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people
against whom the Lord hath indignation for ever. And your eyes shall
see, and ye shall say, The Lord will be magnified from the border of
Israel."
Here we have a plain answer to the question, why Rebecca,
who acted on a Divine inspiration, was more partial to Jacob
than to Esau. She well knew that the descendants of Esau
would presume to act in opposition to the Divine ordinances,
whilst the offspring of Jacob were destined, by acting as the
stewards of that Holy Law which founded the happiness of
mankind, to be " the witnesses of the Lord."
PRAYER.
O LORD GOD ! in Thy Omniscience hast Thou ordained that the
blessings of the aged Patriarch, Isaac, should be pronounced on our
ancestor Jacob, predicting the predominance of his descendants, not
by the sword, or any physical weapon ; " not by strength, not by
might ; but by Thy Spirit, O Lord." We are deeply sensible of our
physical weakness as a nation, owing to our smallness in number, and
to our being scattered over different countries, amidst the nations of
the earth : yet we are no less sensible of the moral power with which
Thou hast invested that handful of people whom Thou hast elected as
the custodians of Thy Holy Law ; and by which power only, they have
preserved their nationality throughout unequal contests and arduous
struggles, such as no nation on earth ever had to encounter. The
sword, the rack, and the stake, might have diminished the number of
40 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
Thy people Israel, decimated their ranks, but did not exterminate the
race, nor their faith. On the contrary, "the little remnant" continued
to spread and increase, whilst their immortal creed shone forth as " a
light to the Gentiles." May this glorious sentiment always dwell in
our minds, and may this edifying conviction urge us on to further
increase, not of our earthly possessions, but of that moral strength
which the development and cultivation of our Holy Religion is sure to
bestow. May we always remember the memorable words of our
ancestor Isaac: "The voice is the voice of Jacob," alluding to the
spiritual voice of Jacob's prayer, which, with befitting devotion, will
always be heard, and favourably answered, by Thee, O Heavenly
Father ! Grant, O Lord, that we may always appreciate Thy heavenly
blessings, and strive with our utmost power to deserve them, by
remaining faithful to Thy laws, and to Thy holy precepts. Amen.
THE PENTATEUCH AND IIAPHTOKAHS. 41
SEVENTH PORTION OF GENESIS.
? Ipm -p-n naa t?n TK
10 J"3 -a ^e> ina^ n:nj?i roan insn
" Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not
stumble ; when thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid : yea, thou
shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet." Prov. iii. 23, 24.
SUCH is the lot of the righteous who firmly walks in the path
of virtue. He meets with no obstacle; and if he lies down
to rest, no remorse for the past, nor fear of the future, disturbs
the calm of his slumber. On the soft couch of a pure conscience,
undisturbed by self-reproach, his sleep is calm and sweet, if his
bed be even of the hardest stones. Abundance and wealth,
affluence and luxury, are often insufficient to secure to its pos-
sessor a good night's rest, such as the working-man, who hath
just enough to supply his immediate wants, is able to enjoy;
hence the truism told by the royal preacher: " The sleep of a
labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the
abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep." (Eccles. v.
12.) _
With such contentedness and serenity of mind as uprightness
of thought and candour of speech afford, our father Jacob went
out from Beer-sheba towards Haran, fully conscious of his great
vocation, to mature the blessing of Abraham, to inherit the land
wherein he was to be a stranger, and yet to become the progenitor
of a great nation. Humble refugee though he was, he felt that
he was no debtor to the past, but the founder of a sacred future..
Two heroes of lofty genius, Abraham and Isaac, have now
completed their course, and have made their exit from the stage
of life, pregnant with great deeds and trials, and from the theatre
of the history in which they took so prominent a part. A third
star, however, Jacob, appears on the horizon of the world's
history, of greater splendour and still more dazzling brilliancy,
sparkling with variegated virtues and achievements, and maturing
the thoughts and deeds which the minds of his predecessors had
meditated and planned. Jacob closes the great trio of the most
42 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
chivalrous heroes that ever trode the earth, and contributed to,
or rather founded, that happiness and felicity which faith grants
to mortal man. After their epoch, we no more meet with a gene-
ration which had to be destroyed from the face of the earth by
floods of water and showers of brimstone. The former and cor-
rupted world had, by its annihilation, made room for a better and
sounder state of morals and society, into which the principles of a
purer religion were diffused by the three patriarchs. As in the
vegetable kingdom, the destruction of whole kinds is followed by
the springing forth of entirely new ones, so we perceive in the
spiritual world, from the ruins of a decayed generation, the sud-
den rise of a firmer and superior one the ashes of the former
serving, as it were, for the nourishment of the latter. The pre-
vious world required men gifted with powers of originating the
new one called forth minds capable of consolidating.
A sweet and refreshing fragrance now rises forth from the
goodly blossoms of humanity. The tree of faith, whose seed was
planted in the heart of man by the hand of God, now begins to
bear healthy fruit; the image of man, hitherto obscured by noc-
turnal darkness, was at length to be illuminated by a new and
heavenly light the star of Jacob.
The first incident in Jacob's pilgrimage was a remarkable
dream. Although dreams, generally speaking, are but the birth
of an irregular and excited imagination, there are some recorded
in Scripture of a different nature, which assume a high degree of
importance, and become historical events, from their having
been more a vision than u dream, in which the ever-watchful and
never-slumbering Keeper of Israel revealed to his pious servants
and confidants the forthcoming events. Such was Jacob's dream
of the ladder. In this divine vision, understanding which is
the connexion of the temporal with the spiritual world was
represented in a ladder. The angels represent the mental powers,
by which the earth and the heavens approach each other. They
are the heavenly messengers who descend from on high, who
spread over the whole earth, who note down all the actions of
man, and report before the throne of eternal justice what they
have witnessed. Such an angel, commonly called the soul,
dwells in every mortal frame of man, and ascends and descends
according to the choice of good or evil, which the divine privi-
lege of free agency permits us to make. Whatever path we may
select, the Lord stands on the top of the ladder and observes us;
but it falls to the lot of few men only to observe Him. It is only
those in whom the angel is in the ascendant, whose mind and
whole life draw nearer to heaven than to earth, whose mental
desires prevail over the sensual ones; it is only such men, called
prophets, or seers, whose imagination is capable of divesting
itself from the earth and the flesh, and becomes absorbed in hea-
TIIE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTO11AHS. 43
venly and spiritual ideas, that can see the Kuler of both. We
caution the scriptural reader, however, against mistaking that
seeing for a bodily one. It is not the seeing of the corporeal eye,
of which Scripture speaks, for " No man can see me and live,"
says God. And this is easily understood, when we consider that
God. is incorporeal all spirit, that the physical eye cannot see.
But we speak of seeing with the mind's eye; and the power of
that sight we can only attain by withdrawing from, and resigning
all earthly and mortal cravings and desires, which our metaphy-
sicians term rVTTTDnn seclusion, or solitude.
In the dream, the Lord foretold Jacob his future fate, which
involved that of one nation, and indirectly that of every nation ;
the prophecy concluding with that consoling promise: " I will
not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to
thee of." Jacob recognised the majesty of the Speaker, and con-
secrated the stony pillow on which he had slept, to be a house of
God, or rather a place where God deigns to commune with
man.
We also have, or ought to have, our " Houses of God," and
our " Gates of Heaven." We likewise possess buildings conse-
crated to God, and the gates of prayer leading to heaven; but
few of us feel therein as Jacob did, (ITH DIpDH NTD 7"liD " how
awful is this place ! " But few of us consecrate it as Jacob did in
his vow: and why? Because few of us can, like Jacob, content
ourselves with a stone for a pillow. Hardly any one of us, in the
modern age of luxury, will, like Jacob, be satisfied with " bread
to eat and raiment to put on;" and none of us, in an age of
avarice will, like Jacob, make a promise to God : " Of all that
thou shalt give me, I will surely give a tenth unto Thee." Our
synagogue is frequently made a house of man, rather than a
House of God, by the display of perishable wealth : and most of
the congregants pray for something more than bread to eat, and
raiment to put on ; and as to the giving away of the tenth ! we
will only reply, that our institutions would be in a more pros-
perous state if" the wealthy would only give a tenth of the tenth,
or even a tenth of that.
Jacob's consecration of that place which he called Beth-el, was
a historically important one on that very spot where he slept,
the holy Temple stood many centuries after, the historical recol-
lections of which are so replete with vicissitudes and convulsions,
that they fill the mind of the patriotic Israelite alternately with
joy and grief, with sorrow and comfort; the latter, however, pre-
dominating in the hope that the Glory and Majesty which once
resided in Israel, may again take up its dwelling there, when
union shall be restored, and they shall all call upon His name,
and serve Him in one form.
The giving of the tenth, in post-patriarchal history, became
44 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
a law in Israel ; and as long as they conformed to it they prosper-
ed, though it appears rather a high per-centage to be given away
as eleemosynary aid. There are but few instances that people
were ruined by an excessive disposition to benevolence ; but there
are numerous instances where those who exercised no charity, or
little, were by no means any the better for it, when misfortunes
befel them, and suddenly swept away the accumulations of their
niggardliness and avarice. " He that hasteth to be rich," it is said
in the Proverbs, " hath an evil eye, and considereth not that
poverty may come upon him."
The Midrash gives the following narrative in reference to the
giving of tithes. There resided at Jerusalem a pious man who
possessed a field, from the produce of which he annually gave
the priest one hundred measures of corn. In the hour of his
death he summoned his only son to his bed, and said : " Let the
prosperity of the field be the object of thy most unremitting
solicitude. I conscientiously gave the priest the tithe of the
produce, and the blessing of God was discernible in the field ;
for I found as much as I wanted during my life-time:" he then
died. The son inherited the field of the father, but not his heart.
In the first year after the death, he gave the priest ninety mea-
sures, and the next year the field produced but nine hundred. In
the second year he gave only thirty, and he found but eight hun-
dred in the following year. Thus the growth of the field
gradually declined, till it became reduced, to one hundred, being
exactly as much as the father was able to give to the priest,
whilst the son grew poor and distressed. The avarice of the son
had, for some time, been a source of displeasure and annoyance to
his relatives. When they heard of his distress, they put on their
best garments, and paid him a visit. " What!" exclaimed the
man furiously ; " you rejoice in my fall?" " Oh no," replied
they, " we come to congratulate thee. Formerly thou wast the
owner of the field, and God was the priest; now God is the
owner, and thou art the priest; and of this honour we wish you
joy-"
Refreshed by a sound sleep, and still more by the Divine
promise, Jacob " lift up his feet," (as the Hebrew text has it),
light and buoyant with physical vigour, and proceeded to the
land of the people of the East. For the eventful narrative of
his providential acquaintance with Rachel, his future wife, and
her father, Laban, and the trials which he endured during twenty
years' servitude and fatiguing labour; for the incidents of the
victory which he achieved over his cunning father-in-law, whom
" God did not suffer to hurt," the faithful Jacob; and for the
interesting history of the increase of his family and wealth, spite
of the deceitful and envious Aramite, as well as for the visions
and revelations which Jacob had at intervals to strengthen his
THE PENTATEUCH AND IIAPHTORAHS. 45
courage and confirm his hopes, we refer to this Sabbath's lesson,
which every parent ought to read to his children in the language
which they most understand, on the Sabbath-day.
No sooner had the itinerant patriarch escaped with his family
from the mercenary hands of Laban, and concluded a covenant
with him, Jacob remembers Him to whom alone he was in-
debted for his improved condition, and " offered sacrifices upon
the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread;" acknowledging
in prayer and devotion the source whence his property was de-
rived, and whence he drew wisdom and knowledge to defeat a
superior enemy ; reposing his future fate in the hands of a Being
who would watch over and guard him and his descendants as He
promised : " Fear thou not, my servant Jacob, neither be dis-
mayed, Israel: for lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed
from the land of their captivity, for I am with thee, saith the
Lord, to save thee; though I make a full end of all the nations
whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of
thee."
In the history of Jacob we read the history of the nations
which bore his name (Israel). As his life and the development
of his powers were a series of contentions, hardship, and travail,
so was, and still is, that of his descendants; and as his success
depended on and was mainly owing to the firmness of his faith,
so is that of his posterity ; for as soon as they deviated from that
faith, their prosperity was destroyed. This similarity is expressed
in the Haphtorah of this Sabbath, taken from Hosea, xi., xii v
commencing:
" And Jacob fled into the country of Syria ;
And Israel served for a wife,
And for a wife he kept sheep.
And by a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt,
And by a prophet was he preserved."
Now after detailing their history in the wilderness, the benefits
they received, and the ingratitude they manifested, the prophet
continues :
" O, Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself,
But in me is thy help."
Although centuries have elapsed, since Hosea expressed the
memorable words " Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself!" the
same sentence is in a great measure to Israel of the present day.
Our progress, whether moral, or religious, or political, might have
been much greater had we not among us such " as destroy our-
selves." There are many, who from apathy in the sacred cause
of battling for our religion and consolidating our ancient institu-
tions, may be termed our " self-destroyers." There are others,
but thanks to heaven only few, who secede from the ranks of our
46 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
holy faith, and either from ambition or pelf, join in a confession
of faith foreign to their hearts and belief. There are others
again, who unmindful of the danger which discord and strife
must necessarily entail on a people small in numbers, create a
chasm by quibbling and bickering upon inferior points of differ-
ences, that might be amicably adjusted. Let us conclude with
the hope, that apathy may be converted into zeal, secession into
fidelity, and disunion into concord and peace. Then shall we no
longer be reproached in the words of the prophet: "And my
people are bent to backsliding from me;" but as our ancestor
Jacob had power over the angel and prevailed, so shall we his
descendants be fortified within, and prevail over enemies from
without. " He (Jacob) wept and made supplications unto Him :
he found Him in Beth-el, and then He spake with us ; even the
Lord God of Hosts, the Lord is His memorial."
PRAYER.
ALL-MERCIFUL GOD ! Thou hast revealed Thyself to our ancestor
Jacob, in a dream by night; promised to him that his descendants shall
spread far and wide, and in them be blessed all the families of the
earth. Thou didst impress his faithful soul with the awfulness of the
place which he consecrated as a House of God : there he worshipped
Thee in humility, and prayed not for over-abundance and superfluities ;
but for bread to eat, and garments to put on. May we also, O Lord,
in our prayers, not supplicate Thee for the gratification of vanities and
over-strained ambition ; not for indulging in those luxuries and extra-
vagant habits, which, alas ! end in trouble, and embitter so many days
of our existence ; but in Thy grace direct our minds in our aspirations
to frugality and contentedness with the portion which, in Thy infinite
wisdom, Thou hast allotted to us, so long as we are provided with
the indispensable necessaries of life, " bread to eat, and a garment to
put on." We beseech Thee, Thou who directest the steps of man, so
to guide us in our enjoyment and gratifications, that, neither in our
food nor in our dress, we may overstep the boundaries which our
means have circumscribed: and so that we may not unjustly demand
at Thy hands the satiating of excessive desires and boundless cravings.
We implore Thee, Father of All, that if we thus follow the noble
example of our ancestor Jacob, we may instil the same salutary prin-
ciples of frugality and contentedness into the minds and habits of our
offspring; so that they shall not, by extravagance in appearance, and
unlimited display of outward show (as, alas ! is often the case), stray
from the path of probity and honesty, thereby blighting the prospects
of their earthly career, and their hopes in heavenly salvation. Bless,
O Lord, our endeavours to rear and educate our children in the sound
system of combining propriety with economy, pursuing a course of
temperance and abstemiousness, seeking their bread by industry and
labour, and disdaining luxuries dishonestly procured. Then will their
feet not stumble ; they will lie down after their hours of labour, and
their sleep shall be sweet; they will become a blessing to their parents
and the rejoicing of manKnd. Amen.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 4?
31^1 TTD
EIGHTH PORTION OF GENESIS.
psna
V3 no yen ^D 1 ? DO
" The righteous man falling down before the wicked,
Is a troubled fountain, and a corrupt spring," Prov. xxv. 26,
WHEN the righteous is placed in a situation where he has to
stoop to wickedness, the brilliancy of his inward greatness
is obscured, like a clear and pure fountain that is thickened and
muddied by the sandy footsteps of the traveller; but as the
spring flows and rises again, clearly and purely, as soon as the
miry foot has left it, so does humbler virtue elevate itself again,
after relief from oppression, and when its troubles are overcome.
For purity and clearness is the inward nature of the source of
virtue. Thus had Jacob, in the narrative before us, to humble
himself before his brother Esau, and had to stoop to him till the
storm of his fury had abated.
Jacob knew well the character of the enemy he had to deal
with haughty and domineering, mercenary and avaricious.
Knowing this, he at once sent him a message, addressing him
" My lord," and calling himself " thy servant," to appease him,
as it were, for the blessing which he received from his father, of
which Esau was so envious, that he should be the lord over his
brethren; Avhilst he informed him that he possessed oxen and
asses, flocks and servants; adding, that this announcement was made
for the purpose of finding grace in Esau's sight. However deeply
this humiliation might have been felt by Jacob, yet the safety of
himself and family demanded this sacrifice. Being told, however,
that Esau's company had a formidable and hostile appearance,
being composed of four hundred men, he made preparations of
various kinds.
First, by prayer to God, commencing with an acknowledgment
of his own unworthiness " of the least of all the mercies, and of
all the truth" which God had shewn him in raising him from a
poor and lonely wanderer to the wealthy father of a family; and
concluding with a supplication to the God of his fathers to deliver
48 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
him from the hand of his brother a painful situation for a man
to implore help from above, against the grasping hands of his
own brother.
Secondly, by conciliation : for which purpose, he sent him an
immense and valuable present, consisting of no less than five
hundred and fifty head of various cattle and beasts sufficient to
satisfy even the most avaricious soul. This costly present he pru-
dently sent him to precede his appearance, for he said, " I will
appease him with the present that goes before me, and afterwards
I will see his face, peradventure he will accept of me."
Thirdly, by warlike defence, in case the present should be of
no avail, and Esau should still attack him. In these preparations
for defence we must admire Jacob's tactics of war, dividing the
people and the whole retinue into two camps, so that if Esau
defeat the* one division, the other may have a chance to escape.
As in Jacob's life is reflected the history of the nation which
bore his name, we may as well take a leaf out of that history, and
deduce therefrom a lesson which his conduct in adversity and
distress teaches us. We have shewn that our ancestors in the
hour of danger prepared for it by prayer, conciliation, and
defence. So should we meet the danger when the power of a
superior enemy threatens to crush our liberties; first, by prayer
to Him, who vouchsafed never to reject us entirely; next, by
endeavouring to hold out the hand of conciliation ; and if these
means be unsuccessful, to be prepared for defending our sacred
cause against the attack of the enemy, with a weapon which
penetrates deeper than the sword and the dagger, which has its
effect, not only upon the enemy present, but the one ever so
remote from us, and which confines not its repulsive powers to
the attacks of the present time, but also to those of the future
we allude to the PEN. It is the pen, that spiritual weapon of
defence, which has often succeeded in repelling the onslaughts,
and refuting the accusations of envy and malice. It is the pen,
which, through the irresistible voice of the press, thunders forth
reports louder than those of any cannon, and which throws
more confusion and spreads greater destruction in the enemy's
camp, than any devastating combustible which modern ingenuity
has invented and ever will invent ; it annihilates the enemy of the
past, and shuts the malignant mouth of the future.
Having sent his wife and family over the ford of Jabbok,
Jacob was left alone at night, and then and there occurred an
event, which as narrated in Scripture, appears obscure and mystic.
We are told that a man wrestled with him; as to who the man
was, and the cause of his hostility, the text is silent; nor has the
contradiction been reconciled in the narrative, that Jacob should
call him God, as he said, " I have seen God face to face," though
the narrative commences, " a man wrestled with him." We are
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 49
indebted, however, to a Jewish philosopher of the Arabian
school, for the following most beautiful interpretation of this
mysterious occurrence.
Let us consider, says that author, Jacob's position. He had
remained at the lonely midnight hour, at a sequestered spot, when
his eyes were directed and his heart lifted from the earth, which
had presented to him almost nothing but troubles, up to the
starry skies; and he was wrapt in deep contemplation of the
immensity of the planetary hosts. His soul, unfettered by im-
pressions of external objects, soared up to yonder sphere of light,
to which it was drawn as by a magnet, like flame to flame. How
anxiously did it long there to dwell and to remain in endless life !
But earthly and physical cares would not allow him this felicity;
they drew him back into the physical world, and left his mind in
vacant gaze. This idea is represented in the wrestling of Jacob
with the angel a struggle which continually takes place within
any man, between body and soul physical and spiritual desires.
As long as the mind is sufficiently strong to resist the several
passions, but not strong enough entirely to annihilate his physical
cravings, the .struggle continues and is daily renewed. The
victory which can be achieved only by the predominance of the
mind over passion, is the object of the righteous man's struggle;
it is the prize for which he rights, and in which he seeks his
reward. It is the plant of virtue, which not only survives the
excrescences, but also ennobles the soil itself inward man.
Such was the struggle which Jacob underwent all night ; it was
the wrestling of the physical with the mental powers. The angel,
however, appeared in the form of man, " until the breaking of
day," when, finding that he could not prevail, that the mind was
predominant, "he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh" an
indication of the weakness and the frailty of the human body, that
the mere spraining of a limb incapacitates man from physical
activity and thus pointing out to Jacob that the soul, as long
as it is confined within so frail a frame, cannot aspire to the
spiritual elevations which the pious Jacob had in view. " Let me
go," then said the angel, " for the day has broken," signifying
the light which had dawned in Jacob's mind, and shewing him
that he had already reached the summit of human elevation; and
more he could never attain. Jacob, however, said: "I will not
let thee go, except thou bless me," for my mental strength is not
sufficient to subdue the physical, unless I have Divine assistance.
The angel then said : " Thy name shall be called no more Jacob,
but Israel; for thou hast ruled with angels and with man, and
hast prevailed" i. e., thou hast resisted the temptations of
passion and transient wealth, which I represented in the form of
man; therefore thou hast achieved a victory over me as a spiritual
angel; and thou art fully deserving of the Divine assistance. The
E
50 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
narrative concludes: "And he blessed him there." Hitherto
Jacob had seen the angels, but in a vision mentally but now
he had seen an angel face to face bodily he therefore called
the name of the place Peniel, " for I have seen an angel face to
face, and my life is preserved;" alluding to the strength of his
mind, which even could face an angel without being subdued.
We now proceed to the meeting of the two brothers, which
depicts human nature and the force of fraternal feelings, in a few
but sublime sentences. That Esau's intentions towards his bro-
ther were hostile, is sufficiently evinced by the formidable array
of four hundred men which he brought with him. Jacob, how-
ever, made an appeal to his brother's heart stronger than that
which any present, however costly, might have made towards re-
moving his brother's enmity, and disarming his most violent wrath.
" He divided the children unto Leah and unto Rachel, and unto
the two handmaids." Having shewn him his defenceless wives
and his innocent children, who could not be held responsible for
any wrong which Jacob might have committed towards him, and
though Esau was a rough huntsman, a man of the field, yet the
array of innocence before him softened his heart, and awakened
his brotherly and humane feelings, and he ran to meet him, and
embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him ; both brothers
were deeply and equally moved by this unexpected change from
furious enmity to the tenderest affections " and they wept."
No reproach was heard from one, no apology from the other
the long-cherished hatred and the violent discord were quenched
in the tears which flowed, and consigned to oblivion. It was the
reconciliation of nature; and no art, no eloquence, and no arbi-
trator was required. And such ought to be the reconciliation of
friends, and brothers in particular, who have the misfortune to
differ; instead of venting their disagreements in bitter hostility.
It but too often happens, that though both are anxious for peace,
neither will (through a false fear of humbling himself) make the
first overtures to friendship, and thus they remain for ever sepa-
rated till death joins them in the grave.
Esau being reconciled and having' departed, Jacob at once
remembered Him to whom he was indebted for the successful
issue of the meeting with his brother; and he bought a field for
the sole purpose of erecting an altar, which he called El Elohe
Israel, which we would render in English, " the God of the
angels of Israel," acknowledging the power of God above that
of the angel who could not prevail against Him, and who came
with hostile intentions, but departed with blessing.
Jacob's life, like that of his descendants, was a continual series
of troubles. No sooner was he relieved from his fears of Esau,
than another calamity befell him the dishonour of his only
daughter. In this trial, Jacob also preserved his faith in God ;
THE PENTATEUCH AND 1TAPHTORAHS. 51
and having survived it, he summoned his household, and all that
were with him, and bid them put away the strange gods that
were among them, and to cleanse themselves physically and spirit-
ually from the abominations which had affected them during
their intercourse with the idolatrous inhabitants of Shechem.
And again, Jacob manifested his gratitude by building an altar to
Him " who answered him on the day of his distress, when he
fled from his brother." This place is called El-beth-el, the God
of Beth-el, indicating the God who appeared as the vision at
Beth-el, at the top of the ladder, acknowledging that it was the
same God who then said, " Behold, I am with thee," that now
freed him from all his enemies.
" Have Jacob's troubles and trials now ceased?" the reader of this
history may well ask. Scripture replies, " No." Another and still
heavier calamity met him the death of his beloved wife, Ra-
chel. True, she bore him two sons, but the birth of the youngest
was simultaneous with the death of the mother. But did any
complaint or murmur escape the lips of the sad father at this
heavy and sudden blow? Would not any man, however pious,
at such a succession of misfortunes exclaim against Providence
" What is my transgression, what is my sin, that Thou pursuest
me?" Not so, Jacob. In silent mourning he set a pillar on her
grave, and this tomb may be seen to this very day in the place
where it was erected. Thither flock once a year the pilgrims
from all parts of the Holy Land, and spend a day in prayer and
devotion.
The misconduct of his eldest son Reuben was the next unto-
ward event which closes the history of Jacob, (as far as this
Sabbath's lesson extends), previous to his arrival at his home, the
land of Canaan. Jacob, however, never flinched from his sted-
fast adherence to God; and thus says God to his descendants
through the mouth of the Prophet : ' f And Jacob shall return,
and be in rest, and be quiet; and none shall make him afraid."
There is a peculiar feature in the life of Jacob, which may
serve as a lesson, that he was as far from being haughty and over-
bearing in prosperity, as he was meek and resigned in adversity.
No self-confident shouts of triumph were ringing from his mouth
in the hour of victory, and no murmur against Divine Provi-
dence escaped his lips in the hour of distress. The Prophet in
the Haphtorah of this day, taken from Obadiah 1, especially
alludes to this but too often prevailing weakness of vain-gloriously
boasting when prosperity, granted from heaven, attends human
efforts. This applies to individuals as well as to nations. The
prophet justly reproaches the nation: "The pride of thy heart
hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock,
whose habitation is high ; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring
me down to the ground ?" But God, who is still higher, rejoins :
E 2
52 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
" Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy
nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the
Lord."
Let us, therefore, banish pride and vain-glory from our hearts
in time of success, and be consoled during trials and misfortunes,
by that faith which is our fortress and our refuge, and by trust-
ing to that God who is ever near to those who call upon him in
truth.
PRAYER.
ETERNAL CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE ! Thou hast implanted in the
heart of man brotherly love, which, in Thy goodness, Thou hast not
confined to the ties of blood, but extended to the relationship of the
human race, calling upon us to love one another like brethren com-
manding each of us to love his neighbour, of whatever creed he may be,
like himself. Notwithstanding this natural feeling of brotherhood, cir-
cumstances in life cause discord and strife between man and man ; yea,
between brother and brother. Unfortunately for the peace and welfare
of society, there are some who, instead of lending their good offices to
effect a reconciliation and restore peace, fan the flame of disunion to
such a height, as to preclude any hopes of amity and concord. O God
of Peace, banish all sentiments of animosity from our hearts, and,
should it be our misfortune to disagree with a brother or a friend,
animate us, Thou, O God, with the spirit of forgiveness and reconcilia-
tion, so that we may join again in harmony, as Esau did with his
brother Jacob. Inspire us, Thou, O Lord, with humility and forbear-
ance, so that, even if we are convinced of the right being on our side,
we may humble ourselves, like our ancestor Jacob, before our antago-
nist, in order to restore brotherly union. Strengthen us, Almighty
God, in these peaceful endeavours; so that we do not consider such
advances to meet a hostile brother, as a humiliation to our dignity, and
a sacrifice of our honour ; for there is no higher dignity, and no greater
honour, than that of forgiving a vanquished foe. May the spirit of
peace ever dwell in our tents ; not only in our domestic relations
within the gate, but also without the circle of our family connexion,
even to the stranger without the gate. As Jacob, on encountering
Esau, prayed unto Thee : " I am not worthy of the least of all Thy
mercies, and of all the truths which Thou hast showed unto Thy
servant," so may we, to avoid hostility and animosity, pray, in meek-
ness and contrition of spirit, unto Thee, Creator of Peace. Amen.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTOEAIIS. 53
NINTH PORTION OF GENESIS.
03 O 3VK , Tin
" I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet ; yet
trouble came." Job iii. 26.
SUCH was the lament of Job, who was so severely visited by
the vicissitudes of fate or, rather, by the inscrutable Kuler
of fate and Disposer of events. And thus might Jacob have
complained, who was but relieved from one trouble to endure
another, and another again. No peace under the paternal roof,
no rest at Laban's, no quiet in his family circle ; and then came
the greatest of misfortunes, which consigned him for many years
a prey to the direst affliction, and to the bitterest grief the
tender-loving father was deprived of his son Joseph, the son of
his old age. Well might Jacob have wished, after his most
beloved wife had been snatched from him by a premature death,
to rest in silent mourning from the heavy blows which Provi-
dence had dealt him ; but the Lord said, " Should eternal felicity
not satisfy my pious servants? There is no rest for them on
earth. They are pilgrims in the land of the mortals; and the
pilgrim must not think of rest till he has arrived at his house."
The narrative contained in our lesson of this Sabbath,, and
which, for its beautiful simplicity, and for its exciting details, is
quoted and revered by even profane writers as most magnificently
interesting, commences: "These are the generations of Jacob/'
but it at once proceeds to the history of Joseph, the youngest but
one of his children, as on that history depended the future fate,
and with that history were inseparably interwoven the destinies
of a whole nation; and we may say, considering the part which
that nation has performed on the stage of the world, the destinies
of every nation in the universe. But independent of its historical
importance, the narrative is so replete with moral lessons, the few
chapters into which it is compressed give rise to so many
elevating thoughts, and afford so many useful instructions, that
it has served both in Christian and Jewish schools as a standard
54 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
lesson, and a model of prosaic diction. The simple and unvar-
nished features of Joseph's dreams, of the jealousy which they
caused, of the plot devised, and the revenge taken against him; of
his elevation from a prisoner to a viceroy, are so naturally and
strikingly drawn, that the deep impression which their perusal
made on our infant mind, and in the age of playful innocence, can
never be obliterated by mature deliberations in after age; nor can
it be surpassed, if equalled, by the elaborate and complicated
novels, romances, and dramas, however refined in sentiment, and
elegant in language, which profane literature, both ancient and
modern, have begotten. The narrative of Joseph's life is, for
exciting interest, superior to any of the tales of profane literature,
with the additional distinction, that the former we believe to be
true historical facTs; whilst the latter are often fabulous and
fictitious.
Proceed we now to the history, as we have it in the Bible.
We are told: " Joseph being seventeen years old, was feeding the
flock with his brethren" the usual pursuit of young men in the
patriarchal ages. "and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah,
and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives;" most likely
entrusted by his father to their care and attention ; " and Joseph
brought unto his father their evil report." It is fair to presume
that the original cause of these tales and reports was the inferior
manner in which the children of Bilhah and Zilpah the hand-
maids of Jacob were treated by the sons of Leah, the wife.
This might have given rise to jealousy and to the " evil reports"
which the children of the handmaids spread against those of the
wives; and as children, particularly those who are over-indulged
by their parents, are prone to insinuate themselves more into
favour by tale-bearing, we are not surprised that Joseph should
have carried these, perhaps unmeaning and jocular reports, to his
father's ears.
The next verse is one of the most important of the narrative.
It is the key to the great chain of events that follow ; and may be
regarded as the cause of the long series of misfortunes which
befell Jacob and his children afterwards. " Kow Israel loved
Joseph more than his other children, because he was the son of
his old age; and he made him a coat of many colours/'
On this incident, the sages of the Talmud remark: " Owing
to the few florins which Jacob expended on Joseph's coat exclu-
sively, many troubles have occurred, and our ancestors were
brought down to Egypt, and endured many hundred years of
captivity and bondage !" To this weakness in Jacob's character,
is attributed the jealousy and enmity of Joseph's brethren ; for
Scripture tells us : " And when his brethren saw that their father
loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could
not speak peaceably unto him." Jealousy is the mother of
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 55
calumny, and calumny is the serpent which wounds three persons
at one sting. It injures the one that utters it, the one who listens
to it, and the one against whom it is directed. That Jacob should
have loved Joseph more than the other children is but natural,
because he was born in old age, and he was more attached to his
mother than to his other wives. It is true, Benjamin was still
younger, but he had not yet attained an age in which children
can engraft themselves very deeply into the affectionate heart of
a parent, by their talking and acting. And as the older branches
of a tree gradually separate from it, and only the younger twigs
keep close and tight to it, so it is in the family circle. As the
children grow up, they gradually withdraw from the paternal
hearth, and betake themselves to independent habits and pursuits;
whilst the youngest child tenderly adheres to the father; no
wonder that in him he centres all his hopes, and in him he
deposits the richest treasure of his knowledge and experience.
Nor are we prepared to deny to Joseph other superior qualities,
besides filial attachment, which might have endeared him to his
father* more than his other brethren. But the great fault of
Jacob consisted in displaying his preference by outward dis-
tinction and showy garments. These many colours which were
displayed on the favourite son, cost the father many tears; for by
them Jacob signally manifested his preference, and this mortified
his elder sons. From these three verses we deduce three lessons.
First, that there is as much mischief in receiving calumny and
lending a willing ear thereto, as in the uttering thereof. Secondly,
that no father ought to distinguish one child from the other by
outward display. He may, in case he finds the capacity and
tendency of the one child is stronger and better than the other,
distinguish him by a superior education, but dare not show a
distinction in superior clothing, or any preference which betrays
favouritism and partiality. Nothing is felt more keenly, and
nothing is more deeply mortifying to human nature, and particu-
larly in its infancy, than to see ourselves " put back" a degree in
the school of this world. Thirdly, that under all circumstances,
we should be candid and not feign " smooth love," when bitter
jealousy reigns in our heart. We are told that Joseph's brethren
hated him. This is certainly carrying jealousy to too great an
extent; but it is due to their frankness of character, that they
did not pretend love, but "could not speak peaceably unto
him."
The narrative then proceeds: " And Joseph dreamed a dream,
* It is worthy of notice, that in the whole narrative the name of Jacob is men-
tioned ; but where it speaks of his love to Joseph, the name Israel appears. And
as the latter cognomen was in consequence of his mental superiority, the change
may have been advisedly made to indicate that it was the mind of Jacob which
discovered in Joseph mental superiority, and which, therefore, preferred him to his
other children.
56 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
and he told it to his brethren, and they hated him yet the more."
Under any other circumstances, Joseph would not have thought
more of his dreams than any one else would ; but as he was nur-
tured in indulgence, and enjoyed the attachment of his father
more than any other child, it was but natural that he should con-
sider himself superior to his brethren; and lay stress on dreams
and visions in which he appeared pre-eminent to them ; whilst on
the other hand, we cannot be surprised that his brothers, exaspe-
rated at his boasting and over-bearing conduct, " hated him yet
the more for his dreams and for his words."
True, Jacob saw the evil effects of the preference which he had
shewn, and endeavoured to neutralise them by pretending to
prove that his dream could never become a reality. " What is
the dream thou hast dreamed?" said he. " Shall I and thy
mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to
thee to the earth ?" signifying, that his mother being dead, the
vision could never be realised. Although Jacob himself had a
higher opinion of the dream, as we read, " but his father observed
the thing," yet he tried to dissuade Joseph from putting any
faith therein, to prevent further contention with his brethren.
But it was too late. The mischief was done. Joseph had
already too much annoyed them by his boasting of rulership;
their envy had taken too deep a root in their offended breasts, and
the consequence was the dreadful determination to slay the dreamer,
" and," said they, " we shall see what will become of his
dreams."
But Providence had determined it otherwise. His eldest
brother Reuben, who might have felt Joseph's pride deeper than
any of the brothers, nobly saved him from the menacing hand of
destruction. Knowing, however, that any proposal of his to let
him go unscathed would have been overruled by the fury of the
majority, he advised them to cast him into a pit, with the resolu-
tion of saving him from their hands, and to deliver him to his
father again. Reuben's advice being followed, (as in the patri-
archal ages great deference was paid to the eldest brother), their
first act of revenge was to strip him of that very coat which had
roused their jealousy, and which had been the cause of all their
troubles. But even in this pit he might have perished from starv-
ation, had it not been for Judah's advice to take him out and sell
him as a slave to a company of the Ishmaelites who happened to
pass by. This, however, was done in Reuben's absence, else he
would not have suffered it. We may easily imagine his distress
of mind when he returned to the pit and found that Joseph was
gone. He rent his clothes, and cried: " The child is not, and I,
whither shall I go?"
As one crime leads to another, the maltreatment of their
brother was immediately followed by falsehood and deceit. And
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 57
on whom did they practise this deceit? On their own, their aged
father! They made him believe that a wild beast had devoured
him. Their vindictiveness was even carried to that extent, that
they displayed that very coat which the old father had given to
his most beloved child, dipped in blood, and triumphantly sent it
to him with the message " Know now whether it be thy son's
coat or not/' Here we have a terrible example of the ferocity of
human wickedness and revenge. Human nature shudders at the
double crime committed against a brother and a father. Had not
Jacob been embued with pious fortitude, he would, on seeing the
coat and receiving the message, like Job, have broken out in
bitter curses against " the day wherein he was born, and against
the night, in which it was said, there is a man-child conceived."
It is true Jacob nearly despaired of the recovery of his son, he
even refused to be comforted by his sons, and who, no doubt,
repented the cruel deed when they witnessed the agony of their
aged father; but he nevertheless maintained his self-possession,
" and mourned for him many days." The reason of his not being
comforted, the philosophers of the Talmud justly attributed to
the course of nature. For although an All-wise Providence has
blessed us with forgetfulness of the dead, for " the heart forgets
what the earth covers," else we should never be comforted at the
loss of a dear friend or relation) , yet we cannot forget the loss of
the living. Had Joseph been really dead, as it was represented,
the father would, in the lapse of days, have not bewailed him
continually as he did. But he was yet alive, and Jacob had not
seen him die or dead. And this dark glimmering of hope that
the report might not be true, kept up the anxiety and distress of
mind, and accounts for his not being comforted.
Thus did Jacob spend twenty-two years in deep and continual
mourning: and his being able to survive so heavy a blow, and
not to sink under the terrible affliction which disturbed his peace
of mind, must be attributed to the will of a Supreme Being,
which had pre-ordained that he should enjoy, after many years
of mourning and distress, the felicity of seeing his son once more
alive.
Meanwhile, Joseph was taken down by the Tshmaelites to
Egypt, where he was bought by Potiphar, an officer of the royal
guard, in whose service he remained for some time, till a circum-
stance which much redounded to his purity of morals, and to the
treachery of his master's wife, caused him innocently to be thrown
into a dungeon. But pious resignation and fortitude in the se-
verest trials, he had imbibed from his experienced father; and
his faith in the God of his fathers remained unshaken. When in
the prison, he came in contact with two officers of the royal
court, and was invited by them to interpret a dream. His reply
was, " Do not interpretations belong to God?" Thus we see
58 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
that although he left his paternal roof when but seventeen years
old, and lived a long time among heathens and idolaters, yet his
religious firmness and confidence in the Eternal were unabated.
Once he placed reliance upon the promise of a man, the chief butler,
and he was disappointed. " Blessed is that man/' saith the
Psalmist, " that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not
the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies." No sooner had the
proud butler, whom Joseph had requested to make mention of
him unto Pharaoh, been restored to his office, than he did not
remember his fellow- prisoner who had advised him any longer.
Nor can the reader of this history be at all surprised at the in-
gratitude of the butler. It is an every-day occurrence. We
promise much in adversity, but keep little thereof when we are
relieved. We shall, therefore, frequently perceive, that weak-
minded men, who always depend on the assistance of others,
labour under continual disappointments, and we always hear them
complain of ingratitude and deceit. " Cursed be the man that
trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart
departeth from the Lord." Man must rely on his own resources,
which are often larger than he imagines, and depend upon Pro-
vidence for the prosperity of his just undertakings. As soon,
however, as he entirely and solely relies upon man's friendship,
he is lost, and his whole life will be one series of disappoint-
ments.
Ere we conclude this lesson, we will cast back a glance upon
the remarkable chain of events which ultimately decided the fate
of Israel, and which were pregnant with so many great achieve-
ments. Joseph's escape from death by his brothers, next his
escape from the barbarous Ishmaelites, then from the licentious
wife of Potiphar, and his ultimate liberation, are all so wonderful
in themselves, and so miraculous in their connexion, that the
finger of God is distinctly visible therein. And all these events
were in conformity with the covenant which God had made many
hundred years since with Abraham, that his descendants shall
come down to Egypt; for, says the prophet in the Haphtorah of
this Sabbath, taken from Amos, ii. and iii.
" Surely the Lord God will do nothing,
But he revealeth his secrets unto his servants the prophets.
The lion hath roared ; who will not hear?
The Lord hath spoken; who can but prophesy? Amos iii. 7, 8.
That the fulfilment of the divine prophecies was not accidental
but pre-destined, is powerfully illustrated in the following pas-
sage of this day's Haphtorah:
" Can two walk together, except they be agreed?
Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey?
Will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing?
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 59
Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no trap is set for
him ?
Shall one take up a snare from the earth, and have taken nothing
at all?
Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid ?
Shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it ?"
If we attentively peruse the pages of Sacred History, and com-
pare them with the Books of the Prophets, we shall find that
the fluctuating fates not only of Israel, but of other nations more
numerous and more powerful, such as Edom, Egypt, Persia,
Media, Syria, Babylon, Tyre, &c., have all been minutely fore-
told by the seers and divine messengers through divine inspira-
tion. Many of these prophecies have not yet been fulfilled; it
is, however, but reasonable to assume, that, as well as those
predictions which have been realized, others, yet in abeyance, will
also be verified in due time. We are bound to rely upon the
divine promise, through the mouth of his prophet Isaiah, " I,
the Lord, will hasten it in its due time."
PRAYER.
ALL-MERCIFUL GOD ! among the various duties which Thou hast
entrusted to man in this world, there is none involving greater respon-
sibilities none that requires more care, solicitude, and discriminatory
judgment, than the education of children. The tender love of parents
towards their offspring not unfrequently leads to over-indulgence in
the vanities and foibles of the young, and pandering to then: unbridled
ambition. Nothing, however, is more dangerous than favouritism and
preference bestowed upon one child, thereby exciting the jealousy and
envy of the other children, and leading to domestic strife. We entreat
Thee, Father of All 1 that Thy wisdom may guide us in the rearing of
our offspring, to combine equality and justice with the love which Thou
hast implanted in the parental breast, so that no undue preference be
shown to one child above the other, and the filial attachment be not
diminished, by feelings of jealousy and disunion. Grant, O Lord, that
the hearts of father and mother be united in the plans adopted for the
bringing up of their children ; as, often with the best intentions, and
deepest affection, failure ensues, and mischief arises, from the want of
concerted and properly-organised measures in the education of youth.
Enlighten us, O God, by Thy judgment in directing the tastes and
dispositions of the tender minds of the young, to sow the heavenly
seed of virtue and religion whilst susceptible to every impression, and
to continue cultivating these early impressions in the course of the
child's progress towards responsibility. Crown Thou, O Almighty
Father ! our educational efforts with Thy grace and Thy blessing.
Amen.
60 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
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" Better is a poor and wise child, than an old and foolish king, who
will no more be admonished ;
For out of prison he cometh to reign ; whereas, also, he that is
born in his kingdom becometh poor. Eccles. iv. 13, 14.
THE poor lad and the old king both, were once destitute
the latter before he saw the light of the world, and the
fornaer in the dark dungeon. Both were placed on the throne by
fate. The poor lad owed his elevation to his wisdom, and he
was, therefore, firmly established ; whilst the king owed his rank
to birth only, and his throne was tottering when he was placed
in a situation in which he could not advise himself.
Faithful to this picture, we see Joseph and Pharaoh placed
together in this Sabbath's lesson. Pharaoh, a king by birth, finds
himself embarrassed by a dream, which he cannot interpret. The
mighty sovereign must send to the dungeon for a poor lad, must
liberate him, place him next to the throne, and make the
admission, " That there is none so discreet and wise as thou art,"
because wisdom proceeds from God, and before him a throne and
a dungeon are equal. The eminence of mental power was on
Sinai, where the All-wise laid down the tables of His law. Vain
is the purple of the king ; nothing the glittering splendour of the
gold, which dazzles the poor mortal, but does not enlighten
him.
The country in which Joseph was to take so high a position,
and which, owing to her antiquity, her arts and sciences, and her
political institutions stands a problem in the world, is called
Mizraim, also El Kabit (the glorious one), but some of the
ancient writers call it Egypt.*
Her antiquities her immense pyramids, obelisks, and cata-
combs her ruins of canals, cities, monuments, and temples, as
* The Talmud mentions D
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 61
well as the yet undeciphered hieroglyphics, even now excite in
the traveller reverential astonishment. Egypt is situated in the
North-east of Africa, and is, from south to north, intersected by
the Nile, which empties itself into the Mediterranean. This river
flows from Asoman to Cairo, and streaming down from the
higher Nubia, through a chain of mountains, remains stagnant in
a broad valley. From this valley, it overflows a country replete
with the wonders of nature and the spirit of human invention, as
far as the Mediterranean. The Nile is the blessing of the
country, for it supplies the place of rain. But the same Nile may
become a curse, if it swells too high, and destroys the corn, the
maize, and the indigo the rich products of the Egyptian
soil.
This remarkable river, at a stated period of the year, overflows
its bed and moistens the land for two harvests. After having
reached its greatest height, in September, it gradually and
imperceptibly sinks and falls. As, however, this natural inunda-
tion does not suffice for every part of the country, the deficiency
has been, for many ages past, supplied by artificial water-
works.
Owing to the salutary influences of the Nile, on the whole
country, which without it would produce nothing, and as by its
inundations, the seasons, the harvest, the salubrity of the climate,
and even the winds are regulated; the old Egyptians have wor-
shipped it as their national god, erected temples unto it, and cele-
brated a feast at the beginning of its swelling, which is called the
Feast of Nilus, and then offered unto it black bullocks.
Wherever the inundations, and even the canals do not reach,
the soil is covered with burning sand, the effect of a sun so
powerful in most parts of the country that it causes plague and
blindness; hence we meet in no other country, so many people
with weak eyes. Where, however, the inundation moistens the
soil, the sun's salutary rays ripen and mature every growth to the
most magnificent appearance and delightful flavour. Grain,
husk-fruit, sugar-cane, papyrus, hemp, onions, rice, indigo, jalap,
cassia, aloe, cotton, tama bark, fruit of all descriptions, and whole
woods of palm-trees adorn the country, and make it like a
" Garden of God." The treasures it produces supply the adjacent
countries ; and the Romans used to call Egypt their granary. In
Joseph's time the country had already attained to a high degree
of culture; it then possessed the largest trade in the world,
cultivated all arts and sciences, particularly mathematics and
astronomy, to which the inundations gave rise. Nor did archi-
tecture flourish in a less degree; gigantic structures were raised,
the ruins of which even now, after many thousands of years, elicit
the admiration of the civilised world.
The inhabitants were a mixture of various nations of the world.
62 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
A great portion of them were Arabs; and, according to Scripture,
the sons of Ham were the first who settled in the country. The
inhabitants were divided into seven classes, of whom the priests
formed the first and highest, as they constituted the privileged
nobility, and who were in possession of all the offices of the state.
The priests also preserved the secrets of the natural sciences, by
which influence they were looked upon by the people as their
instructors; and this respect gradually rose to the idolisation
which, as we read in ancient history, was paid to the priests and
to the enchanters. Next to the priests came that of the warriors
(all men of military profession); then the trade classes; then the
navigators of the Xile; then the Greek interpreters (dragomans,
synonymous to the Hebrew f/binin/b) > then the lowest class, the
shepherds, among whom the pig-drovers were mostly hated, and
were not even permitted to attend at the temple -service. At
the time of Joseph, the rulers were called Pharaoh, a general
term for all kings, who, as even now, despotically carry the
sceptre and the rod alternately, and at whose behest the people
made every sacrifice to erect the gigantic works which the
country exhibits. The inhabitants preserved their national cha-
racter for a long time ; for although their commerce brought them
into connexion with many and various foreigners, they still
remained secluded within their country, and isolated by their
religion and constitution; they were not fond of strangers,
avoided all confidential intercourse with them, and remained
strictly separate in their customs and manners.
After this brief sketch of the country and the inhabitants,
we will return to the history of Joseph, who was destined to act
so wonderful a part in that wonderful country.
At the end of two years of Joseph's imprisonment, Pharaoh's
spirit was troubled by a dream, which none of his magicians
could interpret, although the interpretation which Joseph after-
wards gave appeared so simple ; since fat kine and full ears of corn
ought at once to have struck them as signifying a plentiful
harvest and fruitful soil, whilst thin kine and withered ears
ought to have reminded them of a parched ground and famished
land. We may, therefore, well apply the words of a later
prophet :
" Surely the princes of Zoan are fools ;
The counsel of the wise councillors of Pharaoh is become brutish.
How say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise,
The son of ancient kings ?
Where are they? Where are thy wise men ?
And let them tell thee now ; and let them know
What the Lord of Hosts has purposed upon Egypt."
Isa. xix. 11, 12.
Upon the recommendation of the chief butler, Joseph was
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPIITORAHS. 63
sent for from his dungeon; and his interpretation and his advice
pleased the king so much, that he appointed him to an office
tantamount to viceroy, or regent. Pharaoh occupied the throne;
but Joseph ruled the country. How sudden was this elevation of
the poor lad ! How wide the distinction between a hopeless
prisoner, and a ruler over a mighty empire ! And what caused
his elevation and distinction? The wisdom which God bestowed
upon him. It is, therefore, justly admitted by Elihu, one of
Job's friends:
" I said, Days should speak,
And multitude of years should teach wisdom.
But there is a spirit in man ;
And the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.
Great men are not always wise ;
Neither do all the aged understand judgment." Jobxxxii. 7 9.
The events which then occurred, verified Joseph's prophecy.
Seven years of plenty were succeeded by seven years of famine.
The shrewd policy observed by Joseph, in levying a tax upon
the people in the years of abundance, to provide for the famine,
could not but elicit the admiration of the king and his council-
lors. It may be asked, however, Why should Joseph despotically
have deprived the people of their labour and property, and im-
pose so heavy a tax as a fifth part of their produce? Would it
not have sufficed, if Joseph had published his prophecy through
the land, and warned the people to save as much as they possibly
could for the ensuing famine? The reply to this is, That had he
left it to the voluntary management of the people, the usurers
and speculators in corn, would have taken an unfair advantage of
the plentitude; they would have bought up all the corn avail-
able, and, in the famine, have raised the price so high, that the
poor people must have fallen their victims, and starved. When
we see that such speculations are carried on in our liberal age,
and in civilized countries that merchants trade in the lives of
people (for nothing less than a life-trade can such " speculations "
be called) we must expect that such would have been the case in
the age of despotism and darkness. Joseph, therefore, wisely
made it a forced contribution, for the benefit of the people them-
selves; and prevented a traffic which would have caused the
aggrandizement of a few mercenary people, but the ruin of the
nation at large.
The consequence of Joseph's arrangement was, that " when
the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph
had said, the dearth was in all lands ; but in all the land of Egypt
there was bread. And all countries came unto Egypt to Joseph
for to buy corn."
Unlike others, who, when suddenly " lifted up from the dung-
64 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
hill to sit with princes," grow proud and haughty, Joseph
remembered his distress in the hours of joy, and was thankful to
Him, whose wisdom he humbly acknowledged, as the only source
of his elevation. During the famine, two sons were born to
him, and the names which he gave them evinced his gratitude.
The one he called Manasseh, " for God," said he, "hath made me
to forget all my toil." And the second he called Ephraim, " for
God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction."
Eeturn we now to the scene presented in the family of Joseph's
father.
The famine which prevailed in Canaan was also sorely felt by
Jacob's family; and it being known that corn was plentiful in
Egypt, he sent his children down there to buy food, little think-
ing that the vendor and supplier of that food was his lost son.
That they did not recognise Joseph when they saw him, is not
surprising, when we remember that above thirty-seven years had
elapsed since he left, and that the splendour of his dress and
costume had dazzled them; that, had they even noticed the like-
ness, they could hardly have imagined that it should be the poor
lad whom they had stripped and sold as a slave: whilst Joseph
was more likely to recognise them, as they came ten in number
together, and probably in the same kind of dress as he left them.
Our narrative then proceeds to the details of Joseph's accusing
them as spies; of his insisting on their bringing Benjamin down
to him; of his imprisoning Simeon, and keeping him as security;
of his putting their money back into their sacks ; of their distress
at finding the money, and their fear of being accused of theft;
and of the most heart-rending agony of the old father's mind,
when they returned with the mournful tale of their misfortunes
the saddest of which, the peremptory order of the Viceroy of
Egypt to bring down Benjamin to take even his youngest child
away from him, whose soul was bound up with his own. We
read: "And Jacob their fathej said unto them, Me have ye
bereaved of my children; Joseph is not, Simeon is not, and ye
will take Benjamin away: all these things are come upon me."
Well might Jacob have thought upon spending his last days in
deep mourning, at the loss of his most beloved wife and dearest
child. Well might he have hoped that the " sea of his troubles
would cease from her raging." How terrible was, therefore, the
storm which broke his temporary calm, and which violently re-
opened the wound which was healing the loss of Joseph. How
terrible, the necessity of his parting with another child the
only one which survived from his beloved wife Rachel. The
distressed father was resolved, however, not to part with Ben-
jamin; and he said, "My son shall not go down with you; for
his brother is dead, and he is left alone : if mischief befall him by
the way in which ye go, then shall ye bring down my grey hairs
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 65
with sorrow to the grave." But hunger compelled the aged man
to part even with him; and he said to .them, "If it must be so, do
this," advising them to "carry down the man a present;" also
to restore the money which they had found ; and lastly, true to
his character faith he blesses them: "And God Almighty
give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your
other brother and Benjamin; and I, if I am to be bereaved of
my children, I shall be bereaved " signifying, " If it be the
Divine purpose that I shall lose even him, let the will of God be
done."
The first moral reflection suggested by these exciting details,
so simply and so powerfully narrated in Holy Writ, is our
acknowledging the just retribution of the crime which Joseph's
brethren committed against him and against their father; and the
punishment which was now dealt out to them, measure for
measure. Our second, is deep mortification at the vindictiveness
displayed by Joseph against his brethren, and his relentless perse-
cution of the guilty, whereby his innocent father had so much to
suffer. However ill they treated him, his brotherly feeling and
compassion should have been moved when he saw them in
distress, and heard them say one to another, "We are very guilty
concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul
when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this
distress come upon us." Their repentance of the guilt ought to
have appeased him ; and the agony which he caused his father,
ought to have made him relax the severity of his revenge. We
are aware that every link in the chain of events was pre-ordained
by an All-seeing Providence; yet, humanly speaking, we are
permitted to make these observations, to show that the Old
Testament does not represent its heroes as gods or angels, but as
fallible men. As a true and faithful recorder of facts, it relates
the virtues of Joseph, his unabated faith, his fortitude of moral
character in resisting the temptations of Potiphar's wife, his
sagacity in the administration of the affairs of a great country in
a crisis : and it also records his faults the weakness of flesh and
blood. He remembered his dreams, and would have all the
" eleven stars " bow down to him. True, he sent ultimately for
his father, and discovered himself to his brethren; but he kept
them long in dreadful suspense. Even when his brother Ben-
jamin appeared before him, after so many years' absence, and his
" bowels yearned towards his brother," he sought where to weep:
he entered into his chamber and wept there, and, hardening his
brotherly feelings, maintained the disguise, and continued the
harshness of punishment till he could no longer refrain himself.
Eegarding the history of Joseph, however, in a scriptural
view that is, each event and each incident as the strings form-
ing the harmonious instrument in the hand of God to carry out
F
66 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
His pre-ordained purposes, according to the covenant made with
the patriarchs we must arrive at the conclusion, that all these
strings were necessary, however discordant many of them may
sound to human ears, in order to accelerate the great consum-
mation the end of the means the captivity in Egypt, the
liberation therefrom, and the purpose of all purposes the reve-
lation on Mount Sinai, and the promulgation of a law-book, to
which the whole of Genesis must be considered but as an introduc-
tion; which, however, in itself, gives rise to so many useful and
moral reflections, that we cannot too frequently impress upon
parents to read these chapters to their children (after they have
read them themselves), and thus, as it were, irrigate the young
plants with those living waters which never fail in reviving and
refreshing them when they have grown up to trees, and have to
encounter the withering blasts and heavy storms of a changeful
fate.
Our Haphtorah of this Sabbath is taken from 1 Kings, chap-
ter iii., containing the celebrated judgment of Solomon, illus-
trating the great wisdom of that king, and his far-seeing know-
ledge of human nature. Like Joseph, the hero of our scriptural
narrative, the wise king did not attribute the vast sources of his
extensive information to his own merits, but meekly ascribed
them to the fountain of all wisdom and knowledge to Him
who implanted understanding in the soul of man. Nor did the
Israelites mistake the divine source of knowledge whence Solo-
mon drew his remarkable experience of mankind ; for we read in
the chapter of the Haphtorah, at the conclusion of that much-
admired judgment delivered by Solomon, in which he so shrewdly
detected the guilty woman, and restored the child to the innocent
one, and in which the ends of justice were attained, not by evi-
dence, (for the evidence was conflicting and uncertain), but by
the discerning mind of the Royal Judge: u And all Israel
heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they
revered the king; for they saw that the wisdom of God was in
him to do judgment."
PRAYER.
ALL-KIND CREATOR ! In Thy great goodness Thou hast endowed
man with understanding and knowledge, and an innate desire for
advance and progress, constituting that honourable ambition which
produces the great men of all ages. But many who have risen from a
low position to a high degree of eminence, become giddy at the sum-
mit of the ladder of fortune, forgetting their humble origin, and
looking down with disdain upon the very men who assisted them to
climb the height of prosperity. Such was the character of Pharaoh's
chief butler, who did not remember, on being reinstated into his office,
THE PENTATEUCH AND IIAPIITORAnP. 67
his former fellow-prisoner in the dungeon Joseph. Even Joseph him-
self, after having been elevated from a prisoner to become a viceroy,
neglected his aged and sorrowing father, Jacob, who had for many
years mourned the loss of that very son on whom he had lavished the
tokens of his love more than on any of his children. Holy Writ,
which faithfully records the vices as well as the virtues of men, warns
us against these failings, by pointing out the pernicious consequences
arising to society from ingratitude. Mayest Thou, O Lord, who
searchest the innermost recesses of the human heart, teach us how to
beware of that presumptuous arrogance, which shuts out all thankful-
ness towards our benefactors, and makes us boast, " My strength and
the power of my hand has gotten me all this prosperity." We, weak
mortals, are all prone more or less to forget, amidst the exuberance of
the flowers which success strews around our path, the briars and thorns
which we had to encounter in our former wandering on earth. It is
only by Thy Divine instruction, God of Wisdom ! that we can avoid
these dangerous sand-banks on our passage through the troubled sea
of the vicissitudes of life, by which so many eminent voyagers have
been wrecked in the very sight of the coast the goal of their ambi-
tion. Vouchsafe to us, O Lord of Justice ! Thy guidance and Thy
instructions ; so that we may cherish proper feelings of gratitude to-
wards our supporters in need, and to acknowledge their kindness, both
privately and publicly, in word and in deeds; for gratitude is one of
the noblest virtues with which man is endowed by Thee, O Lord, our
Creator and our Redeemer ! Amen.
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68 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
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" Let not thy heart envy sinners; but be thou in the fear of the
Lord all day long :
For surely there is an end, and thine expectations shall not be
cut off. Prov. xxiii. 17, 18.
MANY of the wealthy invest their capital in securities which
lie dormant, yielding interest upon interest, which however
lies equally dormant, as the rich owner does not spend even all
the interest accumulated.
There is, however, a nobler capital than silver and gold faith
combined with wisdom. We advisedly join the two attributes
together, for they are inseparable. It is a mistaken notion of
many, that religion alone, without that wisdom called judgment,
is sufficient to the sustenance and promotion of virtue. Daily
experience proves how piety without judgment degenerates into
fanaticism and bigotry, condemning and persecuting all who do
not go the whole length with its misdirected zeal; whilst, on the
other hand, human wisdom without religion, founders on the
cliffs hidden from our short-sighted understanding, and the frail
bark becomes a complete wreck. Faith and wisdom are the
heaven-born daughters, free when they are united, but slaves to
human passions if they are divided. They form a fund which
never lies dormant, ever actively circulating, bearing immense
interest, which like capital freely communicates its benefits to
others less gifted ; teaches and instructs, guides and advises, cul-
tivates and fructifies. Nor is the enjoyment of the capital con-
fined to this world, but extends to the future, where it is still
safer, and less liable to the vicissitudes of fate.
Had Jacob, the father of the hero in our narrative, not pos-
sessed both faith and wisdom, he would soon have sunk under
the heavy chain of afflictions which pressed upon him. " Of
what avail is all my faith to me/' he would have exclaimed, " if
I am thus to suffer?" but his heart envied not the sinners; the'
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAIIS. 69
fear of the Lord strengthened him ; and he comforted his bleed-
ing heart with the balm of consolation; "for surely there is a
remedy, and thine expectations shall not be cut off/'
At the close of the last lesson, we left Joseph's brothers plunged
into the deepest misery. Simeon a prisoner, Benjamin found
guilty of theft, and they all, according to the sentence they them-
selves pronounced, condemned to everlasting bondage. True,
Joseph apparently mitigated the sentence, confining the slavery
to Benjamin, and telling them: u As for you, get you up in peace
unto your father." But was this really a mitigation ? Was it not,
properly considered, the heaviest punishment he could have in-
flicted? Could they get up " in peace" to their father with the
news that his dearest child was condemned to perpetual bondage?
In this dilemma, Judah stepped forward and addressed the vice-
roy of Egypt in so energetic a manner, that he could no longer
keep up his incognito, and had to yield to the fraternal love and
paternal emotions which overwhelmed him. Judah was bound
more than any of his brethren to try every means for securing
the liberty of Benjamin; for it was he who succeeded in persuad-
ing Jacob to send Benjamin. True, Reuben had also tried to
induce Jacob to take that step, but he was not successful. The
security which he had offered " Slay my two sons if I bring
him not unto thee" made no impression on the father's mind.
It is justly observed by our sages, that Jacob replied " What,
thou insensate! shall I kill thy two sons? Are thy children not
also my children?" Hence the refusal of Jacob, notwithstanding
the offer of Reuben, till at last Judah said, " If I bring him not
unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for
ever." And this it was which Judah now so forcibly urged on
the hard-hearted brother, concluding his address with the em-
phatic question, " How shall I go up to my father and the lad be
not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come
on my father." Judah's appeal to Joseph is throughout respect-
ful yet stern supplicating yet remonstrating. The brief sum-
mary of the succession of troubles which had befallen them,
concluded with the most affecting picture of his own situation and
that of his father. " Now, therefore," said he, " when I come
to thy servant, my father, and the lad be not with us, seeing that
his life is bound up in the lad's life, thy servants shall bring down
the grey hairs of thy servant, my father, with sorrow to the
grave."
We are not surprised on reading Judah's address, that Joseph
was touched to the quick and unmasked himself; but on the
contrary, perceiving the filial affection and brotherly love he
subsequently manifested, we are, humanly speaking, astonished at
his persevering, after so many struggles, in concealment. The
philosophers of the Talmud, to mark the respect which children
70 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
owe to their parents, observe, that Joseph was punished for
having allowed Judah several times to speak of his father as
" thy servant;" a degradation which no child, however superior
in rank he might be to his father, ought to tolerate.
Joseph, we read, could no longer refrain himself before all
them that stood by him, but cried, " Cause every man to go out
from me;" and he wept aloud, so that the officers, who were out-
side heard him ; although he evidently had wished that the matter
should, for the present, not transpire abroad.
When Joseph made himself known to his brethren, and ex-
claimed, " I am Joseph," his first question was, " Doth my
father yet live?" although from what had transpired previously,
and from Judah's last speech, it was evident that Jacob was alive,
yet the anxiety about his father, .which was now awakened in
him, would not leave him to rely upon mere inference. No won-
der that they could not answer him. The boy whom they had
sold as a slave, stood before them the ruler of a great empire.
But here Joseph acted with great kindness and true brotherly
affection; he anticipated their fright, their fear, and their apology,
when he told them, " I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold
in Egypt ;" continuing, " Now, therefore, be not grieved nor
angry with yourselves, that you sold me hither, for God did
send me before you to preserve life." Having thus reassured
them, and inspired them with confidence, he desired them to tell
his father of all the glory with which he was crowned in Egypt;
" and," continued he, " bring my father down hither."
When Pharaoh heard of it he was pleased, for hitherto Joseph's
descent was not known; and coming down as a slave, and being
fetched from a dungeon, his extraction was believed to be an
humble one. But now it became known that he was the son of a
noble race, for his fathers, Isaac and Abraham, were celebrated
men in the country, on account of their connexion with kings
and princes. Hence Pharaoh's ready offer, to receive Joseph's
family to give them the good of the land of Egypt, " and that
they should eat of the fat of the land."
Joseph then sent them away, and with that good sense and
foresight which marks his character, told them : " See that ye fall
not out by the way/' Nothing was more likely than now, on
their return home, they would accuse one another of the ill-
treatment Joseph had received; which dispute might have led to
angry Avords and serious discontent, against which Joseph pro-
vided by his salutary advice, and by telling them, that " God had
sent him to Egypt to preserve them a posterity in the earth, and
to save their lives by a great deliverance." On their return to
the distressed father, and bringing him the cheering news of
Joseph, his heart fainted, " for he believed them not." The
change was too sudden. Not only was the son alive of whom
THE PENTATEUCH AND IIAPHTORAHS. 71
they themselves had told him a wild beast had devoured him,
but that he should be the governor of all the land of Egypt, was
more startling still. When, however, they gave him proofs, and
corroborated it by the waggons which Joseph had sent, the spirit
of Jacob revived, and Israel* said: "It is enough: Joseph my
son is yet alive; I will go and see him before I die." He cared
neither for the presents, nor for the glory with which his lost son
was covered; it was enough for him that he was yet alive, and
that he could once more before his death see the child to whom
he was mostly attached an attachment which was revived in
the father's soul, by the report of his being alive.
Jacob then rose up from Beer-sheba with all his family to meet
his beloved son, but not till after he had gathered strength from
the Divine promise which was made to him in a vision of the
night, when the Lord said to him, " Fear not to go down into
Egypt, for I Avill there make of thee a great nation/' Joseph
made ready his chariot and went up to meet Israel, his father, to
Goshen, and presented himself unto him. This meeting between
father and son, who had not seen each other for so many years, is
briefly described in the Scripture narrative. " The son fell on
his father's neck and wept on his neck a good while." No
doubt Joseph felt the stings of conscience reproaching him for
having kept his aged father so long a time ia suspense. Israel,
on the other hand, was so overcome with joy that he said unto
his son Joseph, whom he had given up as lost, and for whom he
had already mourned, " Now let me die, since I have seen thy
face, because thou art yet alive."
Joseph then presented his father and brethren to Pharaoh, who
having inquired the age of Jacob, the latter emphatically
replied, " The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred
and thirty years ; few and evil have the days of the years of my
life been." Well might Jacob have said, " few and evil," for
his trials and sufferings were so numerous and severe, that had it
not been for his implicit trust in Divine help, he could never have
endured them.
The famine, which through Divine inspiration had been fore-
told by Joseph, now set in with great rigour. Scripture tells us,
" There was no bread in the land, for the famine was very sore; so
that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted by
reason of the famine." But Joseph had taken precautionary
measures during the years of plenty, to mitigate the sufferings of
the people; and his words proved true: " That God had brought
* It is remarkable, that although in the preceding chapter always occurs the
name Jacob, here is mentioned Israel, which signifies his mental greatness.
Hitherto, he had been so depressed by the protracted mourning for Joseph, that
he had sunk to the level of other men, and his spirit was subdued. Now, however,
on hearing the gladdening news, he was himself again Israel, who ruled with
angels.
72 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
him down to Egypt to preserve life." Jacob's demands of his
wealthy and powerful son were very moderate. All that he
asked him for was, "When the time drew nigh that Israel must
die, he called his son Joseph and said unto him : If I have found
frace in thy sight, deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not,
pray thee, in Egypt." Joseph swore to comply with his
father's dying request, "And Israel bowed himself upon the
bed's head/'
Having so far concluded the history of Joseph and his brethren,
we have only to remark that the cause of all the troubles which
happened to Jacob and his sons, was the jealousy which prevailed
between Joseph and his brethren. Jealousy begat strife and
hatred, and though trivial in the outset, ended in the fierce
determination of fratricide. It was only by Divine interposition
that Joseph's life was saved; raised from the dungeon to a high
position, in which he became the Preserver of a whole nation.
The necessity of union and the great danger of strife and
division is graphically demonstrated in the Haphtorah of this
Sabbath, taken from Ezekiel xxxvii. The word of the Lord
came to Ezekiel, saying: " Thou son of man take thee one stick
and write upon it for Judah and for the children of Israel, his
companions; then take another stick, and write upon it for
Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his
companions. And join them one ,to another into one stick, and
they shall become one in thine hand. And then the children of
thy people shall speak unto thee, saying: Wilt thou not show us
what thou meanest by these? Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord
God, Behold I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the
hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his fellows, and will
put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make
them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand." Here we
have the necessity of union between the various tribes propheti-
cally illustrated; the salutary consequence of which union is
expressed in the following Divine message: " And say unto them,
Thus saith the Lord God, Behold I will take the children of
Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will
gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land.
And I will make one nation in the land upon the mountains of
Israel ; and one king shall be king to them all : and they shall be
no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two
kingdoms any more at all. And David my servant shall be king
over them ; and they all shall have one shepherd ; they shall also
walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them."
PRAYER.
EXALTKD CREATOR ! Thou who " makest peace in Thy high places,"
hast established the principle of peace on earth a principle without
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 73
which all the gifts of nature, and all the benefits arising from human
skill, learning, and science, are valueless and nought. Yet, such is the
antagonistic character of man such is the conflicting disposition of
Thy creatures, that, instead of their joining with brotherly feelings of
concord, to effect good for themselves and for society at large, the
noblest fruits of Thy beautiful creation, the most beneficial and philan-
thropic exertions of the human race are often destroyed, by the bane-
ful influences of disaffection and hostility. We are fully sensible, O
Lord, of the necessity of peace ; and yet we regard it not. We know
that union is indispensable to our individual and collective prosperity;
yet discord and strife often prevail, and divide our camp. In prospe-
rity, each of us is desirous of carrying off the palm of glory, every one
contending for the skill and the honour of having contributed towards
success. In adversity, each of us shuns reproach, and endeavours to
throw the blame upon another, as having been the cause of the
disastrous consequences. We require, as the brethren of Joseph did, a
man like him who admonishes us, " See that ye fall not out by the
way." And Thee, O Lord, who foundedst the universe on peace, we
implore to send us such leaders and spiritual advisers as Thou didst
send, in Thy mercy, to our troubled ancestors, in the hour of trial and
danger. Instruct Thou, O Lord, the Shepherds of Israel, that they
may tend their flock in the spirit of kindness and reconciliation, to
prevent " one devouring another," in the fury of animosity and in the
fierceness of hatred. We beseech Thee, Almighty Father, to cause
peace to dwell in our domestic circle, and in the community of Thy
children at large. Amen.
74 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
TV1 "I1D
THE TWELFTH 1'ORTION OF GENESIS.
ana onsn a nana
" I believed, therefore have I spoken ; I was greatly afflicted ;
I said in my haste, All men are liars." Ps. cxvi. 10, 1 1.
HPHERE are situations in human life in which even the wisest
J- of men loses his courage, and gives way to despair. When the
body begins to sink, the mind also declines; and man ceases to be
responsible, say our sages, for his outbursts in complaint when
the heart is distracted with pain and grief.
Even the pious patriarch, Jacob, was but a son of the earth.
When one blow after the other prostrated his mind, though he
did not despair of the help of God, yet he began to fear that he
was unworthy of it, and grew timid. Humbled, he stood before
Esau; prostrate, he lay before Shechem; and sufferings and
troubles had so far bent his courage, that even in the arms of
Joseph he wished to die, no more trusting to the stability of the
felicity, which, in that happy moment, he enjoyed. The transition
from deep mourning for a lost son, and the fear of losing another,
to the sudden joy of seeing the one again in great glory, and the
restoration of the other, being so sudden, that he wished to end
his life in those joyous raptures, lest disappointment and further
grief should embitter the sweet cup of salvation from which he
now drank.
Providence, however, had determined otherwise. A serene
and soothing calm was to follow after the protracted storm, till
the hour of his death. He was to see his dearest son invested
with the highest honours, the regent of a mighty empire and
these honours and that distinction conferred, not by interest and
favour, but in acknowledgment of the services to the country
over which he ruled, besides saving the lives of thousands in
other countries from the raging famine.
Jacob's first act after the cheering news had reached him, was
to offer sacrifices to the God of his salvation ; and he was then
reassured in a vision by the Lord himself, who told him, " I
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 75
will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will surely bring thee
up again ; and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes." These
words, coming from the Ruler of Providence, dispelled Jacob's
fears, and revived his drooping spirits.
We pass now from the affecting meeting of the father with his
son and also with Pharaoh, by whom he, as well as his sons,
were most hospitably received. We also pass over the introduc-
tion of Ephraim and Manasseh, Joseph's sons, to their enraptured
grandfather. Interesting as these incidents are, they are but of
secondary importance to the great chapter which now follows
the chapter in which the future destiny of Israel, and, from their
position, that of many other nations, are laid down in prophetic
eloquence and in fervent inspiration.
Having lived seventeen years in uninterrupted tranquillity, and
Seeing death approaching, he called unto him his sons, and said :
" Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which
shall happen in the last days." He knew that after his death
they and his descendants would be enslaved and suffer great
afflictions under the new Pharaoh; he knew that, according to
the " covenant between the pieces," they would suffer cruel
bondage for two hundred and ten years; for, though God had
said, " and they shall afflict them four hundred years," he was
aware that these four hundred years commenced from the birth of
Isaac; and one hundred and ninety years having elapsed since
that birth, the captivity had yet to last two hundred and ten
years. But he did not divulge to them this secret, nor tell them
when the captivity was to commence and when it was to end, as
He who inspired this last address did not, in His inscrutable wis-
dom, deem it proper that the Israelites should know the day of
their redemption, but hope and trust in that God who vouchsafed
" that they should go out with great substance;" and in the
heaviest trials they should adhere to the faith in the ONE God,
and thus render themselves worthy of becoming the depository of
the revelation on Mount Sinai, which led to the consummation of
their fate and that of the universe.
Proceed we now to the all-important blessing of the children of
Israel by their father :
" Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob ;
And hearken unto Israel your father."
Thus reminding them of his troubles by the name of Jacob,
and of his salvation by the name of Isiael, which he received in
consequence of his having " ruled with angels and with princes,"
by perseverance in his faith.
" Reuben, thou art my first-born, my might, and the beginning of
my strength ;
The excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power."
76 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
By right of nature thou hast a claim to dignity (the priesthood)
and to power (kingdom). But
" Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel ;
Because thou wentest up to thy father's bed,
Then defiledst thou him,* who ascended my couch."
By the violation of the laws of nature and morality, which
thou hast committed, and by the defilement of the holiness of
spirit which guides my prophecy, thou hast forfeited thy claims
both to the crown and to the priesthood. Hence, although
Reuben was the first-born, his tribe neither attained the monarchy
nor the sacerdotal office.
" Simeon and Levi are united.
Instruments of cruelty their tools :
My soul, come not into their secret;
And to their assembly, my honour, be not united ;
For in their passion they slew a man,
And in their self-will they disabled the ox."
Man and ox are here used as symbols of power and strength.
Simeon and Levi had joined together in a wicked deed, which
cast a stigma on the moral purity of the tribes of Israel. They
had induced the inhabitants of Shechem to the performance of an
operation which disabled their strength, and laid them prostrate
as victims to revenge. The assassination and breach of the cove-
nant which they had committed in the affair of Dinah, the father
at the time bore patiently; but in the last hour he was bound to
condemn the deed, lest it should be thought that it had been done
with his sanction. He therefore emphatically prayed that his
honour and his name should not be mixed up with the foul act.
And for the future also, when Simri, of the tribe of Simeon, and
Korah, of the tribe of Levi, should revolt against Moses and fall
into corruption, he prayed that his name should not be men-
tioned.
Hence we read of Korah, that he was " the son of Jitzhar, the
son of Kehath, the son of Levi," Jacob's name being omitted.
" Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce ;
And their wrath, for it was cruel :
I will divide them in Jacob,
And scatter them in Israel."
Sublime and charitable was the spirit of Jacob. Even in his
denunciation of crimes he cursed not the offender but the offence;
* We deviate in our translation of this chapter from the Authorised English
Version, and follow the interpretation of Jarchi and Mendelssohn, not capri-
ciously, but advisedly, the latter being more congenial to the spirit of the Hebrew
language, and in accordance with the future events of Israel.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 77
as the Psalmist prayed, " May sins vanish from the earth, so that
there shall be no more wicked."
It is remarkable, that this division of Simeon and Levi, which
Jacob prophesied, was perceptible in the respective positions of
the tribes of Simeon and Levi in the wilderness, as well as in
their possessions in the Holy Land. Simeon's portion lay in the
land of Judah, and that of the tribe of Levi was scattered in
forty-eight cities of the other tribes.
When Jacob's three sons, Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, were thus
addressed by the father reproachingly, Judah shrank back, and
became afraid. Jacob therefore encouraged him, saying
"Judah, thou art he -whom thy brethren shall praise :
Thy hand shall be on the neck of thine enemies ;
Thy father's children shall bow down before thee."
Here Jacob placed the crown, which Keuben had forfeited, on
the head of Judah, among whose descendants were many valiant
kimjs.
O
" Judah is a lion's whelp.
From the prey, my son, thou art gone up ;
He stooped down, he couched as a lion ;
Who shall rouse him up ?"
A beautiful picture of the conqueror ! After Judah shall have
expelled the enemy, and conquered the portion of his land, he
shall be like a lion who comes up from the prey, and whom no
one dares to provoke. According to Jarchi, it alludes to the
withdrawal of Judah from the conspiracy against Joseph, and the
rendering would thus be " from the spoliation of my son thou hast
withdrawn."
" The sceptre shall not depart from Judah,
Nor a lawgiver from between his feet,
Until he cometh unto Shiloh, and people gather to him."
This passage has given rise to much controversy between Jews
and Christians. In the above translation we follow Mendelssohn.
The sceptre departed from Judah only then, when the kingdom
was divided between Judah and the ten tribes, which took place
in the time of Rehoboam, son of Solomon, at Shechem, which is
near Shiloh. For the correctness of this interpretation we have
only to refer to 2 Chron. x. 1, where it is said, " and Rehoboam
went to Shechem, for to Shechem were all Israel come to make
him king." From 1 Kings xi. 24, it is also evident, that there
was a gathering of the people at the epoch of the division. That
Shechem was situate near Shiloh, is proved from Joshua, xxiv. 1 ,
and from Jeremiah, xlv. 5.
Having placed Judah in the rank of heroes and princes, He
78 SABBATH MEDITATIONS OX
also vouchsafes to him that his land shall be blessed with fertility
and abundance:
'' Binding his foal unto the vine,
And his ass's colt under the choice vine,
He washed his garments in wine,
And his clothes in the blood of grapes ;
His eyes shall be red with wine,
And his teeth white with milk."
This is a picture of the fruitfulness of the country, and the
abundance of the wine, that it shall be no more valued than
water.
" Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea,
And he shall he for an haven of ships ;
And his border shall be unto Zidon."
Zebulun's portion in the Holy Laud was not distinguished by
agricultural facilities, as it was mountainous and rocky; but being
an open sea-port, which brought him into connection with the
whole mercantile world, it was very much adapted to trade and
commerce, in which the tribe of Zebulun greatly flourished. His
borders extended even to the wealthy Zidon. As Zor (Tyrus)
and Zidon were the richest commercial cities in the orient, Eze-
kiel addressed the former thus: " Thou art situate at the entry of
the sea; thou art a merchant of the people for many isles. The
inhabitants of Zidon and Arvad were thy mariners," etc., etc.
" Jssachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens :
And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant ;
And bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto
tribute."
Issachar's situation in the Holy Land was between Tamor and
Hermon a beautiful country for the lovers of peace. His tribe
was very numerous, and his long valley was the scene of sanguin-
ary wars caused by invaders; but he did not produce many heroes
and warriors, being devoted more to the sciences and litera-
ture.
" Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.
Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path,
That biteth the horseheels, so that his rider shall fall backward.
For Thy salvation I wait, O Lord "
After the death of Joshua, before kings reigned in Israel,
judges and prophets ruled the nation. Whenever they apostatised
from God, he raised unto them a man who resuscitated the fallen
people. Such a man was Samson, of the tribe of Dan, who on
many occasions helped the Israelites out of their trouble, and de-
feated the Philistines. But as the enemy were so superior to him
THE PENTATEUCH AND HArilTORAHS. 79
in numbers, lie could not conquer them in open combat; but by
stratagem, like the serpent that bites in the heel, he overreached
them. Even after he had been betrayed by his Philistine wife,
Delilah, and his strength had departed from him, he defeated the
enemy, by overthrowing their temple, for which he thus prayed :
" Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me
only this once, God, that 1 may be at once avenged of the
Philistines for my two eyes." The prayer of Jacob here, speak-
ing of Dan, " For thy salvation 1 wait, . Lord/' might be a
prophetic allusion to the last victory of Samson over the blas-
phemous Philistines.
" Gad, a troop shall overcome him; but he shall overcome at the
last."
This prophecy alludes to the intrepidity of the tribe of Gad in
war.
" Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal
dainties."
This prophecy alludes to the fertility of Asher's possessions in
the Holy Land :
" Naphtali is a hind let loose : he giveth goodly words."
This prophecy alludes to the men of Naphtali, who joined
Deborah in the war against the Midianites, and bravely fought in
the battle which gave Israel rest for forty years from the op-
pressors. (
" Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well,
Whose branches run over the wall :
The archers have sorely grieved him,
And shot aOiim, and hated him ;
But his bolrabode in strength, and the arms of his hands were
made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob ;
From thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel :
Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee,
And by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of
heaven above,
Blessings of the deep that lieth under,
Blessings of the breast and of the womb :
The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings
of thy progenitors,
Unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills ;
They shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown
Of the head of him that was separate from his brethren."
The history of Joseph individually, and that of his descend-
ants, is so plainly described in this prophecy that it requires no
comment.
80 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
" Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf;
In the morning he shall devour the prey,
And at night he shall divide the spoil." *
This prophecy alludes to the victory achieved by Mordecai and
Esther, who were of the tribe of Benjamin, when they divided
the spoil of the inhabitants of Shushan, who had threatened to
destroy the Jews.
At the conclusion of the blessing, the scriptural historian ob-
serves " Every one according to his blessing, he blessed them ;"
the meaning of which is, that the inspired father blessed his chil-
dren according to the fate which each tribe shared, subsequently
to the times of the judges and kings. The blessing therefore was
a prophecy, every letter of which was fulfilled by Him who
knoweth the future as well as the past; for He, the Creator of
time, is unlimited by time.
As Jacob on his death-bed pronounced the blessing on his
children and predicted their fate, so did David, in the Haphtorah
of this Sabbath, taken from 1 Kings, ii., enjoin upon his son
Solomon, his successor to the throne, the duties by the discharge
of which he would be enabled to consolidate the monarchy, to
ward off the attacks of the enemy, and to confirm the loyalty of
his adherents. We read in this Haphtorah, " When the days of
David drew nigh that he should die, he charged Solomon his son,
saying : I go the way of all the earth : be thou strong therefore,
and show thyself a man. And keep the charge of the Lord thy
God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, and His com-
mandments, and His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is
written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that
thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself. That the
Lord may. continue his word, which he spake concerning me,
saying, If thy children take heed to their way, ,0 walk before
.me in truth with all their soul, there shall not fain^hee a man on
the throne of Israel."
* It would appear impossible that the young and small tribe of Benjamin,
situated as it was between the two most influential communities of Israel, Ephraim
and Judah, should ever attain considerable power or authority; and it would seem
sufficient if, in such dangerous vicinity, and devoid of adequate means of defence,
it but succeeded in maintaining its liberty and independence. But inherent forti-
tude, and indomitable courage, raised the insignificant tribe far above its material
importance; and its imposing qualities are not without force and beauty, celebrated
in the few words of our text: "Benjamin is a wolf that teareth to pieces; in the
morning he devoureth prey, and in the evening he rendeth spoil." This energy
alone, perhaps not unmixed with injustice and violence, will account for the
boldness with which, in a bad and abject cause, the Benjamites dared to combat,
single-handed, against all the other tribes; but though at first gaining several
glorious victories over armies vastly superior to their own, they were indebted for
their preservation from complete destruction, solely to the moderation and sym-
pathy of their brethren. Their aspiring valour is further reflected in the history of
Ehud, the Judge, distinguished both by daring enterprise and shrewd cunning;
and their ambition found ample gratification in the royal dignity conferred upon
Saul. DR. KALI sen's Genesis, p. 766.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 81
PRAYER.
ALL-GRACIOUS GOD ! Creator of life ! Thou hast commanded, in Thy
wisdom, that parents should instruct their children in Thy behests and
in Thy precepts, and to inculcate in their minds the spirit of Thy laws.
And when the hour of death approaches, it behoves parents to gather
their children around them, as their ancestor Jacob did, and, in taking
final leave of their beloved, solemnly address and exhort them to bear
in mind the parental instructions, and not deviate from the path of
virtue and truth. This exhortation should be joined with a blessing on
their future career. Few parents, however, are endowed with the
inspiration that our ancestor Jacob was ; and few have the happiness to
enjoy, in the last moments of their existence, the possession of all their
faculties as Jacob did. The death-bed is generally a mournful scene of
the last struggle between life and death, when the power of speech and
the faculty of thinking have already departed, and the dying either can
think no more, or can give no utterance to their thoughts. Happy he,
who, like the pious Jacob, can, in the evening of his life, assemble his
children around him, and commune with them on the events of his
dawning existence. Happy he who, like the inspired Jacob, can pre-
dict the destinies of the future, and foretell that which will " befall his
descendants in the end of days." Happy they who can listen to the
exhortations of their dying parents ! On the other hand, it is the duty
of children to honour parents in death as well as in life as Joseph
honoured his father Jacob, entreating Pharaoh for leave to go up to
Canaan, there to inter the last remains of his beloved father, according
to his will ; a permission which he readily obtained, besides the funeral
being followed by the high dignitaries of the kingdom of Egypt. We
supplicate Thee, All-merciful Father ! that Thou mayest give parents
strength and consciousness to use the closing moments of their life in
admonishing and blessing their offspring ; whilst every child may be
impressed with the respect and honour due to parents even in death,
and after death to cherish their memory with filial devotion, to practise
the parental injunction, to adopt their judicious advice, and to live in
that everlasting faith " which is our life and the length of our days."
Amen.
82 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
mist? -no
FIRST PORTION OF EXODOS.
no >> >B>D ;
" He that spareth his rod hateth his son ;
But he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes."
Prov. xiii. 24.
OUR last lesson concluded with the blessing of Jacob to his
children before his death, after which, le He gathered up his
feet in his bed, and yielded up the spirit, and was gathered unto
his people." Thus closed the eventful life of one of the most
remarkable men of Scripture history. The next event is the
death of his most beloved son, Joseph, which concludes the first
book of the Pentateuch the introduction to the history of the
world Genesis.
The lesson of this Sabbath commences with the sufferings and
afflictions endured by the descendants of Jacob, under the new
Pharaoh, who knew not Joseph; for which, however, we are
fully prepared by the prophecy to Abraham, which had taken
place above five hundred years before the Egyptian bondage
commenced.
The why and wherefore of this long captivity and heavy
affliction is given in the above text. Chastisement of children by
their father " betimes," is no more than the effect of sensible
affection; whilst excessive indulgence to a child is but the result
of a selfish and silly love, which, in reality, injures the child as
much as the bitterest hatred. Moses, therefore, told the children
of Israel, previous to his death, in the summing up of their
history from the entrance into Egypt, " for as a man chasteneth
his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee." He also
explained to them the purpose of the hardships: "To humble
thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart." It
was this humbling of the proud spirit, and the contrition which
pain and grief only can wrest from the haughty, which adapted
Israel for becoming the recipients of the immutable laws, after
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 83
breathing the air of liberty, and after proving themselves staunch
in their adherence to God.
Independent of the immediate purpose of Israel's purification,
the events of Egypt served also as an indelible lesson to the other
nations of the earth, besides the Israelites and Egyptians; and
they demonstrated the superiority of moral over physical power in
a most eminent degree.
On the side of the Egyptians, there was a most formidable
array of physical strength, in numbers, in the locality, and in the
condition of liberty; whilst on Israel's side, there was a moral
superiority purity of religion and virtue, which ultimately
conquered. True, it was by wonders and miracles that their
deliverance was effected, but these signs and wonders were only
wrought in favour of the Israelites, because of their moral
superiority. Our sages justly observe, " The great merit of the
Israelites in Egypt was, that they did not alter their names nor
their language. Although they most faithfully served their cruel
oppressors, yet did they preserve their nationality, as regards the
moral and religious virtue which they had traditionally brought
with them from their patriarchal ancestors in the land of
Canaan."
Spite of the cruel bondage in which the Egyptians fettered the
Israelites, they increased and multiplied, and waxed exceedingly
mighty; and spite of the tyrannical decree of Pharaoh, "that
every son that is born shall be cast into the river," the child
which was destined to deliver his people was saved, and brought
up by the daughter of the very tyrant who had issued the fearful
edict. Thus did Pharaoh's own daughter rear and nourish the
child chosen by Providence to cause the downfall of his
empire.
The Midrash has the following allegory :
" An incident happened during the time Moses was brought up in
Pharaoh's house : It occurred once that the child took Pharaoh's
crown off his head, and played with it. The magicians, by whom
Pharaoh was surrounded, who noticed it, augured from this that he
would one day dethrone the king; and Pharaoh became alarmed. On
manifesting this ill omen to Pharaoh, it was resolved to try if the
child's act was done playfully or wilfully. They set before him two
dishes one of fire, and one of gold, to see which he would touch.
Moses stretched out his hand to seize the gold ; but the Angel Gabriel
pushed his hand away, and Moses touched the fire and scorched his
hand, which he put into his mouth, and, burning it, he retained for his
life-time an impediment in his speech. Having touched the fire instead
of the gold, he was declared silly ; and the taking off the crown was no
more thought to be a dangerous omen."
The drift of this allegory is to shew that the saving of Moses's
life was not a matter of mere chance, but the pre-ordained will of
G 2
84 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
God. Nature and its mishaps had rather conspired against him
than favoured him. Even under Pharaoh's roof his life was
endangered by childish play, but the divine angel, representing
Providence, guided his hands and saved him.
As soon as Moses had grown up to manhood he distinguished
himself by demonstrating his moral courage and his sense of
justice, in the affair of the Egyptian who smote the Hebrew, as
well as in the affair of the two Hebrews striving together. In
the first instance, he punished the offender, and in the second, he
interfered to make peace. This love of peace and justice emi-
nently qualified him for the leader of a nation. Like the pursuit
of most of the men whom God had chosen as rulers in Israel,
Moses's occupation was that of a shepherd; this pursuit, however
humble, being more than any other calculated to train the mind
to perseverance, patience, indulgence and solicitude for those
under his care all qualities indispensable for the success of a
national ruler.
The Midrash tells us the following allegory :
" It happened during the time that Moses was keeping the sheep of
his father-in-law, that a sheep strayed from the flock. Moses pur-
sued it; and in driving it hack they passed a pond, to which the sheep
turned, and eagerly drank, evidently languishing from fatigue and
thirst. On perceiving this, Moses exclaimed, ' O sheep, had I known
that thirst and fatigue were the cause of thy escaping, I should not
have suffered thee to walk, but would have carried thee in my own lap
to the pond.' "
Like most of the rabbinical allegories, this one is replete with
instruction. It illustrates the chief characteristic of an efficient
leader humility, kindness, and condescension. Moses evinced,
in his compassion for the wearied sheep, the humility, tenderness
and solicitude, which subsequently shed so bright a lustre on his
eventful administration and his whole life. Were the leaders of
our day equally kind, equally humble, and yet equally prudent as
Moses, they would have nothing to fear from their subjects, who,
in reality, care but little for the title of their ruler, whether king
or emperor, prince or president, so long as he does not abuse the
power invested in him, but manifests, like Moses, his solicitude
for the welfare of his flock.
Moses was soon after summoned by God to the sacred mission
of liberating Israel from bondage. The vision in which the Lord
first revealed himself to him, was in a flame of fire out of the
midst of a bush, which burned but was not consumed an
indication of the Divine promise, that whatever troubles may
befall Israel, however dangerous and venomous may be the
weapons which calumny and persecution level against Israel,
however fiercely the fire of fanaticism may rage to devour the
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 85
people, the nation will never be consumed, but will ever remain
the witnesses of God's omnipotence, and the custodians of the
true faith in his unity.
A remarkable similarity exists in the mission of Moses, and in
that of a later prophet Jeremiah as exemplified in the
Haphtorah of this Sabbath, taken from Jerem. i. Like Moses
who, meek and humble, said unto God (when he was to be
entrusted with the deliverance of Israel out of Egyptian bondage),
" Who am I, that 1 should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should
bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?" so did Jeremiah,
when the word of the Lord came unto him saying, " I ordain
thee a prophet unto the nations," meekly reply, " Ah, Lord
God ! behold I cannot speak, for I am a child." When Moses
pleaded, " Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore,
nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of
speech, and of a slow tongue;" the humble messenger was
strengthened by the emphatic reply from God, " Who hath made
man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing,
or the blind? Have not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I
will be with thy mouth and teach thee what thou shalt say." So
also, when Jeremiah pleaded his incapacity, he was fortified
by the Divine promise, " Say not that I am a child, for thou
shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command
thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces; for I am
with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord." Both Moses and
Jeremiah, with that humility which distinguishes the character of
truly great minds, seemed reluctant to undertake the Divine
mission to Israel and other nations. Both pleaded physical
debilities and defects ; though their mental powers united with
their piety, had qualified them for being appointed to the
important trust of acting as messengers from the Supreme Power
in heaven, to the powers on earth. Nor were these two great
men, after having accepted the sublime charge, less meek and
humble, though fearless and intrepid, in the performance of the
sacred duties of their mission. What an important lesson should
this be to the pastors of the present day ! What a noble example
to the ecclesiastical guides of our times ! Like Moses and
Jeremiah, who were not haughty or imperious towards the
humbler classes, but with undaunted courage exhorted and
denounced the powerful tyrants who dared to usurp despotic
power and trample on the necks of the weak, so should the
religious guides of our day be kind and forbearing to the poor
and lowly, whilst to the rich and influential they should assume
that dignified position and that fearless attitude which will make
the wealthiest and the mightiest shrink into their nothingness,
and revere and tremble at the word of God addressed and
explained to them in unmistakeable language. Then and then
86 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
only may these religious leaders confide in support from God on
high, who will surely shield them against the ever so powerful
influences of the rich and the mighty, as He promised to
Jeremiah:
" Behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron
pillar, and brazen walls against the whole land ; against the kings of
Judah, against the princes thereof, and against the people of the land.
And they shall fight against thee ; but they shall not prevail against
thee, for I am with thee, saith the Lord,, to deliver thee."
PRAYER.
OMNIPOTENT GOD ! Thou rulest the destinies of nations : it is by
Thy irresistible will that mighty empires and powerful kingdoms rise or
fall in the balance, which Thou, King of kings, boldest and regulatest.
But " surely the Lord God will do nothing, but He revealeth His
secret unto His servants the prophets." Thou deputest Thy Divine
Messengers to announce to kings the fate which Thou hast ordained,
as Thou didst send to the haughty Pharaoh, calling upon him to liberate
Thy oppressed children, or be prepared for being visited with Thy
wrath and great judgment. The two brothers, Moses and Aaron,
were elected by Thy grace to fulfil the sacred mission, the one distin-
guished for his meekness and high inspiration, the other for his great
eloquence. On the other hand, the people of Israel, groaning under
the heavy yoke of Egyptian bondage, required a comforting messenger
to strengthen them in their faith, and not to despair of being relieved
from misery and affliction. It is such messages of consolation we
frequently stand in need of; and we beseech Thee, All-merciful God,
that Thou mayest send us also, guides like Moses and Aaron, to fortify
us in the hour of distress, and to raise our drooping spirits when pain
and suffering weigh us down, and our broken hearts are sinking. We
implore Thee, God of the spirits of all flesh, to raise up men like Moses
and Aaron from the midst of us, who may strengthen our confidence in
the Divine Power ; " for the Lord is not restrained to help by many or
by a few." We beseech Thee, O Lord, to appoint such leaders as may
pour the balm of comfort into our bleeding hearts the healing balm
contained in Thy words and in Thy prophecies. Amen.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 87
-no
SECOND PORTION OF EXODUS.
I nipn nxy now
" Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the
things that are not yet done :
Saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure."
Isaiah xlvi. 1 0.
OUR last reflections concluded with the vision of God in the
bush, which was burning but not consumed, and which
Moses at once understood to be supernatural; and he said, " I
will now turn aside and see this great vision, why the bush is not
burnt :'' and he was entrusted with the great mission to that
people of whose fate the bush was a faithful symbol perpetually
burning, but never to be consumed. Moses' reluctance to accept
so important a mission was in consonance with that humility
which distinguished his character, and which so eminently adapt-
ed him for a great leader. Nothing, however, could be more
encouraging than the words from the mouth of God himself,
" Certainly I will be with thee;" and He who declareth the end
from the beginning, at once told him, " When thou hast brought
forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this
mountain." By these few words, Moses immediately understood
the chief purpose of his mission, and the ulterior object of the
delivery from the Egyptian bondage the worship of the true
God, and the promulgation of that faith through the universe.
That the Israelites, during their long captivity, did not join in
the polytheism and abominable practices of the Egyptians, and
that they did not forget the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
a God in whom they traditionally believed, notwithstanding
their physical and mental oppression we clearly perceive from
the ready manner in which the people believed the apparently
impossible prediction which Moses and Aaron subsequently deli-
vered to them, that they, a weak powerless people, should succeed
in freeing themselves from so overwhelming a force as that of the
Egyptians, yet we read, " And the people believed; and when
88 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
they heard that the Lord," (viz., the God whom they knew), " had
visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their
affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped."
And it was this perseverance in their faith, under the direst
affliction this rejection of the profligate and sensual heathen
worship which claimed for them physical liberty and mental
freedom; for it is only such men as are able to distinguish pure
morality from the sophisms of hypocrisy, and to discern sound
doctrines from the perversions of priestcraft, that are worthy of
the name of FREEMEN, and that are entitled to enjoy that most
sacred of blessings LIBERTY. But although the Israelites had
an inherent notion of the Unity of their God, (which was the
cause of their keeping aloof from idolatry), yet they were not
made acquainted with another great attribute of their God
ETERNITY; and "it was their instruction in the doctrine of Eter-
nity, which formed the principal burden of the vision of the Bush,
(which was never consumed), and the essence of the message to
Israel. Moses' mission was to tell them that the name or principal
attribute of the God of their fathers was, " I am that I am," un-
limited by time. In order to rivet their faith in the one God, it was
necessary also to show them the eternal God, who never changes,
and in whom, therefore, they were implicitly to confide. But to
point out that " the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the
same God as the one of Eternity, he continued to impress upon
Moses," this (Eternal) is my name for ever, and that (the God of
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) is my memorial unto all generations
that by which posterity shall remember me.*
* To prevent a misconstruction of the various names of the Deity, which occur
in Holy Writ, into Polytheism, the Midrash gives a beautiful explanation of the
term 'TIN "lE'N '*nN (I am that I am), whic'h he renders, " I am called according
to what I am.
~<sh yvb Ppno nnN w n^o 1 ? rvapn IBN &6nD ~n
"3 / D'n^K3 , niNim , HB> !?N3 NIpD MNB> D'Dy
D wo nionta nny jB>3i , DTI'PN N-ip3 3 nvan nx p
JKBO1 HP *?N N-lpJ 'JN DIN ^P VNttH by il'pin JKP31
pam mm ^N " * TOMP mom mD vbx "" pp , " Nip: JN
b N-ip: ^JN , 'TUX TW\S -HK
Rabbi Abba, the son of Manila, says, " The Lord said to Moses, Thou desirest
to know my name: know then that I am called the Almighty God, the Lord of
Hosts, Elohim, and Jehovah. When I judge the creatures, I am called Elohim;
when I make war against the wicked, I am called the God of Hosts (Zebaoth);
when I visit man for his sins, I am called Almighty God; and when I take com-
passion upon my world, I am called Jehovah," which signifies Mercy; as it is said,
The Lord, the Lord (Jehovah) is a merciful and gracious God. This is the sense
of "I am that I am," "I am called according to my works." There is a very
deep sense in this Rabbinical explanation. It shows that God, being spiritual only,
and not corporal, we can but know Him by the works through which only we can
see Him; and His name varies according to His works, as it is impossible for the
human mind to comprehend God, and assign a name to Him, except by, and
according to, the manifestations of His powers within ourselves.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 89
In speaking of the mission of Moses, we must not omit to pay
the reverence and homage due to Aaron, his elder brother.
Moses was superior to his senior brother, in the degree of pro-
phetic inspiration, whilst Aaron was superior to his junior brother
in speech or eloquence. Aaion, though the senior in age, was
by no means jealous of the leadership assigned to Moses; and this
feature in Aaron's character was indicated in the divine address
to Moses, who after having said, " O my Lord God, send, I pray
Thee, by the hand of him whom Thou wilt send/' received the
following reply: "Is not Aaron, the Levite, thy brother? I
know that he can speak well. And also behold he cometh forth
to meet thee : and when he seeth thee he will be glad in his heart I "
So far from Aaron being envious of Moses' high position, he, on
the contrary, was glad and happy, animated by that fraternal
affection which contributed to the great success of the mission in
Egypt: Moses, on the other hand, was, as we perceive by this
Sabbath's lesson, anxious to transfer the leadership to Aaron; for
we read, when God said to Moses, " Speak thou unto Pharaoh,
the king of Egypt, all that I say unto thee," Moses meekly re-
plied, " Behold 1 am of uncircuracised lips, and how shall Pha-
raoh hearken unto me?" The Lord replied, " I have made thee
a god to Pharaoh, and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.
Thou shalt speak all that I command thee ; and Aaron thy brother
shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out
of his land." Scripture here presents a noble picture of that
true brotherly love which leaves no room in the hearts mutually
beating for each other with the warm sympathies of affection
either for jealousy or envy. Would to God such brotherly feel-
ings, such disinterested friendship existed between the leaders and
guides of the community in our civilised and refined age.
As Egypt, in the time of Moses, fell from her proud position
through arrogant infidelity and presumptuous tyranny, so did
Egypt of a much later period, in the time of Ezekiel, incur the
divine wrath and punishment, for her king's audacious assump-
tion of creative powers. We read in this Sabbath's Haphtorah,
(taken from Ezekiel, xxviii. and xxix.), that the word of God
came to Ezekiel, saying, "Son of man, set thy face against Pha-
raoh, king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and against all
Egypt. Speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord God, behold I am
against thee, Pharaoh, king of Egypt; the great dragon that lieth
in the midst of his rivers which hath said. My river is mine own,
and I have made it for myself." As the Pharaoh in the time
of Moses haughtily said, " Who is the Lord, that 1 should obey
his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord; neither will I
let Israel go;" and was subsequently humbled into submission,
exclaiming, " The Lord is the Righteous; and I and iny people
are the wicked," so was the Pharaoh in the remote age of
90 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
Ezekiel, (for Pharaoh was a title of most of the kings of Egypt) ,
denounced by that prophet who delivered to him the divine
message, comparing him to " the great dragon/' proud of his
matchless river, which he dared to call his own creation. Ezekiel
emphatically tells this Pharaoh, in the name of God, " I will put
hooks in thy jaws, and I will cause the fish of thy rivers to stick
unto thy scales; and I will bring thee up out the midst of thy
rivers, and will leave thee thrown into the wilderness, thou shalt
fall upon the open fields; thou shalt not be brought together nor
gathered : I have given thee for meat to the beasts of the fields
and to the fowls of the heaven. And all the inhabitants of
Egypt shall know that I am the Lord."
PRAYER.
ALL-GRACIOUS KINO OF THE UNIVERSE ! Among the innumerable
benefits which Thou hast conferred on man, there is none greater than
that of liberty. When we look upon the sufferings of our brethren in
despotic countries, crushed under the grinding system of autocratic
rule, how thankful ought we to be unto Thee, O Lord, for casting our
lot in this country of freedom, where, under the laws of a liberal con-
stitution, we may serve Thee unfettered, according to our ancient faith.
Grant, O Lord, that we may duly appreciate this invaluable boon of
freedom ; not to abuse it by levity and licentiousness ; not to profane
its sanctuary by the uncurbed gratification of excessive desires ; but by
enjoying its goodly fruits in the unrestrained exercise of Thy precepts ;
in sympathising with our less favoured brethren, and pleading for them
when the iron hand of persecution menaces to annihilate them from the
face of the earth. It has often been our good fortune successfully to
intercede with foreign potentates, on behalf of our oppressed co-
religionists, through the merciful rulers of this happy country ; thereby
saving the lives and property of the innocent and unjustly-condemned
sufferers. We implore Thee, All-kind Father, to bless these pleadings
with Thy infinite mercy, as Thou didst vouchsafe Thy blessing on the
intercession of Moses, for his brethren in Egypt. W T e finally entreat
Thee, O God, to send the spirit of union among the spiritual leaders of
our nation, so that they, like Moses and Aaron, may banish all feelings
of jealousy and envy from their hearts, and devote their high talents
and influence towards the amelioration of the moral and religious
position of their flock, and especially of the humbler classes, whose want
of means prevents them from enjoying the benefit of a higher education
and self-improvement. May " the many shepherds not destroy Thy
vineyard " by differences and conflicts among themselves ; may they
rather cultivate the garden of knowledge, irrigating it with the living
waters flowing from the fountains of wisdom and understanding, and
from Thy Eternal Light, O God of Light ! Amen.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTOKAHS. 91
TID
THIRD PORTION OF EXODUS.
omopen Diaj *naa
orpjpoi DTya ma 1 ?
oyn may ISK jnn Da
vjon nai 1 ? Djvni D^DJ moo i&n s6 is&o aTo
nn *bnna n:iK rwio onxoa 1122 *?:> 71
a3-To n"y o^nn nanoa mya oarm ioy isxa yon
" He destroyed their vines with hail,
And their sycamore trees with frost.
He gave up their cattle also to the hail,
And their flock to hot thunderbolts.
He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger,
Wrath, and indignation, and trouble,
By sending evil angels among them.
He made a way to His anger ;
He spared not their soul from death;
But gave their life over to the pestilence ;
And smote all the first-born in Egypt,
The chief of their strength, and the tabernacles of Ham :
But made His own people to go forth like sheep,
And guided them in the wilderness like a flock."
Ps. Ixxviii. 47 52.
OUR lesson of last Sabbath concluded with Pharaoh's promise
to Moses and Aaron for whom he had sent, " I will let you
go that ye may sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness;
only ye shall not go very far away, intreat for me." Moses did
intreat the Lord, who ''removed the swarms of flies from
Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people;" but, as before,
Pharaoh " hardened his heart" at this time also, neither would he
let the people go. Moses was by no means disappointed by
Pharaoh's refusal, as we perceive by Moses' pointed remarks
when he consented to intercede with God: "Behold I go out
from thee, and I will entreat the Lord that the swarms of flies
may depart, etc.; but let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more,
in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord." Let, there-
fore, him who has no faith in the Divine records, not sneer at the
apparent weakness of Moses in going backwards and forwards to
92 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
Pharaoh threatening him with Divine punishment, accepting the pro-
mises of the fickle-minded king, and interceding for him with the
Heavenly Judge. On the contrary, we must admire the patience
and forbearance of the future leader of Israel, in submitting to the
repeated treachery- of the king, fawning and cringing in the hour
of trouble, insolent and overbearing in the moment of relief. All
this was predicted, as we perceive in Scripture, from the very
beginning of Moses' mission. The manner in which the haughty
tyrant Pharaoh, would receive the first message from Moses, was
foretold by the Omniscient; "And I am sure that the King of
Egypt will not let you go; no, not by a mighty hand;" and
we are therefore prepared for the stubborn refusal of Pharaoh, to
comply with the Divine request, notwithstanding the successive
wonders which were exhibited in nature, and spite cf the con-
tinual visitations with punishment, and his consequent promises.
No sooner was he relieved from a plague, than he exclaimed, " I
know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go;" and instead of
relaxing, he increased the rigour of his law, and the barbarity of
his persecution of a people who faithfully served him. But it was
impossible for him to withstand the will of God, who said, " My
counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure;" and the
haughty Pharaoh, who had said to Moses, " See my face no
more, for in the day that thou seest my face thou shalt die," sent
in the midst of the night for him, gave him and all his slaves per-
mission to depart, and "To serve the Lord;" nay more, the
mighty king who had so much despised the humble Israelites,
begged a blessing from these very men at their departure: " Also
take your flocks and your herds, "said he, deeply humbled, "And
bless me also." That this great event, the deliverance of Israel
from Egyptian bondage, forms not only one of the most essential
eras in Jewish history, but also in the Jewish ritual, is not at all
surprising, when we remember, that whilst it strengthened the
faith not only of Israel, but that also of other nations, who were
eye-witnesses to the great miracles; it prepared the Israelites for
their great vocation, to be the custodians of God's law. Hence
the mentioning of their deliverance from Egypt, in the very first
commencement in the Decalogue. The divine lawgiver addresses
them not as the Creator of Heaven and Earth, but as " the Lord
thy God, who hath brought thee forth from the land of Egypt;"
and hence its being inscribed in the phylacteries which are to
serve " as a sign upon the hand, and as a memorial between
the eyes."
The celebrated Jewish commentator expresses himself as
regards the important event of the departure from Egypt in the
following manner:
"The deliverance from Egyptian bondage is considered of such
great importance in Holy Writ, that not only is every minute
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTOKAHS. 93
observance that keeps alive the memory of this fact repeatedly and
most strictly enjoined (and severe punishment is denounced
against the transgressor), but it is made a duty ' to remember the
day of thy exit from the land of Egypt all the days of thy life.'
(Deut. xvi. 3). Why is such importance assigned to this one
event? Were we to assume that gratitude alone for the great
mercies conferred in liberating the nation from bondage, is a
sufficient cause, a moment's reflection would tell us that the
Israelite, like every human being, is so deeply indebted to the
Divine goodness, that his utmost thankfulness is inadequate to
acknowledge the countless mercies which every fresh-drawn
breath confers upon him; and that any one event, however,
wonderful, mighty, or glorious, is lost in the inexpressible
total of obligations due to the Supreme Benefactor. We must
therefore seek some other sufficient cause, and due reflection will
teach us, that it is not mere gratitude for benefits received, how-
ever great and numerous, which stamps the importance of the
departure from Egypt, but the instruction thereby afforded,
not to Israelites alone, but to the whole human race on the
subject most precious and interesting to man. We advisedly
refer to the ' whole human race;' for although their miraculous
liberation, and selection as a peculiar people, do primarily
concern the Israelites only, the great lesson to be derived from
these facts is the general property of all mankind/'
The acceptance of the Israelites their being chosen by the
Deity as his faithful servants was not the consequence of,
or reward due to their merits. For tradition tells us that during
their stay in Egypt, they, like their task-masters, were sunk in
gross idolatry. It was the faithfulness of their pious ancestors
Avhich procured for the children of Israel, this distinguish tng
mark of the Divine favour; as the Holy Writ declares: " Only
the Lord had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he chose
their seed after them, even you, above all people, as it is at this
day" (Deut. x. 15). That faithfulness it is, which deeply con-
cerns all mankind. Although it is true, that other nations can-
not become the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, it is not less
true, that if such be the will of God, they too may become
Abrahams, Isaacs, and Jacobs, and have that mercy and grace
extended to them which was the portion of the patriarchs of old,
and the inheritance of their offspring. This sacred instruction is
derived from the facts recorded in the lesson of this Sabbath.
Theoretically embodied in the doctrines of the Mosaic law, it is
practically proved by the history of Israel's liberation. We find
its theory in the Divine declaration, " Keeping mercy for
thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and sin" (Exod.
xxxiv. 7); and its practice in the cause which led to the accept-
ance of Israel by the Deity, as Sacred Scripture states : " The
94 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye
were more in number than any people, for ye were the fewest of all
nations; but because the Lord loved you, and because he would
keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the
Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you
out of the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh, King of
Egypt. Know, therefore, that the Lord thy God he is God, 3 the
faithful God, who keepeth covenant and mercy with them that
love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand genera-
tions." (Deut. vii. 7, 8, 9.)
The prophets and all post-biblical writers mention the deliv-
erance from Egypt is the most eventful period of the world; and
even the calculation of the calendar months commences from Nis-
san, which was appointed " the first of the months of the year,"
on account of the exit from Egypt hiving happened therein. The
night also in which the final departure took place, the eve of the
15th of Nissan, was called a " night of the Lord/' to be observed
of all the children of Israel in their generations. The laws and
observances of the Passover, which is in commemoration of the
deliverance from Egypt, are, therefore, more rigorous than any
other in Holy Scripture, and the minuteness with which the
various observances are enforced, exceeds all others in the Jewish
Ritual. For although, since the destruction of the Temple, we
are not able to sacrifice the Pascal Lamb, yet we observe all the
same ceremonials and rites attending the Pascal Lamb, with the
same rigour as during the Temple. The reason why the All-wise
Legislator ordained the sacrifice of a lamb previous to their de-
parture, is properly assigned in the Midrash from the text in the
Psalm, " Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that
boast themselves of idols." (Psalm xcvii. 7). It was on the very
account that the Egyptians worshipped the lamb, that the Lord
commanded a lamb to be killed in the eyes of the Egyptians, and
to shame them cf their idols. The Midrash describes it thus
allegorically : " When God said to Moses, They shall take to them
every man a lamb," Moses became alarmed, and cried, " Lord
of the Universe ! how is it possible ? Knowest thou not that the
Egyptians look upon sheep as their gods/' The Lord replied,
" As thou livest, the Israelites shall not depart hence, till they
slaughter the Egyptian gods before their eyes;" and this is the
sense of the scriptural phrase, " And upon their gods also the
Lord executed judgment/' (Numbers, xxx. 4.), alluding to the
sacrifice of the lamb, which was the Egyptian idol. So also the
prophet, in this Sabbath's Haphtorah, taken from Jerem. xlvi.
says
" The daughter of Egypt shall be confounded,
She shall be delivered into the hand of the people of the north :
The Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, saith,
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 95
Behold, I will punish the multitudes of No and Pharaoh,
And Egypt, with their gods and their kings;
Even Pharaoh, and all those that trust in him."
Whilst of Israel he says
" Fear thou not, O Jacob, my servant, saith the Lord ;
For I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven
thee ;
But I will not make a full end of thee, though I correct thee in
measure."
PRAYER.
ALL-WISE GOD ! Thou hast instituted laws for the strict observance
of Passover, in commemoration of Israel's liberation from bondage.
But, not only for the festival itself, hast Thou ordained commemorative
ceremonials, but throughout every day in the year we have prayers and
religious observances, to remind us of that great event. As many of
us are prone to look upon all ceremonial observances and outward
worship as unnecessary and unavailable, we implore Thee, O Lord,
that Thou mayest guide us in the minute fulfilment of Thy precepts ;
for Thou, in Thy wisdom, knowest the heart of man, that, however
deeply the principles of religion might have taken root therein, it is not
strong enough to maintain them without the aid of practical devotion.
In the turmoil of the daily pursuits of life, our thoughts are apt to be
diverted from religious meditation ; we are likely to forget and neglect,
and we thus require " laws of remembrance," ritual observances, which
remind us of our religious vocations, and our sacred duties towards
Thee, our Creator, as well as to ourselves. How grateful ought we,
therefore, to be to Thee, Omniscient, for assisting our failing memory
by enjoining on us such ordinances and statutes as are calculated to
perpetuate the doctrines of our Holy Faith. As all ceremonial worship
and outward observance, however, without inward devotion; as all lip-
prayers, unaccompanied by the outpouring of the heart, are but idle
delusion and vain self-deceit, we supplicate Thy grace to purify our
thoughts and elevate our souls, so that the heart and tongue may be
harmoniously united in singing praises unto Thee, and in practically
offering our thanksgivings to the Divine Author of all Goodness. We
are fully conscious of our weakness to establish this union between
inward and outward devotion, without strength from Thee, Omnipotent;
and we therefore pray, with the Royal Psalmist, " Teach us, O Lord,
the way of Thy statutes, 2pJJ n3"lVNl so that I shall keep it practically;
give me understanding, and I shall keep Thy law ; yea, I shall observe
it with my whole heart. Teach me to walk in the path of Thy com-
mandments; for therein do I delight." Amen.
96 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
FOURTH PORTION OF EXODUS.
anoi DID"?
VO
" A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool's
back." Prov. xxvi. 3.
A LTHOUGH we perceive by the conclusion of our last Medi-
-A. tations, that when the Egyptians were visited with the
heavy plague of the deaths of all the first-born in the land, the
Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send
them out of the land in haste; for they said, " We shall be all
dead men;" although that departure ought to have been hailed
as a happy relief by the Egyptians, who were smitten with one
plague after another on account of the Israelites; yet we read,
that no sooner had the Israelites left, than " the heart of Pharaoh
and of his servants was turned against the people; and they said,
Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving
us?' and resolved to pursue the very people whom they had so
urgently sent away. Not having profited by all the sad expe-
rience Pharaoh and his crafty councillors had made; and not yet
convinced of the irresistible will of God, who saith, " and his
counsel shall stand ;" the rod had again to be applied to the fool's
back; and a severer loss than that which all the plagues in
Egypt entailed upon him, he had now to suffer for the rash pur-
suit the loss of six hundred chosen chariots, all his horses and
all his horsemen, and the whole host of Pharaoh, who were
drowned in the sea; so " that there remained not so much as one
of them." The author of the Proverbs shows, in the text above,
than man in his folly is more ungovernable than the beast. By
the whip we may drive the horse, and compel him to go into the
road we wish him to follow; by the bridle we may even guide
the ass; but the rod on the back of a stubborn fool often proves
unavailable till it is too late, and utter destruction must inevi-
tably follow.
On the part of the Israelites, we perceive that their confidence
in the God of their fathers, whose name also was, " I am that I
THE PENTATEUCH AND IIAPHTORAHS. 97
am," never ceasing and never changing, assisted them to surmount
every obstacle which they encountered in their precipitate exit
from Egypt. By day He went before them in a pillar of cloud,
to lead them in the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to
give them light; ever watching and ever protecting those whom
He had destined to declare his deeds to everlasting generations.
For although the omnipotence of God had been manifested in
Egypt by the successive miracles wrought in that country, still
there were many among them not yet firm in the faith; and hence
their murmuring and reproaches to Moses, when they perceived
that Pharaoh was in pursuit of them. But when they had walk-
ed up on dry land in the midst of the sea, and saw the Egyptians
dead on the sea-shore, beholding with their own eyes the great
work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians, then they believed
the Lord, and his servant Moses.
As long as they had been fettered by the oppressive chains of
Pharaoh, they could not express their gratitude in prayer and
song; but now that their hearts were free, and their minds loosen-
ed from the bonds of fanaticism, they sang a song unto the Lord,
in those harmonious strains which the elevated soul of man is
only capable of when it breathes freely, recognising no other
master over itself than the Creator, who breathed the breath of
liberty into the soul of man; and it is that spirit of liberty which
constitutes man pre-eminent in the creation, makes man " a little
lower than the angels, and crowns him with glory and honour."
This song forms a conspicuous part in our ritual service. Its
metre is the most perfect of all poetic compositions found in the
Scriptures, and its sublimity rests on that purer simplicity of
thought and diction which distinguishes the sacred poetry of
Scripture from the modern and profane.
"I will sing unto the Eternal, who triumphed gloriously;
The horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea."
For the first time, Israel praised and sang unto the Eternal,
(which is expressed in the Hebrew Tetragrammaton) , for by that
attribute did he manifest himself first to Moses in the bush, and
through him to the people.
" My strength and my song is JAH (God),
And He is become my salvation.
This is my EL (God), and I will adore Him,
My father's God, and I will exalt Him."
Having first acknowledged God as the Eternal, they recognise
in Him the JAH, God of salvation, and also the EL, God of their
fathers, whom they traditionally knew from the patriarchs. In
the first stanza, they sing the eternity of God; in the second,
His omnipotence, the God of salvation; and in the third, the
H
98 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
omniscience, of the God of their fathers, who had many centuries
past foretold their redemption from captivity to Abraham, in the
covenant between the pieces.
" The Eternal is the Lord of war; the God of Mercy is His name."
In our previous lesson, we have shown that Elohim signifies
power and judgment; v and Jehovah, eternity and mercy;
and in this the heavenly Creator is distinguished from every
other power. He unites justice and mercy. He is the Lord of
war, upon whom the issue of every war depends; as we read,
" The horse is prepared for war, but salvation is unto the Lord,"
before whom the mighty are weak, and the powerful are prostrate.
Yet the same God is also merciful, and he often strengthens the
feeble. Israel's whole existence, notwithstanding the overwhelm-
ing powers which bore them down, verifies that God is the Lord
of War, and that He is yet most merciful and compassionate.*
" Pharaoh's chariot and his host hath he cast into the sea;
His chosen captains are drowned in the Red sea."
The justice dispensed by the God of Heaven is impartial and
equal; not like that of human judges, who often favour the
mighty and powerful, and apply the severity of the law to the
weak. The Lord has thrown the host of Pharaoh (the com-
moners), into the sea, but did not spare the high ones either, for
the chosen captains shared the same fate as the others did.
" The depths cover them ; they sank unto the bottom as a stone."
This metaphor is descriptive of the suddenness with which
they were thrown into the sea, and is a refutation of the specula-
tive interpretation of the sceptics who maintain, that it was by
dint of calculating the tide that Moses defeated the Egyptians,
who followed them when the tide came on, whilst Israel passed
through when the water was at its ebb. But the sudden plunge
here described, is a proof that the discomfiture of a whole host
could not have arisen from the tide; for if the first hundreds had
been overtaken by the tide, the others would not have followed
them.
* Rashi beautifully illustrates this idea:
Dm 1 ? imm Kin mix vaio npui nrta Nint? nysa t|K UDB> 'n nnx nm
K ate moa *6i oViy s xa Sa n prh VKJH? hy
: in it rnc^y 1 ? na in TNI vpoy ^ao ixy mis nontea
Another explanation of " The Lord is his name," appears to me ; i. e., even at
the time when He makes war, and takes revenge on His enemies, He yet holds fast
His attribute of mercy towards His creatures, and to sustain all those that have
come into the world; and not, like the character of the kings of the earth, who,
during their being engaged in war, leave all their other affairs; for they are not
capable of attending to war and other affairs at the same time.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 99
" Thy right hand, O Lord, is glorious in power ;
Thy right hand, O Lord, dashed the enemy in pieces."
The human hand, be it ever so powerful, can but perform one
act with one hand it can either save or destroy : but the right-
hand of God, (symbolical of His omnipotence), can effect both
at once whilst it has gloriously saved the Israelites, it at the
same time destroyed the enemy dispensing justice to the one,
and mercy to the other at the same time.
" 'Mid the greatness of Thy majesty Thou overthrowest those that
rise against Thee ;
Thou sendest forth Thy wrath, it consumeth them as stubble."
According to the promise vouchsafed to Israel, the Lord over-
throws those who rise up against Him that is, against Israel
for whoever wars against them wars against God; as the Psalmist
expresses it more distinctly :
" Keep not Thou silence, O God; hold not Thy peace, and be not
still, O God :
For lo! thine enemies make a tumult, and they that hate Thee
have lifted up the head."
Now he explains who are enemies of God:
" They who have taken crafty counsel against Thy people,
And counselled against Thy protected ones." Ps. Ixxxiii. 2, 3.
But to consume the enemy, God requireth not the preparations
and tactics of war which man requires; His very wrath, with
those who set themselves against His will, consumeth them like
stubble which vanishes before the fire.
" And with the blast of Thy nostrils the waters were towered up, \
The floods stood upright as a wall,
And the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea."
How magnificently sublime is this personification of the power
of the Deity. Whilst the Egyptians were plunged into the
abyss like a stone, the same sea suddenly stood like a wall, and
allowed the Israelites to pass over as on dry land.
" The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the
spoil ;
My lust shall be satisfied upon them ; T will draw my sword,
My hand shall destroy them."
When the Egyptians saw the Israelites passing through, they
already pictured to themselves the pursuit, the overtaking, the
division of the spoil, the delight of revenge, the drawing the
sword, and the final destruction a beautiful and gradual descrip-
tion of the plans which vindictiveness assigns for its victims;
but
H 2
100 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
" Thou didst blow with Thy wind, the sea covered them,
They sank as lead in the mighty waters."
by a sudden turn of the elements which God ruleth, all these
well-concocted plans of revenge were at once destroyed, together
with those who devised them. How feeble is man, therefore,
before God: all his long-matured speculations and enterprises are
often frustrated in a moment by the power of the elements, whose
course is directed by an all-wise Providence.
" Who is like unto Thee, O Lord, among the mighty?
Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing
wonders ?"
The pre-eminence of the Eternal over every power or might
to which the term El (?K) is applied, is here described in three
attributes. First, He is " glorious in holiness," which signifies
that He is incorporeal, and all spirit. By " holiness" we under-
stand the pure spirituality which admits of no earthly influence,
subject to no earthly and perishable incidents, and free from all
imperfections incident to matter. Thus, men who withdraw from
worldly gratification, and by abstemiousness and seclusion guard
themselves against the allurements of passion and vice, are called
holy men. No mortal, however, though he may be able to
approach God in holiness, can, as long as the soul dwells in the
flesh, aspire to that degree of holiness winch the Eternal and Im-
mortal possesses. Second, " Fearful in praise." In praising God
we have to fear, that our praise must be far from adequate to our
obligations towards him; and, on the other hand, we must be-
ware of the idea that we can exhaust His praise. For as it is
impossible for mortal, imperfect, and perishable man to compre-
hend the immortal, perfect, and eternal, we cannot expect that
he should be able to express in praise the fulness of God's attri-
butes. The Talmud relates of a Rabbi, who did not consider the
terms, " the great, mighty, and fearful God/' which occur in the
daily prayer, as being sufficient, but added some more attributes.
"What!" exclaimed another Rabbi, who was present, " Ima-
ginest thou to be able to exhaust the praise of God? Thy praise
is blasphemy. Thou hadst better be quiet." Hence the Psalmist's
exclamation, after finding that the praises of God were inex-
haustible, ppnn H Wl T?, " Silence is praise to Thee ! "
Third, " Doing wonders." The mightiest power in heaven or on
earth, cannot change the course of nature ordained by the Creator,
who alone can direct the movement of the heavenly planets and
earthly powers according to His will, and who alone can " do
wonders."
" Thou stret chest out Thy right hand, the earth swallowed them;
Thou, in Thy mercy, leadest forth this people which Thou hast
redeemed ?
Thou guidest them in Thy strength unto Thy holy habitation."
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 101
Whilst in the execution of judgment against the wicked, we
perceive the great power of God; that the mere stretching out of
His hand, (or rather, the mere resolution and will of God), anni-
hilates the delinquent ; we see, on the other hand, how, in the
mercy shown to him to whom He is merciful, He conquers all
obstacle? and surmounts all difficulties: alluding to the pilgrimage
of Israel through the wilderness, surrounded by wild beasts and
serpents, attacked by furious enemies, languishing from fatigue
under the burning sun, wading through parching sands, desolate
hills and valleys, and yet by His strength they were guided to
the " holy habitation/' whence the knowledge of God was dif-
fused throughout the universe.
" The people heard it and trembled, the inhabitants of Palestine are
seized with anguish ;
Then the dukes of Edom are amazed ; trembling seizes the power-
ful of Moab;
All the inhabitants of Canaan melt away, fear and dread befall
them ;
By the greatness of Thme arm they shall be as still as a stone "
Here the discouragement of the nations far and near, who saw
and heard of the miracles of God, wrought in Egypt and in the
wilderness, is forcibly described, whilst the Israelites gradually
proceed to their destination :
" Till the people pass over, O Lord, till the people pass over, which
Thou hast owned.
Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of
Thine inheritance,
In the plains, O Lord, which Thou hast ordained for Thy dwelling,
In the sanctuary, O Lord, which Thy hands have established."
The inspired bard here prophecies the destiny of Israel's migra-
tions, and the accomplishment of the divine purpose as vouch-
safed to the patriarchs the possession of Canaan. And as the
Lord has manifested His reign over the kings of Egypt, Edom,
and Moab, and over the powers of nature, which he enlarged or
diminished according to His purposes, SO THE LORD SHALL
KEIGN FOR EVER AND EVER !
So will at all times, under all persecutions and afflictions,
Israel remain the people " owned" by God : so did they defeat
the Midianites under Deborah, who in the Haphtorah of this
Sabbath (taken from Judges iv.) , sings the praises of the Lord for
the achievement of that great victory.
The prophetic heroine thus commences her song:
" Praise ye the Lord for the avenging of Israel,
When the people willingly offered themselves:
Hear, O ye kings ; give ear, O ye princes ;
I, even I, will sing unto the Lord ;
I will sing praise unto the Lord God of Israel."
102 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
Deborah, like her predecessor Moses, did not attribute the
victory over the enemy to human skill and tactics, but to the
Divine interposition.
Like Miriam, who with a timbrel in her hand, chimed in with
all the women who went after her:
" Sing ye unto the Lord, for He hath triumphed gloriously;
The horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea."
So did Deborah ascribe the vanquishing of the Midianites to
that heavenly power which supports the weak and oppressed
against the strong and tyrannical.*
The prophetess concludes her inspired strains in the same spirit
of reliance in the Omnipotent:
" So let all Thine enemies perish, O Lord;
And them that love Him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his
might."
As the sun, though setting every evening, rises with renewed
vigour on the morrow, so will Israel, ever so often oppressed, be
resuscitated and go forth with increased effulgence as "a light of
the Gentiles," in pursuit of her task the promulgation of a
pure faith, in the God of unity and eternity.
PRAYER.
O LORD GOD OF ISRAEL, OUR FATHER ! Thine, O Lord, is the great-
ness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty.
The victory which our ancestors obtained over the mighty Egyptians,
at the shore of the Red Sea, annihilating a most powerful enemy in
his last efforts not to relinquish the grasp of his numerous slaves
that great victory we must attribute to Thee, and to Thee alone. It is
Thou, the Creator of the elements, who rulest and swayest them
according to Thy will ; for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is
Thine ; Thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and Thou art exalted as Head
above all. This miraculous conquest, which consummated Israel's
emancipation, also confirmed their faith ; for when Israel, yet doubtful
* We are not justified in acceding unconditionally to Herder's remark, which
has been too extensively adopted: " Miriam and Deborah are called prophetesses
because they were inspired poetesses; and sacred poetry was always considered as
the language of the gods." This is essentially correct, if limited to heathen nations
especially the Greeks and Romans, who regarded the poets as such, standing
under the influences of Apollo or the Muses, or other deities of poetry It was
different with the Hebrew prophets. Not the language was inspired by the Deity,
but the ideas : every prophet retained his individual style, and he expressed the
thoughts which he was commanded to proclaim, in a manner which appeared to
him personally most effective. Among the heathens, poetical diction is regarded
as an emanation of the gods, or as inspiration; among the Hebrews, the language
is in itself no mark of a higher influence; for prophets were not necessarily poets
(for instance, Abijah, Elijah, Elisha, and others), nor were the poets necessarily
prophets, in the strict sense of the word (for instance, David, Solomon, and others).
DR. KALISCH'S Exodus, p. 277.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS; 103
of their entire freedom, saw their formidable enemy, all their chariots
and horsemen buried in the waves, whilst the Israelites passed on dry
land through the midst of the sea, then they feared Thee, O Lord, and
believed in Thee and in Thy servant Moses: then did they chime in
with Mos'es, "This is my God, and I will adore Him; my Father's
God, and I will exalt Him." We beseech Thee, O Lord, that Thou
mayest also engraft in our hearts that reverential faith in Thee, to
ascribe the achievement of our victories to Thy strength, and the
failures of our battles through life to our weakness ; for such is true
faith in God. And as our liberated forefathers joyfully and gratefully
acknowledged Thy Providence, Thy Holiness, and Thy Majesty; as
they sang, "Who is like unto Thee, O Lord, among the mighty; who
is like unto Thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praise;" so may we
also, in our songs of praise and thanksgiving, tremble with awe, lest we
should vainly imagine that we can adequately praise Thee, or by our
prayers and blessings alone, make a sufficient return for the innume-
rable benefits, and, by us, imperceptible miracles, which Thou workest
every day, yea, every hour of our life. All-merciful God, grant that
the women in Israel of our day, like Miriam and Deborah, may be
inspired with those emotions of gratitude which pervade their memo-
rable songs; that they also may, after having discharged their domestic
duties, stand forth, and, in the midst of the congregation, attune songs
of praise unto Thee, as did our ancient mothers in Israel; invoking the
blessings of God upon His pious servants that love Him, so that they
may brilliantly shine, and, with the genial rays of faith, may warm the
chilled heart of the sceptic, and spread light over the earth, as the sun
when he goeth forth in his might. Amen.
104 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
nrr -no
FIFTH POR-TION OF EXODUS.
roru Dro nn? wjr? Tin vpyo ro
3 D'JOKJ DDPCl HEX VT
" He hath showed His people the power of His hands,
That He may give them the heritage of the heathen.
The works of His hands are verity and judgment, all His com-
mandments are pure ;
For they stand for ever and ever, and are done in truth and
uprightness." Ps. cxi. 6, 7, 8.
WE concluded our meditation on last Sabbath's lesson with
the song of Moses, chaunted by the sons of Israel. But the
women would not allow themselves to be excluded from the
national thanksgiving; and Miriam, the prophetess, took a timbrel
in her hand, and the women joined her in the expression of gra-
titude to God. This fact affords an irresistible refutation to the
charge against the women of Israel, that they were indifferent to
ceremonial service. Whatever might have been the notion
formed in post-biblical history of the women, Scripture contains
many proofs that the females took a part in every public expres-
sion of joy or grief at a national event.
After the miraculous crossing of the Israelites over the Red
Sea, a series of wonders was wrought by the hand of God, else
they could not have existed for a day. The bitter waters were
turned sweet, and bread rained from heaven daily (with the
exception of the day of rest) to sustain them ; even the rock pro-
duced water at the bidding of the Omnipotent, and the well-
trained army of Amalek was defeated by a wild horde, unac-
quainted with the tactics of war. Throughout these miraculous
events, we perceive signs of dissatisfaction and discontent on
the part of the recipients of all these wonderful bounties. Not-
withstanding the hand of God had been so openly manifested for
their protection, we find them, on every occasion of distress,
breaking out in murmurings and reproaches against Moses and
Aaron, their benefactors.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTOEAHS. 105
A heathen priest, however, Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, who
had heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel, his
people, acknowledged that " the Lord is greater than all the
gods," and tendered his son-in-law, who was beset with diffi-
culties in governing so unruly a people, his most judicious
counsel. Finding that Moses alone, however extensive his know-
ledge and wisdom, was unable to dispense judgment to so many
hundreds of thousands, he gave him the wholesome advice, to
"provide out of the people able men," for assistants in his difficult
task, "such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness." In
these few words, the shrewd priest comprised the qualifications of
a judge: Firstly, such as fear God, and do not fear men; who
possess sufficient moral courage to maintain the law against men
of wealth and power. Secondly, men of truth, who do not pervert
the law to favour a friend or to humble an enemy. Thirdly, who
hate covetousness. This latter qualification is the most essential
of the three, as it is impossible for a judge who is fond of
pelf, to judge impartially ; his own judgment of a case is
biassed in favour of the one or the other, unless he hates
covetousness. Hence the strict injunctions of the Talmud
against the acceptance of any kind of favour, much less of presents
by a public judge ! We would particularly impress this on the
ecclesiastics of our day, that they are incapacitated from judging
a case after they have put themselves under obligations to the one
or the other party by the previous acceptance of presents. The
judge cannot fear God and be a man of truth, unless he disdains
every feeling of selfishness, and places himself in an independent
position, to both plaintiff and defendant.
Moses, however, was by no means a selfish man, he sought not
to monopolise the judgeship of a whole people. Finding the
council of Jethro judicious, he at once adopted it, and appointed
rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, etc., etc.^ and we never
find that he exercised any tyranny over these assistant judges, but
conducted the affairs of the people with them, in harmony and
concord.
No sooner had the Lord signified to Moses his intention of
revealing the law, than Moses called for the elders of the people
and laid before them all those words which the Lord commanded
him (chap. xix. 7). Having prepared the people for the great
event of the revelation on Mount Sinai, which lormed the great
climax to all the previous wonders, miracles, and manifestations of
Divine strength, the Ten Commandments, which form the basis
of the whole Jewish canon, were given to Israel, amidst thunder
and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain
smoking as if all nature was agitated by the great manifestation
of the Divine Laws.
The first four Commandments embrace the duties of man to
God, viz:
106
1. The acknowledgment of the Unity.
2. The prohibition of idolatry.
3. The prohibition of taking the name of God in vain.
4. The observance of the Sabbath.
The next six embrace the duties of man to man, viz. :
1. The command to honour parents.
2. The prohibition of murder.
3. The prohibition of adultery.
4. The prohibition of theft.
5. The prohibition of false evidence.
6. The prohibition of covetousness.
And as " the works of his hands are verity and judgment," so
also, " his commandments are sure, and stand for ever and ever;"
for whilst other codes of law, composed by human minds, have
vanished and superseded one another, these Ten Commandments
ever remained, not only the foundation of the Jewish law, but
that of every civilised nation on the globe.
The impression which this revelation of the Decalogue made on
the nation, is more amply described in Deuteronomy than in the
lesson before us. There we read, " That when they heard the
word the Lord spoke unto them in the Mount, out of the midst of
the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, that they all
came to Moses, the heads of the tribes and the elders included,
and expressed their deep gratification at the glory and greatness
which the Lord had shewn them; they further desired to hear
through Moses all that the Lord should say, " and we will hear
it and do it." In the latter sentence, they expressed implicit
obedience; but the Omniscient well knew that they would often-
times break the promise, and forget all the benefits and mercies
which he had shewn them, and he said to Moses: " 0, that there
were such a heart in them, that they would fear me and keep my
commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with
their children for ever !"
Would that the sentiments of obedience which animated the
Israelites at the foot of Sinai's Mount had always prevailed
among them ! u But," says the Psalmist, "they soon forgat his
words, they waited not for his counsel;" and the consequence
was, that " their enemies oppressed them, and they were brought
into subjection under their hand." Would that the union and
harmony which prevailed at Mount Sinai when they said, as with
one voice, " We will hear, and will do," would also actuate now
the communities of Israel ; and we should soon reap the benefits
which the observance of these commandments confer; for they
are " our wisdom and our understanding in the sight of the
people."
The history of later ages, however, shows that the Israelites in
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTOKAHS. 107
the plenitude of power were not animated with that filial
obedience to their Heavenly Father, which their ancestors mani-
fested at the foot of Sinai. They often changed the pure gold
contained in the laws there revealed, for the glittering dross of
idolatry. They frequently sacrificed the pure morality, the social
virtues enjoined by the Decalogue for the sensualities and abomin-
ations of pagan worship. Hence the necessity during the later
period of Israel's polity, of their being incessantly reminded of
their primitive position, and exhorted to return unto God and to
his laws. Such was the mission of one of the most eloquent of
prophets Isaiah whose glowing description of God's appearing
to him and deputing him as a messenger to Israel, forms the
theme of our Haphtorah of this Sabbath (taken from Isaiah,
chap. vi). This description is one of the most magnificent^ and
brilliant compositions of Scripture. The prophet says, " In the
year that king Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord sitting upon a
throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple." The
" train" alludes to that glory of God's majesty, which alone should
reside in the house of God, banishing thence all earthly aspira-
tions and worldly desires. " Above it stood the seraphim: each
one had six wings, with twain he covered his face, and with twain
he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried
unto another and said : Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts,
the whole earth is full of his glory ! And the posts of the door
moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled
with smoke." When we, in our ritual of the present day, daily
repeat this important sentence: " Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord
of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory !" let our lips and
hearts join with fervent emotion in this inspiring sentiment.
Let us be deeply impressed with the conviction *' that the earth
and the fulness thereof is the Lord's;" that it is created for his
glory, and not for selfish and vain cravings of perishable man, but
that, mortal as we are, we may during our brief sojourn on earth,
proclaim and disseminate the Divine glory, among the nations on
earth.
The prophet Isaiah, like his predecessor Moses, at the appear-
ance of the Lord in the bush, was timid and affrighted at the
majestic scene before him. He cried, " Woe is me ! for I am
undone ; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the
midst of a people of unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen the
King, the Lord of hosts." The meek Isaiah felt, that in order to
appear before God, it is necessary to be purged from all that
uncleanness of thought, speech, and action, which renders
mortal and sinful man unfit to commune with Him who is the
essence of purity and holiness. Isaiah, however, was fortified by
the following words of Divine re-assurance. " Then flew one of
the seraphim unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he
108 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
had taken with the tongs from off the altar : and he laid it upon
my mouth and said, Lo ! this hath touched thy lips; and thine
iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged/' This consoling
message from on high strengthened him to accept the Divine
mission, as we read in the following passage : " I then heard the
voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go
for us? Then said I, Here am I,, send me." We have often
experienced during past ages, yea, even in the present age, the
necessity for leading men in Israel, to come forward in times of
tribulation and oppression, and say. " Here am I, send me."
Although we are daily progressing in our civil relation with
nations of other creeds, yet events have often occurred in some
parts of the globe, which are still vivid in the memory of every
Israelite, and show that we require men of position to stand in
the Breach and exclaim, " Here am I, send me."
The terrible message which Isaiah had to deliver to the Israelites
of old, unfortunately applies with equal force to the Israelites of the
present age. It runs as follows: " Go and tell this people, hear
ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive
not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy,
and shut their eyes ; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with
their ears, and understand with their heart, and return und be
healed." This awful denunciation made Isaiah ask, " Lord, how
long?" Well may we ask w r ith Isaiah, " Lord, how long?" But
we may derive comfort from the concluding passage of the
Haphtorah, which compares the nation to "a teil-tree and an
oak, whose substance is in them, though even when they cast
their leaves the holy seed shall be the substance thereof."
PRAYER.
HEAVENLY FATHER J our Shield and our Redeemer ! Thou hast sent
redemption unto Thy people, and Thou hast commanded Thy covenant
for ever: Holy and Reverend is Thy name ! Thou hast put Thy Word
in our mouth, and hast covered us in the shadow of Thine hand, to
plant our own heaven, and to maintain the foundation of the earth, by
the influence of Thy Ten Commandments, which may secure for us a
heaven on earth, a happy life here, and bliss hereafter. For what can
be more holy more calculated to promote the welfare of society, than
the love and reverence of parents by their children ? What can be
more sublime than the commandment to embrace every man with the
love of a brother? and to aid and assist him in the hour of danger and
trouble ? What can be more precious than the life of our fellow-
creatures, which we are enjoined to protect ? What can be more
exalted than to revere the ties of love consecrated by Thee, O God,
Fountain of love ? What can be more just, than to respect the rights
of property as commanded in the Decalogue? What is there loftier
and holier than to speak truth, the symbol of Thy Divine essence?
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 109
What can be more conducive to morality, than to content ourselves
with the portion allotted to us, and not to covet the property and
domestic possessions of our neighbour ? These wise and salutary laws,
so indispensably necessary for the consolidation of civil rights, so
necessary for the foundation and perpetuation of the earth, are em-
bodied in the ten all-important sentences, which in Thy grace, Thou
hast revealed to our ancestors on Mount Sinai. May we, the faithful
worshippers of that God, who, by the giving of the Decalogue, ushered
in salvation for the whole human race, seek our happiness only in the
fulfilment of that law, which was bestowed on us by Thee, O God, to
secure to us life on earth, life eternal in yonder regions, where no
covetousness, no selfishness, no envy, no jealousy, no malice, no hatred,
impede our progress; but where peace and tranquillity, undivided joy,
and undisturbed felicity, dwell and reign ; for in Thy presence is ful-
ness of joy, at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
Amen.
110 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
SIXTH PORTION OF EXODUS.
mpa Tin SJK rn TJVIN
'0 vo 'w ^n 3BT no!? pi
" With my soul I have desired Thee in the night ;
Yea, with my spirit within me will I seek Thee early :
For when Thy judgment descended on earth,
The inhabitants of the world learned righteousness."
Isaiahxxvi. 9.
OUR previous lesson concluded with the revelation on Mount
Sinai, and the issue of the Decalogue which forms the basis
of all the further laws, judgments, and enactments of the Mosaic
dispensation. Our lesson of this Sabbath contains a larger
number of afflnnatory and prohibitory laws than any of the
fifty-two portions into which the Pentateuch is divided ; some of
which are only applicable to the age in which they were insti-
tuted; such, for instance, as refer to servants, who were the
property of their masters; but most of which are not only
applicable to the present age, but have formed the basis of innu-
merable codes of law for many ages, and the sound principles of
humanity and justice on which they are founded are, and ever
will be, the admiration of mankind. We hardly know which to
admire the most, whether the depth of jurisprudence, or the
refined sentiments which they betray; whether the calculating
profundity of the legislator, or the sublimity of modern virtue
which they breathe. On attentively perusing them we must
exclaim with the prophet in our text, "When thy judgments
descended on earth, the inhabitants of the world learned judg-
ment."
If we soberly consider some of the "judgments" which we
shall directly specify, and notice the refinement of sentiment, as
well as the nicety of distinction which pervade them, we can
hardly imagine them the production of a human mind, in those
ages of barbarity and darkness, and must arrive at the conclusion
that they flowed from the fountain of light and goodness, and
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. Ill
from that inexhaustible source of wisdom which never changes
and never diminishes.
In verse 21, we read:
" Thou shalt neither vex a stranger nor oppress him ; for ye were
strangers in the land of Egypt."
We are not only prohibited from oppressing, but also from
"vexing" the stranger. How important is this- injunction! how
mortifying is the term " foreigner" to the stranger, when it is
used in that prejudicial spirit, in which, alas ! we hear it daily
pronounced. The reason of its prohibition, " Ye were strangers
in the land of Egypt/' applies equally to us now, for we are all
comparatively strangers in the countries where we reside, when
we consider the shortness of the time we were permitted to settle
therein, and when we reflect that the parents or grand-parents of
most of us were also strangers in this land.
Verse 22:
" Ye shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child. If thou afflict
them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their
cry."
How sublime a picture of the protector of the widow, and the
defender of the orphan ! How forcible the warning against ill-
treating these defenceless aud unprotected subjects, that if they
have to cry at our mal-treatment, God will hear their cry. How
dreadful the just retribution pronounced against the malefactor,
" And your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless !
What husband can ill-treat or injure the widow of his brother?
What parent can molest the orphan of his neighbour, when he
thinks of the wrath of God being kindled against him, and of the
Divine retribution which will most surely follow the deed, when
the injured person is crying to God.
Verse 25:
" If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou
shalt not be to him as an oppressor, neither shalt thou lay upon him
usury."
Here again we trace the refinement of humanity, in the prohi-
bition of the creditor from oppressing the debtor, either by urgent
demands, or by an excessive amonnt of interest.
Verse 26 :
'' If thou at all take thy neighbour's raiment to pledge, thou shalt
deliver it up to him by that the sun goeth down."
It appears that this law relates to bed clothing, which we are
enjoined to return by sunset to the owner, who was compelled to
pledge it. The reason assigned for this law in the next verse, is
as simple as it is just.
112 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
" For that is his covering only; it is his raiment for his skin, where-
ever shall he sleep ? And it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto
me, that I will hear; for I am gracious."
This appeal to human compassion is irresistible. The exhorta-
tion conveys at once the evil consequence which must naturally
follow the crime. What is the poor man to do when you deprive
him of his bed-covering? Whereon shall he sleep? The
answer is, " He will cry to God;" he will say (in the words of the
Medrash) :
noa JKI intJD by aznc? Kin/ DIK Kim onx ox
" O Lord of the universe, I am a man, and he is a man: he lies on
his bed, and I, where shall 1 lie?"
And God says, tc I shall hear, for I am gracious." This
hearing of the complaint by God, implies the punishment which
follows the inhuman action. We are not told what the punish-
ment will be, but the reflection of " I will hear," pronounced by
the Omnipotent, is pregnant with so awful a visitation of God's
anger, that it must suffice to remind the hard-hearted tyrant, that
if he cunningly manages that his tyranny remains secret among
men, there is one above who hears the cry, and he will surely
avenge it.
Verse 28 :
"Thou* shalt not revile the judges,* nor curse the ruler of thy
people."
Here we have a social law, which has been enforced among
every people and nation the respect due to the judge and ruler.
Should he misconduct himself, and abuse the sacred trust reposed
in him, we may use all legitimate means in our power, and
remonstrate with him respectfully ; and if that be of no avail, we
may remove him from his office; but by no means " revile" or
" curse" him.
^The next chapter also abounds in laws and injunctions,
breathing charity and generosity in the highest degree. The
first three verses enjoin impartiality and uprightness in the dis-
pensation of justice; not to pervert judgment by favouring the
rich and influential, nor to show weakness by a too close leaning
to the poor and humble, from feelings of compassion. Both are
equally condemned.
Verses 4 and 5, enjoin generosity to our enemies, and warn us
against vindictiveness :
" If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt
surely bring it back to him again. If thou see the ass of him that
* We deviate here from the Authorised Version, which renders it,"' thou shalt
not revile the GODS."
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 113
hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him,
thou shalt surely keep with him."
Verse 7 :
" Keep thou far from a false matter, and the innocent and righteous
slay thou not ; for I will not justify the wicked."
Verse 8 :
"And thou shalt take no gift; for the gift blindeth the wise, and
perverteth the words of the righteous."
Who dares, after reading such laws, say that the Jewish dis-
pensation is anti-social? Must not even the most biassed and
prejudiced admit with Isaiah, "When thy judgments descended
on earth, the inhabitants of the world learned righteousness?"
After having cautioned the judges against giving an undue
preference to the rich at the expense of the poor, the Divine
legislator again enjoins the protection of the foreigner, who is
more likely than the native to suffer from, and be exposed to, the
perversion of justice. He therefore emphatically says: "Also
Thou shalt not oppress a stranger ; for ye know the heart of a
stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt." The
next law exhibits a spirit of kindliness and humanity seldom
found in any ancient or modern legislation. It alludes to the
poor and to the servant, even to the brute creation. " And six
years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the fruits
thereof; but the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still;
that the POOR of thy people may eat: and what they leave, the
BEASTS or THE FIELD shall eat. In like manner, thou shalt
deal with thy vineyard, and with thy olive yard." The next law
in reference to the Sabbath is so replete with humanity towards
the servant, the stranger, and even to the beast of burden; it is so
short, yet so eloquent, that we shall quote it without further
comment. " Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the
seventh thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest,
and the son of thine handmaid and the stranger may be
refreshed."
The solicitude for the comfort of servants was evinced by the
Jews of all ages, without regard to religious creed or caste.
The Talmud relates of Eabbi Judah, the prince, the author of
the Mishna, that previous to his sitting down to a meal, he
anxiously inquired whether the servants and domestic animals had
been properly supplied with food ; and not before this inquiry
was satisfactorily answered, the pious and humane Rabbi com-
menced his repast. Indeed, the proper treatment of servants is
a very important law in the Jewish code, though we regret to
say, it is frequently overlooked and neglected. We are prone to
forget ourselves in the heat of passion at some trivial oversight
committed by a servant, and we give vent to our anger in expres-
i
114 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
sions of harshness and insult, which may have the more pernicious
effect on the future career and life of that very poor servant than
we at first imagined. Some of these servants, though compelled
to slave for their bread and raiment, are not quite destitute of the
finer feelings animating the human breast; for some of them have
enjoyed the benefits of a plain though good education, and a
harsh word, especially in the presence of others, may drive them
to a course of life ending in their ruin. We cannot, therefore,
be careful enough in the manner of treating those whom we
employ, as it is the general principle of humanity and virtue to
be more guarded in our conduct towards inferiors than towards
our superiors. To be respectful towards our superiors is a matter
of expediency and policy ; to be kind and indulgent towards our
inferiors is a law of righteousness and justice. It has often been
noticed, that people who are most affable and courteous in public
society, are harsh, imperious, and oppressive in the domestic
circle; they are humble subjects out of doors, but haughty
tyrants at home liberty is continually on their tongue, but,
alas ! they little practise it in their family circle. It is, therefore,
a noble feature in the dispensation of the Mosaic law, that servants
are, as far as the laws of humanity are concerned, placed on an
equal footing with their employers ; and again we are reminded of
our text, " When Thy judgments descended on the earth, the
inhabitants of the world learned righteousness."
We will now quote from the Haphtorah of this Sabbath, (taken
from Jeremiah xxxiv.), a passage also alluding to the position of
servants towards their employers:
" This is the word that came unto Jeremiah from the Lord, after that
the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people which were
at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty unto them, That every man should let
his man-servant, and every man his maid-servant, being an Hebrew, or
an Hebrewess, go free ; that none should serve themselves of them, to
wit, of a Jew his brother."
This law was first obeyed by " all the princes and all the people
which had entered into the covenant." It appears, however, that
subsequently they turned, "and caused the servants and the maid-
servants whom they had let go free to return, and brought them
into subjection for servants and for handmaids." The breaking of
covenant provoked the divine displeasure of the Lord, who an-
nounced to Israel, through His prophet Jeremiah, " Ye have not
hearkened unto me in proclaiming liberty, every one to his bro-
ther and every man to his neighbour : behold I proclaim a liberty
for you, saith the Lord, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to
the famine; and I make you to be removed into all the kingdoms
of the earth .... I will even give them into the hands of their
enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life." How
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 115
terrible is this denunciation of the enemies of liberty; and how
important a lesson to those who justly seek liberty, and are de-
sirous of reaping its fruits, should cultivate it in their domestic
gardens and fields, so that the boon they ask for, may also be
shared by those who may be deficient in means, but not in human
feeling and tender-heartedness.
PRAYER.
ETERNAL FATHER ! " Thy work is honourable and glorious, Thy
righteousness endureth for ever: Thou hast made Thy wonderful works
to be remembered : the Lord is gracious and full of compassion." Thus
did the Royal Psalmist sing, when he called upon mankind, " Praise ye
the Lord." And thus do we, on reflecting upon the laws of justice and
compassion, which we read this Sabbath, exclaim, " The works of the
Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein."
When we ponder on Thy just and equitable ordinances, in reference to
the needy, the widow, the fatherless child, the stranger, the servant,
yea, even the beast of the field, must we not join with the Psalmist in
devotional praise of the Lord " The works of His hands are verity
and judgment; all His commandments are sure." But the mere re-
cital of these laws is not sufficient to establish our claim as the chosen
people. In order to prove deserving of the Divine election, and to
manifest our gratitude for receiving such laws for our guidance and
social welfare, we must resolve, whilst we read, to carry these ordi-
nances into effect; and whilst we admire the theory of these wise prin-
ciples, strive to practise them. But what, O Lord, availeth all our
human resolutions without aid from Thee ? Of what use are all the
determinations of the infirm mind of man, yielding to every fresh
impulse, and breaking down under every pressure from without ? How
can the " broken reed " of man's self-confidence withstand the unex-
pected blasts of unstable and capricious fate ? We therefore implore
Thee, All-kind Father, to strengthen us so that we may persevere in
practising the good we resolve upon ; and in the fulfilment of our pious
intentions, lend us, O Omnipotent, Thy aid in the arduous struggle for
attaining the higher and imperishable treasures which Thy wise and
just laws have placed in our reach. Elevate, Thou Omniscient, our
thoughts to know ourselves ; preserve us in the acknowledgment of
Thy truth and justice ; and rejoice us in Thy salvation. Amen.
I 2
116 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
nann -no
SEVENTH PORTION OF EXODUS.
rh IP nmi jva nsro TIB*
rpnnsK nna> -I
a i -a D^nn r6i fcfca nixnv TI ninatD nx
" Yea, the sparrow hath found a house, and the swallow a nest for
herself, where she may lay her young ; even Thine altars, O Lord of
Hosts, my King and my God." Ps. Ixxxiv. 3.
FTER the Israelites had received from God, through Moses,
such laws and judgments as were necessary for the organisa-
sation of their moral and social condition, and after having an-
swered with one voice, " All the words which the Lord hath
said we will do," another commandment followed for their spiritual
organization. There are nearly a dozen chapters in Exodus taken
up with the details of that commandment, which is couched in
the brief but significant sentence, " And let them make me a
sanctuary, that I may dwell among them." That the " dwelling"
of Him whose glory filleth all the earth among men, cannot be
taken in a physical sense, every rational being will at once admit.
When King Solomon, in fulfilment of the same command, built
the temple, he at once guarded against all notions of the physical
dwelling of God among men. In the memorable prayer which
he delivered at the inauguration, he exclaimed: " But will God,
indeed, dwell on the earth ? Behold the heaven and heaven of
heavens cannot contain Thee; how much less this house that I
have builded!" Yet we perceive, that God desired of man a
physical building in the wilderness a tabernacle, and, when they
had settled, a temple spiritually to dwell among mankind. This
apparent contradiction, however, is reconciled by the great com-
mentator, Rashi, in the few words H^Hp JVS *h IB^lj " And
they shall make to my name a house of holiness." The sanc-
tuary, or holy place, was built to the name of God, that is, to
the worship of God; and that worship consists in devoting our
souls in holiness to the Holy. Although it is not in the power
of a being composed of perishable matter to be holy in the full
sense of the word, yet he may for a time divest himself of all
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 117
earthly considerations, and" concentrate his thoughts and ideas
upon the one, the presence of God. It is remarked, by a rabbi-
nical philosopher, " God is present everywhere, but our thoughts
being absent, we do not think of him ; we, therefore, need go to
the synagogue, or place of worship, not because he is there more
present than anywhere else, but because our thoughts are there
less absent/' So, at least, it ought to be, according to the pur-
pose for which a place of divine worship is intended. The less
we hear, therefore, in the synagogue of silver and gold, the less
we see of vanity and pride, and the less we perceive any distinc-
tion between man and man, the more can we concentrate our
thoughts to the holy purpose of remembering the presence of
God; for it only requires the remembrance that God is near, and
all worldly thoughts, envy and enmity, malice and covetousness,
will vanish from our minds.
Would that our sanctuary were also " made to God's name,"
and that all customs and usages tending to elevate man's name
were banished, like the strange fire from the altar of God; and
till that is done, we cannot expect God " to dwell among us"
we cannot think of his presence; and in the absence of that
thought there is no devotion.
The inspired Psalmist, in the text before us, felt that languish-
ing desire for the place of devotion which pious men feel, whose
hearts throb with loftier aspirations than those of earthly ambition.
" How amiable are thy tabernacles, Lord of Hosts I" exclaimed
he; " my soul longeth, yea even fainteth, for the courts of the
Lord ; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God." It
thus appeared, that he could not quench his thirst for communion
with God, except in the tabernacles and courts of the Lord; he
panted for the outpouring of his soul in gratitude and devotion,
such as could not possibly be expressed amidst the crowd of
worldly cares and the throng of earthly cravings. His heart and
his flesh were harmoniously tuned to strains of holiness, and it
required a holy place to give vent to them. And he claims this
privilege on the following ground: " The sparrow has found a
house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her
young." And why should not man, pre-eminent in the creation,
also have a resting-place for his soul, and a refuge from the toils
and troubles which keep his mind in unceasing agitation? This
place of rest and refuge the prophetic bard could only find " near
thine altars, Lord of Hosts.' 7 Hence the reverence which the
pious of Israel entertained for the house of God, whether in the
shape of a tabernacle, or a temple, or a synagogue, so long as the
devotion therein rendered it a sanctuary for God to dwell in.
And though we have been deprived by our own doings of the
tabernacle and the temple, there is a tent in man's heart, planted
by the hand of God, which may be arranged as a place of devo-
118 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
tion, if we choose; as the inspired Asaph said, T\)W }DL -
D"1fcO pE? 7HK which the Alschich beautifully renders: u Al-
though he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, he has placed a
tabernacle within man." If man withdraws for a while from
selfish pursuits, and absorbs his thoughts and meditations in the
presence of God, he has a tabernacle within himself, which he
also may convert into a sanctuary for God to dwell therein. For,
be it remembered, that without an inward attachment to our
sacred religion, all tabernacles, all temples, and all synagogues are
of no avail. Such places can only become sanctuaries when we
do not profane that which is holy. We read in the Haphtorah
of this Sabbath, (taken from 1 Kings, chapter v.) : After Solo-
mon had erected the temple, in all that glory and splendour
which elicited the admiration of every monarch on the earth,
that the word of the Lord came to him, saying: " Concerning
this house which thou hast built, if thou wilt walk in my statutes,
and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to
walk in them, then will I perform my word with thee, which I
spake unto David thy father; and I will dwell among the chil-
dren of Israel, AND WILL NOT FORSAKE MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.
Far be it from us to undervalue the great importance of public
worship; still further be it from us to maintain with some over-
refined spiritualists, that private and domestic worship is prefer-
able to divine service in public. We believe that domestic service,
however undisturbed and secluded, does not partake of that solemn
and soul-stirring devotion which is peculiar to the performance of
divine service in the midst of a large assembly, and in a sacred
edifice, dedicated to prayer and to communion with God. But
that prayer and that service must emanate from a heart consecrated
to God, in order to be acceptable unto Him who in His mercy
deigned to grant man the privilege of approaching His throne
with supplication ; nay more, vouchsafed to hear his prayers, if
they proceed not only from the mouth but from the innermost
recesses of the soul. Prayers, however fervent and devout, are at
the best only resolutions required to be carried out in practical
life. We can only expect by walking in the divine statutes, and
executing his judgments, and keeping all his commandments, that
he will perform his word which he spoke to David, " I will dwell
among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people
Israel."
There is, however, another important acquisition to prayer,
which we will here point out we allude to RELIGIOUS INSTRUC-
TION. That the original institution of synagogues was not for
prayer only, but also for religious instruction, is a fact known to
every one acquainted with our ancient records. In the HD^-H H^i
(house of gathering) of our ancestors, after the destruction of the
second temple, we distinctly recognise a combination of J"
THE PENTATEUCH AXD HAPHTORAH8. 119
IVH (house of prayer) with our modern BJmjjn H*2 (house of
the exposition of the law). \Ve perceive by the Talmud, that
the intervals of prayer were filled up by religious instruction,
which was publicly conveyed to the learned as well as the unlearn-
ed, not only on Sabbaths and festivals, but also throughout every
day in the week, from day-break until late at night. To those
synagogues resorted the student for explanations of difficult pas-
sages, and for general illustration of the sacred law; thither
flocked the hard-working mechanic and husbandman, (there were
many of those classes even among the Jews of that age), after the
hours of labour, to have the word of God expounded to them; and
thither hastened women and children of both sexes, from the lowly
hovel, from the workshop, from the barn and the field aye, and
from the more comfortable and elegant residences to be instruct-
ed "as to the wayin which they were to go, and the work which they
were to do/' When, however, in later ages, the worldly wants of
man, created by refinement and luxury, and their numerous reti-
nue called " appearances" increased; when the occupations of
man, requisite to supply these artificial and self-imposed wants,
would not allow them any more to devote so much time to
spiritual matters, religious instruction in public became less fre-
quent, and was reduced to Sabbaths and festivals only; in which
days, public discourses and sermons are to this present time
delivered to the congregations of reformed Germany, refined
France, as well as to less enlightened but more learned Poland.
In this country we regret that pulpit instruction is very scarce, and
in many congregations only known by name. Let us hope that
this want, so keenly felt in an age of inquiry, will be soon supplied.
Meanwhile, the reading of the lesson from the Pentateuch and
the Haphtorah of every Sabbath, fhould be accompanied with
devotional reflection on the same, so that our prayers should be
joined to religious meditation. The deficiency in the system of
our early education would, though not completely, yet in a great
measure, be remedied by pulpit instruction. Frequent and well-
timed discourses from the pulpit would not only produce a mo-
mentary effect in rousing the mind of the congregants to pious
meditation, and entrancing devotion and prayers, but may succeed,
as they often do succeed, in making so lasting an impression on
the mind, and inscribing so indelible a lesson on the tablet of the
heart, that a practically beneficial result is often the happy con-
sequence in the moral and religious life of those who have atten-
tively listened to these exhortations.
When we notice the panting desire with which those who
understand these exhortations from the pulpit seem "to drink in"
the words they hear, we long for spiritual relief from "the
famine which prevails in the land," to still their hunger and
thirst, " not a hunger for bread, nor a thirst for water, but for
hearing the Word of God."
120 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
PRAYER.
LORD OF THK UNIVERSE ! Thou art enthroned in heaven, unseen by
the human eye, yet Thou art Omnipresent. Thou didst call upon man
to build a house unto Thee, to dwell on earth ; not for Thy sake, O
God for is not the earth full of Thy glory? but for our own good,
and our own salvation, so that we may worship Thee in truth. Thou
lookest not for man's display of pomp and outward glory ; for in Thy
goodness hast Thou vouchsafed to Israel '' In every place where I shall
cause my name to be mentioned, I shall come unto thee and bless
thee." Dispel, O Lord, from our minds the sinful thought, that Thy
holiness dwelt in the well-decorated tabernacle of the wilderness, or
in the magnificent temple of Shiloh, or in the less adorned synagogues
of our day only ; but let our hearts be penetrated with the conviction
that Thou hast planted a tent within man, where he may adore and
worship Thee with filial devotion. Impress, Omniscient, upon our
minds, the sentiment expressed by Solomon: " Behold, the heaven and
heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee ; how much less this house,"
erected by human hands! Let us ask, with the wise king, " Will God
indeed dwell on the earth ?" And let us reply, He dwelleth every-
where, and is to be found everywhere, if we but seek Him and call
upon Him in truth. In granting to man the privilege to build edifices
for divine service, and vouchsafing to him to hear his prayers and sup-
plications there offered unto Thee, let us recognise Thy infinite good-
ness, Thy knowledge of the human heart, and its frailties. For Thou,
O Lord, knowest how prone perishable man is to aberration of mind,
how easily his unstable spirit, however God-fearing he may be inclined,
is diverted from the most pious meditations, and from the most devo-
tional feelings, when reflections on the transient possessions on earth,
and the fleeting treasures of time around him, crowd upon his mind,
and alienate it from Thee, the Source of Holiness, the God of Eternity!
It is in consideration of this weakness, appertaining to flesh, that Thou
didst enjoin upon man in all ages, to congregate on a spot, specially
dedicated to Thy service, which will rise into a sanctuary, if we do not
profane it by unholy and impure sentiments. We pray Thee, Divine
Creator, to elevate our thoughts and meditations unto the dwelling-
place of Thy Holiness; and whilst we unite in sending our orisons up
to heaven, grant that our hearts may be lifted up in earnest and purely
devotional adoration of Thee, O King, who needest not the thanks of
man, but permittest him, in Thy benign care for his salvation, to
approach the throne of Thy grace. Amen.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 121
mxn mo
EIGHTH PORTION OF EXODUS.
>n
TO '3 t?D pa mn
" The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord,
Searching all the innermost chambers of the heart."
Prov. xx. 27,
OUR lesson of this Sabbath commences thus: " And thou
shalt command the children of Israel that they bring thee
pure olive oil beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn
always. In the tabernacle of the congregation (without the vail)
Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before
the Lord. It shall be a statute for ever unto their generations
on the behalf of the children of Israel."
When we consider the high authority whence emanated all the
laws and ordinances in reference to the tabernacle and the sacer-
dotal worship therein when we reflect, that it was the wisdom of
God which ordained them, we cannot doubt that not only the
minutely described service in the tabernacle, but all- the orna-
ments and decorations, their numbers, their sizes, and their entire
arrangement, are replete with symbolical and emblematical signi-
fications, which the Divine legislator, no doubt, verbally ex-
plained to the people, but which have not all been preserved to
the post-biblical age.
Among the various ordinances in reference to the tabernacle-
worship, is that of the continued light "T^H ^0 which, being
enjoined " as a statute for ever" (and in accordance with which
we even now, in the synagogue, " the little sanctuary," have a
light continually burning), seems to be of high import and deep
signification.
The sages of the Midrash remark on the above text, "The
spirit of man is the candle of the Lord":
u o nN3ti> min IT na-pn 113 irxi na "p3i ITU na n m-pn
i"?&o xin niD nwyw *D "?3 N/K mvo 13 >3 no . -IIK mini
-n -0 iDfcOK> 13 sip:^ IB>BJ n>ni na-pn ^s"? 13
122 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
" The Lord said, Let my candle be in thy hand, and thy candle be in
my hand." And which is the candle of the Lord ? The Law ; for it
is said, " The commandment is a lamp, and the law is light." And why
is the commandment compared to a light ? Because, whenever man
fulfils a commandment, it is as if he lit a candle before the Lord, whilst
he sustains his own spirit ; for it is said, " The spirit of man is the
candle of the Lord."
This allegory requires no additional comment. The all-
illumining and ever-shining laws of God cannot be represented by
anything purer and more universally beneficial than light, which
is the soul and essence of our life. Nor can the spirit of man,
which, though invisible, is pre-eminent to the body, and guides
and sustains it, be clad in a more apt symbol than that of light.
As in a candle, the matter feeds the spiritual light (which is in-
comprehensible); so does the body, consisting of matter, feed the
soul, which is all spirit. But there is another important similarity
between light and the law of God, which is thus expressed in the
Midrash :
jnn -^ mxo ni^y? na a^no mt? n^oya nann s TIK mini
in inra6 jnw nnxB> ny 7033 nx nonoi HIVE ni^y 1 ? no now
mn nan no mvo -o a ana no nso , mvc^ jn b noix ana nxi
p / iipa nw , uon pp^no ppaoi pnp DE&K
nix nnini mvo nj a 'w pi? rouj ns IDHD p
Why is the law a light? Because many times, when a man intends
doing a charitable act or good deed, which would cost him money, the
evil spirit within him says, " Why shouldst thou do this, and diminish
thy property ? Instead of giving to others, give it to thy children."
Whilst the good spirit says, " Give in the cause of charity and benevo-
lence ; for the commandment is a lamp which will always burn, even if
you light it by thousands and thousands of other chandeliers and
candles; so the man who gives from his purse to a case of charity,
does not thereby diminish his property."
The truth of this simile is borne out by every-day experience.
Seldom, if ever, is a man ruined by charity. It is a virtue which
may be carried to a dangerous excess, and this the law by no
means tolerates ' r but, within bounds, it confers a blessing on the
donor. But, alas ! we too often perceive that when men sustain
pecuniary losses, the first sufferer from the economy adopted by
them is the poor, whose pittance is immediately cut short.
Seldom, however, do they remember when they recover the loss,
that they should again increase the amount of their charity, as
that of other luxuries; and what greater luxury does this world
offer to a feeling heart than that of doing charity?
Another highly-instructive symbol is offered in the ordinance
of the garments of the high-priest. We read in this Sabbath's
lesson, " And thou shalt put the two stones (on which the names
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 123
of the tribes of Israel were engraved) upon the shoulders of the
ephod, for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel; and
Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord, upon his two
shoulders for a memorial." (Exod. xxviii. 12). This is a beau-
tiful instruction to the priest, that when he is clad in the rich
and dazzling splendour of the paraphernalia of his high office, he
must not forget that with all this outward glory, unless he " bears
the names of his flock on his two shoulders," unless he devotes
all his energy, zeal, and influence, to the moral and religious
improvement of his congregation, all the glory will fade away,
and all the outward grandeur will wither. It is observed by a
great political writer, " He who will be master over a people
must serve them." The Talmud also says, jn"D ^tf Hl*!"^ JN?
rrn^V tf7J$ ED?- " God said to the priests, I give you no
dominion, but servitude." The tendency of this is, that no ruler
or head of a people, however powerful he may apparently be, can
establish that power unless he serves his subjects zealously and
faithfully. And as the names of the twelve tribes were inscribed
on the priest's heart all alike, without distinction, so must the
public instructer beware of distinction, not to fawn to wealth, not
to bow to influence, but to regard the truth, even if it comes from
the mouth of the meanest of his flock. And not only did the
High Priest bear the names of the people in the ephod on his
shoulders, but he also was commanded, "And Aaron shall bear
the names of the children of Israel in the breast-plate of judg-
ment upon his heart" (verse 29); instructing him not only " to
put his shoulders to the wheel," and be indefatigable in the per-
formance of his duties, but that he should also " bear them on
his heart;" that is, to think and to reflect upon the best means to
be adopted for the amelioration of the moral and religious con-
stitution of the congregations entrusted to his guidance, that they
should be "for a memorial before the Lord continually."
We have already observed, that all the ordinances in reference
to the building of the tabernacle, its decorations and its holy
vessels and utensils were emblematical and symbolical of the
relationship in which God stands to His people Israel. The solu-
tion of these emblems and symbols is, to a great extent, illus-
trated in the temple of Ezekiel. In our Haphtorah of this
Sabbath we read the following description of the Prophet's
vision : " And behold the glory of the Lord God of Israel came
from the way of the East: and His voice was like a noise of
many waters: and He shined with His glory. And it was accord-
ing to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according
to the vision which I saw when I came to destroy the city : and
the visions were like the visions that I saw by the river Chebar:
and I fell upon my face. And the glory of the Lord came into
the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the
124 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
East. So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner
court; and, behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house !"
Like Isaiah, his predecessor, Ezekiel dwells repeatedly and
emphatically upon the residence of the divine glory in the temple
for the reasons explained before. Mortal man when he enters the
house of God, must throw off all that personal vanity and ambi-
tion which actuates him in outward life, and stand humbled and
abashed before that immortal glory which filleth the house. The
prophet continues:
" And I heard Him speaking unto me out of the house ; and a
man stood by me. And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my
throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the
midst of the children of Israel for ever ; and my Holy Name shall the
throne for Israel no more defile, neither they nor their kings, by their
backslidings."
Here we have a plain statement to the effect that the house of
God can only then be entered as a sanctuary when by our con-
duct we do not defile our sacred calling by misdeeds, backsliding
and apostasy from the divine behests..
The prophet continues :
" Thou son of man, show the house (temple) to the house of Israel,
that they may be ashamed of their iniquities : and let them measure
the pattern. And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, show
them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings
out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and
all the ordinances thereof, and all the laws thereof; and write in their
sight, that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordi-
nances thereof, and do them. This is the law of the House."
Most of the forms and laws of the temple were descriptive of
the forms and laws of the Jewish code. The religious observ-
ance of certain forms is here indicated as inseparable from the
law itself. We know that there are many who say " I am an
Israelite in my heart, I believe in the fundamental principles of
the Jewish law, and I need no ceremonial observances." But
they who thus boast overrate their mental powers. The human
mind, which is so often diverted from religious thoughts by the
attractions of the earth, cannot always elevate its meditation to
heaven. These attractions are so powerful that rather than ele-
vating the soul to heaven, often weigh it down to earth. Hence
the necessity of various ceremonial observances which act as a
balance to regulate and attune man's inward thoughts to the
loftier aspirations and outpourings peculiarly adapted to the
service of God.
The Sabbath generally following the present one is particularly
a Sabbath of " memorial." (TOT HEHS) 5 it is to keep in re-
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 125
membranes the victory achieved by weak and wearied Israel over
the powerful and well-organised army of Anialek. But the
victory was a defensive or negative one. Israel did not defeat
Amalek, but prevented Amalek from defeating him. And this
victory we shall thankfully remember; it is the same victory we
now seek, not to rule over our enemies, but to prevent our ene-
mies from ruling over us; we'desire nothing but equality. If we
desire more we shall lose what we already possess; if we desire
less we are not deserving of what we have already obtained.
But we may rely upon it that, if we sustain the lamp of the law,
and feed the spirit within us by good and benevolent actions, we
shall attain the position due to us, as promised by Him of whom
the Haphtorah of this Sabbath says, " and also the strength of
Israel will not lie nor repent, for He is not a man that He should
repent (1 Sam. xv. 29).
PRAYER.
O LORD GOD OP HOSTS ! among the great and many productions
which Thou calledst forth in Thy creation, there is none to be com-
pared to light. It was the first which, as Holy Scripture records,
Thou hast deigned to designate a good gift ; and it will ever be con-
sidered the greatest boon which Thou hast bestowed on the world.
There is nothing in Thy vast creation which impresses us more with
Thy majesty and glory, than light, fixed in heaven above, and illumi-
nating the earth below, ruling and retiring at appointed times, accord-
ing to Thy behest. During its rule it infuses the spirit of activity in
the most predominant race of Thy creation mankind ; when it retires,
the whole busy crowd is gradually lulled into slumber and rest; but
only to be refreshed and re-awakened for renewed activity, when Thy
light dawns forth and sheds its genial rays over Thy broad universe.
In Thy wisdom Thou hast ordained that a continual light should burn
in the Holy Tabernacle, as a symbol of the universal light which retires
at fixed hours, but is never extinguished. Such is also the light of
Thy wisdom, reflected in the Sacred Law, which, though it be often
dimmed, either by the perversion or the antagonism of man though
it be frequently darkened, and threatened to be superseded by fanati-
cism and bigotry, or by vice and wickedness, which would fain hide
themselves in darkness yet, proceeding from Thee, pure Fountain of
eternal light, it can never be extinguished. Thy Light, O Lord, shines
forth also in the soul of man, which, though it be obscured, when the
body, its mortal coil, perishes, to return to the dust whence it was
taken yet it again takes its wings upwards, and soars to its original
dwelling, where all is light, and darkness is unknown. Owing to the
refractory spirit of Thy children on earth, Thy greatest gift light
like other boons emanating from Thee, O Father, is not duly appre-
ciated by the unthankful character of its recipient. Thus are Thy
beneficent laws and ordinances, instituted to enlighten mankind, often
126 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
misconstrued and perverted, by the very leaders whose office it is to
feed the light of Thy precepts, and whose duty it is to diffuse it through
the masses, to dispel ignorance, to banish vice, and to instruct those
who are groping in darkness. We therefore entreat Thee, O Lord, to
teach us how to acknowledge this great gift, and how to value its
infinite benefits. Instruct Thou our instructors, guide Thou our
guides, and lead Thou our leaders, so that they, faithful to their high
calling, as the guardians of that Light, instead of concealing its genial
rays from the flock, by perversion and misconstruction, may vie with
each other in raising it up as a standard for the people, and strive to
disseminate it throughout all classes and ranks, by spreading useful
information, and promoting truthful knowledge ; by enlightening the
ignorant, and convincing the sceptic ; showing that the Commandment
is a lamp, and the Law is light. Amen.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAIIS. 127
'3 "HD
NINTH PORTION OP EXODUS.
mn iwi TINT
*oy i5?y nijn
or mm
" Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid; be ye
very desolate, saith the Lord.
For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken the
fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns,
that can hold no water." Jer. ii. 12, 13.
AMONG the melancholy examples of human ingratitude con-
tained in Scripture History, there is none more revolting in
principle, and more pernicious in its consequences, than that of
which we read in this Sabbath's lesson the worship of the
molten calf. This dreadful act of apostasy is graphically painted
by the inspired Psalmist, who indignantly says:
" They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image ;
Thus they changed their GLORY into the similitude of an ox that
eateth grass ;
They forgat God their Saviour, who had done great things in
Egypt,
Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the
Red Sea." Ps. cvi. 19-22.
It was but very recently that they were most miraculously
emancipated from Egyptian slavery, and basked in the sun of
liberty; it was but a few months since they passed over the Red
Sea as on dry ground, and saw their persecutors perish before
their eyes; it was but a few weeks since they saw God manifest-
ing himself in thunders and lightnings as their Benefactor and
Legislator; it was almost in the same breath in which they ex-
claimed, " All the Lord hath said we will do and hear," that
they said of " an ox that eateth grass," These be thy gods, O
Israel ! which brought thee out of the land of Egypt."
One can hardly credit that the human mind, particularly after
128 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
having been so well instructed, and after witnessing so many and
undeniable proofs of the truth of that instruction, as were our
ancestors, who escaped from the Egyptian house of bondage to a
place where bread rained from heaven, and water flowed from the
rocks that the soul so initiated into the world of wonders,
should degenerate into such an infatuation as to worship and
to acknowledge as its benefactor the very perishable matter which
they saw rising into existence by the contribution of their own
hands ! The material of which it was composed they had taken
out of the rings of their own ears; they saw it fashioned with a
graving-tool after Aaron made it a molten calf, and yet they wor-
shipped it with offerings and sacrifices, the same as they had just
been commanded to sacrifice to their real Benefactor. We shud-
der at the contemplation of the magnitude of such a crime, and
we feel no surprise at the divine indignation expressed to Moses :
" Now, therefore, let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot
against them, and that I may consume them." Nor do we at all
read with astonishment the heavy punishment with which God
visited this apostasy, by withdrawing his immediate guardianship
from them, and blotting out those who had sinned from the book
of life. On the contrary, we thankfully admire the mercy of
God in sparing the nation, and inclining His ear to the entreaty
of Moses, <s who stood in the breach to turn away his wrath, lest
he should destroy them."
And whilst we thus condemn the great sin of our forefathers,
and justly too, we ourselves often fall, more or less, into the same
sin the worship of gold! We frequently worship it, and
prostrate our minds before it, just the same as our ancestors did in
Horeb; we bring immense offerings to it; we often surrender to
it truth and virtue, morality and religion; we deem no sacrifice
^too great to obtain it; and the more we obtain of it, the greater
are the sacrifices which we offer to it. There are but few men
free from this idolatry; it is a contagious malady of which many
people die, and the wealthy are by no means exempt from it. The
man who has but half-a-million worships the millionaire just as
much as, if not more than, the pauper does the man who gives
him a trifle ; and the millionaire worships his own image in his
brother millionaire. Nay, often do these " golden calves" demand
worship from others, and the more sacrifices are brought to them,
the more ointment of flattery and incense of fawning is offered to
their pride, the more gracefully they receive their subjects and
adorers. Above all abominable sacrifices which are offered to
Gold, is that of the pen. Nothing is more humiliating and de-
grading to the human mind, than when man allows intellect
and thought to be expressed " in words imperishable" that
is, publicly writing, for the purpose of conveying flattery and
hypocritical homage. The prostitution of the modest intellect,
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 129
and the profanation of the sacred gift of speech, (and what speech
is more widely spread than that of the pen ?) is irreparable. It
leads to a disregard for and perversion of truth, and it contains
the germ of that corruption, which, worse than that which caused
the deluge, often ends in a flood of destruction, in wars and com-
bats, on which the rainbow of peace is never seen shining any
more.
The crime committed by the Israelites in making the molten
calf was a double one. First, " in forsaking the fountain of
living waters," the God who was their Redeemer and their light ;
and, secondly, in changing it for " a broken cistern that could not
hold the water" in choosing instead of the ever-living God a
perishable matter, such as an image made of gold, and ascribing
to it the redemption from Egypt. The Midrash gives the follow-
ing parable to the text from Jeremiah, " My people have com-
mitted two evils." " A mighty king preferred a young female in
humble life to the many royal ladies who sought his hand. He
betrothed her and made her very rich presents, among which
were ten pearls of great value. Eight of these the royal bride-
groom sent by his chamberlain, but two he himself placed in her
hand, as being the most precious of all. The king was much
grieved to hear, soon after the betrothal, that his bride had become
untrue to him, and the very two pearls on which he placed so
great a value she had given to her new suitor. Although his
love had been most intense and fervent, he resolved to discard her;
and, on a friend of hers interceding for her. the king exclaimed:
' Where are the presents which I gave her?' The friend laid
down the eight pearls before the royal master, who, however,
indignantly replied, ' These she returns me; but the two I
mostly esteemed she has given to another : this I cannot forgive.' "
The solution is understood. Of the Ten Commandments, which
are all valuable as pearls, the first two are the most important.
The first to acknowledge God as Him who brought us forth from
Egypt ; and the second, not to worship other gods, graven images,
&c. These two pearls, received from, the mouth of the
Divine Legislator, TH7N 'H ^Nand-p 'W N7, the Israelites
had broken and profaned; and this sin the Lord severely visited,
though not commensurately with the enormity of the offence.
They had, indeed, by the worship of the molten calf, " stripped
themselves of their ornaments which they received on Mount
Horeb," min TIB nny n T&ncr jn nxun and had it
not been for the persevering entreaties of Moses, the Lord would
never have renewed the covenant with them as he subsequently
did, and promised, "and all the people among which thou art,
shall see the work of the Lord, for it is a terrible thing that I will
dowiththee" The " terrible thing" is the continuance of the
Divine protection of a handful of people against the incessant
K
130 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
onslaughts and attacks of overwhelming masses. This protection,
however, is a conditional one. So long as they trust to Him,
they may be confident in confounding the policy of their enemies;
as we read in this Sabbath's Haphtorah, (taken from 1 Kings,
chapter xviii.), how Elijah succeeded in defeating the. prophets of
Baal, who "halted between two opinions," T\ty ^tf D^HDE)
D^SyDPl)- But they themselves must be firm and unflinching:
then only can we expect " the fire of the Lord" to fall upon the
altars of our hearts, as it fell on the altars which Elijah had
erected; and even our enemies will join in the cry, as did the
people at Mount Carmel, " The Lord he is the God the Lord
he is the God !"
Like his predecessor Moses, in the lesson of this Sabbath, who,
after finding that the Israelites had worshipped the molten calf,
did not rely upon his own strength in effecting the re-organisation
of Israel, but appealed to God, so Elijah in the measures adopted
for defeating the false prophets of Baal, and convincing the
Israelites of the true faith, did not depend upon his own abilities,
but trusted to the aid of the Supreme Being. Of Moses we read,
" he stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the
Lord's side? let him come unto me;" and after three thousand
men had with their lives atoned for the sin of idolatry, Moses
returned unto the Lord and said, " Oh ! this people have sinned a
great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou
wilt forgive their sin ; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out
of the book which thou hast written. Moses would rather prefer
death to such life as appeared to him ignominious, so long as the
wrath of God against the idolatrous nation was not appeased.
Of Elijah we read, " and he said unto all the people, come
near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. He
then repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down
And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening
sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God
of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that
thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have
done all these things at Thy word. Hear me, Lord ! hear me,
that this people may know that Thou art the LORD GOD, and
Thou hast turned their heart back again/' Well might Elijah,
on a retrospective view of his whole career speak of his disinte-
restedness, and " that he had done all things at the word of God."
He despised the favor of haughty kings he underwent the
direst sufferings in the discharge of his sacred missions and
risked his life rather than succumb to the wicked monarch and
his false prophets.
Elijah's fervent and eloquent appeal was responded to immedi-
ately, as we read, " The tire of the Lord fell and consumed the
burnt-sacrifice in the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 131
licked up the water that was in the trench." This was a manifest-
ation of the Divine acceptance of Elijah's prayer. The false
prophet stood abashed and humbled, whilst the people of Israel
who saw it became convinced of the omnipotence of the Only
God ; they then fell on their faces and cried: " The Lord He is
the God; the Lord He is the God!"
PRAYER.
O LORD GOD OF JUSTICE AND MERCY ! if we reflect on the awful
events recorded in this Sabbath lesson, and on the apostasy and base
ingratitude of our ancestors in the wilderness if we search our own
hearts, subject to forgetting benefits received, and acting unthankfully
towards our benefactors, we must join in deep humiliation with the
inspired Psalmist, " We have sinned with our fathers, we have com-
mitted iniquity, we have done wickedly. Our fathers understood not
Thy wonders in Egypt ; they remembered not the multitude of Thy
mercies ; but provoked Thee at the sea, even at the Red Sea. Never-
theless He saved them for His name's sake, that He might make His
mighty power to be known. He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it was
dried up : so He led them through the depths as through the wilder-
ness ; and He saved them from him that hated them, and redeemed
them from the hand of the enemy. And the waters covered their
enemies: there was not one of them left. Then believed they His
words ; they sang His praise. They soon forgat His words ; they
waited not for His counsels." On reading the narrative contained in
the Scriptural portion of the day, we look in vain for any extenuating
point in favour of those who, so soon after receiving and unanimously
accepting the laws of the Decalogue, sank into the abyss of idolatry,
and defiled themselves by the worship of the molten calf. Well might
Moses have disdainfully cast out of his hands the tablets of the law,
and broken them beneath the Mount ; well might he ask the Lord,
" Blot me out from the book which Thou hast written." But Thou,
O God, who temperest justice with mercy, commandedst Moses to hew
two tables of stone like unto the first ; and Thou didst write upon
these tables the words that were on the first, manifesting that Thou
wouldst renew Thy covenant with those that had just so ungratefully
broken it. Who can peruse this act of grace and mercy without
exclaiming, "The Lord, the Lord God is merciful and gracious, long-
suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth! " The human tongue
is too feeble adequately to acknowledge to Thee, Father of Mankind,
Thy clemency in thus reclaiming Thy sinful and disobedient children ;
whilst Israel must ever remember, with deep gratitude, Thy faithful
servant Moses, for his persevering and successful intercession in favour
of those who had so unpardonably provoked and mortified Him. We,
in the present generation, oftentimes stand no less in need of an inter-
cessor, than did our refractory forefathers ; we are, no less than they,
K 2
132 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
subject to ingratitude, and deserving of reproach and the visitation of
Thy wrath : so that were it not for the mercy and pardon which Thou
hast vouchsafed to all generations, we should long ago have perished,
and been swept away from the face of the earth. We beseech Thee,
O Lord, to continue Thy Divine clemency unto us, and when we have
sinned, to save us from perdition, by causing us to return unto Thee
with deep contrition of spirit, and sincere repentance of .heart.
Amen.
TENTH PORTION OF EXODUS.
n -n n:m
nay
" The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich ; and he addeth no
sorrow with it." Prov. x. 22,
BEFORE Moses proceeded to' collect the offerings from the
men and women of Israel, made for the erection and decorating
of the Holy Tabernacle, he gathered all the congregation of the
children of Israel together, and reminded them again of the
observance of the Sabbath, lest they should, in their zeal for the
completion of that edifice, break the holy day, which is devoted
to rest from all physical labour, even if the object of that labour
be a sacred one.
From the zeal which the Israelites manifested by their nume-
rous and liberal offerings, it appears that a spirit of repentance of
the enormous offence committed by the worship of the molten
calf actuated the whole congregation. We read in this Sabbath's
lesson: " And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up,
and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought
the Lord's offering to the work of the Tabernacle of the Congre-
gation, and for all His service, and for the holy garments." Nor
was this manifestation confined to the men; but we read, further :
" And they came, both men and women, as many as were
willing-hearted, and brought bracelets, and ear-rings, and rings,
etc. And every man that offered, offered an offering of gold
unto the Lord." From this ready and designed offering of the
precious metal, it appears that they wished to atone for their
making the molten calf, to which they had also (and the women
in particular) liberally given their gold. Indeed, the quantity
they offered was so large, that the wise men came to Moses, and
told him, " The people bring much more than enough for the
service of the Lord." And Moses was compelled to make a pro-
clamation through the camp: " Let neither man nor woman
make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary" ; and thus
134 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
only were the people restrained from bringing. How magnani-
mous a spirit of liberality is this, compared with our present
times ! We need not make proclamations " to restrain the people
from bringing"; but if proclamations are to be made, they are to
" request the people to bring." Let us hope that, if we shall be
compelled to issue such proclamations (requesting the people to
bring), the offerings to our sacred and benevolent institutions
will be increased to that extent, that their usefulness need not be
limited, nor their distribution curtailed, whilst poverty fear-
fully increases at home and abroad, and more particularly in
the land which was once called " a land of beauty," and elicited
the admiration of the universe, but which is now a wild scene of
disastrous events, one superseding another.
But to recur to our subject of the Sabbath. Its observance
undoubtedly entails a loss to men in business, particularly in a
country where we are restrained also on the following day from
attending to business by the law of the land. The question
might therefore be asked, " Why should I injure myself and
family for the sake of a ceremonial observance?" But the words
of our text contain a satisfactory reply: " The blessing of the
Lord, it maketh rich." Remember we, that it is said in the
history of the creation of the seventh day, " The Lord blessed it";
and surely the blessing of God is all-sufficient to prevent injury.
"And he," says our text, "addeth no sorrow with it." The
man, therefore, who keeps the Sabbath, but bewails the losses he
deems himself thereby to sustain, does not properly observe it,
because " God addeth no sorrow to his blessings." We may
safely say, that there is no instance on record in which a Jew was
ruined by the loss sustained through his not working on the
Sabbath. There is an inexhaustible fund of wealth in the con-
sciousness of doing our duty ; and this we take to be the sense of
" the blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and He addeth no
sorrow with it"; for the sorrow which the conscientious man feels
at the neglect of his duties no riches can dispel, and no wealth
can soothe.
The conspicuous part which the women of Israel took in con-
tributing to the offerings for the Tabernacle deserves particular
notice. We often have heard it stated as a reproach, that the
female sex of our nation is indifferent to religion and the obliga-
tions which it imposes. To be impartial, it is with considerable
pain that we admit, that the Jewish women of our age do not,
like our neighbours of another creed, join the male sex so fre-
quently and so numerously as they ought in religious worship.
This, however, is not their fault, as we trace this apparent indif-
ference to conventionalities appertaining to former ages. We
avowedly say, " apparent indifference," because we fully believe
that the women of Israel of our days are as active and zealous in
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTOEAHS. 135
all their religious duties as the men. Whenever an appeal is
made for a religious object, whenever their co-operation in the
cause of benevolence is called upon, their sympathies are sure to
be enlisted, and their aid and activity may be readily secured.
It is but natural, from the retiring habits peculiar to woman's
position, that she cannot take that bold and prominent part,
especially in public matters, which is the characteristic of the
stronger sex man. There is necessarily a certain reserve in the
position of woman, which has kept her in the back -ground, even
to cause her being neglected, concerning religious duties. But
we may take it for granted (relying upon every-day occurrence),
that whenever there is an occasion for their evincing true zeal in
promoting any object tending to benefit mankind, whenever there
is an opportunity for disseminating knowledge and education
throughout all classes of the community, the women of Israel, so
far from being inferior to the males, are even more zealous, more
earnest, and more persevering in carrying out of those noble
purposes.
We read in this Sabbath's lesson :
" And all the women that were wise-hearted did spin with their
hands, and brought that which they had spun, hoth of blue, and of
purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen. And all the women whose
hearts stirred them up in wisdom spun goat's hair." Exod. xxxv.
25, 26.
" The spinning with their hands" proves their manual activity
in offering the fruit of their labour to the house dedicated to God;
whilst the expression, " whose heart stirreth tbem up in wisdom,"
indicates their mental exertion in furtherance of the holy cause.
Like the Israelitish women in days of yore thus largely contributed
with their hand and mind towards the erection and decoration of
the Tabernacle in the wilderness, so would the women of Israel
of our days gladly and willingly come forward in assisting any
efforts made for elevating the divine service, if they were allowed
to participate in the hallowed object. " Give her of the fruit of
her hands, and let her own work praise her in the gates "
Another moral instruction is afforded to us by this Sabbath's
lesson in the universal character of the contributors towards the
Tabernacle. " The rulers" or, as we should render it, " the
wealthy" "brought onyx stones and precious stones to be set
for the ephod and for the breast-plate ; and spice, and oil for the
light, and for anointing oil, and for the sweet incense." These
were, no doubt, costly offerings, which it was only within the
means of the rich and affluent to contribute. But there was
another class of men and women, whose circumstances did not
allow them to forward such expensive offerings, but they never-
theless joined the general contribution, and brought something;
136 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
for we read : " The children of Israel brought a willing offering
unto the Lord, every man and woman whose heart made them
willing to bring for all manner of work which the Lord had
commanded to be made by the hand of Moses." Thus we per-
ceive that even the humbler classes offered their mites, which
were as acceptable unto the Lord as the more valuable gifts of
their wealthier and more opulent brethren. Nor were these
offerings confined to actual gifts, but extended also to labour and
work of an artistic kind, as instanced in the case of Bezaleel the son
of Uri, of whom we read, that " the Lord hath filled him with
the divine spirit, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge,
and in all manner of workmanship; and to devise curious works,
to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass. And in the cutting
of stones to set them, and in carving of wood to make any manner
of cunning work." We here perceive that arts were not foreign
to our ancestors, even in that remote age, and even in the wilder-
ness. Nor was it Bezaleel alone who offered his artistical know-
ledge towards the Tabernacle; as we further read, that "the
Lord had put in his heart, that he may teach, both he and
Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. Both con-
tributed, by their skill and scientific information, to beautify and
adorn the edifice consecrated to the worship of God. Of both we
read, " that the Lord filled them with wisdom of heart to work
all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning work-
man, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet,
and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even* of them that do any
work, and of those that devise cunning work." May those artists
and scientific Israelites of the present day (and we are happy to
see that number gradually increasing) emulate the example of
Bezaleel and Aholiab, to devote some part of their time, and
lend their talent, in devising and conducting the structure and
embellishment of our sacred edifices.
As Moses in the erection of the Tabernacle had the valuable
assistance of Bezaleel and Aholiab, so had Solomon in the build-
ing of tke Temple secured the skilful support of Hiram, a
descendant of Israel. We read in this day's Haphtorah (taken
from 1 Kings, chapter vii.) :
" And king Solomon sent and fetched Hiram out of Tyre. He was
a widow's son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of
Tyre, a worker in brass, and he was filled with wisdom, and under-
standing, and cunning to work all works in brass. And he came to
king Solomon, and wrought all his work."
From the history of the building of Solomon's Temple, as
recorded in Scripture, we learn the important lesson, that PEACE
is a great essential in everything connected with divine worship.
For we read that David had said previously, " Solomon my son
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 137
is young and tender, and the house that is builded for the Lord
must be exceeding magnificent, of fame and glory throughout all
countries: I will therefore now make preparation for it. So
David prepared abundantly before his death. Then he called for
Solomon his son, and charged him to build a house for the Lord
God of Israel. And David said to Solomon, My son, as for me,
it was in my mind to build a house unto the name of the Lord
my God. But the word of the Lord came unto me, saying:
Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars :
thou shalt not build a house unto my name, because thou hast
shed much blood upon the earth in my sight. Behold, a son
shall be borne unto thee, you shall be a man of REST; and I. will
give him rest from his enemies round about; for his name (!"l!D7^)
shall be Solomon (PEACE), and I will give peace and quietness
unto Israel in his days ! He shall build a house in my name, and
he shall be my son, and I will be his father, and will establish the
throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever and for ever." Here we
have a powerful evidence of the necessity of peace in conjunc-
tion with the foundation of the Holy Temple; for although
David was, in other respects, "a. man after God's own heart"
although the wars which he waged, and the battles which he
fought, were for the consolidation of the kingdom and power of
Israel yet, because he was " a man of blood," he was only
allowed to prepare the work, but not permitted to build the house
of God. Solomon, the man of peace, properly appreciated the
will of the God of peace ; for we read that he sent a message to
Hiram, the king of Tyre, and an old friend of his father, say-
ing, " Thou knowest how that David my father could not build
a house unto the name of the Lord his God for the wars which
were about him on every side, until the Lord put them under
the soles of his feet. But now the Lord my God hath given me
rest on every side, so that there is neither adversary nor evil
occurrent." Peace was the great essential in the erection of the
Temple; by peace it was maintained, by want of peace it fell.
May peace, therefore, reign in our present houses of God, and in
the community at large: " Peace, peace to him that is near, to
him that is far, saith the Lord, and I will heal him."
PRAYER.
O LORD, POSSESSOR OF HEAVEN AND EARTH ! In Thy wisdom, which
is beyond the scrutiny of mortal man, Thou hast richly bestowed trea-
sures in abundance on some of Thy creatures, whilst others have to toil
for the supply of their daily wants. Man dare not question the justice
of the distribution of Thy bounties, nor murmur at its inequality, because
Thou knowest best what is for his real good and happiness. Thou
triest the wealthy upon whom Thou didst confer plenitude and opulence,
138 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
whether he will devote part of his possession to the relief of his needy
brethren. Thou also triest him who suffers from poverty and want,
whether he will trust and confide in Thee in the hour of distress, and
not complain against the just dispensations of Providence for withhold-
ing from him that which others, less deserving in his sight, are enjoying
in fulness and superabundance. These are the trials of the rich and of
the poor ; and in passing through the ordeal which fluctuating life
imposes, the contentedness of the rich and the resignation of the poor
are indispensably necessary for their happiness on earth. But how often,
O Lord ! are the opulent, with all the comforts and luxuries Thou
gavest them, discontented, avaricious, and embitter their lives by an
unsatiated craving for still greater wealth? How often do they curtail
with a niggardly hand, the alms they are measuring out to the poor,
and the offerings in aid of the institutions erected for supporting the
fallen ? Not like the princes of whom we read this day, who volun-
tarily brought to the Tabernacle costly presents in such abundance,
that Moses had to proclaim that no more was required, some of our
wealthy of the present day altogether withhold the hand of charity till
they are shamed into contributing by the liberality of their less affluent
brethren. On the other hand, there are some of us who, though unable
to contribute largely, may yet bestow their mite, but who shrink back
entirely from the duty of co-operation in the cause of benevolence, and
plead exemption from public obligation. Not like the masses of the
people, including the women, who offered the labour of their hands for
want of expensive gifts, many of us, who might also lend their talent to
the promotion of the general good, screen themselves from joining the
holy work by pretending incapacity, which in reality is indifference.
We therefore beseech Thee, O Lord, that Thou mayest stir up the
hearts of the rich, as Thou hast stirred up the rulers in the desert, to
offer willingly, spontaneously, and largely, to the service of Thy holy
name. Implant, O Lord, in their hearts that spirit of contentedness
which will lead to proportionate benevolence. Whilst of the poor and
ill-favoured, we pray unto Thee, O merciful God, that Thou mayest
inspire them with confidence and trust in Thee, so that they may bear
with pious resignation the burden which poverty imposes, and the trou-
bles which want entails. May they who are deprived of pecuniary
means, but not destitute of available talents, devote their abilities to
assist in the public good. May all of us unite hand and heart in the
sanctification of Thy name, and in the promulgation of Thy glory !
Amen.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTOKAHS. 139
lips mo
ELEVENTH PORTION OF EXODUS.
rrran
tso 'K onD'n nan
11 The work is great; for the palace is not for man, but for the Lord
God." 1 Chron. xxix. 1.
IN our preceding lesson, we have described various incidents con-
nected with the building of the tabernacle, and pointed out
the moral instruction to be deduced therefrom. Moses and the
children of Israel, of both sexes, of all ranks and classes of
society, had vied with each other in making the edifice dedicated
to the worship of God as beautiful and complete as it was possible
for the then unsettled state of Israel in the Desert. If we com-
pare our present humble edifices, called synagogues, with the
magnificent structures of the tabernacle of Moses and the Temple
of Solomon, we keenly feel the departure of that glory " which
made Israel a name and a praise over all the earth." The magni-
ficence of the golden and silver vessels in the temple, and the
rich treasure of the House of God had attracted the attention and
excited the envy of neighbouring monarchs, who frequently made
invasions for the purpose of plundering and denuding the temple of
its costly ornaments. Many a time these precious and valuable
utensils served the weaker nation to gratify the avarice of the
stronger and mercenary powers that oppressed and surrounded
Israel. Our synagogues cannot boast of such costly vessels and
magnificent embellishments. We have no altars, no tables, no
curtains, and none of those splendid paraphernalia which are cal-
culated to provoke the jealousy of other creeds. But we have
preserved the same characteristics, peculiar to our worship ; we have
remained faithful to the One and only God, and have not intro-
duced into our pure creed any of those mystifying and obscure
doctrines of religion which confuse the opinions of other religious
confessions. Though the outward glory has departed; though
the giittering of gold and silver has been dimmed ; our inward
glory the true faith in the unity of God shines forth in its
140 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
untarnished splendour. It is also a pleasing reflection, that with
the full conviction of our possessing the true faith, our religious
code contains nothing exclusive. We do not consider that ours is
the only gate by which one may enter the temple of heavenly
salvation. We believe that any one, who conscientiously worships
the Supreme Being, is entitled to the same felicity of heavenly
bliss. This idea is beautifully illustrated in the memorable
prayer offered up by Solomon, at the dedication of his glorious
temple, entreating the Lord to hearken to the prayer of the
stranger. He thus prayed : " Moreover concerning a stranger,
that is not of Thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country
for Thy name's sake ; (for they shall hear of Thy great name, and
of Thy strong hand, and of Thy stretched-out arm), when he
shall come and pray toward this house; hear Thou in heaven,
Thy dwelling-place, and do according to all that the stranger
calleth to Thee for: that all the people of the earth may know
Thy name, to fear Thee, as do Thy people Israel; and they may
know that this house which I have builded, is called by Thy
name." (1 Kings, viii. 41 44). If Solomon thus interceded
with God to hear the prayers of " the stranger," which in his
time were heathen and idolaters, how much more are we bound
to entertain the same kindly feelings towards " the stranger" in
our country who acknowledges the same Supreme Being as we
do?
Although the glory and the splendour of Solomon's temple have
departed, we may yet be animated by the same pious humility,
the same consciousness of our insignificance and imperfections
which were so sublimely expressed by David, " when he blessed
the Lord in the eyes of the whole congregation and said :
Blessed be Thou, Lord God of Israel, our father, for ever and
ever. Thine, Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the
glory, and the victory, and the majesty : for all that is in the
heaven and in the earth is Thine; Thine is the kingdom, Lord,
and Thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour
come of Thee, and Thou reignest over all ; and in Thine hand is
power and might; and in Thine hand it is to make great, and to
give strength unto all. Now, therefore, our God, we thank
Thee, and praise Thy glorious name."(l Chron. xxix., 10 14).
After having thus fervently acknowledged the greatness of the
Supreme Being, the pious David proceeds to contrast with the
majesty of God the nothingness of man. Pie says: " But who
am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so
willingly after this sort? For all things come of Thee, and of
Thine own have we given Thee. For we are strangers before
Thee, and sojourners, as well as all our fathers: our days on the
earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding. Lord our
God, all this store that we have prepared to build Thee a house
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 141
for Thine holy name, cometh of Thine hand, and is all Thine
own/'
The next essential connected with the worship of God is up-
rightness of the heart. We must banish from our mind all
sinister motives; we must dispel every consideration that springs
not from the pure fountain of integrity and righteousness then,
and then only, may we hope for the efficacy of our prayers to
obtain pardon if we have sinned, and forbearance if we are mis-
guided. We then pray in the words of David : " I know also
my God that thou triest the heart and hast pleasure in uprightness.
As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart, I have willingly
offered all these things; and now have I seen with joy thy people,
which are present here, to offer willingly unto Thee."
May our offerings in the synagogue be made with the same
humility, with the same willingness, with the same uprightness
of heart, being impressed with the sublime thought, " for all
things came of Thee, and of Thine own hand have we given
Thee."
We will now recur to the lesson of this Sabbath.
The mercy of God in pardoning the great crime committed by
the worship of the molten calf, and in accepting the offerings
which were so liberally made to the Tabernacle, was thus mani-
fested, after a completion of that sacred edifice: " Then a cloud
covered the tent of the congregation, and the Glory of the Lord
filled the Tabernacle." The cloud is a symbol of our protection
by Providence, which watches over us by day and night. " For
the cloud of the Lord was upon the Tabernacle by day, and fire
was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, through-
out all their journeys."
That same cloud and that same fire attend us also, throughout
our journeys, in the pilgrimage on earth, if we make our offerings
as liberally as the Israelites then did. And although we cannot
all give much, we can all give liberally. For the liberality
neither consists in the frequency nor in the quantity, but in
proportion to our means, and still more in the manner in which
we give it. Many a man offends by his charity, by the manner in
which he treats the recipient, and the trouble he caused him
before he gave it. And many a poor man who gives" half a
shekel " does more than the rich man who gives ten times as
much, and has it announced in trumpet-tongued lists.
We thus perceive that the crime committed by gold could only
be expiated by gold ; and thus ought the reparation towards our
fellow-men also to be made "in the same coin" in which the
offence was committed. The " red heifer," also, of which we
read in the portions of Scripture called *Y)3T nJ^S was to serve
as an atonement for the molten calf; and it was to serve as " a
statute for ever," to impress us with the duty that repentance,
142 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
evinced in empty words and sentimental declamation, is unavail-
ing, when the injury committed was a material one. We must
restore that which we have unlawfully gotten, and not allow
" injustice to dwell in our tents." Till that is done, all prayer is
a mockery, and all outward sanctity but a delusion; and as the
priests, previous to their entering into the Tabernacle to perform
the holy service, had to wash their hands, so must we, before we
enter the gates of the Synagogue, " wash our hands," so that we
may be able " to lift up our hands and ouv hearts to the Lord in
heaven."
As the cloud, the emblem of divine protection, covered the
tent of the congregation of the wilderness, and also was upon the
tabernacles, so do we read in the Haphtorah of this Sabbath, that
the same symbol of God's watchful providence was visible in the
temple of Solomon.
It is there recorded " and it came to pass, when the priests
were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of
the Lord, so that the priest could not stand to minister because of
the cloud : for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the
Lord." The cloud, it here appears, was not only an indication of
Divine Providence but also of the Divine Omnipotence from
which even the priest withdrew with reverence and awe. " Then
spake Solomon, The Lord said that He would dwell in the thick
darkness/' signifying that though the heart of man may be
troubled and the mind obscured by the mist of scepticism, or
even by the thick darkness of infidelity, if he but resorts to the
house of God, joining the congregation in praises and thanks-
giving, his disturbed cogitations may be soothed by devotional
meditation, and the discord prevailing within his soul may make
room for concord by the harmonious strains of blessings and
prayer sent up from the midst of the congregation to the throne
of divine mercy.
The house of God is not only a place of supplication, but it is
also a house of consolation to the afflicted and suffering either
from reverses or troubles in domestic life, or from a disturbed
mind and unsettled conscience. This appears to be the purport
of our text. " The work is great; the palace is not for man;"
that is to say, not for man's ambition and vain man's outward
show, " but for the Lord God/' signifying for his adoration of
the King of kings, and for the sceptic's return unto Him with
heart and soul. This object is thus alluded to by Solomon in his
sublime prayer.
" If they sin against thee (for there is no man that sinneth not), and
Thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they
carry them away captive unto the land of the enemy, far or near ; yet
if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried
captives, and repent, and make supplication unto Thee, saying, We
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 143
have sinned and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness ;
and so return unto Thee with all their heart, and with all their soul,
.... then hear Thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven,
Thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause."
The house of God is also a place where we may implore justice
for the vindication of the righteous and the confounding of the
wicked, as expressed by the wise king:
" If any man trespass against his neighbour, and an oath be laid
upon him, to cause him to swear, and the oath come before Thine altar
in this house, then hear Thou in heaven, and do and judge Thy ser-
vants, condemning the wicked to bring his way upon his head ; and
justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness."
Our prayers, however numerous and eloquent, would, there-
fore, be of no utility, as long as we have not purified our hearts
from evil designs and cleansed our hands from ill-gotten gain.
The house of God is a place of refuge when national calami-
ties, such as war, or famine, or plague, \veigh down the people
with sorrow and affliction.
" When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain because they have
sinned against Thee ; if they pray toward this place, and confess Thy
name, and turn from their sin, when Thou aiflictest them, then hear
Thou in heaven, and give rain upon the land."
Hence the custom in Israel of D^fc/'Jl ri7n prayer for rain,
which we offer up in times of drought and scantiness.
Again the pious king prayed, " if there be in the land famine,
if there be pestilence, blasting, mildew, etc.; if the enemy
besiege them in the land of their cities, whatsoever plague, what-
soever sickness there be; what prayer and supplication soever be
made by any man, or by all thy people Israel which shall know
every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his
hands towards this house: then hear Thou in heaven Thy
dwelling-place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man
according to his ways, whose heart Thou knowest (for Thou,
even Thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men}.;
that they may fear Thee all the days that they live."
Well may we say, " every man knoweth the plague of his own
heart," though he does not always apply the proper cure for it.
These plagues are of various kinds and origins, often brought on
by our own indiscretion and frivolity. Seldom do we, on the
appearance of the first symptoms, think of applying a remedy ; it
is only when the malady spreads in its vigour that we betake
ourselves to seek a cure. Often this compulsory thought comes
too late, for the disastrous complaint has taken too strong a hold
upon our body, or too deep a root in our mind. Let us, there-
fore, betimes take refuge in the house of God, there bow down in
144 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
humility and contrition of spirit, and we may hope that the
supplication of Solomon may be granted, " Have Thou respect
unto the prayer of Thy servant, and to his entreaty, Lord my
God, to hearken to the cry and to the prayer which Thy servant
offereth up unto Thee this day."
PRAYER.
LORD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS ! in all ages Thou hast appointed for man,
in Thy great mercy, houses of devotion where he may pour out his
heart, unburden his soul, and supplicate Thy clemency and pardon.
But, like all other gifts bestowed upon us by Thy beneficence, the
privilege of prayer, and of communion with Thee, is often misinter-
preted, if not abused. There are some of us who would fain lull the
reproaches of conscience for misdeeds and acts of glaring injustice, by
attending morning and evening at the place of divine worship, and
there loudly reciting the set prayers of the ritual ; whilst on leaving
the sacred edifice, they repeat the very offences they had just admitted,
and prayed to be forgiven. But, as rational beings, let us ask, Can
such prayers be acceptable unto Thee, O God of Justice ? Can such
supplications for pardon be granted by Thee, O God of Righteousness ?
Can we expect to be cleansed, whilst our impurities are still cleaving
to us ? Is this not, as the Talmudists observe, like a man " who bathes
for purification, with the abomination in his hand ?" IT! fOC'l 72113
Numerous passages in Thy Holy Writ show that all prayer and humi-
liation is without avail, unless we cease from doing evil and seek to do
good ; unless we cast away sin, and embrace virtue. And for this
practical repentance, we sadly stand in need of Thy powerful support.
Let us pray with David, " Have mercy upon me, O Lord, according to
Thy loving-kindness, according unto the multitude of Thy tender
mercies ; blot out my transgressions ; wash me thoroughly from mine
iniquities, and cleanse me from my sin ; for I acknowledge my trans-
gressions, and my sin is ever before me." In Thy benign grace Thou
hast permitted us to draw near unto Thee in the house of prayer, and
tender our petitions; but it is unreasonable and unjust to imagine, that
Thou wilt hearken unto them, if we obdurately persevere in offending
against Thy laws, and adhere to our sinful pursuits. Again we pray
with David, " Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right
spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not
Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation,
and uphold me with Thy free Spirit." Then shall we be purified
indeed ; and our example will have a salutary effect upon our fellow-
sinners as expressed by the royal Psalmist : " Then will I teach
transgressors Thy ways, and sinners shall be converted unto Thee."
Amen.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 145
5*1 TTD
i
FIRST PORTION OF LEVITICUS.
mi Dna
a" /a n^nn ima p^ D^I mm D'nbx 1 ? nar
WILL I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats ?
Offer unto God thanksgiving, and pay thy vows unto the Most High.
Psalm 1. 13, 14-
Book of Leviticus, which we commence reading this Sab-
J- bath, is chiefly devoted to the ordinances respecting sacrifices
offered for sins and trespasses committed ; to those offerings brought
on festivals and sacred days, to those brought on the occasion of
dedicating the tabernacle, and to those brought voluntarily as
thanksgiving and peace-offerings. These ordinances contain a
great number of minute injunctions and regulations to be ob-
served by the priests and the owners, every one of which has, no
doubt, a religious signification, which, however, is not given in
the written law. The question which startles the inquiring
reader of these enactments in reference to sacrifices either of flesh
or of fat, of blood, or of flour and frankincense, is: "Why does
the Possessor of all require these offerings from the hand of man?
How can man atone for a crime committed by giving to God a
part of that which he has received of Him?" The reply, how-
ever, is given in various portions of the prophets, and there is
none so clear as that of our text from the Psalms, in which ap-
pears a general view of the object of sacrifices. It says:
" I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he-goat out of thy fold;
For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand
hills.
I know all the fowls of the mountains ; and the wild beasts of the field
are mine.
If T were hungry, I would not tell thee ; for the world is mine, and
the fulness thereof ?
Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats ?"
Here the questions are put by God Himself through the inspired
Psalmist; and the reply follows:
L
146 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
" Offer unto God thanksgiving, and pay thy vows unto the Most High;
And call upon me in the day of trouble, and thou shalt glorify me."
The sense of this reply is, God requires not the subject, but the
object, of the sacrifice, which is, like that of all ceremonial service,
man's acknowledgment of his guilt, his nothingness, and God's
justice and impenetrable greatness. This acknowledgment is
called by the prophets " contrition of spirit," and is all which the
Lord demands from our hands, or rather from our hearts. But
it might again be asked, Why does God require this acknowledg-
ment from man? He has not to fear rebellion as a human ruler
and monarch has to fear from his subjects, for He is omnipotent;
and what then could it matter to a Being infinitely great, depend-
ing upon none and influenced by none, whether a humble perish-
able creature, which is in His hand " like the clay in that of the
potter," pays homage to Him or not? But if we attentively read
our text, we shall find also an answer to this question.
All ceremonial observances which are ordained by God to man,
are not for God's, but man's sake; for the human mind is too
prone to forgetfulness of favours received, and is subject to ingrati-
tude, boasting and pride, which are its consequences. This for-
getfulness, which is inherent to flesh, would not injure the
all-powerful Creator, but would materially injure ourselves; it
would lead to our degeneration into all those vices and crimes
which are the fruits of pride and haughtiness. The All-wise,
therefore, designed to institute ceremonial laws tending to remind
man of his duties to God, and to rouse him from the apathy into
which the gratification of his desires might have thrown him,
and thus make him provide for his own welfare. Hence the Jew-
ish metaphysicians called these laws fil^HST HIXD " laws of
remembrance." Let no man, therefore, however expansive and
retentive his mind, and however grateful and kind a heart he
may have, boast that he requires not these " laws of remem-
brance," for they are indispensable. The object of the sacrifice
is, therefore, to remind man that he is no worthier than the beast
or the fowl which he now kills; that his life is perhaps as much
forfeited as that which he now sacrifices on the altar; that his
blood ought to have been shed as that of the bleeding offering.
And that which God receives and requires is but the MEMORY, as
we read in this Sabbath's lesson:
" And the priest shall take from the meat-offering a MEMORIAL
thereof, and shall burn it upon the altar." Levit. ii. 9.
Also in ver. 2:
" And the priest shall burn the MEMORIAL of it upon the altar."
And this we deem the meaning of the Scriptural phrase applied
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 147
to sacrifices, " A sweet savour unto the Lord," to imply that the
Almighty does not require the consumption, but the " sweet
savour;" that is, the spiritual effect which the physical consump-
tion leaves behind. Maimonides says, that the symbolical signifi-
cation of laying the hand upon the head of the offering is, " that
man should think of his guilt, and that his own head might have
deserved to be laid on the altar." The same symbolical significa-
tion had the sprinkling of the blood, and many other ceremonies
attending the offering. To this the Psalmist also alludes in the
words, " Offer unto God thanksgiving, and pay thy vows unto
the Most high" ; not that God requires these thanks and these
payments for Himself, but that " thou shalt call in the day of
trouble," and God shall hear thee. Nothing can demonstrate
more clearly that God requires not the subject but the object of
the sacrifices, than his satisfaction at, and acceptance of, the hand-
ful of flour which the poor man may offer. It is distinctly
ordained of such an humble offering, " on which he is neither to
put any oil, nor put any frankincense thereon," that the priest
shall take his handful of it, even a memorial thereof, and by this
" the priest shall make an atonement for him as touching his sin
that he had sinned, and it shall be forgiven him" (Levit. v. 12,
13); an undeniable proof that God requires no physical blood, but
a bleeding heart or contrite spirit.
In the absence of the sacrifices, our prayers serve as a substitute;
and if we have the same objects in view as those of the Temple
sacrifices, the prophet Hosea promises :
" Take unto you words, and turn to the Lord. Say unto him,
Take away all iniquities, and receive it graciously ;
So shall our lips compensate for the bullocks."*
The Midrash relates of King Agrippa, that he wished one day
to sacrifice a thousand burnt-offerings. He sent for the High
Priest, and told him, " To-day no one shall bring a sacrifice
except myself." A poor man happened to come on the same day
to the priest, and brought him two turtle doves, requesting him
to offer them. The priest replied, " I regret I cannot, for the
king has commanded me, ' No one shall bring a sacrifice to-day
except myself'.'" The poor man replied, " My Lord High Priest,
I catch every day four doves; two I offer up, and with the other
two I maintain myself; if thou wilt not offer them, thou cuttest
off my living." The High Priest took them and offered them.
When King Agrippa was told that the High Priest had given
precedence to the poor man's offering, he was very wroth with
* The English Authorised Version of this passage, " so will we render the
calves of our lips," is very obscure, and can only be made intelligible if we take
" the calves of the lips" as a figurative terra to signify that the lips shall be a sub-
stitute for the calves.
L 2
148 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
the High Priest, who, however, thus appealed to his royal master :
" The poor man seemed to think that he only succeeded in
catching four doves every day because he offered two, and ap-
prehended if he were not permitted to offer the two in gratitude
to Providence, he would not have the other two either; and could
I refuse this innocent man?" The king was appeased, and said,
" Thou hast done well; if all my subjects would be as grateful, I
should be the happiest of kings."
We also read sometimes on this Sabbath, or on the Sabbath
close to it, a portion of the Pentateuch in which the month of
Nisan is appointed the first month on account of the departure
from Egypt having taken place in that month. This is also a
" law of remembrance," to remind us of the debt of gratitude we
owe to our Heavenly Benefactor for the deliverance from Egyp-
tian bondage. Our ancestors then called upon God in the night
of trouble, but forgot Him in the day of prosperity. May the
perusal of this Sabbath's lesson, then, serve also as a " law of
remembrance," that as we fly for refuge to God in the hour of
distress, we may seek Him with no less zeal and earnestness in
the day of our triumph and prosperity.
The prophet, in the Haphtorah of this Sabbath (taken from
Isaiah xliii.), dwells with great force upon the Lord's not requir-
ing sacrifices of man for His own sake, and also upon the in-
efficacy of sacrifices unaccompanied by obedience. He thus
commences :
" This people have I formed for myself; they shall show forth my
praise. But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob ; hut thou hast
been weary of me, O Israel. Thou hast not brought me the small
cattle of thy burnt-offerings ; neither hast thou honoured me with thy
sacrifices. I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied
thee with insults. Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money,
neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices ; but thou hast
made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine
iniquities."
In reproaching Israel for discontinuing the services of offering
sacrifices, oblations, and sweet-incense, the prophet emphatically
repudiates the notion that sacrifices are desired by God for any
other purpose than that of making sinful man sensible of the
obligation and duties incumbent upon him towards his Creator,
and to confirm that which has been previously stated; viz., the
utter inutility of these outward demonstrations of religion, with-
out that inward faith which is the crown of the righteous. The
prophet Samuel, in his memorable rebuke of King Saul, expresses
this idea still more distinctly. He says :
" Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices as
in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTOEAHS. 149
sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the
sin of witchcraft [or superstition] , and stubbornness is as iniquity and
idolatry."
After having rebuked Israel for their neglect in attending to
the offering of sacrifices, Isaiah assures them in the name of the
Lord, that, if they repent, they will be forgiven :
" I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own
sake, and will not remember thy sins. Put me in remembrance: let us
plead together : declare thou, that thou mayest be justified. Thy first
father hath sinned, and thy teachers have transgressed against me.
Therefore I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary, and have given
Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches."
It was owing to the corruption of the leaders and priests of
Israel, whom the prophet calls " the teachers," that the nation
gradually degenerated from their former high standard of morality
and religion, and deeply sank into the mire of depravity and into
the abyss of profligacy. Yet the Lord, in His infinite mercy,
graciously vouchsafes his forgiveness if they truthfully seek Him ;
and He thus reassures them :
" Yet now hear, O Jacob, my servant, and Israel, whom I have
chosen : Thus saith the Lord that hath made thee, and hath formed
thee from the womb, and who will help thee ; fear not, O Jacob, my
servant, and thou, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen. For I will pour
water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground : I will
pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:
and they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water-
courses."
This quenching of the thirst and moistening of the dry ground
alludes to the spread of knowledge, both moral and religious,
which shall cause the fallen nation again to rise to its former
glory, and the decayed tree again to bring forth goodly fruit.
The prophet thus concludes :
" One shall say, I am the Lord's, and another shall call himself by
the name of Jacob, and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the
Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel."
PRAYER.
ALL-MERCIFUL FATHER! Thou hast deigned to accept from the
hand of man sacrifices and oblations, sin and trespass offerings, in
atonement for guilt. But since Thou hast forsaken Thine altar and
rejected Thy sanctuary in the day of Thy wrath, there arises no sweet
savour of sacrifices and frankincense from holy altars. Scripture, how-
ever, assures us, that Thou desirest not sacrifices, and Thou delightest
150 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
not in burnt-offerings ; for the sacrifices of God are a broken heart and a
contrite spirit, which Thou, O Lord, wilt not despise. Nor was it the
value of the offerings which found favour in Thy sight, as Thou graciously
acceptedst the two turtle-doves or young pigeons of the less affluent; yea,
even a handful of flour, without oil and without frankincense, from the hand
of the man who was not able even to offer a pair of doves. This hand-
ful of flour, " or even a memorial thereof," was as acceptable unto Thee
as the costly sacrifices offered by the rich and opulent. All that is in
our power to offer now, O Lord, since the altars and the Temple were
destroyed on account of our sins, is the MEMORIAL or the confession of
our guilt, and the prayer for forgiveness which we are able to offer on
the shrine of our heart, and which, relying upon Thy words of comfort,
we trust will be received by Thee in that benign spirit of mercy which
is the great attribute of Thy Holy Name. In approaching the throne
of Thy glory with a poor substitute even for the handful of flour, in
drawing near to Thy divine presence by our humble supplications, we
are fully conscious of our littleness and Thy greatness, and that it is
the memorial only which Thou requirest. Grant, O Lord, that when
we seek Thy clemency and forgiveness, we may be deeply impressed
with the insignificance of man's presentations to the Possessor of all,
with the creature's offering to the Creator, who called us and every
thing into life and into existence. With such convictions in our mind,
we will pray with David, " Do good in Thy good pleasure unto Zion :
build Thou the walls of Jerusalem. Then shalt Thou be pleased with
the sacrifices of righteousness and with burnt-offerings; then shall
they offer bullocks upon Thine altar." Amen..
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHP. 151
SECOND PORTION OF LEVITICUS.
vsy
V013D3
Dominion and fear are with him ;
He maketh peace in His high heavens." Job xxv. 2.
Sabbath's lesson contains various ordinances respecting
-A- the thanks and peace-offerings (D^S&^l !TT)n)- It is justly
remarked by the philosophers of the Midrash, that no sacrifice is
so agreeable to the Creator, as the peace and thank-offering,
which they prove from a passage in the Psalms, where it says,
11 Whoso offers praise, glorifies me " (3J-O' HTIH HDI?)- The
man who offers a sin-offering may have a selfish object in view
pardon of his sins; so the one who brings a trespass-offering
desires pardon for his trespass, whilst he who offers a peace or a
thank-offering, is necessarily actuated by that spirit of " peace "
which God so much desireth. It is remarkable, that in the dis-
tribution of the offering in the proper spirit of peace, every one
enjoyed a share; the altar received the blood and the limbs, the
priest received the breast and shoulder, and the owner retained
the skin and the flesh. No doubt the unequal distribution of our
present offerings, of which one receives a large share, and another,
equally meritorious, and often more useful, a small one, leads to
that discontent and distress of society, which is the very opposite
of peace. Nor are the differences in the observances of one and
the same religious creed at all congenial to peace; there being
many ignorant men so prepossessed in favour of their own custom
(the adoption of which, after all, nothing but chance of birth has
caused), that they believe theirs only leads to the gates of salva-
tion, and will not allow those "to go to heaven " who happen to
follow another custom also, not from choice, but from descent.
The enlightened will, of course, judge differently;, and look
upon all religious customs and ceremonials but as the husk which
covers the fruit. It would, indeed, be a great blessing to the
moral as well as to the religious state of mankind, if a fusion of
152 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
these contending customs into one rational and yet lawful, could
be accomplished ; but it is observed by a Jewish metaphysician,
11 as long as the light of knowledge does not shine in its purity
over the world, so long will every man construct his own lamp,
whereby he thinks to find the stone of wisdom." And this
variety of colours in the religious notions and customs of man
has led to so much shedding of blood, and is yet the cause of so
many political and domestic strifes.
The Midrash thus comments on our text, " he maketh peace in
his high heavens." " How great is the necessity of peace !
even the celestial regions, among whom there is no jealousy and
no strife, no envy and no anger, no malice and no war, yet
require one who makes peace, as the text observes; how much
more do the terrestrial regions, in whom these combustibles are
so numerously found, stand in need of peace ?"*
Another rabbi observes, " How great is peace; for even in time
of war we are enjoined to open with peace;" for it says, "when
thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim
peace unto it." f
And a third rabbi says, " How great is peace; for the name of
God is called peace, as we read in Scripture ; and * He called him
the God of peace " (Judges vi. 24). J
At a first glance, this Talmudical sentence "even in war we
open with peace," would appear a paradox; but if we properly
consider it, we shall find that it is replete with good moral sense.
Moses, though living in a barbarous age, looked upon war (as
every rational being must look upon it), as a dire and dreadful
calamity; it is preceded by affliction, carried on by destruction
and despair, and leaves desolation and misery behind. War,
according to the Mosaic dispensation, was but permitted as the
last alternative of self-protection, or the uprooting of idolatry,
and its abominations. The divine legislator, therefore, warns
against precipitate declarations of war, and enjoins, that even
when " we come nigh unto a city to fight against it," we shall
first try if the dispute cannot be settled peaceably, and therefore
shall first " proclaim peace unto it." Such a law was enacted
wore than three thousand years ago; and is it not most painful to
x 1 ?} nwp vb Dr6 jw n^i^yn nx noi i ota? tola n3 nxi -HDK x-isp -a *
<DV?K> panv nyn py &6i npibno ttb /nuni mvo x^i nnnn xS nwe>
nnx by ibbn nnon bs Dn3Be> a^nnnnn vn3 oi 1 ?^ neny 3n3n xn xin
n"-in D^Wphme riEnSo nye>3 ''axs? Dib^n "?nj ^bin w "i inx t
Qtivb rv^s fcopi ri^y or\br\b Ty bx 3ipn '3 3
"n ib vrp* '3^ ab& KTpa n3"pn *w ID^JT m^ im: *DV 13
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 153
observe that this very law is not yet enforced in modern age, and
civilised countries, where, and when frequently the mightier enemy,
expecting advantages from war, hardly attempts an amicable
adjustment, but at once proceeds to the field of destruction,
leading innocent men (for soldiers are also men) into fights and
battles, when even in case of " victory " a few hundred lives are
sure to be sacrificed; and then the official report triumphantly
commences, " We have only lost," etc. It seems that we are
very distant yet from the period predicted by Isaiah, when
" nation shall not lift up sword against nation, and they shall not
learn war any more;" and the time when " peace shall be ex-
tended to the world like a river." Indeed, we fear that this
consummation of prophecy can only be brought about by that
spiritual Messiah of whom the eloquent prophet exclaims, " How
beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth
good tidings, that publisheth peace"
The Sabbath which we observe at the end of the week
preceding the Passover, is called by the rabbies 7l"lJn J""D^j
the great Sabbath, on account of its preceding the Passover
week, the Feast of Liberty, which is the greatest festival a nation
can celebrate. It has also been a proper custom, introduced by
the Rabbies, to hold public lectures in the Synagogue and
Colleges on that Sabbath, to instruct people in the observance of
the Passover. But the public lecturers, whilst exhorting their
flocks to observe the Passover ordinances, should remind their
wealthier brethren, that these observances entail great expense,
and fall heavily on the poor and respectable man, who cannot
come to beg for his Passover-bread, and that the rich should
assist their less fortunate brethren, in the performance of the
sacred law. Such assistance would be the best thank-offering
they could bring to God, and such would be, in the prophetic
words of the Haphtorah, " pleasant unto the Lord," as the offer-
ings of Judah and Jerusalem in the days of old, as in former
years (Malachi, iii. 4).
In the regular Haphtorah of this Sabbath (taken from Jer. vii.)
the prophet denounces, in powerful language, the false predic-
tions by which those who pretended to be divine prophets endea-
voured to mislead Israel in the time of Jeremiah. He thus
commences: " Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel,
amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell
in this place. Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of
the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, are
these/' This passage is obscure, and requires explanation. It is
evident from the events that occurred in the age of Jeremiah
that he had unceasingly to contend against false prophets, who,
instead of denouncing the vice and corruption which debased the
154 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
nation, pandered to the vicious tastes of an overwhelmed people,
and led them on in the way of crime and destruction. Indeed
the whole life of Jeremiah was one long series of struggles
against the hypocritical priests, who dared to impress their false-
hoods with the stamp of divine sanction, and usurped the autho-
rity of divine messengers. It was against these vile seducers of
the people that Jeremiah warns Israel, " trust ye not in lying
words," saying, " The temple of the Lord," etc., for these crafty
preachers, in order to give plausibility to their pernicious advice,
had always the temple of the Lord in their mouths as a covering
for their base and malicious designs. Jeremiah strove with all
his might and power, notwithstanding the fear of imprisonment
and death, to disentangle the people from these snares, and
gradually to lead them back into the safe path. He continues:
" For if ye thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, if ye
thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour;
if yc oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and
shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after God to
your hurt, then will 1 cause you to dwell in this place, in the land
that I gave your fathers for ever and ever." *
Jeremiah was undaunted and persevering both in his exhorta-
tion to the corrupt people and in his intercession with the
merciful Father. Even after the Lord had said to him " Pray
thou not for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them,
neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee."
Jeremiah still did not resign what he felt to be his mission, and
continued to implore the Divine forgiveness. He then addresses
the nations respecting their burnt-offerings and sacrifices, un-
attended by practical religion.
" Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, Put your burnt-
offerings unto your sacrifices, and eat flesh. For I spake not unto
your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out
of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt-offerings or sacrifices. This
thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your
God, and ye shall be my people ; and walk ye in all the ways that I
commanded you, that it may be well unto you."
The terrible depravity and licentiousness which at that time
reduced Israel to the lowest ebb of morality, is described in this
Haphtorah in language so simple yet so awful, that the patriotic
Israelite must shudder at its perusal. The conclusion of the
chapter contains one of the most withering denunciations that
ever proceeded from the Divine Judge. " Then will I cause to
cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem,
the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the
bridegroom, the voice of the bride : for the land shall be deso-
late." It is, however, a source of consolation to read in another
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAnS. 155
portion of the same prophet, that he holds out prospects for the
recovery of Israel, and for her ultimate restoration through more
faithful leaders and more equitable judges.
"And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them, and
they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed; neither shall they be lacking,
says the Lord.
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a
righteous branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute
judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shah 1 be saved,
and Israe shall dwell in tranquillity,"
PRAYER.
ALL-MERCIFUL FATHER! we are deprived of the privilege of bringing
thank and peace-offerings unto Thee, either of flesh or of blood, as
did our fathers of old, in the tabernacle or in the temple. But, although
sacrifices have ceased, and the letter of the sacerdotal ordinances can-
not be fulfilled, yet the spirit of Thy wise statutes, established for the
good of man individually, and for the welfare of society collectively,
remains intact, and is as everlasting as the Eternal Source whence
it sprang. The spirit of thanksgiving is indelibly grafted on the human
heart ; and woe unto that man in whose breast all feelings of gratitude
are stifled by vanity and selfishness. The spirit of peace is ineffaceably
inscribed in the book of nature ; yet there reigns a spirit of antagonism
within man, which not unfrequently obtains the mastery over the
former, and destroys the goodly plants which can only thrive under the
genial rays of peace. Often do we strew with our own hands the seed
of enmity and strife, and instead of cultivating the sweet and healthy
flowers of union and concord, of friendship and gratitude, which Thou,
O Lord of Peace, hast planted in the garden of the earth, we sinfully
encourage the growth of briars and thistles, of discord and hatred, the
noxious exotics so balefully influencing our thriving and to our
prosperity. We therefore implore Thee, O Lord, to make the salutary
spirit of union and peace to prevail over the morbid sense of antago-
nism and opposition to cause our emotions of humility and gratitude
to reign over arrogance and unthankfulness ; so that we may enjoy the
fruits of wisdom and understanding, with which Thou, O Creator, in
Thy goodness hast so richly endowed man in the paradise on earth.
Grant, O Lord, that when it is our misfortune to disagree among our-
selves, we may approach each other with feelings of amity, and a
determination to waive our differences for the noble and holy purpose
of peace to be always impressed with the sentiment of the Psalmist:
" Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell
together in unity! As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that
descended upon the mountains of Zion; for there the Lord commanded
a blessing, even life for evermore." Amen.
156 SABBATH MEDITATIONS OX
"no
THIRD PORTION OF LEVITICUS.
n:n o
BO jo ^wb IDDD npnb D'K^> pn !?y
" Who hath woe ? Who hath sorrow ? Who hath contentions ? Who
hath babbling ?
Who hath wounds without cause ? Who hath redness of eyes ?
They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine."
Prov. xxiii. 29, 30.
AS all principles of morality and virtue take their origin from
the Mosaic dispensation, so is the one of temperance founded
on the lesson which we read this Sabbath: " And the Lord spake
unto Aaron, saying, Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou,
nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the
congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout
your generations." It is worthy of remark, however, that the
laws and injunctions of the Old Testament were always within
the " golden medium," and never went to extremities. Even the
priests were prohibited from drinking wine and strong drink only
when they had to go into the tabernacle to perform the sacred
service, but not otherwise. The principle of the Mosaic Law
ordains moderation in all enjoyments, but not utter abstemious-
ness and resignation. It was only the Nazarite who was enjoined
to "separate himself from wine and strong drink;" but the
Nazarite was bound only by his own sacred vow, which was a
voluntary one there being no law, however, that a man shall
take such a vow. Nor is the Nazarite rigidly prohibited from
these enjoyments any longer than during the " days of his separa-
tion/' According to the Old Testament doctrines, " God hath
given the earth to man " to enjoy its fruit, but in moderation, and
not to excess. It is only those who are unable to bridle their
passions and to curb their sensual cravings, and who find them-
selves, by the current of their excesses, brought to the brink of
destruction, for whom the vow of a Nazarite was necessary. The
man, however, who can keep within the bounds of sobriety needs
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAIIS. 157
not such a vow. The royal preacher, from whom we took our
text, experienced more than any man the evil results arising from
excessive indulgence in sensual gratifications; and hence his
unceasing exhortations to moderation and abstinence. He com-
mences
" Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thy heart in the way.
Be not among wine-bibbers, among riotous eaters of flesh ;
For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty,
And drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags."
No eloquence of the temperance preachers, and no arguments
of the temperance tracts, is so forcible as these four lines by the
ancient Jewish preacher. What Father Matthew's pen so zea-
lously and so ably advocated, and what Cruikshank's pencil so
skilfully drew, in the nineteenth century, a Jew had, a thousand
years before the Christian era, said in the words, " drowsiness
shall clothe a man with rags." That drunkenness is the source of
most of the abominable crimes which, alas! fill the pages of our
daily journals in a civilised age and civilised country, is a matter
beyond dispute ; and we attribute the rarity of the perpetration of
such crimes among the modern Jews to that sobriety which dis-
tinguishes their character in every country.
The authors of the Midrash even attribute the trespass of the
two sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, which, as recorded in this
Sabbath's lesson, was visited with the punishment of death, to
intemperance. It says:
pi IIITV& ID:DJB> ja &6tf jinx hw van w ino v
" Kabbi Ishmael is of opinion that the two sons of Aaron died
because they entered the tabernacle to perform the service being
drunk with wine." And this might have been the cause of their
having offered strange fire, "which the Lord had commanded
them not." For, though they had seen that " there came a fire
out from before the Lord, and consumed upon the altar the burnt-
offering and the fat" ; yet we read that " they took either of them
his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon." The
punishment of this sin seems, at the first reading of the passage,
' f and there went out fire from the Lord and devoured them, and
they died before the Lord," very severe; but the heavenly Judge
explained it to Aaron through Moses: u This is that the Lord
spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh unto
me, and before all the people I will be glorified." Had such an
offence been commited by any one humbler in station, the punish-
ment would have been less severe; but as it was done by the sons
of the high priest, and that in the presence of the whole congre-
gation, the " Judge of all the earth " manifested his impartiality
by visiting it with instantaneous death; for it is those " who
158 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
come nigh unto him," that is, those who fill high and sacred
offices, that should be the last to transgress, and it is these whom
God chastises as an example, and as a glorification of His holy
name. No one could have felt the loss more deeply, on no one
could the blow have fallen heavier, than upon the bereaved
father. No one had occasion to weep louder (if not to murmur)
than Aaron ; yet we read that when Moses gave him this message
from the Lord, " AND AARON HELD HIS PEACE."
Two moral lessons are derived from this awful catastrophe.
1st. That the judge, so far from sparing men high in office if
they commit a public offence, must punish them more severely
than he would punish men in an humbler station; and, 2nd, that
as Aaron silently submitted to the judgment of God, as he " held
his peace " when he saw two of his sons devoured by the flames
on the very day of rejoicing at the consecration of himself and
his sons, so ought we calmly to resign ourselves to bereavements
sustained, and to beware of murmuring, either in word or in
thought, against the dispensation of God's justice, however
heavily it may fall upon us. How impressively is this expressed
in the injunction of Moses to the mourning family of Nadab and
Abihu: " Uncover not your heads, neither rend yotfr clothes,
lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people ; but let your
brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which
the Lord hath kindled ! "
Yet Aaron, the bereaved father, and Eleazar and Ithamar, his
two surviving sons, keenly felt the awful visitation of the divine
displeasure on the very day of the consecration; having been
plunged into deep mourning in the very hour of rejoicing.
Moses, as we read in Scripture, had spoken unto Aaron, and
unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar his sons that were left, " Take
the meat-offering that remaineth of the offerings of the Lord
made by fire, and eat without leaven beside the altar: for it is
most holy. And ye shall eat it in the holy place, because it is thy
due and thy son's due, of the sacrifices of the Lord made by fire :
for so I am commanded." It appears, however, that the grieved
father and his sons did not follow Moses' commandment, and
instead of eating the offerings burnt them. This act of disobe-
dience provoked the anger of Moses against Eleazar and Ithamar,
the sons of Aaron, " which were left alive." But how affecting
and dignified was Aaron's reply. When Moses rebuked them,
asking, " Wherefore have ye not eaten the sin-offering in the
holy place, seeing it is most holy, and God hath given it to you
to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement
before them before the Lord?" Aaron replied to Moses, "Be-
hold, this day have they offered their sin-offering and their burnt-
offering before the Lord; and such things have befallen me: if I
had eaten the sin-offering to-day, should it have been accepted in
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 159
the sight of the Lord?" This just and reasonable apology for
deviating from Moses' commands, was evidently deemed sufficient
in the eyes of the divine legislator, as we read, " And when
Moses heard that, he was content."
On the one hand we must admire Aaron's silent resignation
under heavy afflictions to the inscrutable Avill of God. On the
other hand, too much praise cannot be bestowed upon Moses for
his ready acceptance of Aaron's apology for disobedience to
orders. Moses felt, that, had Aaron and his surviving sons, who
were painfully suffering from a deep wound just inflicted the
sudden loss of two promising sons to a father in one day, the
loss of two brothers to the two remaining sons in one fell blow,
had they, the surviving and mourning family, sat down to eat the
public offerings under such calamitous circumstances, it might
have been considered as indecorous as it would have been un-
feeling. Hence Moses' content with the dignified bearing of
Aaron and his sons, at a time when it pleased the Divine Judge
to manifest his righteous and unquestionable judgment.
The Ha.phtorah of this Sabbath (taken from 2 Sam. vi.) records
an incident which teaches us an important lesson. It appears
that after the ark of the Lord, containing the two tablets of the
law, had been removed to " the city of David " in solemn pro-
cession, David the king manifested his joy, not only by sacrifices
" of oxen and fallings," but he danced before the Lord with all
his might. We further read, David and all the house of Israel
brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting, and with the
sound of the trumpet. This display of the king's raptures
seemed greatly to have provoked the contempt of Michal, King
Saul's daughter, who, as Scripture informs us, looked through
her window, and saw King David leaping and dancing before the
Lord; and she despised him in her heart. When David subse-
quently blessed the people in the name of the Lord of Hosts, he
distributed among the multitude of Israel, to the women as well
as to the men, to every one a cake of bread, and a good piece of
flesh, and a flagon of wine. The spiritual blessing was thus
properly accompanied by substantial benevolence. When all the
people had departed every one to his house, then David returned
to bless his household. Now Michal, the queen, vented her
anger against the king in the following manner: " She came out
to meet him and said: How glorious was the king of Israel
to-day, who uncovered himself to-day in the eyes of the hand-
maids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly un-
covereth himself! " This unusual exhibition of a king thus
publicly to give unrestrained vent to his gladness, naturally
offended the decorous princess who considereth it a breach of
court etiquette of the grossest nature. But David's reply was as
dignified as it was warm. " He said unto Michal, It was before
160 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
the Lord, who chose me before thy father and before all his house,
to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel:
therefore will I play before the Lord. I would even humble
myself more than this, because I am f lowly in my own sight;
whilst of the maid-servants, of whom thou hast spoken, of them
shall I be more honoured."
The manner of David's public rejoicing, which gave offence
even to the queen, suggest various reflections. It first demon-
strates that truly religious feeling which expresses itself unre-
servedly and fearlessly, unmindful of the sneers of the one or the
laughter of the other. It exemplifies that genuine and fervent
religious joy which casts off all the fetters of conventionalities,
and discards unmeaning formalities. David was exceedingly
rejoiced at having the ark of the Lord, which contained the
immutable tablets of the law, brought to his residence, as a future
indication of his being privileged to erect a suitable edifice for
the worship of God. Though a king, fresh with the glory of
victory and conquest over his enemies within and without, yet
he would not restrain those pious raptures overflowing his heart.
He danced and played not to be admired, but because he was an
admirer of the goodness of God, and an adorer of His mercy.
His rejoinder, on being taunted with indecorous conduct by the
queen, is truly in keeping with his ardent disposition. He would
even humble himself more than this before the Omnipotent,
because he, in pious humility, considered himself lowly in his
own sight. Nay, more, he maintained that those, of whom the
queen feared that they would despise him, would rather honour
and esteem him. We may learn from this enthusiastic frankness
demonstrated by the royal psalmist, that we never need be
ashamed of the public performance of a duty so long as we feel
convinced that we are zealously following the dictates of our
conscience. But, alas! there are many of our brethren and
sisters who, though feeling impressed with the importance of
many of our ancient religious observances, neglect them from
fear of sarcasm or ridicule. Some fear to be called old-fashioned,
others apprehend being looked upon as hypocritical or bigoted.
Indeed, this false modesty often prevents many right-minded and
truly religiously-disposed people from doing that which is good
and proper, only from fear of giving offence or provoking the
sneers of their neighbours. These timid co-religionists we refer
to the example of David, a king, upon whom the eyes of Israel
were directed, and whose dignified position exposed him more
than any other to criticism, yet danced and played before the
Lord in a public thoroughfare, before the ark, because his reli-
gious emotions urged him on to exalt and praise the Lord.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 161
PRAYER.
EXALTED CREATOR ! The earth is filled with Thy goodness, and trea-
sures in abundance hast Thou prepared for the enjoyment of man.
Nature teems with substance, both for the supply of our indispensable
wants, as well as for the gratification of those necessaries created by
our own desires for luxuries. " Thou causest the grass to grow for
the cattle, and herb for the service of man, that he may bring forth
food out of the earth." These are requisite for the maintenance of
Thy creatures. But Thou hast also " caused to grow wine, that maketh
glad the heart of man." If we enjoy this production of the earth in
moderation, it indeed gladdens our hearts; but how often is it partaken
of to such an immoderate extent, that, instead of gladdening our hearts,
it becomes a source of domestic strife and unhappiness, yea, of endless
affliction. Besides, intemperate gratifications render us unfit to appear
in Thy presence, O Lord, as observed by the sage of old, "I1DK "1135?
??3hn? that the inebriate are prohibited from prayerful devotion. The
absence of sobriety incapacitates us from discharging our duties to man.
and God, and blunts the finer feelings of love and friendship ; hardens
us in the perpetration of inhuman deeds, and reduces us to the level of
the brute. How great, therefore, is the danger of diverging from the
golden line of temperance, and from the middle course running be-
tween utter abstemiousness and habits of excess. And as man, in his
uncertain paces on the path of life, however cautiously he may be
disposed, is liable to overstep the boundaries which separate modera-
tion from excess, we pray with the Psalmist, " Lead me, O Lord, in
Thy righteousness ; make Thy ways straight before my face. Hold up
my goings in Thy paths, that my footsteps slip not. Support me
according unto Thy word, that I may live. Hold Thou me up, and I
shall be safe." The road which we have to travel is often gloomy and
dark; the journey is frequently weary and troublesome; and how easily
do we not miss " the King's road," and fall into the abyss of intempe-
rance and vice. Our inward light is obscured by the shadows in the
valley of death, and we sadly stand in need of Thy Light, O Lord, to
keep to the straight path, leading to our earthly happiness and hea-
venly salvation. " Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto
my path ; then I consider my ways, and turn my feet unto Thy
testimonies." Amen.
162 SABBATH MEDITATIONS OX
-no
FOURTH PORTION OF LEVITICUS.
W331D' non ; m noum
" Many sorrows shall be to the wicked ;
But he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about."
Ps. xxxii. 10.
THE portion of the Law which we read this Sabbath, abounds
in injunctions to the priests as to the treatment of various
bodily plagues and leprosy. The question as to the relation of
the spiritual office of the priest with physical cure, has puzzled
most of the biblical commentators. It would be degrading to
the enlightened dispensation of Moses to assert, as infidels have
asserted, that, in order to promote priestcraft, Moses would make
the people believe that medical skill was unavailable even to phy-
sical maladies, and that the cure was vested in the priesthood
exclusively. But those who, with the Psalmist, agree that " the
commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes," will
at once discard such reasoning, and will reject any interpretation
which attributes to the Mosaic law a desire to keep the people in
the dark; to feed superstition and fanaticism; and to extend the
sphere of sacerdotal duties beyond that of religion and morality.
Our text, we think, fully removes the apparent difficulty. One
of the first principles of faith is to admit the justice of God, that
all our afflictions, physical and mental, are but the consequences
of our own defects and wickedness. " Many sorrows shall be to
the wicked." Yet whilst visited by bodily afflictions, we are
bound in duty to ourselves to call in aid medical skill, and to
avail ourselves of the various remedies which the Creator has
vested in nature; we must not deceive ourselves with the idea
that medical skill is sufficient without the assistance of Providence,
but must recollect the concluding sentence of the Psalmist, " he
that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about." This
principle runs through the whole of the law and the prophets :
" Man, do your duty, and for success trust to God." And this
THE PENTATEUCH AND IIAPHTORAHS. 163
is the genuine spirit of faith, according to the Old Testament. To
neglect all physical duties, and to resign ourselves entirely to spi-
ritual faith, is condemned by our laws, as much as to deny the
dispensations of Providence. Both are equally fallacious. The
pious man who confines himself to prayer and the study of the
law, without endeavouring to provide the means of physical
life for himself and family, is as much at fault as the infidel who
thinks that his talent and power alone can maintain him without
assistance from the Invisible Ruler. And this principle of
Jewish faith is amply demonstrated in this Sabbath's lesson,
which, although far from prohibiting the consultation of the
medical skill in cases of bodily affliction, yet enjoins us to com-
bine trust in the earthly physician with that in the Heavenly One;
and, therefore, advises the patient to consult also the spiritual
assistant, the priest, who, if he be a genuine and faithful minister
of God if he, in return for the " fat and the flesh," administers
to the afflicted that balm of spiritual consolation, and that mental
relief which constitutes the duties of his office will contribute
as much to soothe the sufferings of the patient as the skill of the
physician will be able to effect. And this we take to be the
tendency of the remedy which so frequently occurs in this Sab-
bath's lesson, " and the priest shall shut him up seven days," and,
in some cases, "seven days more." The " shutting up" was no
doubt a means of bringing the patient to a sense of his religious
duties, to meditation, and the absorption of his thoughts in moral
and religious investigations, particularly if he is vain, proud, and
stubborn, to admit his nothingness, the justice of God; and thus,
if possible, to effect a radical cure of his mental malady.
We read in the Talmud JtO"^ 'DD
'i 1 ? o , rhzrh r6iiO ino^ an nns mirr an nox rv>y 73^2 3iD.ni *ND
To what did Hezekiah allude, when he said: " I have done
that which is good in Thy sight?" (2 Kings, xx. 3.) Rabbi Je-
hudah stated on the authority of Rab, " He has looked for
deliverance in prayer." Rabbi Levy says, " He has hidden the
book on medicine" alluding to the book on medicine (*))D
r\1iOn) composed by King Solomon, which is no more
extant, in consequence of its having been destroyed by King
Hezekiah.
The sense of this obscure passage appears to us to be as follows:
The moral which the rabbinical injunction to join the prayer
for Israel's redemption to the eighteen blessings (mfcj>y n3?)
conveys is, that though Israel may contribute by religion and vir-
tue to her own redemption, yet human means alone are insuffi-
cient, but it requires the assistance of God. Hence it is neces-
sary, immediately after the prayer for the redemption, to read the
M 2
164 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
eighteen blessings, in which we beseech God to hasten our deliver-
ance.
King Hezekiah distinguished himself by his implicit faith in
God, so that in trouble or distress, instead of trusting in human
means, he had recourse to the divine prophet and to prayer.
When Sennacherib's army and the blasphemer Rabshakeh threat-
ened to destroy Jerusalem, " he went into the house of the
Lord/' and sent to Isaiah, the prophet, for advice. When he
was " sick unto death," Hezekiah " turned his face toward the
wall, and prayed unto the Lord." In that prayer he said, " and
that which is good in Thy sight I have done;" which Rabbi
Jehudah, the son of Rab, explains, by alluding to Hezekiah's
faith in God, and not in human means alone : " He joined the
redemption to prayer;" signifying that he did not trust in human
efforts alone for his release, but resigned himself to the will of
God. Rabbi Levi coincides with the former rabbi, that " faith in
God, and not in his own power" was the great characteristic of
Hezekiah; and he conveys this idea in the expression, " he did
the book on medicine;" i.e., he trusted less to human skill for
the remedy of his illness than to the Heavenly Physician ; not like
King Asa, of whom Scripture tells us (2 Chron.xvi. 12), " in
his disease he sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians."
It appears, moreover, from scripture history, that not only
Israelites consulted the priest in cases of bodily affliction, but
that also heathens of high position sent to the prophets in Israel
to seek a cure for physical maladies.
We read, in this Sabbath's Haphtorah (taken from 2 Kings, v.),
that "Naaman, Captain of the Host of the King of Syria, was a
great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the
Lord had given deliverance unto Syria. He w.as also a mighty
man in valour, but he was a leper. And the Syrians had gone
out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land
of Israel a little maid, and she waited on Naaman's wife. And
she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the
prophet that is in Samaria, for he would recover him of his
leprosy. And one went in, and told his lord, saying : Thus and
thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel."
The maid of Israel, evidently brought up to religious principles
and usages, felt confidence in the divine powers vested in the
true prophets of old to effect both physical and mental cures.
We then read :
" And the King of Syria said : Go, and I will send a letter unto the
King of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of
silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment.
And he brought the letter to the King of Israel, saying, Now when
this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman
my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy."
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 165
The Assyrian king mistook the Israelitish prophet for one of
those pagan mercenary priests, who enriched themselves by the
doubtful services they rendered to the ignorant people, and there-
fore gave his favourite general an immensely rich present for the
Jewish prophet. We next read :
" And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter,
that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make
alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy?
Wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel
against me. And it was, so when Elisha, the man of God, had heard
that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king,
saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? Let him come now to
me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel."
It is obvious, that the maid of Israel in the general's service,
and even the heathen king of Syria had more confidence in the
Israelitish prophet, than had the sceptic king of Israel. The
narrative continues:
" Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at
the door of the house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a messenger unto
him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall
come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. But Naaman was wroth,
and went away, and said, Behold, I thought he will surely come out to
me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike
his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Are not Abana and
Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel ? May
I not wash in them and be clean ? So he turned and went away in a
rage."
The pagan captain was not initiated into the doctrines of the
Jewish faith, which we have pointed out before, that the remedial
measures taken by the priest or the prophet are not regarded as
actual means of recovery, but merely as an incentive for man to
do his duty, whilst the delivery proceeds from God only, to whom
we must address ourselves in humility and prayer. It was not the
bathing in the Jordan, which Elisha considered as a final cure,
but as a human means of cleansing, to be blessed by the Divine
Power, with which he, the prophet, would intercede for the re-
covery of the patient. Naaman, however, was differently advised,
as we read: " And his servants came near, and spake unto him,
and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee to do some
great thing wouldest thou not have done it? How much rather
then, when he saith to thee, Wash and be clean?" This reason-
able remonstrance had its proper effect upon Naaman; " Then
went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, accord-
ing to the saying of the man of God ; and his flesh came again
like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean/' The
idolatrous Naaman was now brought to a confession of the Unity
166 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
of God; for we perceive, that " He returned unto the man of
God, he and all his company, and came and stood before him:
and he said, Behold now I know that there is no God in all the
earth but in Israel : now, therefore, I pray thee, take a present of
thy servant/' Naaman, though convinced of the omnipotence of
the only God, yet reared in the corruptions of idolatry and its
avaricious priests, could scarcely imagine that a poor prophet
would render so effectual a service to a wealthy applicant with-
out large pecuniary remuneration. But the truly unselfish Elisha,
whom Scripture justly calls " a man of God," disdained accept-
ing the present, however costly and tempting. " As the Lord
liveth before whom I stand/' exclaimed he, " I will receive none.
And Naaman urged him to take it, but he refused."
This powerful proof of the Jewish prophet's integrity and dis-
interestedness, completed the conversion of Naaman from idolatry
to the true faith. For " Naaman said: Shall there not then, I
pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules' burden of earth? For
thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt-offering nor sacri-
fice unto other gods, but unto the Lord." But as Naaman was in
the service of the king of Syria, an idolater, he felt that he
could not openly refuse his royal master to follow him in the
heathen worship. He, therefore, promised the prophet unsolicited,
that his idolatrous worship would be only outward and compulsory,
whilst the service of his heart would always be elevated to the
only God, the God of Israel. We advisedly say, that he made
this promise unsolicited, for the Jewish faith is not a proselyting
one. Though Elisha, who refused presents, might have with
good reason demanded in return Naaman's conversion, he did
nothing of the kind, and was fully contented with the result of
his intercession with God.
We read, that Naaman said in conclusion:
"In this thing the Lord pardon thy servant; but when my master
goeth into the house of Rimmon [one of the pagan idols], to worship
there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of
Rimmon; when I thus bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the
Lord pardon thy servant in this thing."
The prophet Elisha, as we see, was disinterested, and indiffer-
ent to worldly gain, and all mundane treasures. Not so, how-
ever, his servant Gehazi, who said, " Behold my master hath
spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that
which he brought; but as the Lord liveth, I will run after him,
and take somewhat of him. So Gehazi followed after Naaman.
And when Naaman saw him run after him, he lighted down from
his chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well? And he said, All
is well? My master hath sent me, saying, Behold even now
there be come to me from Mount Ephraim two young men of the
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 167
sons of the prophets: Give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver
and two changes of garments. And Naaman said, Be content,
take two talents; and he urged him, and bound two talents of
silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid
them upon two of his servants ; and they bare them before him."
The gratitude of Naaman and the reverence for his prophetic
benefactor were here strikingly manifested. The selfish and cun-
ning Gehazi tried to conceal this deceitful action from his generous
master; but he speedily and instinctively detected it. For we
read, " That he went in and stood before his master; and Elisha
said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said,
Thy servant went no whither."
Gehazi's criminal conduct had begun with one falsehood, and,
as usual in such cases, begat others. The prophet indignantly
replied: " Went not my heart with thee when the man turned
again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive
money, and to receive garments, &c., &c.? The leprosy of Naa-
man shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever.'' Just
retribution pronounced by divine judgment followed upon the
heel of Gehazi's treachery. The chapter concludes with the
terrible sentence, " And he went out from his presence, a leper as
white as snow."
PRAYER
HEAVENLY FATHER ! Thou hast given us, Thy children on earth,
life and existence, the duration of which, depending upon Thy will, we
are bound to guard and protect. Often do we ourselves embitter and
even shorten the length of our earthly pilgrimage, by recklessly ex-
pending our vital strength in the wild pursuits of the tempting pleasures
which this world offers. It is only when sickness stretches us down
on the bed of pain and torture, when our mental and bodily powers are
laid prostrate, that we begin to appreciate the high value and blessing
of good health, and lament our wanton disregard of that greatest of
boons man can enjoy; like every other treasure, which we only then
properly esteem, when we experience its loss. In health, we are dis-
contented, and our desires are insatiable ; in sickness, we cry out, O
that our malady was removed, and we could enjoy health once more.
When neglect in the stewardship of our body comes home to us in
its most fearful results, then only do we think of betaking ourselves to
the duties we owe to our own life. But Thou, O Lord, in Thy mercy
hast richly provided physical remedies for bodily complaints, as well as
mental cures for spiritual sufferings. Both are placed by Thy paternal
hand within our reach, and both may be applied by every one of us,
however humble, when we are afflicted with illness. We therefore be-
seech Thee, O Lord, that, in the hour of bodily pain and suffering, we may
judiciously avail ourselves of both physical and mental appliances which
168 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
in Thy goodness Thou hast prepared for our recovery ; and that whilst
we have recourse to those wonderful remedial properties vested in the
multifarious herbs and plants of Thy creation, we may also seek for
relief in the soothing and healing qualities with which our faith, in
Thee is so numerously and efficiently endowed. Grant Thou, O Lord,
who searchest our most inward thought, that the resolution to amend
our ways, which pain and torments wrest from our obdurate hearts,
may not be fleeting and transitory, but that when Thou blessest us with
ease and recovery, we shall be mindful of our penitent determination to
carry it out in the same spirit of zeal and devotion, as we solemnly vowed
it in the hour of trouble and calamity. Impress us, O Lord, with the
consoling words of Thy prophet: "For as a father chastiseth his son,
so does the Lord thy God chastise thee ;" and that the sentence of our
sickness, as well as of our recovery, equally emanate from the invisible
Throne of Thy love and justice. Amen.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAH8. 169
TPI -no
FIFTH PORTION OF LEVITICUS.
" Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean ;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness,
That the bones which Thou hast broken may rejoice."
k Ps. li. 9, 10.
WE have shewn, in the reflections suggested by last Sabbath's
lesson, that the treatment of plagues and bodily afflictions
by the priest was not only of a physical but also of a mental
character. It was not only the healing of visible wounds, but
also of those unperceived yet deeper sores, which have their
origin in mental disarrangement.
Nothing can corroborate this interpretation of the priestly cure
better than the fact, that not only in cases of bodily affliction, but
also in cases of " plagues of the house/' or in the " garments/'
the law enjoins the consultation of the priest. It would, indeed,
be folly to imagine that this means anything else than to have
recourse to spiritual advice in any accident or casualty which may
befall us; and to impress on our minds the great principle of the
Jewish faith, to blend all physical duties with those of religion
and morality; that these twin-sisters are the daughters of that
heavenly virtue which has outlived, and will outlive all religious
systems and creeds, and of which the Psalmist says :
" The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul."
It must be admitted, however, that the priests to whose care
Moses entrusted the charge of visiting and curing the bodily
afflicted, were men of great skill and science. For it must be
remembered, that Egypt, from which country the Israelites had
just departed, was the great school of arts and learning of that
170 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
day. It is asserted by many historians, that in several branches of
science the Egyptian school excelled that of succeeding ages, and
even of the present day. It is not improbable, that this decline
is attributable to the fact, that these sciences were treated as mys-
teries written in hieroglyphics, studiously confining knowledge to
the learned few, and precluding the people, not belonging to the
holy order, from being initiated into the secret. With the death
of the priests, many of the sciences had died out, and the inves-
tigators and inquirers of later ages had again to explore those
mines of the arts and sciences which their progenitors had dug
before them.
Moses, the Divine Legislator, was not opposed to the connec-
tion of science and religion ; and the harmony existing between
the two is every day more universally acknowledged and appre-
ciated. Jewish and Christian theologians of the most orthodox
stamp recognise both science and religion as the living waters
which refresh and sustain every one who pants for instruction,
both emanating from the same inexhaustible fountain the
Creator of knowledge.
There is, however, no doubt, that in many a mind yet lingers
the prejudicial and long-cherished idea, that there are discrepan-
cies between these two streams of knowledge which render them
so irreconcileable, that the admirer of the first cannot believe in
the second, nor the votary of the latter adhere to the former.
Amongst the most predominant impulses of mankind may be
classed curiosity, or the desire of attaining knowledge of those
things of which we are ignorant. Although this feeling may
degenerate into a mean and petty vice, it exercises, perhaps, more
influence for good than any other tendency of which the human
mind is susceptible. From it spring into existence those arts
which adorn, and those sciences which elevate and humanise
mankind. We see it in the first efforts of infancy, in its tiny
endeavours to become acquainted with each object within its
reach; in the destructive researches of the boy, as he makes the
knife and the hammer become acquainted with things for which
they have no affinity; and in the man of maturer years, as he
wanders through the ponderous tomes of former ages, in his
search for the history of the past, or soaring among the orbs of
space, in his eagerness to become acquainted with their beautiful
mysteries; or seeking, amid the rocky tablets of the earth, for the
knowledge of the day of its formation.
What impelled the alchymist, in the day when the world was
young, to forego the pleasures of society, and devote his time to
the investigation of the properties of matter? What gave power
to the oracles of antiquity, and reared the temples to the spirits
of delusion? What caused the mariner to brave the terrors of an
unknown ocean, in the search for the lands of the distant West?
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 171
Though the impulse is thus the chief lever of instruction, and
is, when properly directed, the handmaiden of religion; still its
tendency may become mischievous, and its investigations uncer-
tain, whenever it throws off the guidance of reason, to follow its
more brilliant but less trustworthy companion, the imagination.
And thus must the path of science ever be lighted, if she would
not wander astray, by the torch of Scripture, and studded here
and there, in its most perilous ascents, with the guide-posts of
truth. Year by year may pass away and become lost in the gulf
of oblivion ; but her accents exist in the pages of the genius that
hails each new-born day as the guiding angel to those researches
which render the greatness of God more apparent.
And what transport to the ardent mind, to gaze undazzled upon
the wonders of creation; to investigate the grand machinery of
nature; to behold in all the same simple rules at work, the same
perfection attained, from the economy of a plant to the structure
of a sentient being from the smallest globule that exists in
nature, to the largest orb that traverses space. But how small
the pleasure, how lessened the desire, were each secret laid open
to our view. Constantly before us are enacted miracles, as great
as exist in nature; but because they are of daily occurrence, we
exhibit neither feelings of wonder nor surprise. Years dawn and
wane, and are entombed in the memory of the past; yet we see
the same surprising accuracy in the workings of the universe,
that called forth the admiration of the Chaldean seer, as he gazed
at the starry hosts of heaven, from the first watch-tower reared
in the cause of science.
But yet the lessons that they teach us in their daily institu-
tions are more teeming with love, and more full of beauty. They
tell us that we commence anew the morning of our existence;
that He, that made them and us, is as beneficent to-day, as He
was on the day that is past; and that, if ,we feel but the desire,
we may enter His dwelling, and seek with His angels for that
knowledge which eternity cannot exhaust: and what joy to the
soul to pass our hours in the investigation of the beauty of His
tabernacles, and following with the intellect the various windings
of nature; and day by day, as our knowledge becomes greater
and our desires more intense, to feel more meek in spirit, more
elevated in mind, by the thought that this great Being, the
Creator of all we see, will ever be, if we are sincere in our
wishes and in our prayers, our divine guide and friend; and that
our love for Him will be increased in the ratio of our knowledge,
and our happiness in the ratio of the good we do to our fellow-
beings.
Another important feature in this Sabbath's lesson, is that of
a continuous exhortation to bodily cleanliness : it concludes with
the words, " Thus shall ye separate the children of Israel from
172 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
their uncleanness; that they die not in their uncleanness when
they defile my tabernacle that is among them/' The remedy
which is so often repeated in this portion of the Pentateuch, of
bathing and washing, was no doubt meant in its plain sense ; for
cleanliness of the body leads to that purity of the soul, to that
godliness which is vouchsafed by the prophet, " And I will
sprinkle upon you clean waters; from all your uncleanness and
from all your idols I will cleanse you."
In the Haphtorah of this Sabbath, which is taken from
2 Kings, chapter vii., we read, that there was a great famine in
Samaria, so that affectionate mothers boiled their own sons and
ate them. This dreadful calamity had been prophesied by Elisha,
who had also predicted in the midst of this dreadful famine, that
on the following day it would suddenly cease, and provisions
would be in abundance. The wicked king and his courtiers
ridiculed that idea; and a lord, on whose arm the king leaned,
sneeringly said to the man of God: " Behold, if the Lord would
make windows in heaven, might this thing be?" The prophet
replied : " Behold thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shall not
eat thereof." The realisation of this prophecy is recorded in the
following narrative :
" And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the
gate : and they said one to another, ' Why sit we here until we
die? If we say, we will enter into the city, then the famine is
in the city, and we shall die there; and if we sit still here, we
shall die also. Now, therefore, come; and let us fall unto the
host of the Syrians: if they save us alive we shall live; and if
they kill us, we shall but die.' And they rose up in the twilight,
to go unto the camp of the Syrians : and when they were come to
the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold there was no man
there. For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise
of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host :
and they said one to another, ' Lo, the King of Israel hath hired
against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians,
to come upon us/ Wherefore they arose, and fled in the twilight,
and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the
camp as it was, and fled for their lives. And when these lepers
came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent,
and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and
raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and entered into
another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it. Then
they said one to another, ' We do not well : this day is a day of
good tidings, and we hold our peace; if we tarry till the morning
light, some mischief will come upon us: now, therefore, come;
that we may go and tell the king's household.' So they came, and
called unto the porters of the city, and told they them, saying :
* We came to the camp of the Syrians, and behold, there was no
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 173
man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied,
and the tents as they were.' And he called the porters; and
they told it to the king's house within. And the king arose in
the night, and said unto his servants, ' I will now show you what
the Syrians have done to us. They know that we be hungry;
therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in
the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catch
them alive, and get into the city.' And one of his servants an-
swered, and said, ' Let some take, I pray thee, five of the horses
that remain, which are left in the city, (behold, they are as all
the multitude of Israel that are left in it: behold, I say, they are
even as all the multitude of the Israelites that are consumed), and
let us send and see/ They took, therefore, two chariot horses, and
the king sent after the host of the Syrians, saying, ' Go and see/
And they went after them unto Jordan ; and lo, all the way was
full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in
their haste. And the messengers returned, and told the king.
And the people went out and spoiled the tents of the Syrians.
So a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures
of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the Lord."
Thus was fulfilled the prophecy of Elisha, the fearful famine
and drought was turned into plenty and cheapness; whilst the
lord on whose hand the king had leaned, and who dared to doubt
the truth of the divine prediction, met with an untimely death as
a punishment for his infidelity. Elisha, it will be recollected, had
told him, " Thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat
thereof." Scripture records this lord's fate in the following brief
but awful sentence: "And so it fell out unto him; for the
people trode upon him in the gate, and he died." Neither the
famine nor the plenty were events of mere accident, as both had
been foretold by the prophet, to whom God had revealed his will
respecting the approaching future. The will of man is subject to
the vicissitudes and fluctuations of circumstances, but the will of
God is unchangeable, irresistible; and no circumstances, however
powerfnl and antagonistic, can delay or controvert it.
PRAYER.
GOD OF HOLINESS ! Among the numerous and various precepts
which, in Thy wisdom, Thou hast ordained as conducive to our well-
being and happiness, there is none so often and so emphatically
enjoined, as that of cleanliness. The Divine Legislator enforced the
law of cleanliness, by abstaining from unclean things, as indissolubly
interwoven with the love and fear of God. The golden maxim, that
cleanliness is godliness, emanates from the Mosaic dispensation, and
was further developed by our sages of old, who said, " Cleanliness of
the body leads to the purity of the soul, and to the fear of God." But
174 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
like many other commandments and statutes which Thou, O Lord, in
Thy infinite mercy hast established for our own good, the law of clean-
liness is violated by many, not from want of the means of purification,
for these Thou hast placed within the reach of all but from that
unaccountable and culpable self-neglect, of which so many of Thy
creatures are guilty. As it was the duty of the priests, during Israel's
polity, not only to superintend the sacrifices and oblations in the
temple, but also to minister to the people, and attend to their outward
purification ; so does it devolve upon our spiritual leaders of the present
day, to exhort the ignorant masses to cleanliness and purity, and to
teach them that this is the holiness which the Lord requires at our
hands, when He admonished us through His prophet Moses, " Ye
shall be holy ; for I, the Lord your God, am holy." We supplicate
Thee, Father of Goodness, that Thou mayest implant this spirit of
holiness in the minds of parents and guardians, that they may inculcate
the salutary principles of cleanliness into the youthful minds of those
entrusted to their care and solicitude. We beseech Thee, Fountain of
Purity, that Thou mayest direct the hearts of the wealthy and benevo-
lent to assist those institutions established to promote cleanliness and
purity throughout the whole human family ; whilst our spiritual guides
may second their efforts in rousing the people to cleanliness of the
body and purity of the soul; to cleanse themselves of all their sins,
before the Lord their God. Amen.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAIIS. 175
mo nnN 11 D
SIXTH PORTION OP LEVITICUS.
o a DTBTI TB> nmn pi wjn p
" As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters."
Canticles ii. 2.
THE lesson of this Sabbath abounds in laws and ordinances in
reference to sacrifices in the Temple; to the conduct of the
priests, both in the Temple and without; to their marriages and
their moral bearing; besides numerous injunctions to the Israel-
ites in general, in reference to their laws of marriage and other
domestic affairs. The fundamental principle of all these laws
and enactments is the abstaining from following the customs and
religious observances of the idolaters, such as the Egyptians
among whom they dwelled, and the Canaanites and Amorites,
with whom they had to come in contact on their taking posses-
sion of the promised land. The eighteenth chapter, which treats
on unlawful marriages, thus commences:
" Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, I am the
Lord your God. After the doings in the land of Egypt, wherein ye
dwelt, shall ye not do; and after the doings in the land of Canaan,
whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their
ordinances."
To this passage the Midrash applies the words of our text:
" As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters."
It certainly redounded to the credit of the Israelites, that they
preserved that purity of morals and chastity of domestic habits
peculiar to the religion of Unity, and so strongly opposed to the
profligacy and sensuality of polytheism. Licentiousness was the
spirit of the heathen worship; abstemiousness the characteristic
of Jewish devotion : excessive gratification of the carnal passions
was the stimulus to pagan religion; moderation and spiritual
enjoyment was~ and always will be, the essential principle of the
Jewish faith, and its manner of adoring God.
176 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
Some of the prohibitory laws which occur in these chapters
may appear superfluous to a modern and refined age. The pro-
hibition of crimes at which the human soul shudders, may, per-
haps, draw a sneer from those who consider the Bible of little
value, and laugh at its legislation ; but these men forget that not
only were such crimes the order of the day in the heathen coun-
tries, but would be so now, to a certain extent, in our civilised
age and country, were it not for the strong arm of the law, which
visits such crimes with heavy punishment. Indeed, the atrocities
and barbarities which we read of now-a-days in privileged Europe
and her colonial possessions the cruel murders committed by
parents against their children, and children against their parents
the barbarity and dastardly tortures inflicted in our modern
wars, " where the sword of a man is against his own brother"
the pouring of boiling oil on the head of the poor soldier, and the
driving of thousands into the rivers, as happened during the revo-
lutionary period not yet ten years past the wanton massacre of
helpless women, after having been outraged the mutilation of
innocent children all these events, which stain the annals of
the present time with blood, sufficiently show how necessary are
the laws of Sinai prohibiting such cruelties and abominations, and
how indispensable are the moral laws of modern ages, founded on
the Mosaic dispensation.
That the Mosaic dispensation is eminently one of religious
toleration and liberality we will now prove, in refutation of those
charges that have been laid at the door of the Jewish law, stig-
matising it as one of intolerance and exclusiveness.
The fundamental principles of Judaism, which every Jew
ought to keep in view, and which ought to guide him as the
end and aim of all his best endeavours, are expressed in Holy
Writ in the words, " Ye shall walk after the Lord your God";
which, according to the just interpretation of the Talmud, con-
sists " in the approximation of His divine attributes."
God, the common Father of all mankind, considers each human
being as one of His superior creations; no man is excluded from
or deprived without being entirely unworthy, wholly undeserv-
ing of His fatherly grace and mercy. His sun shines on the
inhabitants of all the earth ; He sends them all refreshing rain
" opens His hand, and satisfies the desire of every living thing."
Israel's greatest prophet says: " He [God] loves all nations,
all their saints are in Thy hand ; if they but kneel down at Thy
feet, every one shall receive of Thy words 5 ' ; i. e., if they do but
retain the moral law which God has engraven in letters of fire in
the breast of every man; if they do not renounce the innate good
qualities implanted in the human heart, let them worship the
Lord in whatever manner they choose, the Omnipotent will love
and protect them.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 177
By the mouth of another prophet, the Heavenly Father ex-
claims : " Even every one that is called by my name [i. e., who
acknowledges me as the Lord, and obeys my commands], I have
created him for my glory; I have formed him; yea, I have made
him."
Therefore, not the Jew only, but every virtuous man, of what-
ever creed, is an ornament to the creation, shines as a bright star
on the horizon of mankind, and conduces to the honour and glo-
rification of our common Creator.
The ancient teachers of the Mishna seem to have been impressed
with the same opinion of the innate dignity of the whole human
race, when they say, " The Lord has particularly distinguished
mankind by creating him in his [God's] own image." The
Divinity is visible in every man; therefore the Jew does not con-
sider himself as a superior creature, as a class preferable to the
Lord, for His likeness is stamped on all alike.
When, therefore, Israel was called upon to dispel the night of
heresy and infidelity, and to propagate pure morals and the true
knowledge of God, they entered into a two-fold obligation ; first,
to be grateful to God for having ripened them into maturity before
any other nation of former times; and, likewise, never to forget its
Divine call. But such can by no means justify them to look
down upon others slightingly or with contempt, for " every one
that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord."
In honour to the Jews be it recorded, that this confession of
the universal dignity of mankind, and the consequent duty of
practising kindness towards all mankind, has been taught by the
enlightened Jewish divines of all times, not excepting even the
middle ages, which were so persecuting to the Jews.
A celebrated commentator on the Talmud cites the instructions
of a Rabbi of the fifteenth century, who exhorts his contempora-
ries that every person who confesses a belief founded upon morality,
be the same even (like the Christian or Mahometan religion)
essentially dissimilar to our own, ought nevertheless to be treated
in every respect like a true and real Israelite.
Let the accusers of Judaism point out, if they can, in any of
the quoted passages, one particle of intolerance, or even the
shadow of contempt, or even slight against others.
Another accusation against Judaism is, that it nourishes pride
and arrogance. This charge may also be refuted, and it may be
satisfactorily proved that the heavenly attribute of virtue and its
adherents are held in the highest admiration by Judaism.
All ceremonials of the Jewish rites had for their object to
restrain the Jews in various ways from the baneful customs of
those times, to make their minds susceptible to the sublime, and
to lead them towards God. The soul of Judaism, however, is
virtue. Therefore the Psalmist and the prophets ardently declaim,
N
178 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
with all the energy of inspiration, against hypocrisy and outward
formalities; ofttimes rigorously upbraiding Israel for the multi-
tude of its sacrifices and its thoughtless lip-devotion, which are
worthless, and, moreover, odious and hateful to God, who loves
pure thoughts, desires noble purposes, and delights in acts of
virtue.
This opinion, though, indeed, expressed throughout the Bible,
is most emphatically pronounced by Micah, who says:
" He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the
Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love virtue, and to walk
humbly with thy God ?"
According to the tenets of the Jewish religion, therefore, it is
virtue only in which chiefly the Lord takes delight, and which
in reality ennobles a man, without reference to birth, creed, for-
tune, or station. " Therefore," says a celebrated teacher of the
Talmud, " I call upon heaven and earth as witnesses to the verity,
that, be a man Jew or Gentile, in proportion to his acquired sense
of virtue, he is inspired by the Holy Spirit of the Lord/'
Another teacher has it in the following expression: " The
deserts of every man are safely recorded"; i.e., everybody will
hereafter reap the rewards of a virtuous life, if he has striven for
it here below.
The Talmud clearly asserts, that worthiness and godliness are
not necessarily antecedent by the confession of the Jewish reli-
gion, but are solely dependant on a rigidly virtuous career of life ;
for Rabbi Mayer asks, " Where does Scripture show that even
the heathen, if he be mindful of the dictates of the law, is equal
in excellence to the high-priest?" Then follows the answer:
" Because Holy Writ says. ' Ye shall observe my statutes, and my
judgments, to do them,' it is concluded, that, as the Bible does not
say, the statutes and laws for the Priest, Levite or Israelite, but
those which man should practise, it follows that the heathen
who obeys the law which inculcates virtue is co-equal with the
high priest !"
The same assertion may be found even in the supposedly
obscure Kabalah:
" Should any one desire, who is not a descendant of Aaron the High
Priest, to become a priest, his wish can never be accomplished ; for this
distinction was limited to the lineal male descendants of Aaron. And
not only all Israel, but even the tribe of Levi, which was closely con-
nected with the priesthood, was excluded from this honour. But any
one desiring to be pious and virtuous will surely attain the object of his
wishes, for such is not denied even to the heathen."
Virtue, therefore, as we have sufficiently proved, is, according
to the tenets of Judaism, the highest aim of mankind; and who-
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTOKAIIS. 179
ever devotes himself to its holy service, whatever religion he may
seemingly profess, he worships the true God in his heart, and is
consequently an esteemed priest of the Lord, in whom he takes
delight, and in whom his Creator rejoices. Be he, moreover,
Jew, Christian, Mahometan, Brahmin, or of whatever other
denomination, suffice it to say, that he is a noble, an honourable
man; he has accomplished his mission on earth conformably to
the will of the Lord. Consequently, as the different religious
opinions are not detrimental to the practice of virtue, it is a
maxim with the Jews, " that the virtuous of all other nations will
be partakers of future bliss ; and that the hour of resurrection is
destined for them as well as for the Jews."
These are Jewish sentiments towards those crowned with the
laurels of virtue, though not confessing Judaism. The Jewish
religion cannot therefore be reproached as being a narrow-minded
national theocracy. There is not in that faith a particle of con-
tempt, or even slight, against other creeds.
We will now proceed to the Haphtorah of this Sabbath (taken
from Ezekiel xxii.). It is melancholy to perceive that the crimes
and abominations denounced in this day's lesson were perpetrated
by Israel in the time of Ezekiel the prophet, who thus rebukes
them :
" Behold the princes of Israel, every one were in thee to their power
to shed blood. In thee have they set light by father and mother, in
the midst of thee have they dealt by oppression with the stranger : in
thee have they vexed the fatherless and the widow. Thou hast
despised my holy things, and hast profaned my Sabbath."
He therefore tells them, in the name of God
" I have made thee a reproach unto the heathen, and a mocking unto
all countries."
He further reproaches them :
" In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood ; thou hast taken usury
and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extor-
tion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord God."
And the prophet thus hurls the Divine punishment at them:
" Behold, therefore, I have smitten mine hand at thy dishonest gain
which thou hast made, and at thy blood which hath been in the midst
of thee. Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong, in the
days that I shall deal with thee ? I, the Lord, have spoken it, and
will do it."
PRAYER.
O LORD OF TRUTH ARD RIGHTEOUSNESS ! In enjoining upon us the
observance of Thy statutes and judgments, Thou hast frequently warned
N 2
180 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
our ancestors against adopting the immorality and corruption into which
those nations had sunk who had defiled the land of Canaan, from which
they were to be driven out by the worshippers of the only God, and
confessors of a pure and true faith. But our forefathers did not heed
Thy wise caution, and, as the Psalmist observes, " They did not destroy
the nations concerning whom the Lord commanded them, but were
mingled among the heathen, and learned their works. And they served
their idols, which were a snare unto them ; thus were they defiled with
their own works." How happy are we, O Lord, that Thou hast cast
our lot in a land, the inhabitants of which, though of a different creed,
have adopted the moral laws with which our sacred code abounds, and
who pay profound respect and pious homage in practising the lessons of
purity and chastity contained therein, constituting the noblest virtues of
social life. How grateful ought we not to be to Thee, O Lord, that we
are not surrounded by the pollutions of pagan worship, and riot tempted
to fall into the snares which the dazzling but profligate and impure
service of idols spread out for the ignorant, the unreflecting, and the
superstitious. The sacred volume which in Thy goodness, O Lord,
Thou hast presented us with, is replete with genuine sentiments of reli-
gion, incessantly cautioning us against confounding belief with super-
stition, against changing the simple, clear, and sublime doctrine of Thy
Unity, for typical mysteries and obscurities. Grant, O Lord, that
whilst we honour and respect the creed of our neighbours in that spirit
of toleration for which our faith is distinguished, we may at the same
time cling with undiminished zeal and ardent patriotism to those lofty
precepts of unalloyed virtue which form the basis of all that civilisation
and refinement claimed by progressive countries of the present age.
Cause us, Divine Author of all knowledge, duly to appreciate that
wisdom which is so indelibly impressed on every letter of Thy sacred
laws, and of which the wisest of men informs us, " If thou criest after
knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding, and if thou
seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures : then
shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of
God. For the Lord giveth wisdom ; out of His mouth cometh know-
ledge and understanding." Amen.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAH8. 181
,3 -no
SEVENTH PORTION OF LEVITICUS.
imin , raynto n&UB> nps?
BB> ^>y -pn^n ova yap
iTDp-a"Dp o v p D^nn "?iK>3& ic 1 ? TNI Ymin anw^ ai
I rejoice at Thy word, as one that findeth great spoil.
I hate and abhor lying : but Thy law do I love.
Seven imes a day do I praise Thee
Because of Thy righteous judgments.
Great peace have they that love Thy law,
And nothing shall offend them."
Ps. cxix. 162165.
Sabbath lesson commences, " And the Lord spake unto
-L Moses, saying, Speak unto all the congregation of the children
of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I, the Lord
your God, am holy."
In our preceding meditation we have pointed out the necessity
for those laws and prohibitions of crime which claim for the
Mosaic dispensation the high character of humanity and tolerance.
But besides these injunctions against capital offences, there are
some of a refined nature, which entitle these laws to the appella-
tion of HOLY, and for the observers of them the distinguishing
attribute of HOLT men. Such laws can, indeed, emanate only
from the Source of all holiness, from God Himself. We read,
for instance :
" And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly
reap the corners of the field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of
thy harvest. And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt
thou gather every grape of thy vineyard ; thou shalt leave them for the
poor and stranger."
If this law were strictly observed now, we should not require
so many charitable societies, hospitals, and unions, and should not
have to pay such heavy rates for the relief of the poor.
182 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
" And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou
profane the name of thy God."
If this law were now carried out, we should not see so much
ruinous litigation and proceedings in law courts, where, of the
two parties, the plaintiff and the defendant, meeting each other,
one is almost sure to swear falsely ; or where witnesses are
examined on their oath, contradicting and refuting each other in
violation of that sacred act, which is as little thought of as the
slipping on of a glove, and, by many, even less than that.
" Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him : the wages
of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the
morning."
What a blessing to society would it be if the law were adhered
to of paying the working man his wages at once, and not to trou-
ble him so frequently to call for it, and occasion him loss of time.
People who send the poor labourer away with the message,
" Engaged," or " Must call again," are little aware of the great
moral offence they are committing. The labourer has sometimes
closely calculated and firmly relied upon receiving the reward of
his labour when he calls for it; and postponing it an hour later
often causes much distress and privation, and family disputes with
the poor man's wife and children, who are anxiously waiting for
food. And such a law was enacted by Moses more than 3,000
years ago ! Let our great statesmen and legislators, with their
complicated volumes and labyrinthian acts of parliament, kneel
down before the Jewish legislator of old, and read this simple,
sublime, and HOLT LAW.
" Thou shalt not curse the deaf [or, rather, the person who is absent,
and cannot hear you] , nor put a stumbling-block before the blind [or,
rather, before a person who does not see it], but shalt fear thy God."
It is evident that the terms " deaf" and " blind" are here ad-
visedly used to demonstrate the enormity of the crime of cursing
the man who is absent and cannot hear us, or laying an obstacle
in the way of one who, being unaware of it, does not see it.
Cowardice and lowness of character are thus forcibly expressed in
the simile of injuring the deaf and the blind.
" Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, in
weight, or in measure. Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and
a just hin [both oriental measures], shall ye have."
How frequently is this law violated ! How many a saint,
"bowing his head like a bulrush" in the synagogue, or the
chapel, or the church, is guilty of deceiving his " pious brethren"
by deficient weight ! How strongly would he condemn the man
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTOR Alls'. 183
who attempted to eat unlawful food ! and yet, in the food which
he sells, he selfishly wrongs the poor man of his hard-earnings to
a most injurious extent.
This sublime chapter concludes :
" Therefore shall ye observe ALL my statutes and ALL my judgments,
and do them. I am the Lord."
We lay particular stress on the word ALL ; for if a man is ever
so strict in his religious observances towards God ; they are un-
available, unless he follows with equal rigour the laws between
man and man. Then only, when Israel observes ALL the statutes
and ALL the judgments, social as well as ritual, will apply to
them the words of Solomon, " As a lily among the thorns is my
beloved among the daughters;" and then may Israel assume the
title of a HOLY nation.
Although Judaism thus claims for itself the title of holiness,
and although its votaries are called in Scripture holy men, yet it
maintains as a fixed maxim, that every religion founded upon the
principles of virtue, morality, and humanity, leads to salvation, as
well as Judaism.
One religion may, indeed, be better adapted than another to
guide to the paths of virtue, but no creed can be wholly devoid
of every means of obtaining virtue. Therefore, although Juda-
ism considers itself an institution especially appropriated to pro-
mulgate true Divinity, yet this axiom extends only so far as to
affirm that Judaism is meant as a signal, a beacon for all nations,
that the spirit it sends forth may effect purity of morals around,
and produce a love of virtue abroad : but on no account can this
authorise the Jew to interfere with the consciences of others to
represent in an unfavourable light a belief in which our neighbours
have been .born and bred, which has long since taken root in
their innermost soul, and filled their minds with reverence, and
which till now they have honoured and revered as their Holiest of
Holies. Nor would it be just to entice them away from the creed
they inherited, and induce them to embrace Judaism.
Nay, the Jewish maxim on that point has a contrary purport :
" Let all nations walk every one in the name of his God" i. e..
according to the commands of his religion " only let us walk in
the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever."
The solicitude of Judaism is entirely directed to the preserva-
tion and invigoration of its intensive power, the animation of reli-
gious elements internally; but to prove its convictions upon
others, or systematically to recruit or press for its belief, Judaism
considers as much beneath its dignity as it is unjust and ad-
verse to the natural liberty of mankind.
It cannot, therefore, be proved against Judaism, notwithstand-
ing the long period of its religious existence, and the many
184 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
revolutions during that time, that it ever degraded itself by
proselytism.
Kay, his religion does not only prohibit the Jew from all
manner of proselytism, from every kind of hunting after souls,
but he is strictly enjoined to dissuade strenuously even those who,
of their own free will, offer to embrace Judaism ; to remonstrate
energetically and repeatedly against such a change of religion;
because, as every religion will guide the way to virtue, it will also
point out the road to salvation.
It is really astonishing that we cannot find a single instance of
this kind, although in the prominent part which Judaism played
on the stage of the political world, often exercising a powerful
influence on surrounding nations, it would have been very easy
to enforce their religion upon them; yet the Bible, which gives
most faithful records of every event, and never throws a cloak
over the faults and wrongs committed by the Jews, does not
instance a single occurrence of this character.
The Gibeonites, terrified by the success of the Israelites in their
wars, prayed for peace. Their request was granted ; yet conver-
sion to Judaism was not among the stipulations (Josh.ix. 1 15).
Under the banners of David, Israel made splendid conquests
(2 Sam. v. 25; viii. 1 11; x. 19); and Solomon's supremacy ex-
tended over all the princes, from the land of the Philistines to
the frontiers of Egypt, and all these vassals paid him tribute as
their protector (1 Kings v. 1); and yet we do not find a single
trace of a proposal being made to any nation to abrogate the
religion they inherited in favour of Judaism.
To slight or treat with contempt a fellow-man, solely because
he has pledged fealty to a banner different to ours, in which he
persevered, but who in every other respect merits our esteem for
his upright conduct, is, according to Judaism, not only absurd,
but also irreligious; for perfidy against one's belief, for the sake
of vile, despicable, worldly purposes, is the basest, most igno-
minious treason which a man can possibly perpetrate.
Let us observe, for instance, the strong objections which Xaomi
advanced to her two daughters-in-law, who intended to embrace
Judaism; and Orpah, who did not feel so much interest in it, was
actually induced to relinquish her intention, and remain true to
her religion. Only Ruth was received as a proselyte, on her
assurance that she could live happy only among the Jews : as we
read (Ruth i. 8 18), "Behold thy sister-in-law is gone back
unto her people and unto her gods : return thou after thy sister-
in-law."
From this fact the Talmud infers :
" If any person request to be received within the pale of Judaism,
you are obliged, at three different times, to make the strongest remon-
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTOKAHS. 185
strances against such a step, and clearly to explain to him that, by
becoming a Jew, he not only stakes his temporal happiness, but like-
wise the welfare of his soul.
" His temporal happiness he must renounce beforehand, in conset-
quence of the Jew at present being everywhere slighted, oppressed, and
treated with contempt ; but he also perils his peace of mind and his
soul's well-being; because from that moment he, of his own free-will
and choice, undertakes obligations the fulfilment of which were not
incumbent upon him hitherto, without being on that account ex-
cluded from the general salvation, or needing even to apprehend the
least punishment ; and then only when the proselyte, notwithstanding
all remonstrances and dissuasions, desires admittance to Judaism, the
compliance with his request may be granted, if arising out of pure
religious feelings." *
Worthy of note to that effect for all philanthropists are the
words of the immortal Mendelssohn :
" Dear brethren, who wish well to mankind be not deluded ! To
be acceptable to the Omnipresent Shepherd, it is not requisite that the
whole flock should pasture in one field, or enter and leave the house of
the Lord through one portal. Such is neither the wish of the Shep-
herd, nor to the advantage of the flock." Jerusalem, vol. ii. p. 133.
Therefore as, according to the axioms of Judaism, God, in all
His manifestations, aims only at the promotion of virtue, it is
consequently incumbent upon us, once for all, to regard every reli-
gion which is essentially conducive to morality although we do
not subscribe to it as a Divine institution ; to grant her a heavenly
mission ; to yield her our esteem ; not only to refrain from disrespect-
fully slighting their particular statutes or dogmas, and carefully to
forbear treating her confessors with intolerance, but also to contri-
bute, by diffusing harmony, good will, and concord between the
manifold creeds, to the adoration and glorification of our Universal
Father !
The lesson of this Sabbath concludes with the injunction:
" Ye shall not walk in the manner of the nations which I cast out
before you : for they committed all these things, and therefore I
abhorred them. But I have said unto you, Ye shall inherit their land,
and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land that floweth with milk
and honey : I am the Lord your God, which have separated you from
other people."
We perceive, however, by the exhortations of later prophets,
that the Israelites, from associating with their idolatrous neigh-
bours, fell into the snares spread out by the temptations of heathen
worship, and degenerated to the lowest ebb of morality. The
* Talrn. Jebamoth, 47 a; Ritual-Codex Joreh Deah, 2 68; and Midrash-Rabbah
to Ruth, i. 15.
186 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
prophet, in the Haphtorah of this Sabbath (taken from Amos ix.),
asks:
" Are ye not as children of the Ethiopian unto me, O children of
Israel ? saith the Lord. Have I not hrought up Israel out of the land
of Egypt, and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Ker ?
Behold, the eyes of the Lord are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will
destroy it from off the face of the earth; saving that I will not utterly
destroy the house of Jacob, saith the Lord."
This prophecy completely harmonizes with that of Moses, who,
in predicting the fall of Israel, always adds the consolation, that
though the nation will fall, it will be raised again : as we read in
the following sentence, pronounced by Amos :
" For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among
all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain
fall upon the earth. All the sinners of my people shall die by the
sword, which say, The evil shall not overtake nor prevent us. In that
day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up
the breaches thereof; and I will raise up the ruins, and will build it as
in the days of old."
PRAYER.
O LORD ! When we meditate on the various laws and enactments
which we read this Sabbath, we must join in the words of the Psalmist,
" Righteous art Thou, O Lord, and upright are Thy judgments. Thy
testimonies which Thou hast commanded are replete with integrity,
and very faithful." Most holy is Thy name, and there is not a more
criminal violation of its sanctity than to take it in vain. If we are
compelled by the force of circumstances to swear by Thy holy name,
let us be deeply impressed with the awful responsibility attached to an
oath taken in Thy presence ; for Thou, O Lord, art present everywhere.
If, then, the sin of taking the name of God in vain is great, how much
greater and unpardonable is the crime of swearing by Thy name
falsely, thus profaning the most holy idea which the human mind can
conceive by mean and low objects of gain and profit. But, alas! how
often is this sacred law violated in the course of our lives ! How fre-
quently do men pronounce an oath, unconscious of its sanctity ! We
have, this Sabbath, also read other wise and salutary precepts, which,
important as they are, are often treated by us as trivial and insignifi-
cant. When we, for instance, detain the wages of the poor, even for
one hour, we forget that we may thereby inflict injury and entail
misery on the expectant family greater than we can imagine, and cause
then* cries to rise unto THEE, O God. When the heat of uncon-
trollable passion would carry us away to hurl curses and imprecations
at supposed enemies, who are not within hearing, remind us, O Lord,
that THOU wilt hear. When, in the ire and spirit of revenge, which
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTOEAHS. 187
rankles in our hearts, we would lay a stumbling-block in the path of
an opponent out of his sight, let us remember, O Lord, that THOU wilt
see. When, in the selfish desire for gain, we would defraud those
" who earn their bread with their lives," by deficient measure or weight,
however small that deficiency may be though they may be unaware
of the deception let us recollect that THOU, Lord of justice, boldest
the balance of judgment, and rewardest man measure for measure. Grant,
O Lord, that when we emphatically recite these laws of humanity and
equity, the recital may be accompanied by that sincerity and devotion
which will determine us, not to transgress them, but practically to
verify the words of our text, " I rejoice at Thy word as one that findeth
great spoil. I hate and abhor falsehood, but Thy law do I love."
Amen.
188 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
no
EIGHTH PORTION OF LEVITICUS.
rvcy
" He revealeth the deep and sacred things;
He knoweth what is in the darkness,
And the light dwelleth with Him." Dan. ii. 22.
THE lesson we read this Sabbath begins with ordinances re-
specting the priests in mourning, their marriages, their per-
sonal perfection, and the estimation of their holiness. The next
chapter treats on their abstinence from holy things during their
uncleanness, and also on the perfection of the sacrifices^ and the
regulations for eating them. The next chapter contains the law
of feasts, commencing with the Sabbath; then the Passover, the
Pentecost, the Feast of Trumpets (New Year), the Day of Atone-
ment, and concludes with the Feast of Tabernacles. As we make
it our task to give the reflections suggested by each of these
festivals separately, we pass from this chapter to the following
one, treating on the " continual light" in the temple, and com-
mencing thus:
"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying: Command the
children of Israel that they bring unto thee pure oil (olive)
beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually."
The rabbies of the Midrash draw attention to the above text
from Daniel, which states that God " knoweth what is in the
darkness, and the light dwelleth with him," and they justly ask,
" What needs He, who is all light, the poor oil lamp in the
temple?" Bildad, the Shuhite, also asked, "Is there any number
of his armies? and upon whom does not his light arise?" (Job
xxv. 3). Has ever any being yet dared to say, " The sun did not
shine on me by day, nor the moon by night ; and should He who
provided these great luminaries, He ' who covereth himself with
light as with a garment/ require a light from Israel?" The
reply which the philosophers of the Midrash give to this im-
portant question is highly instructive. The light, say they, which
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 189
was comparatively a small one, was not to shine within, but to
cast its reflection without ; as " from Zion goeth forth the law,
and the word of God from Jerusalem," so was the little lamp to
point to the light which from the temple went forth to the world;
and that great light, which was to shine as a beacon to the uni-
verse, was no less than the adoration of the ONE GOD. The
prophet Ezekiel thus describes it in a vision: " Afterwards he
brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh towards the
east. And behold the glory of the God of Israel came from the
way of the east; and His voice was like the roaring of many
waters, and the earth shone with His glory (Ezekiel xliii. 2).
When we consider that the land whereon the temple stood Avas
surrounded with idolatry and its abominations; and, on the other
hand, Monotheism and the purity of morals, and the light of
civilisation which shed a lustre over the world, we may indeed
call that temple, and the worship therein a GLORY. Jeremiah
also says: "A glorious high throne from the beginning is the
place of our sanctnary " (Jer. xvii. 12).
Another moral lesson the Midrash derives from this light in the
temple, as a symbol of knowledge, to show that no man, however
deeply learned he may be, however much wisdom he may have
acquired by study and by experience, should despise " the smaller
light," or the one who knows little, and refuse to learn from him;
therefore did God, who is the source of light, desire man to
provide a small lamp in the temple of His glory on earth, to
impress on His children that they also, however enlightened they
may be, should not reject the lesser light, which may one day be
useful to them.
The Talmud mentions a very instructive circumstance in the
nature of the creation of man, to show that " even from darkness
cometh light." If we investigate the nature of the human eye,
we find that the light proceeds not from the white but from the
dark therein ; so God says to man, " I have created the light from
darkness, and require not thy light;" but it is a lesson to man,
that he shall receive the light, whencesoever it may proceed, for
light's own sake.*
1 In this Sabbath's lesson we read that " Aaron was to order
this continual light from the evening unto morning before the
Lord." The place destined for it was fOIIS? VIIUD " without
the veil" of the testimony, in the Tabernacle of the Congregation.
Behind the veil, before the holy law, there was always light,
there was no darkness; but it must be remembered that behind
this veil are the tables of the covenant ; therefore must the light
be placed without the veil, that all may know that it is but a
tpe pi?.-! iino nwn DTK ps pymn n ns *ana o *
jnv '3S mix^i mis ^ TIH-Q roen "pn no na-pn
190 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
veil; then will the veil be lifted up, and the illuminated tables of
the testimony will present themselves to the view. The veil
signifies the ceremonies, the forms, which constitute a consider-
able part of our religion; people have accustomed themselves to
regard and to esteem them so greatly, that they have forgotten to
think of God ; nay, that many such ceremonialists have forgotten
to be honest and upright, disinterested and merciful; they lose
sight of the testimony behind the veil; this did others of our
brothers see, and learned thereby to contemn the holy religion of
Israel. " The pious people are the worst." Thus did they say,
and often with some degree of justice; and from this derision
arose that cold indifference for Judaism ; and thus have many
intelligent and honest men been lost to us, who might have
become an ornament to Judaism. Come, therefore, before it is
too late, let us kindle the holy light of the Lord without the
veil; let us illuminate things before the eyes of the world, show-
ing that forms are but forms, but that behind this veil of forms
lies the pure truth, the sole means to insure salvation; behind
this veil lies the treasure which God has granted to mankind, for
their happiness, for their prosperity; in order that we may reclaim
the lost sons and daughters of Israel, and that no more of our
brothers and sisters may stray from the fold. It is high time
that we carry forward the light of the Lord without the veil.
Let us look at other nations, how they are sedulous, how they
send out their missionaries, to make us swerve from our faith,
and we, whom God has charged to spread His truth over the
world, we stand still, and look on with indifference, how God's
word is misinterpreted, decried, and profaned ' We, the sons of
those who sacrificed for His holy law. their lives, their peace, their
liberty, their whole happiness on earth, we look on apathetically
how men distort our word, and we thus become the object of
compassion and contumely.
Let us arouse ourselves and kindle the light of the Lord before
the eyes of the world; let us unfurl the glorious banner of the
Lord before the nations of the earth, that the mist of deception
may vanish before the rays of the sun of the eternal light, and
that the truths may in their full glory be discerned and appre-
ciated. Let us instruct our youths concerning the word of God,
so that we may be enabled to defend their faith against the wild
onslaughts of proselytism, and thereby fulfil our most sacred task,
to cause all the people of the eaith to know " that the Lord is the
God, there is none else."
The lesson concludes with an historical fact which is replete
with instruction. It appears that " the son of an Israelitish
woman whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the
children of Israel; and the son of the Israelitish woman and a
man of Israel strove together in the camp; and the Israelitish
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 191
woman's son blasphemed the name of the LORD, and cursed."
From this we may derive a lesson: First, that strife and discord
lead to the most serious offences, even to that of blasphemy.
Secondly, it shows the danger of mixed marriages; for, although
he was the son of an Israelitish woman, yet his father being an
Egyptian, he imbibed Egyptian abominations and heathen blas-
phemy. Thirdly, we read that they put him in the ward, " that
the mind of the Lord might be shewed them ;" from which we
learn that we should not be too rash in judgment, for even
Moses, than whom no man was better initiated into the divine
laws, yet would he not decide at once, but sought the instruction
of God. Fourthly, the heavy visitation of the sin of blasphemy
with the punishment of death, clearly demonstrates the enormity
of the crime. The punishment of the offence committed pub-
licly (as it appears that he went out among the children of Israel
purposely to blaspheme in public) was therefore to be inflicted
publicly by the whole congregation; for God said: " Bring forth
him that hath cursed without the camp; and let all that heard
him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation
stone him." The object of this general punishment was to show,
that, as he who does a good public action benefits the whole
community, so does he who commits a public offence injure
society at large. Let but unity and concord prevail, and these
offences will vanish from the midst of the congregation ; whilst
the light emanating from Him, " with whom dwelleth light,"
will be diffused throughout the land.
The task of public instruction, which we mentioned above, was
during the Jewish polity entrusted to the priests, as we read in
this Sabbath's Haphtorah (taken from Ezekiel xliv.) , where the
prophet, after enjoining them to be ministers in the divine sanc-
tuary, ordains them also that " they shall teach my people the
difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to dis-
cern between the unclean and the clean." These priests and
Levites had a twofold duty to perform; one within and one
without the sanctuary. Within the sanctuary they had to attend
to the service and the sacrifices; without the sanctuary they had
to teach and to guide. For we read " and in controversy they
shall stand in judgment, and they shall judge it according to my
judgments, and they shall keep my laws and statutes in all mine
assemblies; and they shall hallow my Sabbaths.
Such was the sacred vocation of the Jewish priests of yore, and
such is still the charge entrusted to our ecclesiastical guides, who
in the present day act as their substitutes. May they be faithful
and assiduous in the performance of their hallowed duty, and
may they also " teach the people the difference between the pro-
fane and the holy."
192 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
PRAYER.
O LORD, CREATOR OF LIGHT ! Thou hast fixed in heaven the sun,
moon, and stars, to illumine the earth, which yet would be enveloped
in mental darkness, without the light of human understanding. For
what would become of all the bountiful treasures and beneficial endow-
ments of physical nature, if man lacked the knowledge of ascertaining
their properties, cultivating their growth, and developing their useful-
ness ? What would become of the vast universe, with all its physical
light, if man had to grope in spiritual darkness, incapable of distinguish-
ing between right and wrong ? Could any certain idea be formed of
the length and breadth of the land ? of the depth cf the sea ? and of
the influences which the great luminaries exercise ? if Thou, O Om-
niscient, hadst not diffused the light of information amongst man-
kind, to calculate; according to rules suggested by mature reflection,
the dimensions of the great bodies planted in Thy creation ? What
would have become of many extensive lands, flowing with milk and
honey, producing wealth and treasure without end, and conferring
incalculable benefits on other countries, had it not been for the explor-
ations made by the light of science? What would have been known
of the hidden powers which Thou hast so richly vested in physical
nature, and the application of which proves so beneficial to the pursuits
and intercourse of society, had not the study and research of man,
daily increasing, lit up by the inward lamp of reason, sought out and
developed these powers ? And what else 'but that spiritual light is it
which guides man on his onward course, urging him to advance, and
stimulating him to progress? Our tongue is far too feeble adequately
to express our thankfulness to Thee, God of Knowledge, for this great
Light which illumines our soul, and by which we may hope to make
further discoveries and inventions for the benefit of our race. Inspire
us, O Lord, with humility to acknowledge that all light emanates from
Thee, and that to Thee only we are indebted for the advance and pro-
gress by which our age has been so largely benefited. Grant, O Lord,
that the greater luminaries on earth may not be too proud to receive
instruction from the " lesser lights;" whilst the former may strive to
impart knowledge and information to the latter. May we always be
impressed with the sentiments of our text, pronounced by Daniel,
when speaking of Thy Majesty: "He revealeth the deep and secret
things ; He knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth
with Him. Amen.
THE PENTATEUCH AND IIAPHTOKAHS. 193
"ii a** -no
NINTH PORTION OF LEVITICUS.
n^nn ''"nntfe ran ova
*' Blessed is he that considereth the poor,
The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble." Ps. xli. 1 .
THE lesson which we shall read this day treating on the
Sabbath of the seventh year, and the jubilee in the fiftieth
year abounds with laws in reference to the poor, which manifest
the humane spirit prevailing throughout the JEWISH POOR
LAWS. After enjoining honesty in dealing, and rigorously pro-
hibiting oppression in business (which we read xxv. 14, " And if
thou sellest aught unto thy neighbour, or buyest aught of thy
neighbour's hand, ye shall not oppress one another "), the humane
legislator commands, " And if thy brother be waxen poor, and
fallen in decay with thee, then thou shalt relieve him." To
bestow charity upon the needy in general was enjoined by Moses
in the foregoing book (Exodus); but here he speaks of the most
noble of charities, that of relieving the man who has become poor
and " fallen into decay/' the man who feels the pangs of poverty
more keenly because he was not always poor, but who has been
reduced to the necessity of accepting relief by that turn of the
wheel of fate to which we are all liable. But there is a great
deal more delicacy required in the relief given to a decayed
merchant or tradesman, than in that afforded to one to whom the
acceptance of alms has become habitual; and, unless in the sup-,
port rendered to such a man we act with discretion and consider-
ation, the charity partakes more of an offence than a virtue.
Much depends upon the manner in which we bestow our
charity ; and it has been well observed by a philosopher of the
Talmud, " He who boasts of his charity offends God and man,"
We sometimes see an individual whom misfortune has reduced
from opulence to distress receive a gift from the wealthy; but the
offensive and harsh address which accompanies the donation calls
forth a deep sigh from the recipient, who, in duty to his family,
o
194 SABBATH MEDITATIONS OK
is compelled to accept it, else he would have spurned it with in-
dignation. The Psalmist, therefore, says in our text, <f Blessed is
he who considereth the poor " ; * which signifies that consideration
for the poor man's feelings which ennobles charity, and truly
renders it a virtue. Such a donor is promised, " the Lord will
deliver him in time of trouble."
But Moses does not only command us to relieve by a charitable
gift; he also tells us ("Q HpT!"!!"!!) " Thou shalt support him."
There are other ways of relieving the decayed than that of
almsgiving. We may, for instance, assist him, through our influ-
ence with our friends, to re-establish himself again in his former
trade or business; we may purchase something of him, and
recommend him to others; and we may also relieve him by
soothing words of comfort, and raise his drooping spirit, lest he
sink under the heavy calamity of poverty, and the humiliation
which generally accompanies it.
This interpretation of the text is given in the Midrash by a certain
Rabbi Jonah ; but that rabbi did not only preach about considera-
tion for the poor, he also performed it. It is related of him that he
knew a wealthy merchant who became reduced to poverty. The
rabbi was aware that it was useless to offer him any relief in the
shape of charity, as he would rather starve than accept it; he
therefore went to him one day, when the man was in great dis-
tress, and said to him: " I have heard that you will come in for
some money through a legal bequest abroad, I therefore lend you
this sum, which you may return me as soon as you shall come
into possession of the property." The unfortunate man having
accepted it, Rabbi Jonah said, " Now that you have received it,
it does not matter whether you can .return it or not; I pray you
not to grieve about it."
Let it not, however, be considered that this law is confined to
the native poor. The humane legislator continues: " Yea, though
he be a stranger or a sojourner, that he may live with thee": a
direct intimation to many donors of the present day, who will
only give to the stranger "to go away." Moses tells us that
we shall give to him " that he may live with us." We also read
in the Midrash of the celebrated Hillel, that he was several times
asked by his disciples where he was going, and his reply always
was, " To relieve a guest at home." One day, when he made
the same answer, the disciples said : " Rabbi, hast thou always
guests at home?" The pious Hillel replied, " Remember the
proverb of Solomon, ' The merciful man doeth good to his own
soul ' (Prov. xi. 17); and is not my soul a mere guest, which is
here to-day, and may depart from me to-morrow? That is the
ni?K & jjo ana pM n jnii nerc HJV o
icy nisr 5 ? 7 u ^ariDD
THE PENTATEUCH AND IIAPHTORAHS. 195
guest to wliom I do good when I act mercifully towards my
fellow-creature."
We will now quote some of the laws enacted by Moses, and
recorded in this Sabbath's lesson, the humanity and philanthropic
character of which is so self-evident, that no comment can
enhance their effect. " And if thy brother be waxen poor and
fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea,
though he be a stranger or a sojourner, that he may live with
thee." But as often relief is granted by loans which, though
affording momentary ease, ultimately injure the borrower by the
heavy interest charged, the humane legislator continues: "Take
thou no usury of him, or increase, but fear thy God, that thy
brother may live with thee. Thou shalt not give him thy money
upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals for increase. I am the
Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to
give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God." The next
law, though not applicable to this country, may yet be read with
deep interest by the inhabitants of a trans- atlan tic land, boasting
of liberty and civilisation. " And if thy brother that dwelleth
by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee, thou shalt not
compel him to serve as a bond-servant, but as an hired servant,
and as a sojourner, he shall be with thee, and shall serve thee
unto the year of the jubilee: and then shall he depart from thee,
both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own
family, and unto the possessions of his father shall he return.
Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour, but shalt fear thv
God."
We think that the time has arrived when every fellow-creature,
of whatever caste or creed he may be, comes under the denomi-
nation of " brother."
If the sufferings of slavery fall heavily upon the male, they are
still more insupportable to the female sex. The most hapless
among the unfortunate race condemned by the iron hand of
power to the degradation of slavery, with all its attendant miseries,
is the female. Endowed with stronger faculties than the female,
the man may have strength of body and mind sufficient to enable
him to bear up against his evil destiny, hard and torturing
though it be, in the hope of better days. But for the poor
female slave especially if the Creator has bestowed on her that
most fatal of all gifts beauty there is less of hope; and her
very weakness and desolation, her beauty and her unprotected-
ness, mark her out as an easy prey to the owner, who, with a
licentious eye, has purchased her for the vilest purposes.
How sublime are, therefore, the words of Job, " If I despise
the cause of my man-servant or the cause of my maid-servant
when they contend with me, what then shall I do when God
riseth up? And when He visiteth, what shall I answer Him?
02
196 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
Did not He that made me in the womb make him? And did not
one fashion us in the womb?" (Job xxxi. 13 15).
These lofty sentiments expressed by Job are but an echo of the
laws enjoined in the Mosaic dispensation, and of which the
Psalmist justly says: " The statutes of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure
enlightening the eyes; the judgments of the Lord are true and
righteous altogether/'
In the Haphtorah of this Sabbath we read that Jeremiah the
prophet, after having been imprisoned by Zedekiah the king for
denouncing him, Hanameel the nephew of the prophet came to
him in the court of the prison, and sold him his field, which
Jeremiah bought, according to the word of the Lord. The pur-
chase was accompanied by all the necessary formalities, " Jere-
miah subscribed the evidence, and sealed it, and took witnesses,
and weighed him the money in the balances." All this happened
at Jerusalem, which city was then besieged and hard pressed by
King Nebuchadnezzar's army; and, although according to the
then state of the city the purchase of a field by an Israelite
seemed rather untimely, yet Jeremiah was commanded to do so
because " the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel said, Houses and
fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land."
Jeremiah had thus strictly complied with the will of God; but,
after having delivered the evidence of the purchase, he thus
addressed God in the following sublime prayer :
"Ah, Lord God! behold, Thou hast made the heavens and the
earth by Thy great power and stretched-out arm, and there is nothing
too hard for Thee. Thou showest loving-kindness unto thousands,
and recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their
children after them : the Great, the Mighty God, the Lord of Hosts,
is his name, great in counsel, and mighty in work : for Thine eyes are
open upon all the ways of the sons of men ; to give every one accord-
ing to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings : which hast
set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, even unto this day, and in
Israel, and among other men ; and hast made Thee a name, as at this
day; and hast brought forth Thy people Israel out of the land of
Egypt, with signs, and with wonders, and with a strong hand, and with
a stretched-out arm, and with great terror ; and hast given them this
land, which Thou didst swear to their fathers to give them, a land
flowing with tnilk and honey. And they came in and possessed it ; but
they obeyed not Thy voice, neither walked in Thy law ; they have
done nothing of all that Thou commandedst them to do: therefore
thou hast caused all this evil to come upon them."
The prophet Jeremiah, with due humility, acknowledged the
divine justice; but he asks,
"Behold the mounts; they are come unto the city to take it ; and
the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans, that fight against it,
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 197
because of the sword, and of the famine, and of the pestilence: and
what Thou hast spoken hath come to pass ; and behold, Thou seest it.
And yet Thou hast said unto me, O Lord God, Buy thee the field for
money, and take witnesses ; for the city is given into the hand of the
Chaldeans,"
This apparent contradiction was reconciled by the rejoinder,
proceeding from heavenly authority :
" Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh : is there anything too
hard for me ?"
The Omniscient then continues to assure the prophet, that
though the Chaldeans shall destroy the city of Jerusalem by fire
and by sword, by famine and by pestilence; though it be de-
livered into the hand of the King of Babylon, yet
" Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have
driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath ; and I
will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell
safely ; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God : and I
will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever,
for the good of them, and of their children after them. And I will
make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from
them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that
they shall not depart from me. Yea, I will rejoice over them to do
them good; and 1 will plant them in this land assuredly, with my whole
heart, and with my whole soul. For thus saith the Lord, Like as I
have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon
them all the good that I have promised them. And fields shall be
bought in this land, whereof ye say, It is desolate without man or
beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans. Men shall buy
fields for money, and subscribe evidences, and seal them, and take wit-
nesses in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and
in the cities of Judah, and in the cities of the mountains, and in the
cities of the valley, and in the cities of the south ; for I will cause their
captivity to return, saith the Lord."
PRAYER.
O LORD GOD OF LOVE AND MERCY ! Foremost in the rank of the
numerous virtues which adorn mankind, is the crowning virtue of
charity. Itself of' Divine offspring, it further begets many other
admirable traits of character, which give man pre-eminence over the
creation, and makes each of us contribute to the well-being of society.
This heavenly attribute dwells, more or less, in the breast of every
man ; for there is not a human being upon earth totally devoid of a
spark of charity. The more abject and abandoned of the human
species are animated by it at times, and claim, by its exercise, their
superiority over the brute creation. But, if charity consisted in alms-
198 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
giving only, myriads of Thy poorer children would be excluded from
exercising this noble virtue ; for, alas ! they cannot give, but are com-
pelled to receive. Therefore hast Thou, O Lord, taught us in Thy wise
statutes, that charity is not confined only to eleemosynary relief, but
spreads over a much larger sphere, including tenderness, kindness, love,
good-will, and a disposition to think well of others. And as, in Thy
mercy, O Lord, Thou hast enacted laws, equally practicable for the
poor as well as for the rich, Thou hast implanted in the heart of every
one of Thy sons and Thy daughters on earth, some feeling of benevo-
lence, so that they who are deprived of distributing material and sub-
stantial charity, may at least exercise in spirit and in thought that
ennobling quality. Whilst the gifts of the rich, however liberal, would
not be acceptable unto Thee, O Lord, without the genuine spirit of
benevolence, in shunning ostentation and delicately avoiding to cause
pain to the afflicted, but honourable recipient, the poor, on the other
hand, are enabled by Thy grace, O God, to manifest good-will and
kindness towards each other, and gratitude towards their benefactors ;
and more especially unto Thee, the Benefactor of all, who hast directed
the hearts of the wealthy to sympathise with, and compassionate the
needy and distressed. Grant, O Lord, that, under Thy safe guidance,
we may understand the proper sense of the duty of charity, so as to
exercise it in all its bearings, not only to give, but to think charitably;
may we be impressed with the sentiment, that Thy laws are not for
certain classes and ranks of society, but for all mankind, as so elo-
quently pronounced by Thy servant David: " Thy faithfulness is unto
all generations; Thou hast established the earth, and it abideth. They
continue this day according to Thine ordinances ; for all are Thy ser-
vants." Amen.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 199
-no
TENTH PORTION OF LEVITICUS.
nrv^yo na a
" Say ye to the righteous that it shall be well with them ;
For they shall eat the fruit of their doings.
Woe unto the wicked ! it shall be ill with him ;
For the reward of his hands shall be given him. Isa. iii. 10, 1 1.
portion of Sabbatli last, containing so many humane and
salutary laws, both social and religious, concluded with the
sentence, " Ye shall keep my Sabbath and reverence my sanc-
tuary: I am the Lord."
The Divine Legislator now tells the nation what reward they
have to expect in case of obedience to those laws, and what pun-
ishment would overtake them in case of rebellion.* It is remark-
able, that in the reward held out and in the punishment threatened,
no allusion whatever is made to a future state, the Divine Legis-
lator confining himself entirely to worldly happiness, and to
prosperity in this fleeting life. The question has, therefore, been
repeatedly asked, " How is it that no mention whatever is made
of reward and punishment after death?" In reply, several of the
rabbis have pointed out passages in the Pentateuch, which though
not containing a distinct and positive statement in reference to
* Their rebellious conduct is frequently described in the portion of this Sabbath
by the phrase, *"lp *Oy 13771 DN1 which the English Version renders, " if ye walk
contrary unto me." An ancient Jewish commentator, however, ingeniously inter-
prets '~lp " chance," signifying that the rebellion alluded to consists in man's
attributing the calamities that befall him, not to predestination, and the withdrawal
of Divine Providence, but to the chances of fate. In that case the Divine Ruler
of Providence tells us: pDy 4bbhi npa y Dfrobm ^ iyEfc?n K 1 ? nsn DKI
*"lp nOrQ " If ye, with all this, will not hearken unto me, and will continue to
walk by the blind guidance of fate, I shall walk with you in my wrath, and
surrender you to accidental fate; i.e., I shall withhold my protecting hand from
you."
200 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
the immortality of the soul and reward and punishment here-
after, yet sufficiently indicate those doctrines which form an
essential part of our thirteen creeds. Maimonides himself, the
author of these creeds, thus accounts for the absence of a distinct
mention of the above doctrines by Moses, the Divine Legislator.
" It must be remembered, that Moses addressed himself, not to a
civilised and refined people, but to a wild horde just emerging
from the darkness of the house of bondage, and who had but
recently shaken off the fetters of slavery. Had Moses spoken to
these uncultivated people of a future state, of a life after death,
he would not have made on them that impression which the
promise of immediate reward, or the threat of immediate punish-
ment, is likely to produce on short-sighted minds, which only see
what is before them, and which are too weak to penetrate into
the distant future. Let us compare the then undeveloped state
of Israel to that of a child. Suppose you wish a child not to
meddle with dangerous instruments, such as knives, scissors, etc.,
etc., the warning, ' Do not touch these instruments lest you cut
yourself/ would not have anything like the effect as if you were
to say, ' Beware of touching those things, else I will punish
you;' because the child has not yet reached the state of discern-
ment to appreciate future consequences, though it is more likely
to feel the terror of immediate punishment, and therefore heed
the warning. So was it with Israel in the wilderness. The ex-
pectation of mundane prosperity might lead them to follow the
divine behests, whilst the fear of physical disasters and calamities,
would induce them to abstain from crime."
If with duly reverential feelings, we reflect on the development
of the human mind, the history of which is at the one extreme
bounded by the azure cloud-capped mountains of old, and enve-
loped in the mists of fable, parable, and tradition, opening a wide
field for imagination with its magic pictures, we behold the religi-
ous doctrines of the Israelitish nations in their form divine, majes-
tically superseding those of every other people; we perceive them
assuming, in every age, the garb best suited to their years, of
which they again divest themselves, so soon as the spirit within
the mind has outgrown the narrow compass by which it was en-
circled. The life, if we may so speak, of religion, is the organic
existence of a people, and is subject to every change to which
the life of an individual is liable. The existence of the child is
purely corporeal, until its organism is sufficiently strong to become
the dwelling-place of reason. For though childhood is not
insensible to the laws of reason, the voice of conscience being
even in infancy felt and obeyed, yet it is not felt as originating
within its own heart. This feeling becomes more perceptible in
the youth, when it results in thought, in distinguishing objects by
certain characteristics; but even then the feeble powers of imagin-
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAH8. 201
ation combine fiction with reality, confound fable with truth.
On the verge between youth and manhood, thought increases,
and struggles for the predominance over feeling placid reason
clips the wings of imagination. Manhood calmly tests, tempe-
rately investigates, purges truth from the dross of error. These
periods in the life of one individual are exhibited in the history
of mankind generally, and in the religion of Israel especially.
We will now recur to the lesson of this Sabbath. It com-
mences, " If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments
and do them; then will I give you rain in due season, and the
land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield
their fruit." Moses further holds out to them promises of cheap-
ness and plenty, peace in the land, quiet from their enemies; and
lastly, " That the Lord will walk among them; He will be their
God, and they shall be His people." On the other hand: " If
ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these command-
ments, and if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor
my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but
that ye break my covenant," Moses, in the name of the Divine
Judge predicts the most terrible punishments such as drought
and famine, plague and disease, internal and civil war, defeat by
enemies from without, desolation of their cities, spoliation of their
property, and that want of moral courage which produces faint-
ness of heart " so that the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase
them, so that they shall flee as fleeing from a sword; and they
shall fall when none pursueth/' The human heart shudders at
the perusal of these awful curses, among which there is the horrid
prediction, (realised in Israel's future history to the letter), " Ye
shall eat the flesh of your sons, and ye shall devour the flesh of
your daughters."
This Sabbath lesson thus contains blessings in abundance to
Israel if they keep the commandments; and the most awful de-
nunciations in case of disobedience. Both are directed to the
nation at large, and both have come to pass more than once in
the history of the Jews. Indeed, it is most remarkable, that
some of the terrible curses, which seem beyond the course of
nature, are historical facts, recorded in the Jewish annals during
their expulsion from Palestine, and the sieges and the battles
which preceded that event. But many of these terrible signs of
the Divine wrath, have also been visible in modern ages, and in
Europe. These awful curses were fulfilled to the letter, and the
consoling promise has likewise been realized, " And yet for all
that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast
them away; neither will I abhor them to destroy them utterly,
and to break my covenant with them : for I am the Lord their
God."
It remains now for us, to examine the duties incumbent upon
202 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
us in return for the divine promise, that under no circumstances
will the Lord reject us entirely. Let us reflect, that this promise
rests upon the Covenant made with the patriarchs of old ; as we
read in the lesson of this Sabbath " And I will remember my
covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also
my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remem-
ber the land." Now this covenant was made with our pious
progenitors, because they, under all troubles and afflictions, sted-
fastly adhered to the belief in the Unity of God, and implicitly
trusted in the divine predictions. Nor did their descendants in
later ages shrink from the observance of the law, though threat-
ened by the most agonizing tortures, which were even worse
than death. The Roman centurions pursued them the Greeks
persecuted them the Persians destroyed them and, in after-
ages, the followers of Mahomet visited them with fire and
sword and the Crusaders trampled upon their necks yet they
refused, under these unprecedented calamities, to abandon the
law of their fathers, and that ancient heritage, the rich gift of
the Almighty. With the law of Moses, which they had pre-
served ; with the sacred rolls, written by Ezra, now in their pos-
session, and which they bore from the flaming ruins; they read
the law in chambers, in caves, confined rooms and deserted places
for, among their pagan persecutors, they did not dare to worship
openly that God, whose protecting mercies the civilised world
now unites to invoke. The mosque of the Mussulmans reared
its domes and minarets on the site of our temple; Christians
erected magnificent churches, and richly -endowed chapels on our
soil; while our people, the rightful inheritors of that land of
promise, crawled in abject submission to the walls of the temple,
to bewail their hard destiny to pray for the peace of Jerusalem,
and to weep on the solitary banks of the Jordan. They never
despaired of the fulfilment of those promises which God had
made to the first promulgators of his unity and glory that
" still small voice" continually whispered in their ears, in accents
soft as the cherub's voice, " Fear not, Jacob, for 1 am with
thee."
Centuries rolled on nations arose, flourished, decayed, and
fell yet the Jewish people still existed, increased in numbers,
and under every privation and persecution, preserved their iden-
tity, their faith, and their nationality. And as long as Israel
sustains that nationality, as long as no sacrifices for that faith are
too costly, so long may they rest assured that they will not be
entirely cast away from their heritage, the possession of the
divine law, so long will they find protection under the shadow
of the wings of the Almighty, who exhorted the powerful na-
tions of the earth, through His divine prophet, in reference to
Israel, " Destroy him not, for there is blessing in him."
THE PENTATEUCH AND IIAl'HTORAHS. 203
The Haphtorah of this Sabbath, (taken from Jeremiah, xvi.
xviL), is an echo of the prophecy of Moses, vibrating through
the land of Israel many centuries after the death of " the father
of prophets."
Jeremiah commences with a praise to God, " Lord, my
strength and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction.-"
He then tells the degenerate nation, " The sin of Judah is
written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it
is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of
your altars; whilst their children remember their altars and their
groves, by the green trees upon the high hills." He next fore-
tells them their dreadful fate in the following emphatic sentence :
" O my mountain in the field, I will give all thy substance and
all thy treasure to the spoil, and thy high places for sin through-
out all thy borders." Jeremiah concludes with an invocation of
the divine blessing on the righteous; whilst on the head of him
who is irretrievably lost to all religion and faith, he hurls down
unmitigated retribution. " Thus saith the Lord : Cursed be the
man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his strength, and
whose heart departeth from the Lord; for he shall be like the
heath on the desert, and shall not see when good cometh ; but
shall inhabit parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land, and
not inhabited." The drought and devastation here mentioned, are
not only of a physical nature, but indicate that mental barrenness
and desolation which prevails in a mind destitute of religion and
confidence in God. The prophet continues: " Blessed is the man
that trusteth in God, and whose hope the Lord is; for he shall be
like a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her
roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her
leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of
drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit." This exuberant
fruitfulness and incessant flourishing is not merely physical but
also mental; illustrating that useful development and fertility of a
religious mind teeming with hope and confidence in its Divine
Creator. Jeremiah finally closes with the following reflec-
tions:
" The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked :
who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even
to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of
his doings. As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not ;
so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the
midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool. A glorious high
throne from the beginning, is the place of our Sanctuary. O Lord,
the hope of Israel, all that forsake Thee shall be ashamed, and they
that depart from me shall be written in the earth ; because they have
forsaken the Lord, the Fountain of living waters. Heal me, O Lord,
and I shall be healed ; save me, and I shall be saved ; for Thou art my
praise."
204 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
PRAYER.
HEAVENLY AND RIGHTEOUS JUDGE ! We have recited this day the
most awful imprecation the most terrible punishment, with which
individuals or nations can be visited, if we persist in disobedience to
Thy behests if we break Thy covenant, and " walk contrary unto
Thee." When we reflect on these fearful denunciations, the question
may arise in our minds "But art Thou not all-merciful, O Lord?
Art Thou not long-suffering and forgiving?" How can we reconcile
these severe chastisements with the Divine attribute of clemency and
compassion ? But, if we carefully interpret Thy holy words, we must
bear in mind, that it is not on our first errors not on the outset of
our criminal course, that these dire punishments follow; for Thou,
gracious Father, art long-suffering but it is only on our obdurately
persisting in our refractory conduct, and on our not heeding the first
visitation of Thy wrath, but continuing in the pursuit of vice, irreligion,
and immorality it is then only, when every spark of virtue and peni-
tence is extinguished in our souls, that Thou inflictest the penalty of
our misdeeds, which have called forth Divine retribution. It is often
the unhappiness of sinners, that when calamities overtake them, instead
of attributing them to Thy displeasure, which they have grossly pro-
voked, that they are prone to ascribe it to chance, to fate, and to
misfortune to anything but to Thy pre-ordained will, and as the effect
of a cause the cause of unrelenting disobedience. Then Thou, O
Father of Justice ! withdrawest the protecting hand from Thy wicked
and rebellious children ; then Thou withholdest the watchful care of
Thy special Providence ; then we are left to the uncertainty of fate, we
stumble, and we fall. We therefore fervently entreat Thee, God of
Justice and Mercy, that Thou mayest awaken our hearts from their
lethargic slumber to take warning when the first tokens of Thy
anger are manifested ; so that we betake us in time to amend and
repent, confessing that our own guilty conduct has caused our troubles,
and that, in returning to Thee alone, we can find relief from our heavy
afflictions, according to Thy prophet's call, " Return unto me, and I
will return unto you." Amen.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPUTORAHS. 205
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" O generation, see ye the word of the Lord :
Have I been a wilderness unto Israel? a land of darkness?
Wherefore say my people, We are lords ; we will come no more
unto thee ?
Can a maid forget her ornaments ? or a bride her attire ?
Yet my people have forgotten me days without number."
Jer. ii. 31, 32.
THE Book of Numbers, which we now commence, contains
nearly the whole history of the Israelites in the wilderness.
The portion for this Sabbath embraces the ordinances and regula-
tions for their encampment, after a careful and statistical review
which Moses took of the whole twelve tribes, individually and
collectively, both as to their respective numbers and their services
in the Tabernacle, the latter being confined to the tribe of Levi,
which was the smallest tribe in number, though the most influen-
tial, owing to their sacred duties in the tabernacle, their devotion
to the holy law and its service.
The order of the encampment of the Israelites in the desert,
and of their journeying, is most minutely given by the divine
legislator. He first ascertained the number of serviceable men in
each tribe; he then appointed a captain to each, assigning to each
of them a standard with the " ensign of their father's house," and
distributed the whole army into four divisions, placed them in a
quadrangle, stationed on the east, west, south, and north, each
division consisting of several tribes. This order of encampment
has elicited the admiration of military men of the modern age,
who are well versed in the strategies of war, and who have pro-
nounced the arrangements made by Moses as most judicious and
206 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
scientific. A Jewish author of note, Kabbi Abraham, the phy-
sician (Ksn Drras* ^p), has also, in his work Dni^n we>
(The Shield of the Valiant), amply descanted upon this remark-
able encampment, and, after a scientific investigation of it, con-
cludes with this remark: ' f This arrangement by the prophet
Moses clearly shows that he was not only a learned, but a
scientific man." Indeed, if a well-digested plan had not been
drawn up by Moses for the encampment, and a proper system
fixed for their mode of marching, it would have been difficult to
manage an army of not less than 603,550, besides the Levites,
who numbered 22,000; and this, we must remember, was the
number of the men above twenty years of age. If we now think
of the number of females, and of males under twenty, we may
imagine what an immense host of human beings, but little cul-
tivated, were to be kept in order, amidst privations of all sorts,
and difficulties which would baffle the experience of the most
talented general or military leader of the modern age. Yet we
find that, had it not been for the jealousy and discontent of a few,
order would never have been disturbed; and, when it was dis-
turbed, it was easily restored by the wise yet humble leader and
disciplinarian, Moses.
The sages of the Midrash eloquently expatiate upon the Divine
remonstrances with the refractory Israelites appearing in our
text:
" The Lord, blessed be He ! said to Israel, Ye asked Moses, Where-
fore hast thou brought us up from Egypt? Surely I may say, in
reply, Have I been a wilderness unto Israel ? Have ye not been abject
slaves, and miraculously restored to liberty ! Have I not provided
your males with two educational leaders, Moses and Aaron, and your
females with the benevolent Miriam ? Have I not thus supplied you
with mental food, besides the physical food of the manna, and water
from the rocks ? Have I not surrounded and protected you by the
cloud of my glory ? as it is written: ' He spread a cloud for a covering,
and fire to give light in the night.' Have I not destroyed before
you the serpents, the scorpions, and all venomous insects, to prevent
your being hurt ? Have I not levelled the high and insurmountable
hills and rocks, whilst I elevated the valleys and raised the precipices ?
Have I been to you a land of darkness ? or have I not amply provided
you with light by day and by night ? as it is written, ' And the Lord
went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead the way ; and by
night in a pillarof fire, to give them light, to journey by day and night.'
Have I not also supplied you with the spiritual light of my infallible
word ? as it is written, ' There failed not aught of any good thing which
the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel ; all came to pass.' And
yet ye say, We are lords that is to say, We are independent of the
Divine Providence and we will come no more unto Thee in prayer
and supplication."
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTOKAHS. 207
How terrible fell the words of this Divine remonstrance upon
the hardened ears of ungrateful Israel ! How awfully grand are
the controversial sentences in which the merciful Father in heaven
condescended to address his disobedient children on earth through
the mouth of his undaunted prophet, Jeremiah ! But were these
prophetic words of Scripture only confined to the age in which
they were spoken, they would have but the value of an historical
record; but since the spirit of this remonstrance applies with
equal force to the present age, they may justly claim the title of
" living waters," running through all ages and throughout all
countries, and will never be dried up.
We advisedly say, " through all ages and throughout all coun-
tries," because, if we unfold the pages of history, we shall find
that though the sacrifices offered by our nation on the shrine of
the faith were most numerous and costly, though Israel's devo-
tion and resignation, under trials the most severe, and under per-
secutions the most oppressive, elicited the admiration of the
world; yet there were, and there still are, some who say, " We are
lords; we will come no more unto Thee;" who alienate them-
selves from their brethren in faith, estrange themselves from the
house of worship we have in common, and who are too proud to
join those national institutions which are our boast and our glory.
There are others who, having risen to the pinnacle of power,
look down with indifference upon the humble crowd; and though
they are of us, they are not with us. They selfishly laud the
Jewish race, because they have sprung from it; but they have
become unfaithful to their religion, which they are loth to
avow. To them forcibly applies the Divine remonstrance so
emphatically expressed in our text:
" Can a maid forget her ornaments ? or a bride her attire?
Yet my people have forgotten me days without number."
There are, unhappily, many instances enumerated in the annals
of our nation, showing that when Jews, by wealth and talent
combined, reached high positions when court favour smiled upon
them, and potent princes drew them into their councils and entrusted
them with high offices they became forgetful of their noble
birthright, and absolved themselves from the sacred obligations
which their ancient religion imposed upon them. Not only was
this the case in arrogant and despotic Spain, under the rule of
fanatic potentates, but even in constitutional and liberal Britain;
we read, that many of the emigrants who had but recently been
permitted to settle 'in this country, had no sooner taken up
a firm position, than they forswore their faith, repudiated their
religion, and, intoxicated with joy at their social elevation, and at
being considered natives of the new soil, became aliens unto their
people and unto their God.
208 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
The time drawing near when the Jews in this country will
attain political equality with their neighbours of other creeds,
it may not be unseasonable to exhort those whose station in
life qualifies them for high offices in the state, to cling with
fidelity and devotion to that religion under which their ancestors
suffered, but which they still maintained ; that faith which for
years has excluded them from the active political participation
which they now enjoy, not by recantation of their conscientious
belief, but by the reverence which their very perseverance and
stedfast resolution not to take an oath repugnant to their con-
sciences elicited even from the most powerful opponents. Let us
not say in prosperity, "We are lords; we will come no more
unto Thee," nor unto Thy people, nor into Thy house of worship ;
but always remember Him who never forsook, and promised never
to forsake, His people.
The simile so eloquently used by the Prophet Jeremiah in our
text, comparing Israel to a maid who had forgotten her orna-
ments, or a bride who had neglected her attire, is aptly carried
out by the prophet in the Haphtorah of this Sabbath (taken from
Hosea ii.).
After predicting that "the number of the children of Israel
shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor
numbered ; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it
was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said
unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God" alluding to their
political freedom and prosperity the prophet continues: " Then
shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered
together, and appoint themselves one head" indicating that
political eminence is unavailing without internal union. He then
compares Israel in her infidelity to an unfaithful wife, who is cast
away by her illicit friends, and says, " I will go and return to my
first husband, for then it was better with me than now." But
this repentance comes only when there is no alternative, \vhen
she has no one to protect her, and therefore arrives too late. It
is not penitence from the heart, but that of dire necessity. The
Heavenly Judge then asks, " Did she not know that I gave her
corn, and wine, and oil, which she prepared for Baal? There-
fore will I return and take away my corn in the time thereof,
and my wine in the season thereof. ... I will also cause her
mirth to cease, her feast-days, her new moons and her Sabbaths,
and all her solemn feasts." But when, ultimately, repentance
ensues from the heart, sincerely and devoutly, a merciful God
forgiveth the nation, promises to renew his covenant, to remove
all causes cf strife, and to banish warfare; saying, " I will break
the bow, and the sword, and the battle out of the earth. And I
will betroth thee unto me for ever ; yea, I will betroth thee unto
me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving-kindness,
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 209
and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithful-
ness: and thou shalt know the Lord."
PRAYER.
O LORD, " Thou art He who maketh poor and maketh rich, He who
bringeth low and lifteth up ; He who raiseth up the poor out of the dust,
and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes,
and to make them inherit the throne of glory; for the pillars of the
earth are the Lord's, and He hath set the world upon them." Thus
sung the pious and prophetic Hannah, who, in the hour of affliction,
was despised by her own sister, and in her devotions was mistaken by
Eli the priest for a drunkard. But no sooner was she relieved, than
she poured out her heart unto Thee, O God, in the melodious strains
of thanksgiving to which her grateful heart was attuned. She acknow-
ledged Thee, O Lord, as the Author of her felicity, and rejoiced in Thy
salvation. She admonished her enemies: " Talk no more so exceeding
proudly ; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth : for the Lord is a
God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed." May we also,
like our ancestress Hannah, cling unto Thee, O God, when affliction
darkens our soul, and not forget Thee when relief brightens up our
gloomy thoughts. May we also, when raised up from a lowly positioa
to sit with princes and have influence at command, be not unmindful
that it is Thou to whom we owe our elevation, and that we may thus
exercise the power we possess through Thy goodness, not for haughtily
domineering over those placed beneath us, but for disseminating the
fruit of knowledge, promulgating mercy and justice, according to Thy
laws. Grant, O Lord, that those who, through Thy Omnipotence,
obtain influence in the state, may not desert the ranks of their brethren
in faith, may not swerve from that religion and its observances which
hitherto had prevented their equality ; but that they may always re-
member their former fellow- sufferers, and their pious ancestors, whom
no inducement, however tempting, could shake in the firm belief and
conviction, that as long as they rally round the standard of their faith,
Thou, O Lord, in Thy mercy, wilt never abandon them. Amen.
210 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
-no
SECOND PORTION OP NUMBERS.
no
" I will hear what God the Lord will speak ;
For He will proclaim peace unto His people and unto His saints ;
But let them not turn again to folly."
Ps. Ixxxv. 8.
IN the portion we read on Sabbath last, we perceive how Moses
wisely arranged a statistic registry of the various tribes, the
age, the sex, and the number of individuals composing them ; how he
appointed to each tribe its strategic position; how he distributed
among them the services required ; how they were to be encamped
under certain standards; how they were to follow in their journeys ;
and how the carrying of the burden of the Tabernacle, and its
ponderous utensils and ornaments, was divided among the tribe
of the Levites. But this was not all. The sanitary condition of
BO vast a multitude of human beings who, be it remembered,
had been brought up in a state of slavery, and from whom habits
of cleanliness could be little expected had to be taken into con-
sideration by the sagacious leader, especially under the scorching
sun of a climate engendering those diseases and plagues which
generally prevail in tropic zones.
After carefully removing all the unclean out of the camp a
precaution particularly necessary in oriental climates, to prevent
the contagion of diseases incidental to the hot zones Moses
ordained the offerings which each tribe should bring towards the
dedication of the Tabernacle.
But previous to making these offerings to the service of God, it
was necessary to reconcile men with each other, and to restore
that which might have been unlawfully obtained, with an addi-
tional compensation for having withheld it. For all offerings
and sacrifices to God, however costly and magnificent, as were
those brought to the Tabernacle by the princes of Israel, are un-
availing as long as our hands are not washed clean from the
possession of ill-gotten wealth. We therefore read :
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 211
" The Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of
Israel, when a man or woman shall commit any sin that men commit,
to do a trespass against the Lord, and that person be guilty ; then they
shall confess their sins which they have done : and he shall recompense
his trespass with the principal thereof, and add unto it the fifth part
thereof, and give it unto him against whom he has trespassed."
Although this chapter evidently treats on trespasses against a
fellow-creature, by injuring them in pecuniary matters, it com-
mences by calling it a trespass against the Lord; for if a man
wrongs another, no matter of what creed or country, he offends
the Lord. No prayer or sacrifice can atone till the principal,
and the fifth part of the amount owing, be restored; for the divine
legislator adds :
" But if the man have no kinsman to recompense the trespass unto,
let the trespass be recompensed unto the Lord, even to the priest."
The philosophers of the Midrash and Talmud interpret this
chapter as referring to pecuniary injury inflicted upon proselytes,
which interpretation is justified by the passage, " if the man have
no kinsman." The divine legislator here enforces upon us the
duty of treating proselytes with the same kindness and justice as
we are bound to treat natives, and putting them on an equality
with our own brethren. Indeed, from the numerous passages in
Scripture enjoining our befriending the stranger, the Rabbies
infer that we must show even more forbearance and tenderness
towards the stranger than towards the native. They use the fol-
lowing parable :
" A king had a large flock of sheep and goats, which went out to
pasture every morning, and returned in the evening. It occurred that
a stray stag joined the goats, and continually followed them. When
the king heard of this, he especially recommended the stag to the care
of the shepherds, not to ill-use him, but to treat him with particular
tenderness. The shepherds were surprised, and said to the king,
' Lord, thou hast many sheep, many goats, and many lambs, and thou
dost not speak of them ; whilst in reference to this stag, you daily cau-
tion us not to ill-use him.' The king replied, ' The sheep are used to
pasture in the field all day, and in the evening they return and sleep in
the fold ; but the stags sleep in the wilderness ; they are not used to
dwell among men ; ought we not, therefore, to compassionate this stag,
who left the wilderness, the habitation of wild beasts, and conies to
join the peaceful herd ?' In the same manner should we not show
kindness to the proselyte, who left his family, his father's house, his
nation, and all other nations, and from religious conviction joins us ;
surely he deserves particular care and solicitude. Ye shall not only
beware of vexing and oppressing the stranger, but ye shall love him as
one of yourselves."
The next chapter in our portion of this Sabbath treats on the
p 2
212 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
law of the Nazarite, who has taken a vow " to separate himself
unto the Lord ;" which term signifies entire abstinence from the
enjoyment of superfluities, such as drinking wine, etc. The
divine legislator prescribes various laws of cleanliness and abste-
miousness for the Nazarite who has thus voluntarily vowed " to
separate himself"; but God by no means recommends such a vow
unto the people generally; and even in the case of the Nazarite,
the separation is limited to a certain period : thus showing that
the Mosaic dispensation, though enjoining sobriety and depre-
cating excessive gratification, nevertheless requires no utter ab-
stemiousness, but leaves the golden line of the medium between
extravagance and abstinence open to our discrimination.
We now recur to the offerings enumerated in the next chapter,
as well as to the sacerdotal blessings.
It will be remembered, that the Israelites had provoked their
Heavenly Benefactor by the worship of the molten calf; that it
was but the intercession of Moses which appeased the merciful
Judge ; and it appears that the erection of an edifice for the wor-
ship of God was the only means of re-uniting the congregation
of Israel, and re-establishing devotion to the ONE GOD, to whom
they were indebted for their emancipation from Egyptian slavery.
The Tabernacle service was therefore a most necessary means for
the reconciliation of the wayward children with their Heavenly
Father; and He, in His mercy, vouchsafed a full pardon, if they
but earnestly repented. To this the Psalmist alludes in our text,
according to the Midrash: " I will hear what God the Lord will
speak; for He will proclaim peace unto his people, and unto his
saints" (thus said Moses, when, after the dedication of the Taber-
nacle, he went there to hear the commands of God) ; but with
this condition, " let them not turn again to folly." The Midrash
properly observes, that if we notice the Hebrew of this passage,
we shall find two attributes of the Deity, 'f\ 7tfn (God the Lord);
the first being the attribute of justice, and the second that of
mercy; and it was Moses who succeeded in turning the Divine
wrath into forgiveness, so that the punishment of a national
destruction was not carried into effect.
A Rabbi of the Midrash ingeniously observes, that the term,
" He will speak peace unto His people," alludes to the sacerdotal
blessing which precedes the chapter of the dedication-offerings.
That blessing concludes thus: "The Lord lift up His counte-
nance unto thee, and give thee peace."
" Without peace," continues the Rabbi, " all Divine worship,
all sacrifices, and all offerings, are unacceptable to the God of
peace. Only when peace reigned among the Israelites, we read,
that ' the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.' As soon as
strife commenced, the Lord said, ' I will go up from this congre-
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 213
gation.' After it was announced that the Lord would speak
peace to His people, the Psalmist continues:
' Surely His salvation is nigh them that fear Him,
That glory may dwell in our land.
Mercy and truth are met together,
Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.' "
All the blessings of man, however, are of no efficacy without
the sanction of God, the author of all blessing; which idea is thus
allegorically expressed by our ancient sages: " When the Lord
said to Aaron and his sons, ' Thus shall ye bless the children of
Israel, the nation pleaded before the throne of God, saying, *
Lord of eternity! Thou commandest the priests to bless us; but
we require only Thy blessing, and would rather be blessed from
Thy mouth ; as it is written, Look down from Thy holy habita-
tion, from heaven, and bless Thy people Israel.' The Almighty
replied, ' Although I enjoined the priests to bless you, I stand by
them, and direct the benediction.' " Hence the custom of the
priests spreading their hands, as if to say, " The Lord, without
whom all our blessings are unavailing, stands behind us, and by
His sanction we pronounce the sacred words we utter." *
Scriptural history records but one instance of a Nazarite, which
occurs in the Haphtorah of this Sabbath. Samson, the son of
Manoah, who was a Judge in Israel, and during the time he was
in power delivered the nation from the oppression of the Philis-
tines, became a Nazarite from his birth. His mother had been
childless for many years; and when the angel of the Lord ap-
peared to her with the prediction that she should bear a son, he
enjoined upon her that the child should be a Nazarite unto God
from his birth. The Divine prediction was fulfilled; the child,
which was destined heroically to ward off the onslaught of the
inveterate enemy, the Philistines, was born; and when he grew
up, distinguished himself by unprecedented courage, being gifted
also with supernatural strength. The physical power so exten-
sively possessed by Samson, though brought up from childhood
to abstemiousness, clearly demonstrates that strength is not the
effect of strong drink and high living, but, on the contrary, of
temperance and moderation. The further history of Samson's
life shows that, so long as he conformed to the laws of a Nazarite,
he was invincible. Single-handed, he often defeated hosts of the
enemy by intrepidity, boldness, and uncommon dexterity. But
m"pn JE &nB> no OJH lanan ro vja pn& m"pn TOK:? iwa *
Tnia-n 1 ? &6 pans UK p m mrt? now nx n'ana^ nn^iyn jm
or6 IDS '131 oD3Ti jo iBHp ptfoo ns'pBTi i"nn TQ panano unvn^i
7-0101 ion? '3N Dnoy D3nx Danao r.TB> D'jna!? mDXB> *z"y$ rn"pn
now n3 w pne> 101!? Divas nx DBnia o^nan ^sb onnx
214 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
no sooner did lie break through the rules of a Nazarite, instigated
by his wife Delilah, who shamefully betrayed her husband to her
countrymen no sooner did he credulously listen to the counsels
of a wanton and idolatrous woman, whom he never ought to have
wedded in marriage, than his power diminished, his strength for-
sook him, and he became the sport of those whose terror he had
been whilst he was faithful to his people and to his God. It was
only through his touching appeal to God in his last moments,
when he cried unto the Lord, and said, " Lord God, remember
me, I pray Thee, and strengthen me, I pray Thee, only this
once, God, that I may be avenged at once on the Philistines
for my two eyes" it was only then, when his tortured soul
returned unto God, that the Omnipotent lent him strength to
shake the pillars of the idolatrous temple to its foundation, and
the house fell upon the lords, and upon the people that were
therein. Thus he obtained a great victory in death, and once
more was the saving angel of his people. The example which
the life of Samson affords us is one of great importance. Many a
pencil has skilfully drawn scenes from the eventful life of that
distinguished man; yet nothing can excel the descriptive effect
of the simple yet touching narrative, as contained in the Haphtorah
of this Sabbath, and in the following chapters commencing
with his miraculous birth, continuing with his chequered and
extraordinary career, and terminating with his remarkable death.
PRAYER.
O GOD, ETERNAL SOURCE OF WISDOM ! When we attentively read
the just and wise laws ordained by Thee, every one of us must join with
the words of the Psalmist, " I will praise Thee with uprightness of heart,
when I shall have learned Thy righteous judgments." In Thy boundless
mercy Thou didst vouchsafe pardon to sinful man if he had committed a
trespass against his neighbour, and brought a sacrifice. That sacrifice
consisted in " a ram of atonement," which, however, must be preceded
by a confession of the sin, and by recompensing his fellow-creature for
the injury inflicted, by restoring the principal, and adding a fifth thereof.
Such was the practice during the ages of the Tabernacle and the Tem-
ple. But though the ordinances of the priest and sacrifices have ceased,
the spirit of Thy righteous judgments remains still in force, and pervades
our social laws. If we have sinned against a fellow-man, which Holy
Writ designates sinning against Thee, O Lord if we in dealings over-
reach a less-guarded person, which amounts to a moral trespass may
we not be led to imagine that secret confession of the sin, even in the
house of prayer, or inward remorse and repentance, or any means of
unburdening our guilty conscience, can procure atonement for us of
Thee, O Lord, of whom the divine legislator said, " He is the rock,
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 215
His work is perfect, for all His ways are judgment: a God of truth,
and without iniquity, just and right is He." All overt and deceptive
acts and thoughts, however cunningly concealed from the perceptions
of man, are revealed before Thy sight, and nothing short of rendering
complete practical justice, evincing sincerity of penitence, can appease
Thy displeasure, provoked not only by the commission of the guilt, but,
moreover, by the criminal thought of concealing it from Thy all-seeing
eye. But as the heart of man is perverse, and prone to deceitfulness,
we beseech Thee, Heavenly Creator, that Thou mayest incline our dis-
position towards candour and straight-forwardness, to remember that
when we deceive our neighbour we deceive ourselves, and offend Thy
majesty, whose throne of justice rests in heaven, but whose footstool is
on earth. May we, O Lord, walk in Thy ways; as Thou art just and
upright, may we also be just and upright ; and if we turn from the
straight path, and walk crookedly and deceitfully, lead Thou us back,
O Lord, and let us pray, in the words of the ancient bard : " Incline
my heart unto Thy testimonies, and not to covetousness ; I will run
the way of Thy commandments, then shalt Thou enlarge my heart."
Aroen.
216 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
IID
THIRD PORTION OF NUMBERS.
7BTP.16 l^n c;
TK era rMi
n^nn mito nae>na
" Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee ;
But the night shineth as the day:
The darkness and the light are both alike to Thee."
Ps. cxxxix. 12.
THE lesson of this Sabbath commences with the ordinance of
lighting the seven lamps of the candlestick in the Taber-
nacle. The symbolical tendency of these lamps is thus alluded
to in the Midrash : " The Israelites said before God, O Lord of
the Universe, Thou commandedst us to illumine before Thee ; art
Thou not the light of the world, and does not light emanate
from Thee; as it is said by Daniel, And light dwelleth within; and
by David, For thou lightest my lamp? The Lord replied: Not
that I require your light, but that you may perpetuate the light
which I have conferred upon you as an example to the nations of
the world, who will say, Behold how Israel maintains the light of
the lamp before Him who illumines the whole world." The
rabbies further illustrate this idea by the following parable :
" Two men walked on the road, and one of them was blind. When
they arrived at the house of their destination, the guide of the
blind man requested him : ' Go and light me this candle, that I
may see. 5 The blind man asked surprisingly, ' How is that;
when we were on the road thou didst guide me, and didst lead
me to this house ; and now you ask, Kindle me this lamp, to give
me light?' The seeing man replied: 'I do not require the light,
I merely ask you for it, that you should do me a favour, and not
be under any obligation to me for having guided you on the
road/" Israel is compared to the blind man, as Scripture says,
" We grope for the wall like the blind;" whilst the Lord is He
who is all-seeing; as it is wiitten, " The eyes of the Lord run
to and fro through the whole earth." The Almighty led Israel
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 217
through the wilderness and gave them light; as it is said, " The
Lord went before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead on the
way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light." When
the tabernacle was established, the Lord called to Moses, and
said: " Light the lamp before me not for My use, for I re-
quire it not but to elevate you in the eyes of the world ; that
you may prove yourselves deserving of those precepts and statutes,
which spread light throughout the universe; and that you may
evince your gratitude by feeding and maintaining that perpetual
light." "
Israel now pursued their journey, having the ark of the cove-
nant of the Lord before, and the cloud of the Lord upon them,
affording shelter and protection. The moving and the resting of
the sacred ark were both signalised by prayer. When it moved
onward, Moses said, " Rise up, Lord, and let Thine enemies be
scattered; and let them that hate Thee flee before Thee." And
when it rested, he said, " Return, Loid, unto the many thou-
sands of Israel." When we, in the house of worship, on remov-
ing and returning the sacred scrolls of the law, recite these two
short but emphatic prayers, may we also be like Moses, impressed
with the sanctity and inestimable service which the laws of the
ark conferred upon us and upon mankind. But no sooner had
the Israelites begun to journey, than they, and especially the
mixed multitude that was among them, betrayed discontent with
their daily food, the manna, and longed for the fish and
flesh which they enjoyed in Egypt, forgetful of their hard bond-
age and their severe taskmasters, unmindful of the boon of liberty,
and ungrateful to their intrepid deliverer when Moses heard
the people weep at the doors of their tents, he appealed to God
" Have I conceived all this people? Have I begotten them, that
thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a
nursing father beareth the sucking-child, unto the land which
thou swcarest unto their fathers** I am not able to bear all
this people alone, because it is too heavy for me." The Lord
complied with Moses' reasonable request, and afforded him the
assistance of seventy men of the elders of Israel, to whom the
Lord imparted His divine spirit and they also prophesied.
When two of the men in the camp, named Eldad and Medad,
however, not authorized, assumed prophesying, Moses was asked
by Joshua, the son of Nun, his servant, " My lord Moses forbid
them." The great yet meek leader replied, " Enviest thou for
my sake; would God that all the Lord's people were prophets,
and that the Lord would put His spirit upon them."
Here we have one of the many instances narrated in Scripture,
exemplifying the meek and forbearing character of Moses, who,
although being the first prophet that ever arose in Israel, so far
from being envious of others pretending to prophesy, cordially
218 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
expressed his wish that the divine spirit might be imparted to
all the people of the Lord.
The next chapter contains a short account of an occurrence, in
which also the noble features of Moses' character for humility
and forgiveness appear in bold relief. When Miriam and Aaron,
Moses' own sister and brother, spoke against him because he had
married an Ethiopian woman, they incurred the Divine displea-
sure, and Miriam was punished with leprosy. They were both
rebuked in the presence of Moses by the Heavenly Judge, who,
as Scripture informs us, came down in the pillar of the cloud, and
stood in the door of the tabernacle, and thus addressed them:
"Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I, the
Lord, will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak
unto him in a dream. Not so my servant Moses, who is faithful in all
mine house : with him I will speak mouth to mouth, even apparently,
and not in dark speeches ; and the similitude of the Lord he beholds :
Wherefore, then, were ye not afraid to speak against my servant
Moses?" |t ';
It is evident from this narrative, that the cause of Miriam and
Aaron's unguarded conduct was jealousy; because we read that
they said: " Hath the Lord, indeed, spoken only by Moses?
Hath He not spoken also by us?" But Scripture emphatically
tells us, " And the Lord heard it;" that is to say, He vindicated
the character of Moses, and rebuked those who by feelings of
envy had been led away to vituperate the man whom God had
elected, by revealing Himself to him, and whom He had distin-
guished as His faithful servant. Moses, instead of being vexed
at the slander coming from his own brother and sister, instead of
rejoicing at Miriam's punishment, cried unto the Lord, saying,
" Heal her now, God, I beseech Thee!'' This short but fer-
vent prayer was answered by God in healing Miriam, after her
being shut out from the camp fdr seven days; whilst Holy Writ,
in divine inspiration, records, " How the man Moses was very
meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the
earth."
Here we have two important lessons. On the one hand, the
forgiving character of Moses, free from vindictiveness, but replete
with self-denial. On the other hand, the great danger of har-
bouring feelings of jealousy in the heart, which are capable of
envenoming the breath of even brothers and sisters, yea, against
a brother, whose disinterestedness, patriotism, and nobleness of
mind, not to speak of his eminence as a prophet, had been so
clearly and so unmistakeably demonstrated from the very outset
of his eventful career; verifying the proverb of the wise king,
who designated envy " as the rottenness of the bones;" whilst of
contentedness he says, " A SOUND HEART is THE LIFE OF
THE FLESH!"
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 219
The Haplitorah of this Sabbath, taken from Zechariah ii. iii.
iv., contains one of the most remarkable prophecies of Scripture,
replete with symbolical visions and emblematical figures. It thus
commences :
'' Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion ! For lo, I come, and I will
dwell in the midst of Thee, saith the Lord ; and many nations shall be
joined to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people, and I will dwell
in the midst of thee ; and thou shalt know that the Lord of Hosts hath
sent me unto thee : and the Lord shall inherit Judah his portion in the
Holy Land, and shall choose Jerusalem again. Be silent, O all flesh,
before the Lord; for He is raised up out of his holy habitation."
In order to have a proper understanding of the vision next
described, we offer the following observations, resting upon the
able commentary of a learned author :
The prophets of Scripture, as well as the Talmud, have fre-
quently combated the astrological notions of the ancients, and
successfully proved the pre-eminence of an omnipotent and all-
comprehending Deity over the influence of the starry hosts and
planets; whilst the Persian system of worship spread its dark veil
over that age and that country, and, supported by the crafty in-
terpretations of the magicians, and by their sophistical and preju-
diced prophecies, blinded the whole nation; which was also the
cause of that opposition to the rebuilding of the temple by Ze-
rubbabel an opposition founded on the voice of their oracle, as
it appears from Ezra (iv. 4,) " Then the people of the land weak-
ened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in
building," that the obstacle was not only of a physical, but also
of a mental character the influence of the oracles and their
interpretation, which, among the ancients, was the most irresisti-
ble stimulus to the national acts. The Egyptians of old warned
the Israelites not to leave Egypt, because they said, " Look to it,
for evil is before you " (Exod. x. 10) ; and thus the Greeks, pre-
viously to any important undertaking, interrogated the priests in
the Temple of Apollo (the oracle at Delphi). Ezekiel alludes,
no doubt, to this, when he says of the King of Babylon, " He
consulted with images, he looked into the liver," (chap. xxi. 21);
and Jeremiah, when he says, " Be not dismayed at the signs of
heaven " (chap. x.). Thus also the prophecies of the magicians
of the temple dedicated to ' Ormuz' and ' Ahriman/ guided the
doings of the Persians; and by that influence they inspired the
opponents of Zerubbabel with courage to interrupt the building
of the Temple. Hence the prophet Zechariah's exultation in their
defeat: " The idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have
seen a lie (chap. x. 2); and hence the emphatic addresses of the
true prophets to Zerubbabel and his comrades, inspiring them
with confidence in the will of God, " For He hath said it, and it
220 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
shall be." Thus did Haggai re-assure them of the divine assist-
ance: " Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel, saith the Lord; and
be strong, Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be
strong all ye people of the land, saith the Lord, and work, for I
am with you, saith the Lord of Hosts " (chap. ii. 4.)
It is well known, that in the reign of Ziaksarus I. (who
accords with the Ahasuerus of the Book of Esther), the high-
priest, Zoroaster, founded among the Persians a new system of
theology, which spread also among the Bactrians, and other Asiatic
tribes. We read, in a theological work, called " Zend-a-vesta,"
which contains the principles of his system, that " there is a
good world and a bad one, respectively called the Temple of Light,
and the Temple of Darkness. In the former, reigns the ' god'
Ormuz, from whom proceeds nothing but good, and before whose
throne are seated ' the seven princes of light,' who are the source
of all good on earth; opposite to it is the Temple of Darkness, in
which reigneth the ' god' Ahriman, and before his throne sit' the
seven princes of darkness,' who are the cause of all evil in the
world. According to this system, there is an incessant war
between these two governments; but it is promised, that the day
will come, when the reign of good and light will be victorious,
and the glory of good King Ormuz will fill all the earth. The
adherents to this system, therefore, worshipped the fire, and on
many of their feasts prohibited the lighting of fire in the city,
except in the temple dedicated to their ' god' Ormuz, " the
Prince of Light."
That the Zoroastral system of theology is based on astrology,
admits, therefore, of no doubt; and the author himself remarks,
that " his system is founded on one which existed previously;"
which we have shown to be the faith in the starry hosts of heaven.
The number of attendants on each of the two principles, " Good
and Evil/' was, therefore, seven, because of the seven planets
(J"O7 ^D*O n$DfcJO> an d hence the sacred importance attached to
the number seven in the Persian records. Thus do we find in the
Book of Esther, " the seven princes of Persia and Media, which saw
the king's face, and which sat the first in the kingdom " (chap. i.
14); and thus do we read of " the seven chamberlains, that served
in the presence of Ahasuerus the king" (chap. i. 10).
The tendency of this prophecy of Zechariah having been to
destroy the sophistry of the Persian system, by the power of his
eloquence and reasoning, represented in the vision of the candle-
stick, he embodied the two governments of good and evil, or
light and darkness, and the reputation of this fallacious principle,
in the vision described. With these preliminaries, we proceed to
the illustration of this remarkable prophecy verbatim. It com-
mences thus:
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 221
" And he shewed me Joshua, the High Priest, standing before the
angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand, to resist him "
(chap. iii. ver. 1).
The resistance of Satan alludes to the obstacles and formidable
opposition to the re-building of the Temple, in the time of
Ezra.
" And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rehuke thee, O Satan;
even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem, rebuke thee : is not this a
brand plucked out of the fire " (ver. 2).
Here the prophet shows how the opposition of the Persians
(stimulated by the system of astrology, propounded by the magi-
cians) to Zerubbabel and his colleagues, was frustrated by the
will of God ; for all the power the enemies possessed, the prophet
says, was comparatively but a brand plucked out of the all-
consuming fire of the Omnipotent. Satan, or the hindering
enemy, will therefore be rendered powerless by the rebuke of
God, who has chosen Jerusalem, and whose will is irresistible.
Having warned his faithful servants against all physical and
mental uncleanness, and enjoined on them steadfast adherence to
the laws of God (verses 3 7), he continues:
" Hear now, O Joshua, the High Priest, thou, and thy fellows that
sit before thee (for they are men wondered at) ; behold, I will bring
forth salvation for my servant " (ver. 8).
The Lord vouchsafes that, spite of all the obstacles priestcraft
had invented, salvation shall go forth, and his servants shall
enjoy that intellectual felicity which the religious services of the
Holy Temple so eminently afforded to Israel.
" For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua ; upon one
stone shall be seven eyes : behold, I will engrave the graving thereof,
saith the Lord of Hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in
one day" (ver. 9).
The seven eyes upon the one stone is an allusion to the Persian
system of the seven princes of each principle, good and evil. The
prophet, however, says, that to the one stone which God estab-
lished, there must be seven eyes directed; and they can do
nothing without the command of God, who rules every principle ;
and as the engraving on a seal represents the name of the owner,
so are the powers and influences possessed by the heavenly
planets, but a representation of the Majesty of the Creator, who
hath " engraved the graving thereof;" by whose guidance only
they are allowed to lead; by whose light they are permitted to
illumine; and by whose government they may rule. The
222 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
Prophet Haggai, in alluding to the triumph which Zerubbabel
achieved over the Persians in accomplishing their object, also
makes use of the metaphor of " the seal."
" In that day, saith the Lord of Hosts, I will take thee, O Zerub-
babel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the Lord, and I will make
thee as a SIGNET ; for I have chosen thee, saith the Lord of Hosts."
As to the Persian system that the idol, Ormuz, will one day
dispel all darkness, and by his light bring salvation to the world,
the Lord says, " I will remove the iniquity of that land in one
day;" the Lord will accomplish this himself, by his power, and
not by the medium of any other.
rdun r\wh mtosn
To this very remarkable chapter of Zechariah, forming also
the HAPHTORAH OF THE SABBATH OF THE FEAST OF
DEDICATION AND LIGHTING THE CANDLES, we devote more
than our usual space, and now proceed to the description of the
candlestick in the Temple.
The next chapter commences :
" And the angel that walked with me, came again, and waked me,
as a man that is wakened out of his sleep ; and said unto me, What
seest thou ? And I said, I have looked, and behold, a candlestick all
of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon,
and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof "
(chap. iv. 1, 2).
This passage is rather obscure, and the commentators differ as
to the quantity of the lamps. Jarchi thinks that every lamp had
seven pipes, and that there were forty-nine. We think, however,
that there were but fourteen pipes, seven on each side, which
agrees with the Hebrew text, " seven and seven." These two
sevens, point to the alleged seven attendants on the two governing
principles of good and evil. In the next verse the two idols,
Ormuz and Ahriman are represented for the purpose of manifesting
allegorically the source whence all powers are derived.
" And two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl, and
the other upon the left side thereof " (ver. 3).
The source of these olive trees is pointed out by the bowl at
the top. The " bowl" is the symbol of the Supreme Power, to
whom every power and every influence owe their existence ; from
whom emanates nothing but light and good; whilst the evil and
darkness which for a time may prevail, are occasioned by the
corruption of man, and by the perversion of pure religion into
superstition and fanaticism.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 223
'' So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying,
What are these, my lord ? And the angel that talked with me,
answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be ? And I
said, No, my lord. Then he answered and spake unto me, saying,
This is the word of the Lord unto Zeruhbabel, saying: Not by might,
nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts " (verses
4, 5, 6).
From our illustration of the vision, this interpretation of the
angel is anticipated, reminding Zerubbabel in his success that it is
not owing to the means of human power, but to the Spirit
of God.
" Who art thou, O great mountain ? Before Zerubbabel thou shalt
become a plain. And he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with
shoutings, crying, Grace, Grace ! unto it " (ver. 7).
The prophet addresses the defeated Persians and their priest-
craft, which threatened to annihilate the weaker party, Israel,
but vanished into nothingness before the " Headstone," the
originator of all, who ordained that the Temple should be re-
built, amidst the rejoicing and shouting of multitudes, and their
thanksgiving to the fountain of grace.
" Moreover, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying: The hands
of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house ; his hands shall
also finish it ; and thou shalt know that the Lord of Hosts hath sent
me unto you : for who hath despised the day of small things ? For
they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel
with those seven : they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro
through the whole earth " (verses 8, 9, 3 0).
This prophecy refers to the above passage, " on one stone
seven eyes," viz., that they shall rejoice in the victory of Zerub-
babel over priestcraft and the false doctrines of the magicians, and
be convinced that the alleged seven princes of the two principles
are of no avail against " the seven eyes of God," which run to
and fro through the whole earth.
" Then answered I, and said unto him. What are these two olive
trees upon the right side of the candlestick, and upon the left side
thereof? And I answered again, and said unto him, What are these
two olive branches which, through the golden pipes, empty the golden
oil out of themselves ? And he answered me and said, Knowest thou
not what these be ? And I said, No, my lord. Then said he, These
are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth "
(verses 11, 12, 13, 14.)
The purport of this prophecy becomes obvious from our pre-
liminaries. The term " stand by the Lord," signifies they await
the commands of God (vide Job. i. 6, " and the sons of God
224 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
came to present themselves before the Lord"). The two anointed
ones are the messengers of God on earth, but are guided by Him
only; they derive their power from " the seven eyes of God,"
whose Omnipotence and Omniscience are the oil which feeds
their flames, and enables them to execute the divine mission of
promoting good and spreading light over the universe.
Indeed, it is these " seven eyes of God" which guide and
rule the immense universe and the fulness thereof, in the strictest
order; and it is but owing to the weakness of the human eye that
we cannot look into the Divine light which shines in the whole
creation, and which animates and invigorates every power, from
the lowest blade of grass up to the majestic cedar from the
smallest atom of the earth up to the immense sun and his
burning myriads; it is our infirmity which incapacitates us from
recognising in each of them their original source and their
primitive fountain God.
Were our mind's eye strong enough to behold them, we
should identify them as the witness of his OMNISCIENCE, of
his OMNIPOTENCE, and of his ALL-MERCIFULNESS; and we
should perceive how the whole creation harmoniously chaunts
hi
TI em PH sni
" Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Hosts, the earth and the
fulness thereof declare his glory;" we should listen to the
"heavens which declare the glory of the Lord," and to the pro-
clamation which the starry hosts daily issue.
But mankind, instead of being enlightened by these daily
miracles, were dazzled by their splendour, and idolised the mar-
vellous works which sang and praised the omnipotence of their
Creator and Ruler. They saw these marvellous powers, but not
their Creator; they admired the work of the artist, but forgot the
artist himself. It was the error of humanity to attribute to these
instruments in the hand of God, the government of ruling prin-
ciples, such as good and evil; it was the blindness of humanity
which attributed evil to the creation of an all-merciful God,
whereas man himself was, unfortunately, the author and promoter
of evil and its consequences.
Against these deep-rooted notions, the prophets of Scripture
had continually to struggle; and these assertions it was their
sacred mission to refute. Zechariah was bound to show, as he
did in the vision of the candlestick, that whatever we perceive
and comprehend with our senses, and with our mind, the good
and the apparent evil (which, however, is only evil by our cor-
ruption) flow, like the "golden oil in the fourteen pipes," from
the " bowl at the top," from the source of all good; whilst our
errors, our ingratitude, and our vanity, abuse his goodness, and
turn many of his wisely-bestowed benefits into injuries to our
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPI1TORAHS. 225
selves and to our posterity. Let us consider that, since we admit
these three attributes of the Deity, omniscience, omnipotence, and
all-mercifulness, the world must have been created in the most
perfect order; for the author knew everything, had the power to
do everything, and, as he is all-kind, could not have wrought
anything but for our good.
PRAYER.
" Why art thou cast down, O my soul ? And why art thou disquieted
within me ?" Is it because of the ingratitude and envy whose chilling
influence at times destroys the flowers of joy and hope, which so spar-
ingly thrive in thy thorny path ? Or is it because of the pride and
jealousy which embitter the sweet plants with which the Heavenly
Creator has endowed thy nature ? Does not ONE watch over thee,
who is all-just and all-merciful, and who will not suffer the innocent to
be hurt ? For from His seat of justice, the righteous will go forth
clear and acquitted; whilst the slanderer and calumniator will stand
confounded and abashed. We implore Thee, O Lord, that if the
venomous sting of calumny deeply wounds our heart, Thou who
moistenest the fading flower with fresh dew, and the withering plant
with mild rain, mayest pour the balm of Thy consolation into our bleed-
ing souls, and fortify us by confidence in Thee ; so that, like our meek
ancestor, Moses, instead of rejoicing at the affliction of those who
speak ill of us without cause, we may anxiously wish, and fervently
pray, for their relief and recovery. When our spirit is depressed by
suffering from the tongue of malice, or from the wicked hand of injury,
may we take courage, and look up with faith and confidence to those
eternal and serene regions, where no tongue of misguided zeal, no
arm of mis-directed energy, can reach the innocent or hurt the pure.
We also beseech Thee, O God of Knowledge, that if any of us be
especially endowed by Thee with abundance of talent and intellectual
gifts, we may not feel jealousy at other disciples aspiring for literary
eminence and mental culture, but, on the contrary, like the generous-
hearted Moses, so far from discouraging their laudable ambition, may
assist them in their efforts, and pray, Would to God that He may
impart His Spirit upon all the people of the Lord. Amen.
226 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
-no /
FOURTH PORTION OF NUMBERS.
flKJP HDDD
nan
" He that hideth hatred with lying lips,
And he that uttereth slander, is a fool." Prov. x. 18.
THE portion of the law which we read this Sabbath is full of
instruction. Moses sent, according to the divine order,
twelve men, heads of their respective tribes, to search the land of
Canaan, and to report regarding the soil, climate, condition of
the inhabitants, etc., such as is usual for an army intending to
invade a country, and to take possession thereof. Not that the
Divine Author of this command wished to ascertain these facts,
for He is omniscient, and " knoweth things from their beginning,"
but for the satisfaction of the discontented Israelites, who had, as
related in the preceding lesson, manifested a spirit of dissatisfac-
tion by their continual murmuring whenever the aspect of affairs
was not as favourable as they desired. Now the Israelites had
already received so many tokens of the omnipotence of God, both
in their emancipation from Egyptian slavery and in the desert,
that nothing which they were promised by their divine bene-
factor, however unnatural it might appear to human understand-
ing, should have been doubted by them. They had overpowered
a redoubted enemy, the Egyptians; they had walked through the
sea as on dry land; they had drunk water from the rock, and eaten
bread which was rained down from heaven ; the bitter waters were
made sweet; the dew was covered with manna; and the wind
brought them quails from the sea; they had everything they
desired; they were fed, and clothed, and sustained by an incessant
series of marvels and miracles; they had ample proofs that the
ever-watchful eye of their Redeemer saw and accomplished
everything, yet they doubted whether they were capable of con-
quering Canaan. Those messengers which Moses had sent,
rather than encouraging the people, and trusting to the irresist-
ible power of Him who had vouchsafed to them the possession of
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 927
the land rather than telling the people of the advantages of the
country, and consoling them as to its disadvantages gave an
evil report, and represented the shady side of the picture in
terrifying colours, whilst they suppressed its more numerous
features the side of light. They could not help admitting that
it was " flowing with milk and honey," yet they dwelt more upon
" the walled cities," " the strength of the giants/' and the over-
whelming masses of the enemy.
No wonder that such a report was most discouraging to a
people prone to murmuring and discontent. No wonder that the
consequence of that report was the outburst of the people, " Would
God that we had died in the land of Egypt ! or, Would God
that we had died in this wilderness !" Spite of the pacifying
exhortations of Caleb and Joshua, the two princes who were an
exception to the slandering messengers, they almost resolved " to
take a captain, and return into Egypt." The mischief thus done
by the spies was incalculable ; and the Midrash applies to them the
words of our text: " He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and
he that iittereth slander is a fool." Indeed, none of those who
had come forth from Egypt, except Caleb and Joshua, had the
good fortune to see the land of promise, but died in the wilder-
ness. The sentence pronounced by the Divine Judge was as
terrible as it was just :
" But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of
the Lord. Because all those men which have seen niy glory and my
miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, have tempted me
now these ten times, and have not hearkened unto my voice ; surely
they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers ; neither
shall any of them that provoked me see it."
Here we have an awful instance of retribution of slander and
ingratitude. And it is remarkable, that the slanderer mostly
damages himself more than the person he intends to injure. It
generally recoils bitterly upon his own head. The Talmud calls
it a sword with three edges. It hurts the person slandered ; it
injures the person who receives it; and it damages the author
himself: but the last one more severely than the former two. It
is a terrible vice of which we ought to beware, and which we
ought early to check, particularly in children, who are apt to
represent things to their own advantage by misrepresenting others.
If this excrescence of the human heart is not nipped in the bud,
it grows to a fearful extent, and becomes a pernicious habit,
which it is difficult to eradicate in age. The wise author of
"Proverbs" justly says, "He that uttereth slander is a fool;"
because, instead of benefiting himself by it, he receives greater
injury than the person whom it was intended to wound.
The royal preacher, therefore, wisely concludes,
Q 2
228 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
" The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom,
But the froward tongue shall be cut out,"
The divine judgment pronounced upon Israel would have been
much more severe had it not been for the intercession of Moses,
who, on this as on many other occasions, although deeply
offended by the rebellious people, waived all personal considera-
tion for the benefit of the tiock under his care. When the Lord
had said to Moses " How long will this people provoke me? and
how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I
have shown among them? I will smite them with the pestilence,
and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and
mightier than they, when thus an opportunity occurred which any
other leader might have seized upon for personal aggrandizement,
Moses, the faithful shepherd, resigned the proffered honour of
becoming the father of a great nation, and the prospect of ridding
himself from the intractable and refractory hordes whom he
could never satisfy.
Instead of accepting the divine offer, he appealed unto the
Lord, saying:
" Then the Egyptians shall hear it (for Thou broughtest up this people
in Thy might from among them), and they will tell it to the inhabi-
tants of this land: for they heard that Thou, Lord, art among this
people; that Thou, Lord, art seen face to face; and that Thy cloud
standeth over them; and that Thou goest before them, by day-time in
a pillar of cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night. Now, if Thou shalt
kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the
fame of Thee will speak, saying, Because the Lord was not able to
bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore
He has slain them in the wilderness."
True to his character as an unselfish and patriotic ruler, Moses
cared not for insults heaped upon his personal dignity, he minded
not the threats of being deposed from his high position, nay, even
the menaces of being stoned to death ; he looked not to himself, but
to the preservation of the people, to the fulfilment of the divine pro-
mise, and to the sanctification of the name of the God of Israel
throughout the universe. He well knew that the destruction of
Israel in the wilderness would be attributed by heathen and idola-
trous conceptions, not to the wickedness and rebellion of the
liberated slaves, but to the inability of the Divine Power, to realise
the prediction of dispossessing the numerous tribes of the Canaan-
ites of the land promised to Israel. History, modern and ancient,
presents no example of self-denial equal to that of the Jewish
leader.
After having thus eloquently appealed to God, pleading for the
perverse nation on the grounds of the glorification of the Omni-
potent, he addressed Him in the following prayer:
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPIITOUAHS. 229
" And now, I beseech Thee, let the power of my Lord be great,
according as Thou hast spoken, saying: The Lord is long-suffering and
of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means
clearing the guilty ; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the chil-
dren, unto the third and fourth generation. Pardon, I beseech Thee,
the iniquity of this people, according unto the greatness of Thy mercy,
and as Thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now."
And He, the Lord, who ever hearkens unto the supplication of
man, arising out of sincerity of heart, deigned to grant Moses'
prayer, and proclaimed his clemency in the short sentence,
" I have pardoned according to thy word" (*pl"l3
This prayer is known by the name of ftTlti
the thirteen attributes of the Deity, which we frequently recite in
our prayers on the sacred Day of Atonement. We rise from our
seats when we recite it, and the holy Ark of the Covenant is
opened to bespeak the solemnity of this sublime prayer. May
the devotion of our hearts when we utter these thirteen attributes
of the Deity, be consonant with its lofty idea, and may the
grandeur and sanctity of its composition not be impaired by its
frequent repetition.
The lesson of this Sabbath concludes with the f\W D&JH3
chapter enjoining the wearing of fringes, which forms a portion
of our daily prayers. It is one of the precepts called niD
riVi'HDT l aws f memorial, instituted for our continual remem-
brance of God, our Heavenly Benefactor, as stated in Scrip-
ture
" And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it
and remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them ; and
that you seek not after your own hearts and your own eyes : that ye
may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your
God."
May we, in the fulfilment of this Divine commandment, not
treat it as a mere ceremonial observance, but be impressed with its
deep import the holy purpose of not yielding to the temptations
which sensual gratifications so numerously and frequently offer,
but powerfully resist them by remembering and looking up to
Him who wondrously brought our ancestors out of the land of
Egypt, and who preserves and supports us by incessant miracles,
wrought by the Divine hand, though unperceived by our weak
understanding.
As Moses sent messengers to search the land of Canaan, so did
Joshua, the son of Nun, his successor, send out two men, as we
read in the Haphtorah of this Sabbath, saying, " Go view the
land, even Jericho/' The two messengers having taken shelter
under the roof of a woman named Rahab, were protected by her
230 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
with that faithful hospitality which was a peculiar feature in the
character of the inhabitants of the Orient. For when the king of
Jericho ascertained the secret lodging of the two men, who had
come in search of the country, and demanded of Rahab to sur-
render them, she hid them with the stalks of flax which she
arranged upon the roof, pretending that they had left; and,
whilst the king's officers pursued them all the way to the Jordan,
she went up to those who had entrusted their lives to her, and
assured them that they were safe, as she would never betray them.
It appears, however, that it was not only the virtue of hospitality
which actuated Rahab, but also her faith in the God of Israel,
and her conviction that the Israelites would become the possessors
of the land of Canaan according to the divine promise.
We read that she thus addressed her concealed guests :
" I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that your
terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint
because of you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water
of the Red Sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt ; and what you
did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side
Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. And as soon as
we had heard these things, our hearts did melt; neither did there
remain any more courage in any man, because of you : for the Lord
your God, He is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath."
So implicit was her belief in God, and so firm was her con-
viction of Israel's destiny, that she used the term the Lord hath
given the land, relying upon the word of God as an accomplished
fact. She then sagaciously contrived means for their escape; she
let them down by a cord through the window, and advised them
to hide themselves in the mountain till the king's pursuers had
returned, hopeless of discovering the messengers, who thus, by
the contrivance of their faithful host, evaded their vigilance.
In return for Rahab's fidelity in saving their lives, they promised
her,
" When we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet
thread in the window which thou didst let us down by. And thou shalt
bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father's
household, home unto thee. And it shall be, that whosoever shall
go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be
upon his head, and we will be guiltless : and whosoever shall be with
thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon
him. And if thou utter this our business, then we will be quit of thine
oath which thou hast made us to swear."
The messengers departed, followed her advice, hid themselves
three days in the mountain, and, when the king's pursuers had
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 231
vainly searched for them/ they left the mountain, and safely
returned to Joshua, the son of Nun.
The oath was fulfilled; for, when the Israelites captured
Jericho, they saved Rahab and her family, and tradition even
tells us that Joshua subsequently married Rahab. The messen-
gers did not attribute their escape to chance, but to the interpo-
sition of Divine Providence, assuring Joshua, " Truly the Lord
hath delivered into our hands all the land."
PRAYER.
ALL- WISE CREATOR ! One of the greatest gifts by which Thou hast
distinguished man from the rest of Thy creatures, is the gift of speech,
intended for his good and that of his fellow-men ; but, alas ! like
many other of Thy beneficent gifts, it is often misapplied and abused ;
so that instead of working good, it effects evil. " Death and life are
in the power of the tongue, and they shall eat the fruit thereof, accord-
ing to which they choose." If the tongue utters truth and justice, it
becomes a source of life to its possessor, and is calculated to confer
benefits innumerable on mankind. But if it is debased by falsehood
and injustice by spreading slander and evil reports, easily caught up
by, and running through, hundreds of tongues, the mischief is incalcu-
lable : they cause death to the originator, death to the disseminator,
and death to him who is the object of the slander. But how prone, O
Lord, are we to give credence, and to circulate reports, affecting the
most vital interests; yea, even the happiness for life of our fellow-
beings ? How often do the best and most moral among us make use
of unguarded words, likely to taint the purest and most spotless cha-
racter ; yea, even to destroy the peace and felicity of our neighbours
for ever ? How frequently do we, though timidly shrinking from direct
assault, like the hissing serpent, throw out the venomous darts of slan-
derous hints and insinuations, which, from their vagueness and gene-
rality of character, carry destruction further and wider than even plain
charges and bold accusations ? Few of us can boast with Job, " Is there
iniquity in my tongue, cannot my taste discern perverse things ? Do my
lips speak wickedness, or does my tongue utter deceit ?" Few of us
follow the example of the Royal Bard, in his resolution " 1 will take
heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue : I will keep my mouth
with a bridle, even against the wicked before me." But it is not only
the speech of the tongue in whose hand is life and death ; but there is
another instrument a substitute for speech : it is the pen, which is also
a powerful engine for good and evil, which must be carefully guarded
and bridled. It is the pen which has even a wider range of circulation
than the tongue ; and hence the great danger arising from its abuse,
by lending itself to the propagation of falsehood. We therefore im-
plore Thee, Divine Author of speech, to aid us in guarding our tongues
against uttering untruth and promulgating falsehood ; to support us in
232 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
resisting the temptation of listening and giving currency to, unfounded
and malicious assertions. We also supplicate Thee, God of Truth, to
impart to us judgment and discrimination in using our pen, to make it
the vehicle for conveying information and instruction, the defender
of innocence against oppression ; and not the poisonous weapon of
perversion, of attacking the weak, and fawning to the powerful. May
we thus carry out the injunction of the Psalmist: " Keep thy tongue
from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile ; then wilt thou depart from
evil and do good : seek peace, and pursue it." Amen.
THE PENTATEUCH AND IIAPHTOKAHS. 233
nip
FIFTH PORTION OF NUMBERS.
'JO
" It is an honour for man to cease from strife;
But every fool will be meddling." Prov. xx. 3.
PREVIOUS to commencing the narrative contained in the
portion for this Sabbath, it will be necessary to make a brief
survey of the incidents recorded in our lesson of last Sabbath.
That lesson showed how, in consequence of the report of the
ill-disposed spies, the congregation of Israel renewed their mur-
murings against Moses and Aaron, wished that they had died in
Egypt or in the desert, doubted the fulfilment of the Divine pre-
diction that they should conquer the Canaanites, and possess the
promised land, and even resolved "to appoint a captain and
return to Egypt." The insane resolution of returning to a
country where their life had been embittered by cruel bondage,
where a despotic edict had consigned all their male children to a
watery grave ; where they endured oppression such as few nations
ever suffered; where they had incessantly to labour, and, in
return, were brutishly handled and beaten by relentless task-
masters ; nay, where no glimmering of light, no spark of freedom
shone in their horrid dungeon; the idea of returning after enjoy;
ing the blessing of liberty, the special protection of the Divine
Redeemer, who had provided them with every necessity of life,
with able and indulgent leaders, and with efficient and salutary
laws the thought of thus changing happiness for misery, both
physical and spiritual, clearly demonstrates the injurious and
pernicious effect of discontent and ingratitude, arising from want
of faith.
In the same narrative we read, that when Moses and Aaron
heard these murmurings, that expression of doubt in the Divine
promise, and their insensate determination to go back to a
country where they could expect nothing but ill-usage, if not
death, in revenge for the calamities which befell the Egyptians in
234 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
the pursuit of their prey when Moses and Aaron thus perceived
the moral and religious degradation to which the once holy
congregation of Israel had sunk, " They fell on their faces before
all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel,"
which scriptural term signifies prostration in prayer. Whilst
the two brothers, who had accomplished and suffered so much,
were thus engaged on behalf of the ungrateful nation, the two
messengers, Joshua and Caleb, who had distinguished themselves
from the rest by good sense and faith, endeavoured to pacify the
rebellious multitude, informed them that the land which they had
passed through to search, was an exceeding good land, flowing
with milk and honey, and concluded by entreating them " only
rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the
land; their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with
us." In return for these soothing and encouraging words, " all
the congregation bade stone them with stones ;" then " the glory
of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before
all the children of Israel," signifying the will of the Heavenly
Father to sit in judgment over His refractory and obdurate
children.
We have already dwelt upon the Lord's sentence upon Israel
to destroy and to disinherit them, and to raise a greater and
mightier nation from Moses. We have seen how Moses disin-
terestedly, instead of accepting this offer, successfully interceded,
obtaining for them the Divine pardon, so that the sentence was
commuted, and the punishment confined to their not seeing the
land of promise, with the exception of Caleb and Joshua, but
that their lives should be spared for the present.
We now come to the events narrated in the lesson of this
Sabbath.
Scarcely had the Divine wrath, provoked by the spies, and the
congregation been appeased, than a fresh rebellion, even more
formidable and organised, broke out, instigated by Korah, of the
tribe of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, and On the son of Peleth,
of the tribe of Reuben. These leading conspirators were joined
by two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the
congregation, and men of renown. The reason assigned for their
disaffection was a complaint against Moses and Aaron, whom they
assailed with the unfounded charge
"Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy,
every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Wherefore, then,
lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord ?"
It is scarcely necessary to show how untenable was this accusa-
tion, since scriptural history distinctly informs us that Moses and
Aaron were appointed to their high and respective offices by
Divine election, that they were diffident in accepting them, and
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 235
in no way abused the power vested in them. When Moses
heard it " he fell upon his face/' conscious of his innocence and
resigning himself to the interposition of the Divine Judge.
Relying upon His justice, he proposed " to Korah and unto all his
company to take censers and put fire therein, and put incense
before the Lord to-morrow, and it shall be that the man the
Lord doth choose he shall be holy. To-morrow the Lord will
show who are His, and who is holy, and will cause him to come
near unto Him." With the Levites who had already been
appointed to high offices, he thus remonstrated :
" Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi, it seemeth but a small thing
unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congre-
gation, to bring you near to Himself, to do the service of the Taber-
nacle of the Lord, and to stand before the congregation to minister
unto them: and seek ye the priesthood also?"
This reasonable refutation, however, had no effect; and Dathan
and Abiram, for whom Moses had sent, refused, in the most offen-
sive and insulting language, to come up. Moses appealed to God
to decide the question, by not respecting their offerings, recurring
to the utter absence of selfishness which characterised his noble
conduct throughout, and expressing himself in the few but com-
prehensive words "I have not taken one ass from them,
neither have I hurt one of them."
Moses' next step was to call upon Korah and his two hundred and
fifty associates to be ready on the following morning, and to be pre-
pared with their censers, which they did, whilst Korah assembled
the whole congregation before the door of the Tabernacle; and
again the glory of the Lord appeared to the whole assembly.
Again the Divine Judge proceeded to award summary punish-
ment, incurred by the chief rebels and their followers. He
warned Moses and Aaron to separate themselves from the con-
gregation which " He would consume in a moment."
Notwithstanding these repeated outbreaks, and now organised
insurrection, again Moses and Aaron, faithful to their conciliatory
characters and peaceful offices, stepped in as mediators, and thus
pleaded:
" O Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and
wilt Thou be wroth with all the congregation ?"
The sages of the Midrash illustrate this affecting prayer in the
following terms:
" They (Moses and Aaron) said : O Lord of the Universe ! If a
country rises in rebellion against its king, a man of flesh and blood,
shake off his reign, and curse his name, he sends his legions against
them, proclaims martial law, and the innocent must often suffer with
236 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
the guilty; because the human king cannot ascertain who rebelled, and
who remained content; who cursed, and who honoured him. But
Thou, who knowest the thoughts of man, and counsels of the hearts and
reins ; Thou who discernest which of Thy creatures has sinned, and
which has not which has rebelled, and which has not ; Thou who art
THE GOD OF THE SPIRITS OF ALL FLESH ! surely Thou wilt not destroy
the righteous with the wicked !"
This touching appeal was heard by God, and responded to in
the Divine proclamation to the multitude, warning those who had
taken no part in the insurrectionary movement to keep aloof
from the tents of these wicked men, and to touch nothing of
theirs, " lest ye be consumed in all their sins," or in the words of
the rabbinical proverb
iiDP 1 ? 'IK yenb "IK
" Woe to the wicked ! woe to his neighbour !"
After the greater number of the congregation had taken this
wholesome advice, and separated themselves from the dwellings of
Korah, Dathan and Abiram, Moses proved his authority by the
following test:
" Hereby shall ye know (said he) that the Lord hath sent me to do
all these works, and that I have not done them of mine own mind. If
these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after
the visitation of all men ; then the Lord hath not sent me. But if the
Lord make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth and swallow
them up, with all that appertains unto them, and they go down into
the pit alive ; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked
the Lord."
Moses thus put his prophetic powers, vested in him by God, to
the test; the earth clave asunder beneath them, opened her
mouth and swallowed them up, and their houses, and everything
belonging to them, then closed upon them, and they perished
from among the congregation. Thus was the authority of Moses
and Aaron re-established, and justice vindicated, whilst to Korah
apply the words of the Psalmist, " he made a pit and digged it,
and is fallen into the ditch which he made;" and, in the igno-
minious death of him and his fellow-conspirators, we behold the
fulfilment of the invocation :
" Destroy Thou them, O God ; let them fall by their own counsels ;
cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions ; for they have
rebelled against Thee,"
Simultaneously with the precipitation of Korah into the pit, in
the presence of the Israelites around them, and who fled at their
cry, a fire came from heaven and consumed the two hundred and
fifty men that offered incense, who became the victims of the re-
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAFHTOBAHS. 237
bellious chiefs, who were ensnared in the net of slanderous insti-
gation and calumnious discontent, unmindful of the sentiment
curtly expressed in our text.
" It is an honour for man to cease from strife ;
But every fool will be meddling.''
Have the troubles of Moses and Aaron now ended with the
removal of the rebels? the reader will ask. Has the sea of strife
now ceased from its raging? Scripture replies, No. For no
sooner had the earth covered the principal leaders of the rebellion,
and fire from heaven devoured the two hundred and fifty princes,
their followers, than again, on the morrow, all the congregation of
the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron,
saying: " Ye have killed the people of the Lord." But again
the cloud of the Lord, covering the Tabernacle, protected the
menaced brothers; the glory of the Lord appeared. Once more
retribution was threatened by the Divine Judge, who said to
Moses and Aaron : " Get you up from among the congregation,
that I may consume them as in a moment." But once more
Moses and Aaron fell on their faces and implored the Divine
clemency. The plague had now already begun and made fearful
ravages among the people, destroying no less than fourteen thousand
seven hundred lives; when Aaron, by the command of Moses,
offered frankincense, made an atonement for the people, STOOD
BETWEEN THE DEAD AND THE LIVING, and the plague was
stayed.
Few portions of scriptural history present in a short compass
so many melancholy scenes as the one we read this Sabbath.
Discontent, murmuring, strife, and rebellion alternately disturb
the peace of a congregation destined to promote peace; disbelief
and utter want of faith, begetting jealousy, envy and slander,
corrupt a people elected to propagate true religion and confidence
in God. On the other hand, prayer, mediation and intercession,
pleadings the most fervent and eloquent, made in behalf of the
rebels by those who had been so unjustly offended and attacked,
are sent up to the throne of mercy, and the Judge above com-
mutes and revokes the sentence of the fatal destruction of the
people. Yet in vindication of the rights of those thus assailed,
many of the most noble and . renowned men in Israel fell during
these revolutionary movements, and many precious lives were lost
to the community, all of whom, with two solitary exceptions,
were condemned to die in the wilderness, and not even to see
the land blessed with all the bounties of nature, but which they
had slanderously pronounced " a land devouring its inhabitants."
Let us read this lesson with rivetted attention and undivided
devotion; let the terrible example of Israel in the wilderness,
fearfully diminished by plague and death, in consequence of in-
238 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
gratitude and unbelief, be always present to our mind, to stimu-
late us to gratitude and faith ; whilst the self-denial of Moses and
Aaron, the unremitting intercessors in behalf of the wicked, and
the absence of any feeling of vindictiveness, which so brightly
shines forth in the pages of our narrative, may be emulated by
us, when we are innocently assailed and maligned, and may
illumine our gloomy soul in the hour of suffering from unmerited
insult and unfounded accusation.
The all-inspiring scenes so graphically depicted in the narra-
tive of this Sabbath, are mournfully reflected in its Haphtorah.
As the Israelites in the desert unjustly complained of the rule of
Moses, so did their descendants, in the age of the Judges, mani-
fest their ingratitude towards Samuel the prophet, their righteous
judge, and clamoured for being governed by a king. As
Moses had pleaded his disinterestedness and self-denial, so did
Samuel in his address to all Israel tell them :
" Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto
me, and have made a king over you. And now, behold the king
walketh before you, and I am old and grey-headed ; and behold, my
sons are with you : and I have walked before you from my childhood
unto this day. Behold, here I am : witness against me before the
Lord, and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken ? or whose ass
have I taken ? or whom have I defrauded ? Whom have I oppressed ?
or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes there-
with ? and I will restore it you."
As in the case of Moses, no one could come forward against
him, with the remotest charge of bribery and corruption, so were
the people in the time of Samuel bound to admit his undoubted
integrity, for we read that they replied unto him
" Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us; neither hast thou
taken aught of any man's hand."
To this admission, so satisfactory to the grey-headed prophet,
the Lord was called as witness, for we read that Samuel said unto
them,
" The Lord is witness against us, and his Anointed is witness this
day, that ye have not found aught in my hand. And they answered :
He is witness."
When the people, subsequently, on the appearance of thunder
and rain, unusual in that climate in harvest-time, became terrified
and said to Samuel,
" Pray for the servants unto the Lord thy God, that we die not; for
we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king,"
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTOllAnS. 239
The prophet Samuel, like his predecessor Moses, encouraged
and re-assured the people, saying,
" Fear not ; ye have done all this wickedness, yet turn not aside
from following the Lord ; but serve the Lord with all your heart, and
turn ye not aside : for then should ye go after vain things, which can-
not profit nor deliver ; for they are vain. For the Lord will not for-
sake His people for His great name's sake ; because it hath pleased the
Lord to make you His people."
Like his ancestor, Moses incessantly supplicated for the sinfnl
Israelites, so did Samuel promise them,
" Moreover, as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the
Lord, in ceasing to pray for you : but I will teach you the good and
the right way. Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all
your heart; for consider how great things He has done for you."
PRAYER.
O LORD, OUR UNCEASING BENEFACTOR! When, in pursuance of Thy
command, we meditate on the conduct of our ancestors, so truthfully
stated in the Holy Book of Thy Law, we must exclaim, with the
inspired Asaph, " How oft did they provoke Him in the wilderness, and
grieve Him in the desert ! Yea, they turned back and tempted God,
and limited the Holy One of Israel." When we reflect on the sad and
deplorable occurrences recounted in the pages we read this Sabbath,
and summed up by the Psalmist: " They envied Moses also in the
camp, and Aaron the saint of the Lord. The earth opened and swal-
lowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram, and a fire was
kindled in their company ; the flame burned up the wicked." When
we duly weigh these mournful facts, and their melancholy consequences,
our hearts alternately tremble with awe and are elevated with hope :
awe at the terrible visitation of Thy just wrath, when we have incurred
punishment by our misdeeds ; hope, at obtaining forgiveness, were our
transgressions ever so numerous and wilful, if we but return unto Thee
with sincere remorse, remembering the recital of the bard Asaph :
" When He slew them, then they sought Him ; and they returned and
inquired early after God. And they remembered that God was their
Rock, and the High God their Redeemer." But, unhappily, the prayer
was often insincere and deceitful only wrested from them in the hour
of anguish. It was but the utterance of the lips, the flattery of the
tongue ; ''for their heart was not right with Him, neither were they
steadfast in His covenant." Their annihilation would therefore have
been inevitable, "but Thou, being full of compassion, forgavest their
iniquity, and destroyedst them not ; yea, many a time Thou turnedst
Thine anger away, and did not stir up all Thy wrath. For Thou remem-
beredst that they were but flesh ; a wind that passeth away, and cometh
240 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
not again." Grant therefore, O Lord, that we may profit by this
lesson, and vanquish all feelings of envy, jealousy and strife, at their
very outset ; so that, hy discouraging their growth, we may not be too
late in conquering their numerous offspring of vices, when they have
taken too deep a root in our minds. We entreat Thee, O Lord, that
our better emotions may not be envenomed by the arrows of hatred
and vindictiveness, but that, like Moses, Aaron, and Samuel, we may
pray for those that injure us ; that thou, O Lord, wouldst forgive
them, and cause them to return unto Thee. "We pray not that the
sinners may be destroyed, and the wicked perish ; but that sins may
cease from the earth, and wickedness be no more. " Bless Thou the
Lord, O my soul; praise ye the Lord." Amen.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 241
npn mo
SIXTH PORTION OF NUMBERS.
nano na
DTinjn
inn n non
" They angered Him also at the waters of strife,
So that it went ill with Moses for their sakes :
Because they provoked his spirit,
So that he spake unadvisedly with his lips. Ps. cvi. 32, 33.
lesson of this sabbath commences with the ordinance of
-L the law, respecting the offering of " a red heifer without spot
wherein there is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke."
According to the ordinance, as specified by the Divine legislator,
the heifer was to be burnt and its ashes to be gathered and laid
up without the camp in a clean place, and to be kept for the
congregation of the children of Israel, for a water of separation
and a purification for sin. Tradition informs us, that the offering
of the red heifer was to serve as an atonement for the sin of the
molten calf, and to purify the Israelites from the crime of idolatry,
Among the ceremonies connected with this ordinance, it is re-
markable, that the priest who officiated in the offering of the red
heifer, and the man also who gathered up the ashes were consi-
dered unclean till the even; whilst the ashes themselves and the
water thereof, served as a purification for the unclean. Our
ancient sages and commentators, in drawing our attention to this
apparent contradiction, tell us that the law of the red heifer is
one of those precepts called DH statute or ordinance, being one of
those laws enjoined by the Divine lawgiver, for which human
understanding has not yet been able to assign a reason. The
rabbies at the same time apply to this ordinance the Scriptural
passage -flltf vk ' Nfctpft "tiPIlD JJV tt " Who can bring a clean
thing out of an unclean? Is it not One?"* Job intimates hereby,
* The English Authorised Version renders 1PIN N? "Not one." This, how-
ever, is very obscure, and we prefer the traditional interrogatory interpretation.
" Is it not one?" referring to God.
R
242 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
that it is only in the power of the One God to produce good from
evil, clean from unclean. The commentators of the Midrash
illustrate this dogma by pointing to Scriptural History and its
genealogy. From the idolatrous Terah, sprung Abraham, the
proclaimer of the Divine Unity ; from Ahaz, who followed the
abomination of the heathen, and made his son pass through the
fire, arose Hezekiah, " who did that which was right in the sight
of the Lord, according to all that David, his ancestor did; he
removed the high places, and brake the images and cut down the
groves. He trusted in the Lord God of Israel," and as Scripture
informs us that after him there was none like him, among all the
kings of Judah, nor any that were before him. From Amon,
" who did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, who
served the idols and worshipped them," arose Josiah, " who did
that which was right in the sight of the Lord, walked in all the
ways of David, his ancestor, and turned not aside to the right
hand or to the left." From Shimei, the son of Gera, " who
cursed David, the anointed of God and the deliverer of Israel from
Philistine yoke," arose Mordecai, who saved the Jews of Sushan
from general massacre. And lastly, from the idolatrous nations
of the ante- and post-diluvian ages, arose Israel, to whom the Lord
God was revealed, and to whom was entrusted the sacred charge
of promulgating that law.
The chapter following the ordinance of the Red Heifer, con-
tains a short but most important historical incident, demonstrat-
ing the imperfection even of the greatest of men when carried
away by impulse, as exemplified in the conduct of Moses and
Aaron, at the waters of Meribah. The children of Israel arrived
at the desert of Sin, the people abode in Kadesh, where Miriam
died and was buried. A dearth of water in the desert was expe-
rienced by the congregation, who, as usual, reproached their
leaders, Moses and Aaron, chided them for bringing them out of
Egypt, and wished, " Would God that we had died, when our
brethren died before the Lord." Moses and Aaron, faithful to
their vocation, prostrated themselves in prayer, applied for advice
to the Divine Ruler, " and the glory of the Lord appeared unto
them." The Lord then addressed Moses, saying: " Take the
rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy
brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes, and it shall
give forth its waters, and thou shalt bring forth to them water
out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregations and their
beasts drink/' The Omnipotent Governor of the elements would
thereby manifest to the faithless Israelites His power to bring
forth water from the flinty rock, and thus, by another token and
miracle, draw them near to him in trust, confidence, and belief.
The rod, which Moses was commanded to take into his hand, was,
as in Egypt, intended, not as the instrument of working these
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 243
miracles, but to point to God as the ruler of nature, in whose
power it is, to subvert the ordinary course of the elements,
when it pleases Him to demonstrate in the sight of the world,
that He is the Creator, and that the whole creation must yield to
His incontrovertible behests. We perceive, however, that Moses
and Aaron here failed in two points. First, that when Moses had
taken the rod, and he and Aaron gathered the congregation to-
gether before the rock, he was led away by passion and anger,
and said unto the disaffected people: " Hear now, ye rebels: must
we fetch you water out of this rock?" This harsh remonstrance,
couched in rather boasting terms, as if the drawing of the water
out of the rock was of their own doing, displeased the Lord, who,
though disatisfied with the ingratitude of His children, had not
authorised Moses to address them as " rebels." Second, instead
of speaking unto the rock, and thus showing that even the stony
substance could yield fluid at the Divine will, Moses lifted up his
hand, and with his rod, he smote the rock twice. True, " the
water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and
their beasts also ; " but the Divine order had not been implicitly
obeyed ; and it was but likely, that a people prone to infidelity
and its offspring, superstition, would attribute the flowing of the
water from the rock, not to the Divine Worker of miracles, but
to mysterious properties vested in the rod. Hence the displeasure
of the Almighty, who said to Moses and Aaron, " Because ye
believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of
Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land
which I have given them/'
When we reflect upon this narrative, how numerous and how
important are the teachings which we derive from the word of
God! On the one hand, a distressing picture is presented to us,
delineating the weak features in the human character, and that
even the holiest of men yea, prophets like Moses and Aaron
may be led away by the passions of their heart, forgetful of their
position, and incurring the Divine wrath. On the other hand,
we behold the Heavenly Judge, exercising justice, pure and im-
partial, not sparing His most faithful servant, and visiting his
disobedience with severer punishment, than he would have inflict-
ed upon any one less gifted and less eminent. Moses, who had
been the instrument in the divine hand, of freeing Israel from
slavery, who had been the mediator in times of wrath between
God and His people; who had justly expected after years of
anguish and trouble, to be present at the glorious consummation
of the divine promise, and victoriously lead the Israelites into the
the land of Canaan, was doomed to the most grievous disappoint-
ment, that ever occurred to man. Whilst we thus ponder upon
the lesson and its instructions, we have another proof of the
truthfulness of the divine Scriptures, which not only recount the
B 2
244 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
virtues and exhibit the grandeur and magnanimity of the cha-
racters of the men, elected by God, as leaders of His people, but
with equal fidelity impartially record their failings and imperfec-
tions, not hiding their weak points, but evincing the errings of
the human heart when resting upon its own strength.
The portion of this Sabbath's lesson, records several other
events of less importance. We first read, how the king of Edom
refused the Israelites to pass through his country, after having
addressed him, through a deputation from Moses, as their " bro-
ther," Edom being descended from Esau, Jacob's brother. Although
the Israelitish messengers appealed to the king of Edom on the
ground of their sufferings in Egypt; although they promised
him not to pass through the fields or the vineyards; nor to drink
of the water of the wells, he would not allow them the passage,
and threatened to deliver battle. Even when they sent him a
second message, " We will go by the highway; and if I and my
cattle drink of thy water, then I Avill pay for it: I will only,
without doing anything else, go through on my feet," he cruelly
and obstinately adhered to his refusal, and came out against them
in formidable array; wherefore, Israel turned away from him.
We next read of the death of Aaron; who, as the Lord ex-
pressed, " should be gathered to his people; for he shall not enter
into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel,
because ye have rebelled against my word at the waters of Meri-
bah." Aaron and his son, Eleazar, were then led up to the
mountain of Hor by Divine command, when Moses divested
Aaron of his priestly garments, and put them upon Eleazar, his
successor. Aaron, the colleague and fellow-leader and sufferer of
Moses, thus departed his eventful life, all the house of Israel
mourned for him thirty days. They all wept for him, men, wo-
men, and children, for he was true to his sacerdotal character
a servant of God and the people, QpBf tTfH\ DPS? SHIX, a
lover of peace, and a pursuer of peace.
The next event, was a victory gained by the Israelites over
King Arad, the Canaanite; but instead of shewing gratitude to
God, and to their intrepid general, Moses, they began again to
murmur, complaining of the manna, and of the want of water.
The Lord then sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit
the people, and many of the Israelites died. Then they came to
Moses, confessing their sins, and imploring his intercession.
Moses, although aware by this time that he would not enter the
land, was nevertheless unremitting in his care for the undeserving
flock, and his prayer for the mitigation of their punishment was
granted. The chapter concludes with an application from the
Israelites, to Sihon, the king of the Amorites, to pass through his
land, which being refused, a battle ensued, in which the Israelites
came off victoriously, conquered all the cities of the Amorites,
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 245
and took possession thereof. They also fought a battle against
Og, the king of Bashan, whom they likewise subdued, and
whose land they retained. They next set forward, and encamped
in the plains of Moab, on this side the Jordan, by Jericho.
Thus commenced the realization of the divine prediction, re-
specting the inheritance of the land of Canaan, by driving out
the enemy, conquering them in open battle, as well as in occa-
sional skirmishes. And when we consider, that the Israelites had
to contend against well-organized armies, supplied with all the
sinews of war, we are bound to acknowledge that the victory was
not achieved by natural means, but by the miraculous interposi-
tion of the Divine Ruler of Providence, who thus fulfilled the
oath he had sworn to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And thus was
verified the proverb of the wise king: " The horse is prepared
against the day of battle, but safety is of the Lord/' The con-
quest of the Amorites by Israel, in the desert, was of the greatest
importance to their thriving in the land of promise, as is evident
from scriptural history, and recorded in the Haphtorah of this
Sabbath.
In the age of the Judges, the children of Ammon made war
against Israel; and Jephthah, the Gileadite, a man of low descent,
but " a mighty man of valour," was applied to by the Elders of
Gilead to lead the Israelites, to be their captain, and fight the
Ammonites. Jephthah, having been previously treated with
contempt by the inhabitants of Gilead, would only take the com-
mand, on condition, that " if the Lord deliver the enemy before
him, r he was to be appointed their chief." The Gileadites, being
hard pressed, accepted these terms, and Jephthah was appointed
head and captain over them. Now, the sagacious leader com-
menced by endeavouring to open negotiations with the belli-
gerents. He sent a message to the king of Ammon: " What
hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me to fight
in my land?" Ammon sent word in reply: " Because Israel
took away my land when they came out of Egypt: now, there-
fore, restore these lands again peaceably." Jephthah, however,
proved the injustice of this claim. He replied: " Israel took not
away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon."
He then recapitulated the events of the desert; how the king of
Edom refused Israel a passage; how they had to encompass the
land of Edom and the land of Moab, but came not within the
border of the latter. He further shewed, how Sihon, the king of
the Amorites, also refused the Israelites a passage through his
land; and a battle having ensued, in which the Amorites were
defeated, Israel took possession of the land, and all the coasts
thereof. Jephthah concluded by the emphatic remonstrance: " So
now, the God of Israel has dispossessed the Amorites from before
his people Israel, and shouldst thou possess it? Wilt not thou possess
246 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
that which Chemosh, thy god, giveth thee to possess? So, whom-
soever the Lord thy God shall drive out from before us, them will
we possess/' Having clearly proved that the war was unjust, he
concluded: " The Lord, the Judge, be judge this day between
the children of Israel and the children of Ammon." The latter,
however, being determined to go to war, ( vainly relying upon
their superior numerical strength, Jephthah made up by courage
and undauntedness his inferiority in numbers, and by the assist-
ance of Him who lendeth succour to the just, obtained a signal
victory over the enemy, conquering twenty cities, decimating the
ranks of the enemy, and subduing them before Israel.
The glory of this great victory, however, was darkened, and
the joy was saddened, by an indiscriminate vow which Jephthah
had made, previous to his going to battle. We read, that Jeph-
thah then vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said :
" If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine
hands, then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of
my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of
Ammon, shall surely be the Lord's, and I will offer it up for a burnt-
offering."
Now this vow, however well meant, and arising from pious
gratitude, was worded so incautiously, that the melancholy result
narrated in Scripture, showed its danger. It happened, when
Jephthah victoriously returned from battle, and came to Mizpeh,
unto his house. It unfortunately was his own daughter who first
came to meet him, with timbrels and with dancing, and she was
his only child. A solemn vow to the Israelite was an irrevocable
act, and nothing could set it aside. The distress of mind into
which the rash and unguarded vow had placed him, may be easily
imagined. When he saw her, he rent his clothes, and cried,
" Alas ! my daughter, thou hast brought me very low, and thou
art one of them that trouble me, for I have opened my mouth
unto the Lord, and I cannot go back." Jephthah's daughter at
once understood the cause of her father's grief ; and instead of
manifesting any feeling of dissatisfaction at, or rebuking him for,
dooming her to a lonely and desolate life, she said : " My father,
if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the Lord, do unto me accord-
ing to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch
as the Lord hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even
of the children of Ammon, let this thing be done for me ; let me
alone two months, that I may go up and down to the mountains,
and bewail my virginity, I and my colleagues." She thus calmly
and piously resigned herself to her fate. Her mourning father
consented to the proposal; he sent her away for the period stated,
at the end of which she returned unto her father, who fulfilled
his vow by assigning her to a solitary existence.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 247
The nation, however, could not allow this event to pass, with-
out marking its sympathy with the heroic father, and his still
more heroic daughter. The chapter concludes, that the women
of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah, the
Gileadite, four days in a year.
PRAYER.
'' RIGHTEOUS ART THOU, O LORD ! and upright are Thy judgments.
Thy word is very pure, therefore Thy servant loveth it." Thus did
David descant upon the Divine law; and thus must we exclaim, after
the perusal of the lesson of this Sacred Day, teeming with the most
salutary instruction, and abounding in moral and religious exhortation.
When we behold the most' eminent man that any nation produced,
equally distinguished for greatness of mind and meekness of spirit,
yielding to the impulse of anger, and, in one rash moment, losing the
toil, the labour, and the prize of many years' perseverance ; when we
see Moses, the man of God, who undauntedly stood before haughty
tyrants, and boldly denounced them Moses, who encountered and
conquered enemies from without, and incessantly had to struggle
against enemies from within Moses, who was so often the intercessor
for the ungrateful and rebellious people, and saved them from destruc-
tion when we see this extraordinary man at the waters of Meribah,
unable to restrain his impetuosity, which the unceasing murmurings
and rebellions of the people had provoked, we are earnestly and pain-
fully reminded of the weakness of the human heart, of its failings and
shortcomings, and that there is none perfect but Thee, O Lord ;
when we again reflect upon the heavy punishment inflicted upon Moses
and Aaron for their rashness, so that they were precluded from entering
the land intended as the destiny, the hope, and the reward of all the
labours of their lives we recognise therein the impartial dispensation
of Thy justice, respecting no person, and regarding no station or rank.
In like manner does Jephthah, in the zenith of his glory, on returning
home to enjoy the fruits of his great victory, find himself precipitated
into the depths of misery through the rashness of his tongue ; and
serves as an example to make us tremble with awe and reverence,
severely admonishing us to bridle our tongue and to exercise every
possible care in our utterance and expression. We therefore beseech
Thee, O Lord, that we may profitably read these moral lessons, so in-
dispensable to our conduct through life, that we may not indiscrimi-
nately give utterance to our thoughts, not even to promises or vows,
which we devotionally make from the sincerity of our heart. May we
be always impressed with the truths of the maxim laid down by the
wisest of men : " Whoso guardeth his mouth and his tongue, keepeth
his soul from troubles." Amen.
248 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
-no
SEVENTH PORTION OF NUMBERS,
no i"D -w'
" He frustrateth the tokens of the liars,
And maketh diviners mad ;
He turneth wise men backward,
And maketh their knowledge foolish. Isa. xliv. 25.
THE Mosaic Law is not only opposed in letter and in spirit to
every species of idolatry, but also to superstition of any sort,
and to belief in any power except the Supreme Being. The con-
fidence in prophets was limited to those who had, by undeniable
proofs, identified themselves as the messengers of God, inspired
by His spirit to predict the events of the FUTURE, and to improve
the age of the PRESENT. Hence the injunction pronounced by
Moses, not to " regard them that have familiar spirits, neither to
seek after wizards, to be defiled by them;" and his special decree,
" not to suffer a witch to live." By the term, " a witch," is
understood a woman pretending to witchcraft. The purity of the
Jewish faith eschewed all kinds of mystery and the dross of super-
stition. Not so, however, the belief, or rather the unbelief, of
paganism; for idolatry, and every branch of polytheism, absurd
in itself, begat superstition, and its impurity-bred impostors, who
under the mask of wizards, witches, and necromancers, and often
in the garb of prophets, deceived the ignorant and uneducated
masses, by assuming supernatural powers to which they had no
claim. Such was the character of the people of Moab, in the
plains of which country the Israelites had now encamped. Balak,
the king of the Moabites, apprehending that he would share the
same fate as^did his neighbours of Canaan, Amor and Heshbon,
devised to conquer Israel by mysterious and supernatural means.
He therefore sent messengers to Balaam, the son of Beor, a renown-
ed heathen prophet of that country, to curse the Israelites, so that
he might prevail, and drive him out of the land; " for," said the
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 249
superstitious king, " I know that he whom thou blessest is blessed,
and he whom thou cursest is cursed." The message was accom-
panied by " rewards of divination," which the elders of Moab
and the elders of Midian had in their hand as a bribe for the pre-
tended prophet. So great was the fear of Israel, that Moab and
Midian, who had hitherto been deadly enemies, now merged their
differences, and joined in the common cause to repel the invading
and dreaded people of Israel. Balaam, however, was inspired by
God; who, to frustrate the devices of Balak, had appeared to him
in a vision by night, warning him : " Thou shalt not go with
them ; thou shalt not curse the people, for they are blessed." On
learning the refusal of Balaam, the crafty king of Moab sent
again princes, more numerous and more influential, with the
message: " Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming
unto me, for I will promote thee unto very great honor; and I
will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me; only, I pray thee, curse
me this people."
But all these promises, however dazzling and alluring, had no
effect upon Balaam, who consistently replied: " If Balak would
give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the
word of the Lord my God to do less or more." Instead, however,
of resolutely sending them away with this refusal, he hesitated,
and bade them to tarry over the night, "to learn what the Lord
would say unto him more." Having been advised by the Lord
to go with them; " but yet the word which I shall say unto thee,
that shalt thou do;" he departed with the princes of Moab.
We pass over the incidents which occurred on his journey,
where he was upraided by a brute which miraculously opened
her mouth, where the angel of the Lord appeared to him, with
his sword drawn in his hand, and where it was thus indicated to
him, that he ought to have abided by his first resolution, not to
go with the messengers of Balak; but having wavered in his
decision, and asked the messengers to wait, he had incurred the
divine displeasure. For though advised by God to go, it was
only to manifest to the false prophet and to the superstitious king,
that it was not in the power of man to bless or to curse, unless the
benediction or the imprecation receives the sanction of Him who
ruleth the destinies of the universe. When the infidel king met
with the presumed prophet, the latter was bound to admit: " Lo
I am come unto thee, have I now any power at all to say any-
thing? the word that God putteth into my mouth, that I shall
speak." The king made numerous offerings and sacrifices, took
him up into the high places of Baal their idol, whence he might
have a good view of the people of Israel in their camp, erected
altars and sacrificed animals at the order of Balaam, who still
persisted in being guided by the divine counsel, " in whatsoever
He showeth me I will tell thee." We now come to the first
250 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
parable, as pronounced by the heathen prophet, commencing
thus :
" Balak, the king of Moab, hath brought me from Aram out of the
mountains of the east,
Saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.
How shall I curse whom God hath not cursed ?
Or how shall I contemn, whom the Lord hath not contemned ?
For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I
behold him.
Lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among
the nations.
Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth
part of Israel ?
Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like
his !"
The pagan prophet was here compelled to confirm his former
confession, that it was not in his power to denounce the people of
Israel, after having received distinct and inward instruction to
bless. He had also to admit, however reluctantly, that Israel was
destined by the Divine Ruler of nations to preserve its nationality,
and that it is beyond any human power to destroy it. For, on
tracing the history of Israel from its origin, which is expressed in
the term, " from the top of the rocks and from the hills," allud-
ing to the great progenitors of the nation, the patriarchs who
were in their belief as firm as the rocks and as immoveable as the
hills, on taking a retrospective view of the foundation of that
imperishable nationality by the divine covenant, he came to the
conclusion, that no power on earth could uproot " the witnesses
of God." And lastly, he confessed, that the faith of Israel was a
just one, by wishing himself, that he should " die the death of the
righteous, and that his end should be like theirs." No wonder
that Balak was disappointed and displeased at listening to the
blessings instead of the curses of his enemies. He, therefore, re-
monstrated with Balaam , but in vain ; the latter still maintaining
his previous assertion, that he must take heed to speak that which
the Lord hath put into his mouth. Balak, whose mind was dark-
ened by the mysteries of superstition, attributed the unexpected
blessing to the place which Balaam had occupied. He, therefore,
took him to another spot, where he again built altars and made
sacrifices in hopes of a change in Balaam's prediction. But the
latter now pronounced a parable still more favourable to the cha-
racter and doctrines of those whom Balak was so anxious to
exterminate.
" Rise up, Balak, and hear ; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor :
God is not a man that He should lie, neither the son of man that
He should repent !
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 251
Hath He said, and shall He not do it? or hath he spoken, and
shall He not make it good?
Behold, I have received commandment to bless, and He hath
blessed ; and I cannot reverse it :
He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath He seen per-
verseness in Israel:
The Lord his God is with him, and the residence of the King is
within him.
God brought them out of Egypt; he hath, as it were, the strength
of an unicorn.
Surely there is no enchantment in Jacob, neither is there any
divination in Israel.
In due time Jacob and Israel shall be told what the Lord will
work:
Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself
as a young lion :
He shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood
of the slain."
There is an important passage in this parable, in the rendering
of which we advisedly deviated from the English authorised ver-
sion, adopting the interpretation of our ancient commentators.
It is that in which Balaam refers to enchantment and divination.
After having borne testimony to the stability of the Divine Word,
and to the immutability of the heavenly predictions, he owns
that the will of God to bless Israel is incontrovertible, and that
the strength of Him who stands by the nation, and whose special
care is manifested by the dwelling of the divine glory in the
midst of the people is irresistible to the physical powers, as well
as to the craft and machinations of His enemies. Nor can the
destinies of Israel be swayed or reversed by the alleged properties
of enchantment and sorcery, which the pure and unalloyed reli-
gion of Israel discards and repudiates, because his future and his
late have always been foretold in due time by those faithful mes-
sengers whom the Omniscient entrusted with the sacred mission of
announcing the divine judgment, and declaring His irresistible
will.
Balak's disappointment had now increased ; and he calmly said
to Balaam : " Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all." But
Balaam reminded him of his former resolution: u Told not I
thee, saying, All that the Lord speaketh, that I must do." The
Moabite king, yet putting faith in the idle fancies of his false
religion, again hoped by a change of scene, and shifting the posi-
tion of Balaam, as well as by sacrifices to the idols, to turn the
predictions of Israel's fate in his favor. But Balaam well knew
that it was alt in vain; for we read that he saw, that it pleased the
Lord God to bless Israel, and he went not, as at other times, to
seek for enchantments, but he set his face towards the wilderness.
The Divine Spirit, which on this occasion pervaded his soul and
252 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
penetrated his heart, raised him above the debasing practices of
deceitful conjuration, to which he had hitherto resorted, and he
now straightforwardly directed his looks towards the encampment
of the people, whom he, against his will and that of his royal
patron, had to praise instead of condemning. The parable he
now took up runs thus:
" Balaam, the son of Beor, hath said, and the man whose eyes are
open hath spoken:
He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the vision
of the Almighty,
Falling into a trance, hut having his eyes open :
How goodly are thy tents, O Jacoh, and thy tabernacles, O Israel !
As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river's side,
As the trees of lign aloes which the Lord hath planted, and as
cedars beside the waters.
He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be
in many waters.
And his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be
exalted.
God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath, as it were, the
strength of a unicorn :
He shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their
bones, and pierce them through with his arrows.
He couched, he lay down as a lion; and as a great lion, who shall
stir him up?
Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth
thee."
When Balaam had seen " Israel abiding in his tent, according
to their tribes," signifying the judicious arrangements made by
Moses for their safety against enemies without and for domestic
peace within; when, in the prophetic spirit, which now rested upon
him, he recognised those moral and social virtues, especially that
chastity which characterised the state of Israel, even when sur-
rounded by the corruptions and abominations of paganism, he
exclaimed : " How goodly are thy tents, Jacob, and thy taber-
nacles, Israel ! " He compared their sacred institutions for
promoting true faith and morality to the fertile valleys and gardens,
to the fructifying trees, planted by God himself, and watered by
the living springs, which incessantly flow from the invisible foun-
tain above. In the miraculous deliverance of Israel from Egypt,
he descried the invincible power of their Divine Leader, whilst
the nation taken under His protection, was endowed by Him
with a lion's strength, whom no one dared to provoke with impu-
nity; confirming at the same time the divine prediction to Abra-
ham: " I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that
curseth thee; and in thee shall all the families of the earth be
blessed."
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 253
Thrice had Balak attempted to effect his malicious purpose, and
thrice had he been baffled. His anger now rose to fury ; he smote
his hands together, and indignantly commanded Balaam to flee to
his place. To mortify him the more for his disobedience, he iron-
ically said :
" I thought to promote thee unto great honour ; but, lo, the Lord
hath kept thee back from glory."
But all the anger and irony of the infuriated king, could not
shake the man whose involuntary speech emanated from divine
authority, and over which he had no control; and he calmly
replied :
" Spake I not also to thy messengers which thou sentest unto me,
saying, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I
cannot go beyond the commandment of the Lord, to do either good or
bad of my own mind ; but what the Lord says, that will I speak."
Further to evince his intrepidity and his fearlessness of Balak,
his employer, he crowned the series of his former parables by the
concluding prediction, which he prefaced in the following telling
and emphatic words: " And now behold I go unto my people;
come, therefore, and I will announce to thee what this people
shall do unto thy people in the latter days." Balaam was deter-
mined, before his departure, to acquaint Balak with the fate of
Israel, of Moab, of Edom, of Amalek, of the Kenites, and of
other surrounding nations and tribes, with whom Israel would
necessarily come into contact. The parable runs thus :
" Balaam, the son of Beor, hath said, and the man whose eyes are
open hath spoken :
He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the know-
ledge of the Most High,
Which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but
having his eyes open :
I see him, though he is not present ; I behold him, though he is
not nigh : there shall come out a star of Jacob,
And a sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners
of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.
And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession
for his enemies ; and Israel shall do valiantly.
Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall
destroy him that remaineth of the city.
And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said,
Amalek was the first of the nations ; but his latter end shall be,
that he perish for ever.
And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said,
Strong is thy dwelling-place; and thou puttest thy nest in a
rock,
254 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
Nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted, until Asshur shall carry
thee away captive.
And he took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live when
God doeth this !
And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict
Asshur.
And shall afflict Eber ; and he also shall perish for ever."
The star and the sceptre probably allude to King David, who
subdued the Moabites ; whilst in the destroyer of Edom and Seir,
we recognise Messiah, the king, of whom Scripture says, " He
shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto
the ends of the earth. They that dwell in the wilderness shall
bow before him, and shall lick the dust." The fate of Amalek,
who was the first of the nations that made an onslaught on Israel,
was also foretold by Balaam, in accordance with Scripture, which
enjoins: " Thou shalt destroy the remembrance of Amalek from
under the heaven." The Kenites, who were descendants of Jethro
and who were neighbours of Amalek, were advised by King Saul,
previous to his declaring war to that nation, to remove from that
locality, in order to be spared; for we read, " And Saul came to
a city of Amalek and laid wait in the valley; and Saul said unto
the Kenites, Go, depart; get you down from among the Amalek-
ites, lest I destroy you with them : for ye showed kindness to-
wards the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt." To
this event Balaam alludes in his prophecy respecting the Kenites,
who, however, were subsequently conquered by Asshur, while
Asshur in his turn was again vanquished by the Chittimites, who
became formidable by their maritime power. Thus did Balaam,
in a brief review, pass the great and mighty nations of the earth
before his prophetic mind, describing the overthrow of one, by
the other which succeeded it, and again the annihilation of the
conqueror to make room for the next invader; but Israel alone,
though not retaining its position for a lengthened time, and driven
into captivity by various powerful states, still remains a towering
and everlasting monument of divine protection and grace.
Balak's plan having utterly failed, he went his way, whilst
Balaam returned to his place. But other means were now em-
ployed to entangle Israel in the net of moral corruption, incident
to the idol- worship of the Moabites; the latter invited the Israel-
ites to the sacrifices of their gods, especially to the worship of
Baal-Peor, an idol, the service of which consisted in the most dis-
gusting and abominable practices of sensuality and licentiousness.
The Israelites, accepted the invitation, forgetful of their true God,
and the purity of their faith, joining their orgies, and participat-
ing in their depravities. Having thus provoked the displeasure of
the Lord, he ordered Moses to take all the heads of the people,
and hang them up publicly as an example, whilst he commanded
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTOKAHS. 255
the elders of Israel, every one to slay his men that were joined
unto Baal-Peor. This proclamation spread mourning throughout
the camp; and whilst the children of Israel were weeping before
the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, a prince of the
chief house of the tribe of Simeon, committed the outrage of
bringing unto his brethren a Midianitish woman, also a princess
of her tribe, in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the
congregation of Israel. This criminal offence, the enormity of
which was increased by its shameless publicity, was avenged by
Phineas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, who
rose with a javelin in his hand, pursued the man of Israel and the
Midianitish woman into the tent, and thrust the criminal pair
through; thus inflicting summary punishment on those who had
set so bad an example to the people, intoxicated and disposed to
excess. The plague had already commenced its ravages among
the children of Israel no less than twenty-four thousand became
its victims when the timely interference of Phineas took place,
which stayed the plague. This narrative closes the portion of
this Sabbath, the perusal of which alternately fills us with joy
and grief. Joy, at the sublime prediction of the heathen pro-
phet, who came to curse and was compelled to bless Israel. Grief,
at the pollution of the holy people, by following the wicked and
corrupt practices of pagan worship, and their inability to with-
stand the temptations which these enticing ceremonials offered to
their passions. Tradition, founded upon several passages in the
prophets, informs us, that the wily Balaam, failing in his mission,
was the instigator to the seduction of Israel, and that it was upon
his advice Balak had acted. It is, however, refreshing to per-
ceive, that, in every emergency, and on the point of every import-
ant crisis, men arose in Israel, who stood in the breach, and
fearlessly avenged the good cause, hurling retribution at the
offenders, though they were princes and princesses, and exhorting
the nation to retrace betimes their evil steps.
The prophet Micah, in the Haphtorah of this Sabbath, alludes,
in the following terms, to the blessing of Balaam :
" Hear ye, now, what the Lord saith: Arise, contend thou before the
mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice. Hear ye, O mountains, the
Lord's controversy, and ye, strong foundations of the earth ; for the
Lord hath a controversy with his people, and He will plead with Israel.
O my people, what have I done unto thee, and wherein have I wearied
thee ? Testify against me. For I brought thee up out of the land of
Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants ; and I sent
before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. O my people, remember now
what Balak, king of Moab, devised, and what Balaam, the son of Beor,
answered him from Chittim unto Gilgal, that ye may know the righte-
ousness of the Lord."
The prophet here indicates the pernicious devices of Balak
256 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
against Israel, and Balaam's compulsion by the irresistible will of
God, to answer Balak, that he could not curse but was constrained
to bless. Micah having thus exhorted the people to gratitude for
the past, now enjoined upon them to prostrate themselves in
prayer before God, and practically to carry out the divine will, not
merely by animal sacrifices and outward ceremonials, but by ex-
ercising justice and mercy.
These admonitions are clothed in the following concluding
passage :
" Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before
the High God ? Shall I come before Him with burnt- offerings, with
calves of a year old ? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of
rains, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil ? Shall I give my first-
born for my transgression ? the fruit of my body for the sin of my
soul ? He hath showed thee, O man, what is good : and what doth
the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to
walk humbly with thy God ?"
PRAYER.
ALL-WISE CREATOR, AND DIVINE LAWGIVER ! In the Statute-book
which Thou hast given us for our guidance, our ancestors were strictly
and frequently prohibited from associating with the heathen nations,
lest they swerve from Thee, our only God, and be ensnared in the nets
of idol-worship. The past history of Israel abounds with sad, yet un-
deniable proofs, of the wisdom of these sacred injunctions. And
although, in our age, and in this country, we have to fear no such con-
tamination, as regards idolatry, yet our religious observances differ so
widely from those of our neighbours of another creed, that even now,
and here, we are bound by Thy wise laws to remain distinct and sepa-
rate. Therefore hast Thou, O Lord, enjoined upon us the prohibition
of intermarriage with those whose religious belief differs from ours,
and how deplorable is the fate of those who transgress this holy law !
How seldom, if ever, does domestic happiness reign in their dwelling !
How rarely are the fruits of such ungenial alliances thriving in the
spirit of Judaism, and blessed by Thy blessing ! We supplicate Thee,
Eternal Father, that whilst we are all Thy children, and are commanded
to love one another as such, we may yet observe the boundaries which
Thy statutes prudently prescribe; that we may not overstep these well-
defined land-marks, so indispensable to the maintenance of our religion
in its integrity, until the time shall arrive when all nations shall flow
towards the One Great Light, and the prediction shall be realized.
" I will turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon
the name of the Lord, to serve Him with ONE CONSENT." Amen.
THE PENTATEUCH AND TTAPHTORAHS. 257
-no
EIGHTH PORTION OF NUMBERS.
" Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
And all her paths are PEACE." - Prov. iii. 19.
OUB, lesson of last Sabbath concluded with the narrative of the
timely interference of Phineas the priest, who boldly stood
forward in vindication of outraged morality, publicly executing
justice on the princely delinquents with his own hand, and setting
aside the formality of trial, because the dreadful crime was com-
mitted in defiance of public decency. The sagacious and cou-
rageous Phineas had also perceived the vast importance of the
crisis, and the danger of delay. For had the guilty couple who,
be it remembered, were both of high birth, and filled high
stations been allowed to perpetrate this enormous offence in
the sight of the whole excited nation, with a moment's impunity,
the awful example would have spread with fearful extent
throughout the camp, while licentiousness would have carried the
contaminated Israelites to the brink of corruption and defilement,
and utter destruction must have inevitably followed. It was
Phineas who thus, by his true zeal in the good cause, and admira-
ble promptness of decision, saved his people. We therefore read
in the commencement of this Sabbath's lesson :
" The Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Phineas the son of Eleazar,
the son of Aaron, the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the
children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that
I consumed not the children of Israel in my wrath. Wherefore say,
Behold, I give unto him my covenant of PEACE."
Our sages of the Mid rash hereupon comment: Great is the
peace which was given to Phineas, for the universe is conducted
only by peace, and the law is all peace ; as it is written :
" Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
And all her paths are peace."
S
258 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
If a man comes from a journey, we greet him in terms of
peace; and our salutations in the morning and evening are ex-
pressive of peace. Our prayers of the Shema (" Hear, O Israel,
the Lord our God is one God") close with a blessing of God who
spreadeth the tabernacle of peace over His people; and our
Shemonah Esreh (eighteen blessings) conclude with peace; whilst,
the benediction of the priests terminates, " and the Lord give thee
peace." Indeed, conclude the Rabbies, there is nothing in the
universe which can confer a blessing without peace; as it is
written: "The Lord will give strength to His people; the Lord
will bless His people with peace." Even the strength and might
and power coming from the Omnipotent would be imperfect if
He did not bless them with peace.
The Divine message of peace to Phineas was followed by a
command to execute judgment on the Midianites, a princess of
whom had joined Simri, an Israelitish prince, in the public outrage
which had provoked the Divine displeasure. "And the Lord
spake unto Moses, saying, Vex the Midianites, and smite them ;
for they vex you with their wiles wherewith they have beguiled
you in the matter of Peor [the idol], and in the matter of Cosbi,
the daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, who was slain in
the day of the plague for Peer's sake." This commandment was
subsequently fulfilled, as we shall read in the lesson of Sabbath
next.
Moses and Eleazar then mustered the tribes, and made a sta-
tistical report of the number of each, counting only the males
from twenty years and upwards, "all that were able to go to war
in Israel"; amounting altogether to 601,730, besides the Levites,
who were counted from one month old (as they were exempted
from war-service, having to attend to the service of the Taber-
nacle), and who amounted to the round number of 23,000.
After some instructions in reference to the law of inheritance
of the land generally, and to the case of the daughters of Zelo-
phehad specially, Moses was summoned by Divine command to go
up to the Mount Abarim, whence he could see the land of pro-
mise. And, faithful to His irrevocable decree, the Heavenly
Judge added:
" And when thou hast seen it, tbou also shalt be gathered unto thy
people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered. For ye rebelled against
my commandment in the desert of Zin, in the strife of the congrega-
tion, to sanctify me at the water before their eyes; that is the water of
Meribah, in Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin."
Terrible as this decree was, deep as must have been the wound
in Moses' heart when that awful sentence was originally pro-
nounced, and deeper still now when it was confirmed, the man
Moses, on hearing the confirmation from the mouth of God, did
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 259
'not think of himself and his calamity, but of the people to whom
his life had been devoted, though, through their discontent and
rebellious spirit, his hopes were blighted, and in sight of the
promised land after a most toilsome and precarious journey, was
condemned not to set foot thereon. Nor did he betray any selfish-
ness by asking, as he might have done, in return for his long and
wearied services, that the appointment might be conferred upon
one whom he considered qualified for the office. In the ordinary
course of life, many a person placed in the position of Moses
would have embraced such an opportunity to instal a favourite or
a relative into the high honours, and invest him with absolute
power. Not so, however, Moses. With pious and calm resigna-
tion, in which he tacitly acknowledged the Divine justice, Moses
thought no more of the past, but his care and solicitude were
directed to the future of Israel, the flock he had so long and so
forbearingly tended. He felt the necessity of a faithful and com-
passionate successor, and he addressed his Judge in the following
touching terms:
" Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over
the congregation, who may go out before them, and who may go in
before them ; who may lead them out and bring them in, THAT THE
CONGREGATION OP THE LORD BE NOT AS SHEEP WHICH HAVE NO SHEP-
Among the numerous and eloquent prayers offered up by Moses
to the heavenly throne of the Divine Judge, now pleading his
own insignificance and deficiency, then interceding for his dis-
affected and straying flock, now craving pardon for his own
brother and sister, then refusing personal aggrandisement, and
entreating for the preservation of the people, there is none that
excels in ardent love and devotional affection for the nation
under his care, this prayer addressed to God in moments of the
deepest agony and suffering. No one could appreciate better
than he did the magnitude of the task of leading masses dis-
organised by incessant contentions; and no one could form a
sounder judgment of the difficulties besetting the mission, to ap-
pease and to rally around him the distracted hordes, than he was
able to do from long and sad experience.
On hearing, therefore, the sad tidings that his end was ap-
proaching, all the thoughts of his great mind were absorbed in
the welfare of Israel depending upon the character of his suc-
cessor. If the election of so important an office rested upon the
judgment of fallible men, how easily might they not be disap-
pointed in making their choice of one who apparently is fitted
for the trust by mildness and humility, which he manifested as a
candidate, but when once raised to the height of command might
become a despot and a tyrant, trampling on the most sacred
s 2
260 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
rights of the people in his grasp. But when the election proceeds
from the Omniscient, who looks to the heart and not to the coun-
tenance, we may rest assured of being governed by a man worthy
of swaying the destinies of his own subjects, and influencing the
condition of surrounding nations. Moses, therefore, appealed to the
Lord, as the God of the spirits of all flesh, signifying Him who
searches the innermost recesses of the heart, to appoint a leader,
who is sure to exercise justice impartially and with forbearance,
blending it with mercy and clemency; one who is able to cement
the bonds of union within, and ready to defend them against foes
from without. He concluded his remarkable prayer with the
words, "so that the congregation of the Lord be not as sheep
without a shepherd."
The Divine choice of the successorship fell upon Joshua:
" And the Lord said unto Moses, Take thou Joshua, the son of Nun,
a man in whom there is the spirit, and lay thine hand upon him ; and
set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation ; and
give him a charge in their sight. And thou shalt put some of thine
honour upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel
may be obedient."
Joshua was a worthy disciple of his great master, Moses, though
the history of his life is not so eventful and remarkable, nor did
he in the high degree of prophecy and in the character of meek-
ness equal his predecessor. Joshua, however, had, after many
years' faithful service and diligent study, acquired the proper
interpretation of the law, learned from his master the science of
government, and was the fittest man to fill that high office with
dignity. The chapter concludes:
" And Moses did as the Lord commanded him. And he took
Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the con-
gregation. And he laid his hands upon him, and gave him a charge as
the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses."
The next part of this Sabbath's lesson contains the ordinances
to be observed respecting the meat and drink-offerings; com-
mencing with the continual burnt-offerings to be brought every
day, one in the morning and one in the evening; then the addi-
tional offering on the Sabbath-day, the New Moon, and the
Festivals, including the seven days of Passover, the Feast of
Weeks (the day of the First-fruits), the Feast of Trumpets (New
Year), the Day of afflicting the Souls (Day of Atonement), the
seven Days of Tabernacles, and the eighth, the Day of Solemn
Assembly.
The Rabbles thus comment on the terms observed at the com-
mencement of the chapter of sacrifices, where the Lord said to
Moses, " Command the children of Israel, and say unto them, My
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAH3. 261
offering, and my bread, and my sacrifices." The Lord said to
Israel, " Not that/ require sacrifices, for is not the whole universe
mine; as it is written, ' If I were hungry I would not tell thee:
for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof. Will I eat the
flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?' You, therefore,
return to me only a part of what I gave you, as an acknowledg-
ment that all your possessions are from me."
The Midrash tells us of a heathen who asked Rabbi Akiba,
" Why do you celebrate festivals? Did not your prophet say,
1 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hatetli'?"
( Isaiah i. 14). The Rabbi replied, " Had the prophet said, ' My
new moon, and my appointed feasts,' thou wouldest be right; but
Scripture distinctly says, ' Your new moons, and your appointed
feasts,' alluding to the innovations made by Jeroboam, of whom
we read, ' And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month,
on the fifteenth day of the month, in the month which he had
devised of his own heart.' To this presumptuous and uncalled-for
innovation the prophet Isaiah alludes, but, not to the regular and
well-conducted festivals, celebrated according to the Divine pre-
cepts, which Moses proclaimed as *' ^yitt THE FESTIVALS OF
THE LORD, and which will never cease, and of which the Psalmist
says, ' They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth
and uprightness.' "
As Phineas, the son of Eleazar, zealously stood forward to
avenge the cause of public morality and justice, outraged by a
prince and a princess, so did Elijah the Tishbite boldly confront
Ahab, the corrupt king of Israel, and his seditious queen, Jezebel,
denouncing them for their wicked and tyrannical rule, and fear-
lessly predicting the approach of Divine retribution. After having
foretold him, "As the God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand,
there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my
word" after this message, Elijah had to hide himself from the
vengeance of the infuriated king by the brook of Cherith, where
he drank from the waters of the brook, and was fed by the ravens.
When, after three years' interval, Elijah was commanded by God
to show himself to Ahab, and announce to him that rain would
be sent again upon the earth, he went to meet the king, who had
sent to seek him " in every nation and in every kingdom;" the
famine having risen to so fearful an extent in Samaria, that the
king himself, with his servant Obadiah, had been compelled to go
forth in search of water and grass for the cattle. The enraged
monarch, on perceiving Elijah, called to him, " Art thou he that
troubleth Israel ?" And the prophet boldly replied, " I have not
troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have
forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed
Baalim." Elijah then publicly vindicated his own character, and
that of the true prophets, who, with the exception of a hundred,
262 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
hid by Obadiah, had been cruelly massacred by the blood-thirsty
queen Jezebel, a heathen princess. The faithful prophet bade
defiance to the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the
four hundred prophets of the grove, " who ate at Jezebel's table."
He, single-handed, challenged them on Mount Carmel, in the pre-
sence of all Israel, and established his Divine authority; whilst
he put to scorn and ridicule and shame the false prophets of Baal,
and the impotence of their idol to save them. The assembled
multitude shouted, " The Lord, He is the God ! the Lord, He is
the God !" the false prophets were executed ; and the little cloud
** like a man's hand" which then arose out of the sea, was the
precursor of abundance of rain, fertilising the parched land.
These proceedings roused the vindictive queen, Jezebel, who
threatened to take the life of Elijah. He, however, escaped into
the wilderness, sat down under a juniper-tree, and requested
that he might die. This wish he expressed in a short prayer:
" It is enough; now, Lord, take away my life; for I am not
better than my fathers." But an angel of the Lord, who suddenly
appeared, and who provided him with food, encouraged him to
eat and drink ; and he went in the strength of that repast forty
days and forty nights, till he arrived at Horeb, the mount of
God. Here he lodged in a cave; and when asked by the Lord,
" What dost thou here, Elijah?" he replied, " I have been very
jealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have
forsaken Thy covenant, thrown down Thine altars, and slain Thy
prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they
are seeking my life to take it away."
We now come to one of the grandest and most instructive
visions of Scripture. Elijah having stood up on the mount before
the Lord, he beheld, in a prophetic vision, the Lord passing by;
and a great and strong wind rent the mountain, and brake in
pieces the rocks before the Lord ; but the Lord was not in the
wind : and after the wind an earthquake ; but the Lord was not
in the earthquake : and after the earthquake a fire ; but the Lord
was not in the fire : and after the fire a still small voice. When
Elijah heard it, he wrapt his face in his mantle, and went out,
and stood in the entering of the cave, and here the Lord ap-
peared to him, when Elijah again pleaded as before, and was
re-assured by the Divine Power.
The absence of the Omnipotent in the wind, in the earthquake,
and in the fire, as represented in this vision, allegorically sig-
nifies that all the powers of the elements, however majestic and
awe-inspiring, are nought without the Euler of nature and pro-
vidence, and are subservient to the Divine Will. The vision also
indicates, that^the Divine Presence dwells not within minds that
are rashly carried away by impulse and impetuosity as the wind
or the earthquake; nor by the heat of passion, as the fire; but
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 263
the Spirit of God is manifested in " a still small voice," the voice
of calmness, deliberation, and humility. Nor can piety and devo-
tion, which, in our days when no prophets exist, are a substitute
for the divine spirit of prophecy, reside in the heart of man, filled
with passion and pride ; but only in the mind which will meekly
and patiently listen to the reasoning of others, and not arrogate to
itself infallibility of judgment only in the rnind which is eager
to learn, to whom God in His mercy vouchsafes knowledge, and
teaches him by that " still small voice," which is heard in nature
and in His holy word, much louder than in the boisterous and
pretentious enunciations of men, who entirely depend on their
own wisdom and the unsound doctrines which philosophy without
religion is sure to engender.
PRAYER.
DIVINE RULBR AND KING ! In justice hast Thou established the
earth, and appointed governors to exercise righteous judgment. Sacred
is the trust which Thou reposest in them, and awful is the responsibility
which they undertake. But after being elevated by birth or popular
choice to their high position, they often forget the obligations of their
sacred oath, the solemn promises they publicly made, and act as if they
were irresponsible either to Thee, O God, or to man. Frequently do
they abuse the power with which Thou hast invested them, winking at
the crimes perpetrated by the nobles of the land, allowing vice and cor-
ruption to reign unchecked in the higher circles of society ; every
indulgence is granted to princely sinners, whilst the failings of the poor
and the humble, of less danger to the social welfare of the community,
are visited with merciless rigour and unrelenting severity. The fate of
millions of Thy subjects, O heavenly King, and the destinies of centu-
ries, thus depend upon the characters of rulers and regents ; and there-
fore Thy faithful servant Moses, in the hour when Thou, O God, didst
declare to him Thy will that he was to depart from earth, and when he
beheld the end of his rule closely approaching, true to his self-denying
conduct through the whole career of his wearied life, implored Thee,
God of the spirits of all flesh, to appoint a just and forbearing shepherd
over the flock which he had tended with so much ability, skill, and
justice tempered with mercy.
The misgovernment of selfish and grasping tyrants, however, would
be carried on with impunity, were it not for the boldness and courage
of men who fearlessly stand forward loudly and publicly to denounce
kings on their thrones, and royal princes in the height of their glory.
Happy for mankind is it that, in almost every age, Thou stirredst up
men who disdainfully refused honours and high offices under corrupt
governments ; who have preferred exile, nay, even to live in continual
danger of their life, rather than truckling to tyranny and despotism,
sanctioning injustice and cruelty, and sacrificing their conscientious
principles and the well-being of their country.
264 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
Such a man was Phineas, the son of Eleazar, a worthy and faithful
priest, whose zeal in Thy service led him unhesitatingly to execute
public justice on the princely criminals who had dared openly to insult
decency, and to outrage all sense of propriety. His timely inter-
ference, which stayed the plague, and saved many lives of Thy children,
was rewarded by the highest gift man can receive Thy covenant of
peace. Such a man also was Elijah the Tishbite, whom Thou, righteous
God, didst inspire with moral courage to defy the wicked king, Ahab,
and his sanguinary queen, Jezebel ; and whom Thou didst endow with
physical strength to endure and overcome the trials of banishment, of
hunger and of thirst, yea, even of perilling his life. But through Thy
saving angels Thou didst encourage him in the hour of anguish, Thou
sentest ravens from heaven to feed him, because Thou forsakest not
Thy faithful messengers, who respect no persons, and regard not even
kings or queens in the truthful discharge of their sacred mission. Such
true and godly men receive strength from Thee, O Omnipotent, to make
kings tremble in the zenith of their power, and princes to shake with
terror in the summit of their might, by proclaiming Thy irrevocable
will, which no human power can resist, and no cunning or craft can
subvert. Thus did Elijah the Tishbite vindicate the innocence of Thy
true prophets, put to scorn and derision the false and corrupt ministers
of Baal, and re-establish in Israel the belief in Thy Unity, so that
they all with one voice exclaimed, "The Lord, he is the God!" the same
words with which we so solemnly conclude our prayers on the most
sacred day of the year the Day of Atonement and which always
were, and ever will be, the watch-words and the national cry for rally-
ing around the standard of our faith. Amen.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 265
TTD
NINTH PORTION OF NUMBERS.
, -a 1 ? NT* vh runo ^y runn DN
nan 'JK nT3 nonta ty Dipn DN
o TO nnn
" Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear;
Though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.
One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after ;
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
To behold the beatitude of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.
Ps. xxvii. 3, 4.
sacred and inviolable character of an oath or vow, is fre-
-L quently enjoined in the laws of Moses, who, in the beginning
of this Sabbath's lesson, thus addressed the heads of the tribes:
" If a man vow a vow unto the Lord, or swear an oath to
bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word, but lie
shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth." It is,
however, wisely ordained, that the vow made by a female in her
minority, if disapproved of by her father as being injudicious,
may be annulled by him, and likewise that of a wife by her hus-
band; Scripture adding, " Her father, or her husband, had made
the vow void, and the Lord shall forgive her."
The next chapter contains the narrative of the conquest of the
Midianites by the Israelites, who by Divine command now exe-
cuted judgment on that treacherous nation. After the battle, the
officers brought the gratifying report to Moses: " thy servants
have taken the sum of the men of war, which are under our
charge, and there lacketh not one man of us." So signal a vic-
tory over an immense and well-disciplined force, without the loss
of even one man, could not be attributed to natural means; they,
therefore, at once offered an oblation for the Lord, and the gold
of the spoil which they had taken in the war, they brought into
266 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
the tabernacle of the congregation, " as a memorial for the chil-
dren of Israel before the Lord."
In the following chapter, we read of an application made to
Moses by the tribes of Reuben and Gad, who were large cattle-
owners, and were, therefore, anxious to become possessed of the
lands of Jazer and Gilead, the soil being specially adapted for
pasture. They asked Moses to assign them these pasture lands
for their inheritance, instead of taking them across the Jordan.
Moses, in reply, rebuked them : " Shall your brethren go to war,
and ye shall sit here?" reminding them, at the same time, of the
pernicious example set to the nation by the spies, who went forth
to search Canaan, and discouraged the people. The Reubenites
and Gadites then entered into the following condition : " We will
build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones.
But we ourselves will go ready armed before the children of
Israel, until we have brought them unto their place ; and our little
ones shall dwell in the fenced cities because of the inhabitants of
the land. And they concluded with the promise and proviso,
" We will not return unto our houses, until the children of Israel
have possessed every man his inheritance." To this reasonable
request, with the conditional proviso, Moses assented, and he
solemnly entered into a contract accordingly with them, charging
Eleazar, the priest, and Joshua, his appointed successor, and the
chief fathers of the tribes, with the strict execution of the con-
tract, which is remarkable for its soundness and legality of form,
and which, in the jurisprudence of the rabbies, has been adopted
(p1iO ^^1 TJ *i!3 *{On) as a precedence and specimen for the
wording of conditional deeds.
Moses, then, in pursuance of the agreement, assigned to the
tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh
(who had joined the two former) several countries on this side the
Jordan in the kingdoms of the Araorites, and of Og, king of
Bashan, and the surrounding coasts, of which they took possession,
after making further conquests of adjacent tribes and tracts of
land.
How strictly and punctually this agreement was fulfilled by
the applicants, and carried out by Joshua, history will show. It
is gratifying to refer to the narrative in the time of Joshua
(chap, xxi.) how he, together with Phineas, the priest, and the
princes of the tribes, superintended the fulfilment of the agree-
ment, in memory of which an altar was erected which they called
ED (witness); "for it shall be a witness between us that the
LOKD is GOD."
This narrative is one of the many proofs contained in Holy
Writ, evincing not only the industry but also the courage and
warlike character of the Israelites; and, as the historical part of
the Pentateuch nearly closes with the Book of Numbers, which
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 267
approaches its conclusion, we cannot do better than cast a retro-
spective view on the events of the past, foreshadowing the
prospect of the future, and evincing that courage and intre-
pidity is the vital pulse of Judaism.
Wherever we explore Judaism, whether we look for it in
its doctrines or history, whether we seek for it in the lives and
strifes of its heroes and prophets, or else search for it in the
axioms and orations of its ancient and modern teachers and
leaders, courage and intrepidity undeniably display themselves in
all these manifold aspects and phases. The testimonies for this
assertion are so numerous, that we shall neither enumerate the
whole of them, nor place them in careful chronological order;
but shall merely draw brief sketches. We, therefore, take our
youthful readers by the hand, rove with them at random over a
pretty extensive tract, where, as it suits, we shall take either a
more protracted or a shorter stay, still keeping the object under
consideration in view.
Let us begin with the man with whom Israel itself begun,
with that man whom Jew, Christian, and Mahometan revere as
the Father of the Faithful, that " Hebrew " (Gen. xiv. 13) who
published the truths of the only one in heaven and on earth three-
and-a-half millenniums since, through the heathen world, at a time
when idol-altars were ranged all over the then inhabited part of
the globe in closest proximity, in that dark age, when the wor-
shippers of Jehovah were menaced with the burning stake ; but
even then Abraham named and proclaimed the God of gods, and
promulgated Him through the dominions of the most cruel
tyrants. Courageous, and with wondrous undauntedness, stood the
son of Terah at the altar, and prayed to that God who had
appeared to his meditating mind as the All-just and Omnipotent,
and who had called upon Him to illumine the dark nights of
anti-religion and superstition, and to prove, by words and by
deeds, that man worships his Maker best by a philanthropic,
charitable, moral career of life. Surrounded by barbarians,
among " the stony-hearted the only feeling bosom" Abraham for a
whole century remained, bravely and fearlessly true to his call, till
truth gained time to germinate in other breasts, to take root in
their minds.
The second hero, distinguished by courage and intrepidity,
made his entrance on the world's chequered stage four hundred
years later. How to punish for their wickedness inhuman savage
creatures who abuse their authority (Ex. ii. 11 14); how to
demand justice and preach truth, in presence of insolent tyrants
(Ex. v. 13; viii. 621, 23; ix. 1316; x. 8, 9; xi. 48);
what a bold tone is he justified to assume who pleads the good
cause before the gods of earth, till they are convinced of the
just claim demanded of them in the name of the Lord, and
268 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
resolve to submit; for such noble purposes fortitude and un-
dauntcdness united are requisite, and these were conspicuously
visible in Moses. He was the man in whom the Egyptian spirit
was wedded to the Hebrew mind, he who transformed slaves into
the freest nation of antiquity, whose name is impressed on the
most enlightened laws; who in an uninhabitable horror-pro-
voking wilderness, for two score of years, successfully opposed
the hostile elements, in nature as well as in the rude masses he
led, who had the courage to mould a licentious multitude into a
godly nation, from whom the whole civilised world received their
laws, their morals, their faith, and their sanctification. If we con-
sider how difficult the task which was then required, and is even now
required, viz., to teach the naked truth, boldly to unmask priestcraft
and sacerdotal artifices, undauntedly to demolish ancient and modern
idolatrous altars, we must bow before the strong mind who
already, three millenniums since, had the high courage to undertake
this gigantic work ; and who, by the intrepidity evinced in the
execution, endeavoured, by means of his own people, to secure to
the whole human race those precious treasures which will and
must be the basis of the promised universal religion, light and
truth, which his priests had, as Urim and Thummim, upon and in
their hearts (Ex. xxviii. 27 30).
And this courage, this intrepidity, was still flaming, even in
the last strains of his swan-song (Deut. xxxii. 1 4), in the last
breath of his great, ardent, and mighty soul, which the mouth of
the Lord (as our ancients boldly and beautifully express it) kissed
away into the better life (Plp^GJO DlV/b)- So far the retrospective
view. If we now look into the prospective, we shall meet with
the disciple of such a master, one who hardly ever quitted his
presence, Joshua, could not fail to inherit, with his master's
authority, his master's spirit also. Courageous and intrepid he
proved even in his early youth, when he roused and inspired the
people against the ten treacherous princes, and courage and intre-
pidity mark every step of his path of glory, when he, the first
commander in Israel, conquered the land inhabited by giants and
fortified by cloud-capped towers. " Be strong and of a good
courage" (Josh. i. 6) was the Divine call, which resounded to our
hero through all the sanguinary battles till the last great moment,
when he again animated the people to remain true to the only
One, whose miraculous deeds for our fathers are engraven on the
indelible pages of history.
Almost four hundred years succeeding the death of this heroic
general, lasted the days of Israel's chivalry; for we cannot style
by any other term the period in which the " Judges" ruled, who
rank in every respect with the greatest heroes of any nation, be it
in encountering the enemy in the open field, or if a fair trial of
strength were denied them, to liberate the nation by other means
THE PENTATEUCH AND IIAPHTORAHS. 269
from tyranny. Courage and intrepidity animated every one of
those heroes.
We need not dive into the history of other nations to find
instances of heroism worthy of emulation; we have but to peruse
the history of our own ancestors, as brothers of one nation ! We
do not intend to write or copy history, or else we would here
enumerate the names of our own brave warriors; but we will
point out how courage and intrepidity is the essence, the very soul
of our history, how courage is demonstrated, and intrepidity
excels itself when warring, not for idle chimeras, but for celestial
truths. One of those noble souls, GIDEON, had the fortitude,
at the very beginning of his heroic career, to demolish the
idol- altars of his own father (Judges vi. 25 27); he who possessed
the courage to prove to the world how the Lord can bestow
victory on the good cause, even by the hands of a few men of
faithful and trusty minds, if they stand erect, and bend not the
knee before idols, either of coarser or more refined shape
(Judges vii. 1 7).
During the period of kings in Judah and Israel, which lasted
five centuries, courage and intrepidity were visible, not so much on
thrones and in palaces; not so much under the gorgeous purple of
the sovereigns, as in the plain tent under the rough and hairy
garments of the seers and the prophets. Those men of the people !
demagogues in the noblest sense of the word, it was they who,
scorning dungeon and death, boldly resisted the tyrant's unjust
pretensions ; those men of truth ! it was they who opposed the
priests, amongst whom were at all times degenerate natures, who,
in the name of the Lord, which was oftener on their tongue than
in their heart, would unblushingly preach falsehood and hatred,
and who rejoiced in persuading their weak-minded contempo-
raries, that God takes delight in mankind being led blindfold
from one dungeon into another, and drawn into a compact with
darkness.
A Samuel, who denounces an anointed head, reminding him
that to obey the Lord is better than sacrifice, and that rebellion
against truth is as idolatry (1 Sam. xv. 22, 33), the courage of
such a man weighs heavier in the scales of victory than Saul
with all his triumphs : and the prophet Nathan, in his parable,
who feared not to call the sins of a prince, drunk with success, by
their proper names; who did not misname adultery an affair of
gallantry; or a premeditated murder, state-craft (2 Sam. xii.
1 12). This allegory, we maintain, proved greater intrepidity
than David required to slay Goliath. If
Behold the prophet with the eagle eye, bold as the flight of
his soul, soaring to heaven, listening to the thrice " holy " of the
seraphim (Isaiah vi. 1 3), so bold was his speech. What he
270 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
foretold of the Messiah whom his mind's eye had seen, the same
he performs himself, for " with the rod of his mouth and the
breath of his lips he smites and slays the wicked" ( Isaiah ix. 4).
With marvellous intrepidity Isaiah opposes vice, punishes the
canting dissembler, unmasks the hypocrite, predicts to the ener-
vated race their decline, and teaches the people and their rulers
the true purposes of religion and piety.
Courage and intrepidity characterise the man with the tender
and feeling heart Jeremiah ; undaunted by dungeon and death,
because he holds truth dearer than all else beside (Jeremiah xxvi.
7 15), they burn within his heart like fire, he cannot, he dare
not, keep silent (Jer. xx. 9). He, like his predecessors, scourges
the vices of his age, and paints, in the darkest colours, the ruin
which follows outward piety, and showy ceremonious religion.
We now come to the bravest of them all, the undaunted Tish-
bite, that great warrior Tor God and truth, who preferred being
fed by ravens in the field (1 Kings xvii. 6) rather than by kings,
that he might unhesitatingly punish their misdeeds. At a time
when one of the most degenerate tyrants who ever wore a crown
wielded the sceptre, Elijah arose, and, fearlessly and without
reserve, showed Ahab and his wicked wife, Jezebel, their horrible
likeness as in the clearest mirror (1 Kings xx. 17 25). On
Mount Carmel Elijah does not appear before the most intelligent
rulers of his time, before the learned ecclesiastial princes of his
age, protected and sheltered by several powerful sovereigns. No,
Elijah stands surrounded by eight hundred and fifty blood-thirsty
priests ; encompassed by a crowd, whose mind had become poisoned
with a horrible mock-religion; hated and persecuted by a tyrant,
who would, in a mere whim, sacrifice the most innocent of citi-
zens. Elijah rose, scorning priests and their idols, preaching with
a bold tongue to the multitude till all grew mute, the tyrant
himself not venturing to open his lips, till at last all the people
cried with one voice, " The Lord, He is the God, Jehovah, He
is the God (1 Kings xviii. 39). We may safely challenge both
holy Scripture and secular history for the like example of courage
and intrepidity.
The destinies of Israel in reference to their relationship with
surrounding nations were indicated to Jeremiah, the prophet in
the Haphtorah of this Sabbath, in two visions. The first was a
rod of an almond tree; and the Lord said to Jeremiah, " thou
hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it." (The
Hebrew for almond is *TlpE> which signifies hastening). The
second vision was a seething pot, the face of which was toward
the ndHh. The divine interpretation of this vision was
" Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants
of the land. For lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the
TITE PENTATEUCH AND HAPFITOHAHS. 271
north, saith the Lord ; and they shall come, and they shall set every-
one his throne at the entering of the gate of Jerusalem, and against all
the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah. And
I will utter my judgments against them, touching all their wickedness,
who have forsaken me, and have burnt incense unto other gods, and
worshipped the works of their own hands."
Jeremiah, who was reluctant in delivering the divine message
of retribution to Israel and other nations, was strengthened by
God, who promised to protect him, making him
" As a defenced city, and an iron pillar and brazen walls against the
whole land ; against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof,
against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land."
But, in accordance with the prediction of Moses, that though
the wrath of God be kindled against this people, He will not
utterly destroy them, Jeremiah also was told by the merciful God,
Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying,
"Thus saith the Lord, I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth,
the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilder-
ness, in a land that was not sown. Israel is holiness unto the Lord,
and the first-fruit of his increase. All that devour him shall offend ;
evil shall come upon them, saith the Lord."
This prophecy has been fulfilled to the letter; for, if we search
the records of ancient and modern history, we shall find that no
nation ever persecuted Israel with impunity; commercial and
political prosperity vanished in those countries whence Israel was
driven into exile; whilst those nations who protected the people
of God flourished and increased verifying the prophetic axiom,
" Whoever toucheth him, toxicheth the apple of His eye."
PRAYER.
HEAVENLY FATHER! Although Thou requirest man to love and
serve Thee for his own sake ; although Thou takest delight in the
expression of man's gratitude for the innumerable benefits Thou con-
ferrest upon him, he is not desired, in any of Thy commandments, to
make vows, and solemnly bind himself by self-imposed obligations.
The Divine Legislator, Moses, distinctly tells us, "If thou shalt forbear
to vow, it shall be no sin in thee." But, by the same authority, we are
strictly enjoined, " When thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy
God, thou shalt not slack to pay it; for the Lord thy God would surely
require it of thee, and it would be sin in thee." The royal preacher
also advises us, " Better is it that thou shouldst not vow, than that
thou shouldst vow and not pay." But how often do we, in the course
of life, make rash promises, couched in terms as solemn as a sacred
272 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
vow, and yet fail to perform them, either from forgetfulness or from a
change of circumstances, which incapacitates us from accomplishing it ;
or, which is still worse, from an unwillingness to fulfil that which, in an
hour of convenience, we solemnly undertook to do. How frequently
do such broken vows cause the most grievous disappointment to those
who relied upon our words ! How often do these undischarged obliga-
tions prey on the honourable mind, disturb the peace of conscience,
and embitter our own lives, when we reflect on the sorrow and sickness
of heart arising from hope deferred ! It is a deplorable weakness in
some of the best of Thy children on earth, O Lord, of men whose
tenderness of heart, and compassion for the needy applicant, are so
deeply moved as to hold out prospects of relief, which, on sober and
calm reflection, they find themselves unable to realize. However par-
donable such weakness may be however brightly it may delineate the
features of benevolence in the human character, the consequences may
nevertheless prove of the most serious injury to him who depended
upon the consoling assurances of alleviation. Let us therefore suppli-
cate Thee, O Lord, that Thou mayest guide us in the expressions of
our thoughts, and in the speech of our tongue ; so that we may well
consider the extent of our means before we make precipitate promises
or vows ; and be solemnly impressed with the obligation of fulfilling
them when once made. Fortify us, O Lord, that we may not, by the
delay of the performance thereof, cause anguish and loss to the afflicted
heart ; and that we may follow the admonition of the wise king : " Be
not rash with thy mouth ; let not thine heart be hasty to utter any-
thing before God ; for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth ; there-
fore let thy words be few." Amen.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 273
TID
TKNTH PORTION OF NUMBERS.
nnx
o <n T"t3 D^nn by mat? n 1 ? n
" The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup ;
Thou maintainest my lot.
The lines are fallen unto me into pleasant places ;
Yea, I have a goodly heritage." Ps. xvi. 5, 6.
PREVIOUS to entering into the subject of this Sabbath's
lesson, we will resume the thread of our last theme, following
up the prospect of Israel's history after the death of Moses, the
books of Judges, and of the Prophets, presenting to our view, in
every epoch, men whose undaunted character shone brilliantly
forth from the gloomy clouds which overcast the horizon of Israel's
chequered career ; men who shed a lustre, not only over their con-
temporaries, but on succeeding ages, setting so bright an example
of courage and intrepidity.
The enemies of our nation, who were at all times more nume-
rous than just, more formidable than candid, have laboured to
trace some disparaging features in the Jewish character, in order
to traduce the smaller and weaker people, and make them hateful
in the eyes of the world. One of the reasons assigned for de
spising the Jews was alleged cowardice. It has been repeatedly
stated, that the Jews were addicted to commercial pursuits, that
their thoughts and occupations were entirely absorbed in the ac-
cumulation of wealth, but that they were not animated by any of
those higher and nobler aspirations which actuate their brethren
of another creed boldly to come forward in defence of their
country, and to combat the enemy in the open field. Had these
detractors carefully and impartially read the annals of the ancient
and modern history of the Jews, had they cast an unbiassed glance
upon such heroes as Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Gideon, Samuel
and the other Judges; on Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Elijah the Tishbite,
they would have been bound to admit that cowardice was not a
failing in the Jewish character. They would have reflectingly
asked themselves, if they really strove for truth, " How is it that
the Jews of those ages produced heroes and men of the highest
T
274 SABBATTI MEDITATIONS ON
courage, whilst those of the present age do not?" And the only
answer would have forced itself upon their mind: " It is our own
fault, because we have precluded the Jews from everything that
is noble, elevated, and national; we ourselves have shut them out
from the arenas of all honourable ranks and positions. We have
driven them into the confined sphere of commerce, in which they
have flourished and prospered; but had we liberally opened for
them the field of honourable ambition, and given full scope to
the development of their undeniable abilities, they would un-
doubtedly have equalled, if not excelled, us in courage and
intrepidity."
We will now recur to history. We have shown many instances
of heroism unprecedented, and of patriotism unparalleled, during
the existence of the Jewish polity, when they were yet in posses-
sion of their own land, and living under their own government,
enjoying the unspeakable blessings of liberty. But this intre-
pidity even accompanied them into the Babylonian exile, into
the pagan world, where, besides Daniel, who warded off the many
darts flung against him by envious courtiers by the shield of the
true belief (Dan. vi.), we find in Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah,
a triumvirate of intrepidity, whenever they were required to
render their testimony for God and truth. Courage and intre-
pidity again returned with them from banishment into their
newly-regained native country, where they had to wage a war
against internal enemies, and when a complete victory was
crowned by the erection of the Second Temple.
Although in the Babylonian and Persian captivity, or under
the rule of Greece, the Jews underwent a great reformation the
compass of their ideas remaining less narrow, their religious
opinions less contracted, their manners, their language less ori-
ginal than before yet their former courage, their former intrepi-
dity, never forsook the mass of the nation, even under their altered
circumstances, in their new-born country. The brightest exam-
ples were exhibited especially when their highest and dearest
causes their religion, and the Divine lore of their ancestors,
were menaced.
With a just pride we may here remember those " knights
without fear and without blemish," whom our nation produced
about a century and a half before the Christian era; viz., the
Maccabees, and all those heroes who fought under their banners.
At a time when external and internal antagonists were to be com-
bated, they proved how much courage and intrepidity could
achieve. The foe from without was that crowned tyrant
Antiochus Epiphanes, whose own people altered a letter in his
name purposely, to describe his state of mind,* who entertained
* Instead of " Epiphanes," the great, he was called " Epimanes," the mad.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 275
the insane idea, which even now-a-days seems sometimes to haunt
anointed heads to force his own creed upon all his subjects,
and thus intended to drive the Jews also into the mytholo-
gical religion of the Greeks. The terrible streams of blood, the
horrible scenes which followed in the train of those barbarous
massacres, shall remain undescribed; but we cannot avoid men-
tioning the enemies within Israel, the renegades who, following
Greek superstition, betrayed their own brothers they must be
drawn in this picture as the shades to the light of those heroic
and undaunted souls, who would sooner part with their life than
their faith. An old man of four-score and ten cheerfully em-
braced death, because he would not, even to appearance, swerve
from the Divine laws; seven youths, children of one mother, were
most horribly tortured to death, because they would not bend their
knee to that idol which the tyrant, their executioner, worshipped ;
the mother, who was an eye-witness to this seven-fold slaughter,
and who encouraged her sons in their martyrdom, also voluntarily
followed her children (2 Mace, vi.vii.) unto death. But the martyrs
alone would not have sufficed to accomplish the work of libera-
tion, although their deaths had an inspiring influence upon the
people, had it not been for the Maccabees, or Hasmonites (from
their ancestor, Hasmon), who, in their heroism and undauntedness
erected for themselves an everlasting monument. After punishing
the recreants of their own nation, they, at the head of a small but
brave army, combated and conquered their enemies, and never
sheathed their swords till the name of Jehovah could again be
worshipped as the only One in Israel.
We shall now enumerate but one more instance of extraor-
dinary intrepidity on the part of the youths in Judah. The holy
city, handed over to the sway of a rapacious and blood-thirsty
Koman governor (Sabinus), being the scene of the most revolting
cruelties, all the youths of the land march to Jerusalem, and fear-
lessly sacrifice their lives for liberty and for their sanctuary, which
the enemy had dared to desecrate. In vain do the sons of Rome
fight to desperation ; the resistance of the Jews frustrates all their
efforts, and, exhausted, they are forced to retire.
In the later pages of history, we read of an occurrence which
might serve to the Jews as an ominous prelude to their succeeding
dispersion.
Tyrants are often blessed with the most curious fancies; Nero,
for instance, thought it a good joke to show to the world
the peculiar manner in which he could produce an illumin-
ation ; and Caligula, in the plenitude of his modesty, attempted
nothing less than to pass current for a god, and actually com-
manded the Jews to put up his statue in their temple at Jeru-
salem.
The Jews, however, who have once imbibed the notion that
T 2
276 SABBATH MKDITATIOXS ON
there can reign but one sole God in the world, and that He alone
ought to be worshipped the Jews, who know of no greater abo-
mination than to award the adoration due only to the Almighty
to any human being, even were he, like an angel, free from sin,
guiltless, and exempt from crime firmly refused to permit
the monument of that crowned demon to be erected in their
Temple; and although this imperial monster raved at their dis-
obedience, and ordered his viceroy to enforce, at the head of a
powerful army, the erection of his image, yet the Jews told him
plainly, that as long as one single drop of blood remained Bowing
in their veins, they would defend their ancient laws, which pro-
hibited their worshipping any other than the eternal, sole, invisi-
ble, and purely spiritual God. Did not this require an indomitable
courage, a heroic intrepidity ? And this courage conquered, this
intrepidity proved triumphant !
The heroic spirit which, in the succeeding thirty years, in-
spired the whole body of the Jews the marvellous valour with
which they defended their fortresses, their capital, and their
sanctuary, and how every stone, one might say, was bought by
Roman blood these we shall barely mention, scarcely hint at ; not
because those facts are not well established, but in our present ex-
amination, in our present point of view, we only consider courage
and intrepidity the vital pulses of Judaism as worthy of esteem
or notice when they bear the stamp of the most noble character;
when energy and life are risked only for holy, for Divine objects,
and when temporal affairs are thrust into the back ground; but to
the searching teachers of history it cannot escape, that in those con-
flicts such was not always the case. We prize the individual animated
by a grand idea, higher than the countless multitude who would
spill their blood even for trifles, when their passions spur them
on. Whoever firmly resists the superstitions or the deep-rooted
prejudices of the people, and strives to emancipate them from
such evils, exhibits more intrepidity, and is possessed of greater
courage, than the raging masses who hurl stones and combustibles
on the heads of the beleaguerers to ward them off and mostly
in vain from the already tottering walls. Mattathias, the pious
priest, who spurned with noble scorn the insolent officer of a
tyrant, and who punished the vulgar in his own commonalty
(1 Mace. iv. 14 28) Mattathias, who, without fear, exposed
the rooted religious folly which prohibited the Jewish warriors
from defending themselves on the Sabbath (1 Mace. iv. 42 75)
was no less inspired by courage and intrepidity than his valorous,
noble-minded sons, who returned triumphant conquerors from
the battlefields. The mightiest wonders, the greatest benefits,
are worked out and effected by such weapons as the mind carries,
for the soul knows no fear, for it knows not death.
This reflection leads us to another instance of fortitude and un-
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAFHTORAHS. 277
dauntedness, which was exemplified by an important and influen-
tial teacher, in whom will at once be recognised the honoured
name of Akibah. He died for a great idea, and his conviction ivas
dearer to him than his life. After the account sent by Rufus to
the Emperor Adrian, the Jews were oppressed and persecuted
more than ever before, the people were prohibited from following
the Divine laws, and their teachers interdicted on pain of death
from promulgating the sacred lore; which proceeding threatened
entirely to annihilate Judaism. To all this the better classes
could not remain indifferent. A revolution was organised. Akibah,
who still, as heretofore, lived in accordance with his faith, was
thrown into a dungeon, and some time after heard his sentence
of death calmly, tranquilly, and with the greatest resignation, in
the full conviction that he died for the preservation of his reli-
gion. The hour of morning prayer was the hour of execution;
and with the avowal of his belief in the " only One" on his lips,
he died a terrible death, bravely and fearlessly.
Such death is life, and was life for thousands and myriads; for
it revived not only his pupils and disciples, of whom he had a
great number, but likewise all the noble-minded and superior
classes in Israel: they felt exalted and encouraged by Akibah's
martyrdom; and the example of fortitude in the face of death, if
suffered for the most sublime and holy cause, operates further and
further. Treatment such as Adrian's, one might think, would
soon entirely destroy the synagogue, the focus of Judaism ; but it
was by no means so.
This last act of Akibah's life is thus beautifully described by
our Moses Mendelssohn:
Rabbi Akibah was led to the scaffold. Amidst the most agonising
tortures which his executioners inflicted on him, the flesh being torn
from his body by hot iron pincers, the solemn hour arrived for reading the
prayer, " Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one God ! And thou
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul,
and with all thy might !" Wrapped up in fervent devotion, Rabbi
Akibah recited the prayer in filial love and humble resignation. His
surrounding disciples stood amazed at the evident composure of his
mind under such horrible tortures. " O my beloved," said the master,
" have I not all my lifetime anxiously desired to perform this Divine
command, ' to love my God with all my heart and with all my soul' ?
Now the opportunity has arrived, should I neglect it ?" He empha-
tically dwelt on the words, " is One God," till the spirit departed, and
the last vital spark soared to heaven.
To the courage and intrepidity of the Jewish teachers and thfir
disciples, the synagogue is indebted for preservation in the Pagan
world ; and this greatness of mind and nobility of soul will be
still more manifest, and show itself in much brighter colours, in
our present refined and enlightened times.
278 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
Our lesson of this Sabbath commences with the enumeration, in
regular order, of the journeys of the children of Israel since their
departure from Egypt; after which follow several instructions
respecting the division of the land by lots for the inheritance
among the various families, subsequent to their crossing the
Jordan into the land of Canaan. These instructions Moses con-
cludes by the judicious order to drive out all the heathen inha-
bitants of the land, to destroy all their idol-pictures, all their
molten images, and to pluck down all their high places; en-
forcing the necessity thereof by adding :
" If ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, then
it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be
briars in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the
land wherein ye dwell."
The further history of the Israelites in Palestine during the age
of the Judges corroborates the danger of pagan intercourse thus
foretold by Moses; for all the tribulations and calamities which
befell Judah and Israel arose from their transgression of this com-
mand, not heeding the wise caution, and permitting many idola-
trous tribes to dwell among them ; as observed by the Psalmist :
" They did not destroy the nations concerning whom the Lord
commanded them ; but were mingled among the heathen, and learned
their works. And they served their idols, which were a snare unto
them; yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto false
gods, and shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their
daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan, and the land
was polluted with blood ; thus were they defiled with their own works,
and went backsliding with their own inventions."
The subsequent banishment of Judah and Israel from the land
of their inheritance is thus forcibly described by the Royal
Bard :
" Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people, in-
somuch that He abhorred his own inheritance. And He gave them into
the hand of the heathen ; and they that hated them ruled over them.
Their enemies also oppressed them, and they brought them into sub-
jection under their hand."
The next chapter contains the ordinance for assigning eight
and forty cities for the Levites as their inheritance, six of which
were to be " cities of refuge" for the temporary safety and protec-
tion of any person who committed manslaughter, until he stand
before the congregation for judgment. Moses here clearly defines
the law of wilful and premeditated murder, and that of accidental
unpremeditated homicide, which we now term manslaughter. In
the former case, the murderer shall surely be put to death; in the
latter, he shall abide by the decision of the legally instituted
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTO-RAHS. 279
tribunal. There are also some laws in reference to the " revenger
of blood," between whom and the manslayer the congregation
were to judge, and which, being inapplicable to the present age,
we pass over without further comment. After strictly prohibiting
the taking of ransom for the life of a murderer, the divine legis-
lator concludes:
" Defile not, therefore, the land which ye shall inhabit, and wherein
I dwell : for I , the Lord, dwell among the children of Israel."
The prophet Jeremiah, in the Haphtorah of this Sabbath,
reproves the house of Jacob for their apostatising from their pure
faith, for ungratefully forsakii;g their Heavenly Benefactor, and
following vain idols and their abominations. He especially, in
language glowing with indignation, rebukes the corrupt leaders,
of whom he says :
" The priests said not, Where is the Lord ? And they that handle
the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and
the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not
profit."
To the vicious guides of the nation the prophet justly attributes
the degeneration of Israel, with whom he thus remonstrates:
" Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? But
my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit."
Having reminded them of the troubles that overtook them in
consequence of forsaking the fountain of living waters, and resort-
ing to broken cisterns, he tells the unfaithful daughter of Zion:
" Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidujgs
shall reprove thee. Know, therefore, and see that it is evil and bitter
to forsake the Lord thy God, and that the fear of me does not dwell
within thee, saith the Lord God of hosts."
PRAYER.
ALL-WISE KING! I will praise Thee with uprightness of heart when
I shall have learned Thy righteous judgments. The sacred volume
which Thou hast given us for our guidance incessantly enjoins upon us
faithfulness in Thee, and fidelity in our adherence to the hallowed and
salutary doctrine of Thy Unity ; to beware of idols in every shape,
whether made of wood and stone, or of silver and gold ; whether in the
worship of mundane treasures, or those who possess them ; for there is
idolatry of various grades, even in the most civilised countries and the
most refined age. Thy holy seers and prophets unremittingly warned
us against backsliding from our pure faith, and against the consequences
thereof ; and in the annals of our history these awful consequences are
inscribed in tears and in blood. Happily, in our country, the danger
280 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
of following Baal, and its abominable worship, has ceased ; but there
are, even in our days, men who would sedulously entice us from our
holy religion, and persuade us into a belief which our conscience
repudiates. Happy are we, that the character and number of those
who are led astray from the camp of Israel is but small and insigni-
ficant ; for the truth which Thou hast indelibly graven on the tablets
of the human heart will ever be recognised, and will ever prevail, But
though we may partly rely upon the firmness and stability of the sacred
edifice erected by Thy wise and pure laws, we yet require religious
teachers and guides to strengthen the belief of Thy flock, and to exhort
them to remain stedfast to their religion in the height of prosperity,
and to be resigned under afflictions in the depth of adversity. We
beseech Thee, O Lord, to avert from us the rule of priests who say
not, " Where is the Lord ?" or the instructions of those "that handle
the law, and know Thee not ;" or the guidance " of pastors who trans-
gress against Thee ;" or the prophecy " of prophets who walk after
things" that do not improve our moral and religious condition : but
that Thou mayest appoint such priests as seek and proclaim Thee, such
public teachers as know Thee and make known Thy truths ; such
pastors as are models for their flocks, through obedience to Thee ; and
such prophets as pursue their sacred calling in disseminating Thy word,
promulgating moral and religious knowledge, themselves appearing in
the van-guard, whenever secret enmity or open hostility threatens to
diminish our ranks, and to impair the sanctity of our institutions.
Shield, O Lord, Shepherd of Israel, the noble vine which Thou hast
planted, the right seed which Thou hast sown, so that we may not
turn into the degenerate plant of a strange vine, but that we may abide
with devotion and perseverance by Thy word, which is settled for ever
in heaven, and by Thy faithfulness, which is established on earth unto
all generations. Amen.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAFHTORAHS. 281
TTD
FIRST PORTION OF DEUTERONOMY.
, nns
3"3 no ^B>D
" He that rebuketh a man, afterwards shall find more favour
Than he that flattereth with the tongue." Prov. xxviii. 23.
THE Book of Deuteronomy, which we begin to read this Sab-
bath, and which is called pniH PlDB^Jb) " the repetition of the
law," is a summary of the events that had occurred since the ex-
odus from Egypt, as well as of the principal laws, now addressed
by Moses to the Israelites, shortly before his departure from life.
In exhorting the flock when near his death, the faithful pastor,
Moses, followed the example of the patriarch Jacob, who gather-
ed his children round his death-bed, and admonished them, and
predicted their future. So did also Joshua, the successor of
Moses, admonish Israel on the approach of his dissolution; so did
Samuel reprove the Israelites at the close of his ministry ; and so did
David, when his time to die drew near, charge his son Solomon with
his last will and command. The whole book of Deuteronomy is one
long series of exhortations, the most eloquent of admonitions, the
most fervent that ever came from the lips or the pen of man. It is
the most remarkable of pulpits, whence human preachers instruct-
ed and exhorted their congregations ; it is one long and powerful
sermon, divided into eleven sections, each replete with wholesome
advice, teeming with sound maxims, applicable not only to the
age and country in which they were delivered, but to every gene-
ration and clime. The impartial examiner must trace the finger
of God in these moral and religious truths, from which every
subsequent legislator and preacher deserving of notice only copied ;
every unbiassed reader must discover, in this sacred book, the spirit
of God which dictated its immortal contents. Human advice can
be tendered only for certain circumstances and contingencies
instructions of mortals can be given only for special purposes and
distinct objects all human rules and regulations, however inge-
282 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
nious, create doubt and uncertainty in cases not calculated upon
by man's limited foresight but advice, instruction, and exhort-
ation, emanating from the endless range and unbounded sphere
of the Divine Wisdom, are as all-comprehensive and infinite as
the source from whence they flow.
Moses commences the recapitulation of past events during the
last forty years, with a faithful description of his own conduct as
leader of Israel. He reminds the Israelites of having told them,
at starting on the journey for the possession of Canaan, " I am not
able to bear you myself alone," on account of their great multi-
tude; praying at the same time, "The Lord God of your fathers
make you a thousand times so many more as ye are, and bless
you, as He hath promised you." He recalled to their memory,
his foresight of the difficulties he would have to encounter, having
asked them, " How can I, myself alone, bear your cumbrance,
your burden, and your strife?" He then divided the labour
among the chiefs of the tribes, who served as assistant judges,
rehearsing his memorable charge to them : " Hear the causes
between your brethren, (in the presence of plaintiff and defend-
ant, and not ex-parte), and judge righteously between every man
and his brother, and the stranger that is with him. Ye shall not
respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well
as the great ; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man ; for the
judgment is God's."
This charge, delivered by Moses to his assistant judges, enjoin-
ing upon them the sacred duties of their office in a few, but clear
and significant sentences, is highly characteristic of the Divine
Legislator, who was no respecter of persons, who treated the
small and the great alike, who meted out even justice to all, in-
cluding the stranger ; who feared no man ; deeply impressed with
the conviction that THE JUDGMENT is GOD'S.
The judicious advice of appointing assistant judges, was tender-
ed by Moses' father-in-law, Jethro, as we read in Exodus
(chap, xviii.), counselling him at the same time, that these officers
should be " able men, such as fear God, men of truth, and hating
covetousness." As regards the charge delivered by Moses, which
does not appear in Exodus, it is necessary to make the following
general remark, applying to many other passages as well as to this
one. In the Book of Deuteronomy, we shall meet with abrevia-
tions from, as well as amplifications upon, the events narrated in
the preceding books of the Pentateuch ; similar to the relation in
which the book of Chronicles stands to the previous narrative of
Judges, Samuel, and Kings. They always agree in the main
points of historical facts; and our ancient Jewish commentators
have ably and successfully reconciled the apparent discrepancies.
Moses next reminds the congregation of the calamities caused
by the timid and unbelieving spies, whose desponding reports dis-
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 283
couraged the hearts of a people prone to murmuring, by telling
them, that " the people of Canaan are greater and taller than we ;
the cities are great and walled-up to heaven; and, moreover, we
have seen the sons of the Anakim (giants) there." This want of
faith in the omnipotence of God, manifested in Egypt and also in
the wilderness, where they had seen " how the Lord their God
bore them as a man beareth his son," had provoked the displea-
sure of their Protector, who condemned that " evil generation"
not to see the good land, (with the exception of Joshua and
Caleb) ; even Moses himself suffered through their continued
murmuring and rebellious conduct, as, in conclusion, he says,
" With me also the Lord was angry for your sakes, saying, Thou
shalt not go in thither."
Moses then calls to their recollection the defeat sustained by
them through their going up the mountain and combating the
Amorites, after having been warned by the Euler of the fate of the
war, " Go not up, neither fight, for I am not among you; lest ye
be smitten before your enemies/' Yet they would not hear, but
rebelled against the commandment of the Lord; went presump-
tuously up into the hill; when the Amorites came out against
them, and chased them, " as bees do," and made great slaughter
among the disunited Israelites. They then returned, and wept;
but as those tears were only shed from grief at the disaster, and
not from the repentance of the heart, the Lord would not hearken
to their voice, nor give ear unto their cry. Theirs were the tears
of a spoiled child, flowing from vexatious disappointment, but
not from conviction of sinfulness and disobedience. The proud
spirit was momentarily dejected, but the rebellious heart was not
crushed. It is only tears of remorse and penitence, concerning
which the Psalmist prays : " Put thou my tears into Thy flask : are
they not inscribed in thy book? When I cry unto Thee, then shall
mine enemies turn back ; this I know, because God is for me."
In the next chapter, Moses dwells with great force upon the
exact fulfilment of the Divine promises, not only as regards the
inheritance of Canaan by the descendants of Jacob, but also as
regards the inheritance of Mount Seir by the Edomites, the de-
scendants of Esau, as well as the possessions of Ar by the
Moabites, who were the offspring of Lot. Even justice was
meted out by the hand of the Judge of all nations, who enjoined
upon the Israelites, the offspring of Jacob, " Ye are to pass
through the coast of your BRETHREN, the children of Esau, who
dwell in Seir; and they shall be afraid of you: take ye good
heed unto yourselves, therefore. Meddle not with them, for I
will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a foot
breadth; because I have given Mount Seir unto Esau for a pos-
session." Although the Edomites were afraid of them, yet would
the Divine Judge not allow the Israelites to take advantage of
284 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
the timidity of the children of Esau, who were their brethren.
The Lord commanded them not to spoil the land; but " Ye shall
buy meat of them for money, that ye may eat; and ye shall buy
also water of them for money, that ye may drink." Equally just
and faithful was the divine ordinance in respect to Moab : " Dis-
tress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle; for
I will not give thee of their land for a possession, because I have
given AR unto the children of Lot for an inheritance." Not so,
however, Sihon, the king of Heshbon, to whom Israel was under
no obligation whatever. After Moses had sent messengers unto
Sihon with u words of peace," and had been refused permission to
pass through his land, there was no alternative left to the Israelites,
but to accept battle, resting confidently on the divine assurance
that they should conquer him. He was signally defeated, lost all
his cities, none being too strong for them, because " the Lord our
God delivered all unto us." The same was the case with Og, the
king of Bashan, who " remained of the remnant of giants," and
was considered invincible. To him the Israelites were not indebted
in any way, and no indulgence was therefore shown him. They
took possession of his country, and Moses commanded Joshua at
that time, saying: " Mine eyes have seen all that the Lord your
God hath done unto these two kings; so shall the Lord do unto
all the kingdoms whither thou passest. Ye shall not fear them,
for the Lord your God He shall fight for you." Although Moses
knew that he would have no share in the possession of the pro-
mised land, that he would not even set foot thereon, yet, faithful
to his God and to the flock entrusted to his guidance, his com-
mands and arrangements for the future of Israel, were made in
the same spirit and with the same fidelity, as if he had been des-
tined to enjoy the fruit of his laborious career, in the land which
he had partly conquered, and which was the object of forty years'
suffering, struggle, and contention, as few leaders ever endured.
He lived for his nation and he died for them ; he flattered them
not, but rebuked them when they deserved it ; for he was a faith-
ful servant in the house of God.
This Sabbath is called jlffl rQfc?> on account of the Haphto-
rah we read this day, taken from the 1st of Isaiah, commencing
with the word jlfn (the vision) . We read this remarkable chapter
of the prophets, on the Sabbath preceding the week in which
occurs the great fast of ^{>Q Pl^^H (9th of Ab), in commemo-
ration of the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem ; and it is
impossible to find a chapter in Scripture more appropriate to the
solemnity of the fast, and to that national event. Owing to the
great importance of its contents, we give parts of this Haphtorah
at length, with a few comments as we proceed.
" The vision of Isaiah, the son of Amoz, which he saw, con-
cerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham,
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPIITORAHS. 285
Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah." Although this prophecy
is avowedly pronounced on certain administrations and countries,
it will be found to apply with equal force to subsequent ages, our
own not excluded.
" Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth ;
For the Lord hath spoken.
I have nourished and brought up children,
And they have rebelled against me."
In calling heaven and earth to witness, the prophet follows the
example of Moses. The generation of mortals passes away often
without leaving a record of the most important sayings and
doings for posterity, but the firmament above, and the earth
beneath, are represented as lasting witnesses and imperishable
testimonies.
The prophet now describes Israel's ingratitude, her forgetful-
ness of benefits received ; thus, instead of rising above the brute
creation, which exhibits gratitude instinctively, they have sunk
even below the dumb animal and beast.
" The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib ;
But Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.
Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity !
A set of evil-doers, corrupting children !
They have forsaken the Lord, provoked the Holy One of Israel ;
They have estranged themselves and gone backward."
In estranging themselves from their God, and alienating them-
selves from their people, they have not progressed but retrograded ;
a melancholy fact, applicable to the present age, in which those
of our brethren, who seek progress and enlightenment by desert-
ing their ranks and apostatising from their creed, present an un-
happy and unsettled state of mind, are tossed about on the ocean
of life, and when a tempest arises, can find no sheltering harbour.
Their own nation repudiates them, and their new confederates
shun them with distrust.
After representing to them the terrible state in which their
incessant revolts had plunged them " their country being de-
solate, their cities being burnt, their land devoured by strangers"
he compares the daughter of Zion to a lonely cottage left in a
once fruitful vineyard, to a lodge in a deserted garden; and were
it not for the very small remnant which the Lord of hosts had
left unto us, we should have been as Sodom and Gomorrah, every
trace of which had disappeared from the face of the globe.
In consequence of their violence and corruption, the prophet
now addresses them as " the rulers of Sodom and the people of
Gomorrah;" and asks them
286 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
" To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith
the Lord.
I am full of the burnt-offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts ;
And I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of
goats.
When ye come before me, who hath required this at your hand ?
Only to TREAD my courts !"
Isaiah, in the name of God, rejects all outward observances
destitute of the intensity of piety, such as animal sacrifices, with-
out the necessary contrition of spirit; or their flocking to the
temple as a matter of custom, without inward devotion; and he
emphatically calls such temple worship " treading the courts."
He continues in his indignation:
" Bring me no more oblations of vanity ;
No more incense that is an abomination unto me.
The new moons, the Sabbath, the calling of assemblies, I cannot
bear,
If they are iniquity embodied in solemn meeting ! *
Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth ;
They are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them."
The reason of the Lord's rejecting the celebration of the
festivals, is evident from the term, " your new moons, your ap-
pointed feasts," in which iniquity predominated.
He now speaks of prayer, which, however so lengthy, without
practical penitence, he condemns in most unqualified terms:
" And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from
you:
Yea, when ye multiply prayers, I will not hear,
So long as your hands are full of blood."
It is the actual amendment of the ways of the sinner, the
practical improvement which is required :
" Wash, cleanse yourselves, put away your bad doings from before
mine eyes ;
CEASE TO DO EVIL;
Learn to do well; seek judgment; relieve the oppressed;
Judge the fatherless; plead for the widow."
The learning to do well is not sufficient without seeking judg-
ment, and actually exercising justice and benevolence; embracing
the cause of the weak and helpless against the mighty and influ-
ential.
* We deviate in many passages from the Authorised Version, and follow those
ancient and modern commentators who have given preferable renderings of this
beautiful chapter.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORATTS. 287
The prophet next shows, argumentatively, how inconsistent it
is in people to claim pardon for misconduct, whilst they continue
in the pursuit of the misdeeds which they confess as being unjus-
tifiable :
" Come now, let us reason together, saith the Lord :
If your sins be as scarlet, shall they be as white as snow ?
If they be red like crimson, shall they be as white as wool ?
No; if ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the
land ;
But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword ;
For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it."
It would be unreasonable to expect the cleansing of the heart
from impure thoughts and sinful intentions, so long as the hand is
not washed from the abomination it yet grasps. No clemency
can be granted whilst the delinquent refuses to annul his offence
by speech and action. Our forgiving Father readily accepts our
confession, and admits us to the gates of repentance, which, how-
ever, we cannot enter by lip-confessions alone, without their being
accompanied by our entirely divesting ourselves from the immoral
and irreligious thoughts and deeds which had provoked the
Divine displeasure. " Keturn unto me, then I will return unto
you, saith the Lord."
PRAYER.
ALMTGHTY FATHER AND JUDGE ! We this day read the wailings of
Moses, commencing with i"D*N and lamenting the contentions and
rebellion which prevailed among the Israelites in the desert, causing
him so much trouble and grief, and compelling him to call in assistant
judges, as he alone could not bear the " cumbrance, the burden and
the strife." We shall also, in the ensuing week, on the eve of the
Fast, sit on the ground and recite the lamentations of Jeremiah, com-
mencing with rb^X, bewailing the degeneracy of Israel, and the
destruction of the Holy Temple, consequent thereon. But is the read-
ing of the Lamentations alone sufficient to inspire us with the devotional
reverence of Thee, O Lord, and to present to our minds the awful
events which called forth these soul-stirring prophecies? True, if we
rehearse them in the sacred tongue, with due attention, and take to
heart the eloquent exhortations and fervent admonitions which they
breathe in every line, yea, in every word, we cannot but be deeply
moved by the glowing language and sublime sentiments in which the
preachers of yore addressed our ancestors, and, through the ever-living
words of Scripture, also addressed themselves to us, and to every suc-
ceeding generation. But we stand in need of Thy assistance, O Lord,
to divert our thoughts from all worldly matters, whilst we read these
solemn outpourings from the bleeding hearts of our zealous and patriotic
288 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
leaders of old ; so that our minds may be entirely absorbed in devotional
contemplation of the calamities that befell our forefathers, through their
refractory and disobedient conduct. We beseech Thee, O Lord, that
Thou mayest on this Sabbath, and on the ensuing eve and day of the
Fast, support us in our endeavours to devote the hours of prayer and
worship solely and completely to the hallowed object for which we are
congregated, and to the event we meet to commemorate. " Turn us
unto Thee, O Lord, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.
Thou, O Lord, remainest for ever ; Thy throne from generation to
generation." Amen.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 289
pnnwi -no
SECOND PORTION OF DEUTERONOMY.
nna
" A wholesome tongue is a tree of life,
But perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit."
Prov. xv. 4.
A LTHOUGH Moses had been told by the Divine Judge, at
f J- the waters of Meribah that he was not to bring the congre-
gation into the promised land, he was not, in the first instance,
distinctly prohibited from passing over the Jordan and seein^ it.
Moses now, in the commencement of this Sabbath's lesson, relates
that he had besought the Lord subsequently to go over and see
the good land that is beyond Jordan; but even this request was
refused, as he expresses it " but the Lord was wroth with me for
your sakes and would not hear me."
In the next two chapters the divine legislator reviews the
history of the revelation on Mount Sinai, beginning with the
injunction, " ye shall not add unto the word which I command
you, neither shall ye diminish aught from it." He next reminds
the Israelites that they saw no manner of similitude on the day
that the Lord . spoke to them on Horeb out of the midst of the
fire. He warns them against corrupting themselves by worship-
ping any image or figure, the likeness of male or female, or the
likeness of anything that is in the air, on the earth, or in the
waters beneath, and especially against the worship of the hea-
venly planets, which he thus expresses: " lest thou lift up thine
eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon
and the stars, even all the host of heaven, should be induced to
worship them and serve them, which the Lord thy God hath
divided unto all nations under the whole heaven." But, although
we are distinctly prohibited from worshipping and serving the
U
290 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
heavenly planets, as independent rulers, we may nevertheless, in
contemplating them as " fulfilling the behests of the Lord and
Creator," and in admiring their wonderful construction and revolu-
tions, meditate on these great works of the creation, that we may
thereby be induced not to serve them but Him who called them
into existence and guides and commands them. Indeed, from the
very passage just quoted, it is evident that the lifting up of our
eyes unto heaven is calculated to rouse solemn and devotional
reflections.
What, for instance, can be more salubrious than the clouds of
heaven? How light and beautiful in their formation, how gentle
in their influence, and how beneficial in their effects. And yet,
should the fluid body which surrounds our globe become con-
taminated with principles foreign to its natural simplicity, the
overcharged clouds will burst with violence, and spread horror
and devastation around. But it is from these agitations that the
elementary mass regains its purity, administers to the health of
man, and restores life and beauty to the creation.
Similar is it with the moral world. Evil principles too often
poison the mind, and spread the contagion through all classes of
society; ambition and avarice destroy every sentiment of mode-
ration, justice, and contentment. Religion, the great spring of
action, and the true regulator of life, becomes suspended, and the
conflict of disordered passions produces contentions and revolu-
tions.
Scripture truly and correctly describes the changes which
occur in the moral system of the world by the images drawn
from the corruptions of nature.
No metaphors could more aptly describe the sordid practices and
impious conduct of the ambitious and turbulent men of olden
times, against which the Lord's prophets ever declaimed, than
those with which the Holy Book abounds. When such men gain
an ascendancy, and their pernicious principles produce a total
indifference to religious truth and virtuous practice, though all
may seem quiet and serene around, the stillness is the forerunner
of ill; and this moral lethargy is the sure sign of dissolution.
Out of such a state men are awakened by the terrors of the
Almighty, and the impregnated atmosphere produces those
terrible convulsions which shake the mightiest empires and the
best arranged systems to their foundations, so that scarcely a
vestige of them remains.
Yet, even in all this work of desolation, the wisdom and mercy
of God are apparent. To use the words of the afore-quoted
prophet,
" The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble ; and He
knoweth them that trust iti Him."
THE PENTATEUCH AND HATHTORAHS. 291
Like the prophet in the mount, they can behold, unmoved, the
crash of elements, and the convulsions of nature, the tempest
which rends the mountains and breaks in pieces the flinty rocks,
the earthquake that roots up the hills, and the fire of heaven
which consumes instantaneously the lofty and spacious forests.
In the midst of the elemental Avar they perceive the hand of God
directing the whole for the universal good, and they hear his
" still small voice" encouraging them to abide, confidently trust-
ing in his mercy, till the indignation be over and past.
Amid the wild uproar and fearful expectations which prevail
below, the soul that is elevated above the earth, and freed from
the corrupting influence of its cares and follies, looks down with
pity upon the miseries which it cannot prevent, at the same time
adoring Providence for producing general good by means which
superficial observers presumptuously and arrogantly censure as
unwise and unjust.
It is the happy privilege of religion to turn distresses into
blessings, and to draw from the storms and tempests of life the
subject of comfort to the soul and instruction to the mind. If
the men of the world are dismayed at public calamity, or are
despairing under the pressure of personal and private affliction,
the devout man of God can make the language of the prophet
his own, and declare with him, in the fulness of his heart,
" Yet will I rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salva-
tion.
The Lord God is my strength, and He will make my feet like the
feet of the hind,
And He will make me to walk upon more high places."
Or, in other words,
The Lord of all Creation is my refuge, or shelter; and however weak
and feeble I am of myself, I shall find strength in Him. He will enable
me to escape destruction, and He will give me power to fly to
places of safety ; as the hinds climb up the mountain, and so escape, or
save themselves from the hunter.
The consideration of the effects of the power and of the love
of God towards his creatures, should inflame our hearts with love
and gratitude; and, above all, should fill us with firm confidence
in Him, even when we are in the greatest of troubles and ad-
versity. Since God has, in all ages, given sufficient proofs of His
goodness, power, justice, and mercy, and as He is> always the
same, without change or alteration, it is impossible that He
should ever forsake those who are virtuously His, and have their
trust in Him for ever and ever.
But the agitations of nature, as well as the visitations of Provi-
u 2
292 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
dence, are the necessary parts of an organised and benevolent
plan. However violent and destructive such judgments may be
for the time, they are calculated to remove greater disorders, and,
by a strong operation, to carry off corruptions which by accumu-
lation would produce disease and death.
Moses then foretold Israel's future history with great precision.
He knew that " when they should have remained long in the land
they would corrupt themselves" by idolatrous worship. He
calls heaven and earth to witness against them that they shall not
prolong their days in the land of promise, but that the Lord
would scatter them among the nations; but he concludes with
the consoling words, " but if from thence thou shalt seek the
Lord thy God, thou shalt find Him, if thou inquire after Him wiih
all thy heart and with all thy soul." In order to seek God with all
our heart and with all our soul, it is necessary in the first
instance to love him in the same manner; hence the repetition of
the words " with all thy heart and with ,all thy soul " in the
subsequent address of Moses, commencing ^Ife?* 1 yfc^ " Hear
O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is ONE GOD; and thou
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy
soul." These brief sentences express the pure and undivided
faith required of us. The feeling and the understanding, the
heart and the mind, must be united in the Divine worship,
whether in the utterance of the tongue or in the exercise of the
hand. And, in this short but all-important exhortative address,
which forms the essential prayer of our morning and evening
service, the very next sentence after that which expresses the unity
of God and our love of Him, and commands these words to be in
our heart, is the precept next in importance. " And then teach
them diligently unto THY CHILDREN." The first duty is to
impress the words of Scripture, especially the doctrine of the
Unity on our hearts ; the second is to teach them to our children ;
and they who cannot teach their own children must have them
taught; whilst they who are not blessed with children at all
must promote the instruction of their brethren's children. It is
the vocation of the tongue to teach; if it teaches sound doc-
trines of morality and religion, we may apply to it the words of
our text, "a wholesome tongue is a tree of life"; and, as the
Midrash ingeniously adds (flTlH ?X D"fi W ]*N1) " the tree
of life is the sacred law," as it is written, " She is a tree of life to
them that lay hold upon her." But if the tongue teaches
corrupt and impure doctrines, the wise king says, " but per-
verseness therein is a breach of the spirit." Perverse instruc-
tions have broken many a fine spirit, the ruina of which we
often behold in the later period of life, when it is too late to
rebuild it.
The introduction to the Decalogue which Moses rehearsed to
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 293
the Israelites before his death (and the version of which but
slightly differs from that of Exodus) is also of considerable im-
portance, and distinctly provides against the assumption that the
" Old Covenant " made on Mount Sinai was only for the then
age, and subject to change or abrogation. Moses called all
Israel, and, in unqualified terms stated to them that the covenant
was immutable; he told them " the Lord our God hath made a
covenant with us in Horeb. The Lord made not this covenant
with our fathers, but with us, even us who are all of us here alive
this day." When Moses spoke these solemn words, another
generation had already succeeded the one which -Avas eye-witness
to the glorious manifestation on Mount Horeb or Sinai. On
them Moses impressed the obligation under the covenant, which
obligation is, therefore, equally binding on every future genera-
tion of Israel; and a later prophet says, "And as for me,
THIS IS MY COVENANT saith the Lord; my spirit that is upon
thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall
not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy
seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the Lord,
FROM HENCEFORTH AND FOR EVER " (Isaiah lix. 21). Here
we have a still plainer statement of the perpetual character
of the covenant of Sinai. True a later prophet alludes to a
"New Covenant;" but the context of that passage distinctly
shows that the New Covenant is not an abrogation but a confirma-
tion of the old one, with this difference: the old one was
engraved on two tablets of stone, the new one was to be written
on the heart.* The signification of these terms is simple, the
former covenant of Sinai was broken by the Israelites when they
abandoned God for the worship of idols; but the prophet predicts
a time when the covenant, being indelibly written on the heart,
it will never be effaced. We will now quote at length the passage
in question, and our interpretation will be palpable:
" Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new
covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah : not
according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day
that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt,
which my covenant they brake, although I was a husband unto them,
saith the Lord. But this shall be the covenant that I will make with
the house of Israel : After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my
law in their INWARD PARTS, and write it IN THEIR HEARTS; and will be
their God, and they shall be my people."
The prophet himself further explains the nature of the New
Covenant and the new times. " And they shall teach no more
* This is an instance of the many Scriptural passages which have been plausibly
misinterpreted by the process of separating a phrase or two from the chapter, the
context of which, however, clearly showing the injustice of such rendering.
294 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying,
Know the Lord ; for they shall all know me, from the least of
them to the greatest of them, saith the Lord." There cannot be
a more glorious epoch than here described, when the teaching of
religion will no more be required, for it will be intuitively known
by the Divine Spirit. And the same prophet tells us that the
existence of Israel, as a nation, is inseparable from the existence
of nature, and its course; for
" Thus saith the Lord, who giveth the sun for a light by day, and
the ordinances of w the moon and of the stars for a light by night ; who
divideth the sea, "when the waters thereof roar (the Lord of Hosts is
His name). If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the Lord,
then the seed of Israel shall also cease from being a nation before me
for ever."
Now what distinguishes Israel as a nation? Nothing but hold-
ing fast to the Old Covenant, ergo, the perpetuity of the Covenant
is inseparable from the existence of the universe.
This Sabbath (pnnKl ') always follows the week in which
we commemorate the destruction of the Temple by the Fast of
3K3 Piy&?n (9th of Ab), and is called Ifcnj f\y& on account of
the Haphtorah we read this day commencing with the word
1/bPlJ; it is the Sabbath of Comfort comfort in the Divine pro-
phecy, after the week of mourning. The chapter of this pro-
phecy (taken from Isaiah xl.) remarkably contrasts with that of
the preceding Sabbath, written by the same prophet. The former
(jITn) is a touching and powerful denunciation of Israel's base
ingratitude and hypocrisy ; the latter is a refreshing address of
comfort and consolation. The diction of both is equally elegant
and sublime ; and they rank among the finest specimens of poetry
in the Hebrew language. In the former he laments the treachery
and corruption of the once "faithful city" which was "full
of judgment and in which righteousness lodged," but whose
princes had become rebellious and corrupt; He predicts her
destruction and purging her of the dross. In the latter, which
we read this Sabbath, the prophet approaches her in a spirit of
condolence.
" Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God ;
Speak ye to the heart of Jerusalem, and cry unto her,
That her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned ;
For she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her
The double punishment consists in her physical and moral
degradation ; physically she became reduced from a magnificent
royal residence to a heap of ruins; and morally she was denuded
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 295
of the glory that dwelt within her; the crown of beauty, the
purity of her religion and the chastity of her morals, has fallen
from her head. But how is she to he comforted? What means
are required to resuscitate the fallen city?
" A voice calleth in the wilderness, Clear ye the way before the
Lord;
Make straight in the desert a highway for our God :
Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be
made low ;
And the crooked shall be made level, and the rough places plain.
And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, all flesh shall see it
together ;
For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it."
The first steps to be taken for the return of the Divine favour,
"to prepare the way of the Lord" is to RESTORE JUSTICE.
The haughty and grinding tyrants must be " brought low,"
whilst the oppressed and crushed poor and humble must be raised
to a proper position, where their claims shall be duly recognised.
Unless this is done the Lord of Justice will not return unto His
people. Then only will the glory of the Lord be revealed again,
and all flesh, without distinction of high and low, shall see it
together.
The voice from the wilderness, signifying the place where no
pomp or ostentation is displayed, but where humility and
equality reigns; having thus proclaimed the coming of the
Divine glory, the same voice says to the prophet, " Cry !" He
asks " What shall I cry ?" The answer is,
" All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower
of the field.
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the Spirit of the
Lord breathes thereon :
Surely the people is grass.
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth ; but the word of our God
shall stand for ever."
The " voice" has proclaimed that the restoration of justice and
equality is indispensably required for the return of the protection
vouchsafed by special Providence, and for the manifestation of
the Divine glory. But as long as the heart of man is proud and
selfish, as long as vanity and sordid considerations actuate the
human breast, tyranny and oppression, stimulated by avarice and
self-aggrandisement, will prevent the dispensation of justice, and
retard the progress of the people. It is therefore necessary to
impress upon mortal man his perishableness and his nothingness,
to convince him of the utter uselessness of all mundane treasures,
and to instill into his mind the word of God, which alone is
296 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
stable and firm, and stands for ever. It is only by the firm con-
viction of the people that they are as the grass that withereth
and the flower that fadeth, that they can but for a fleeting
period retain the possession of all sublunary power and wealth ;
it is only by the consciousness of this infirmity that they can
listen to the word of God and embrace it. If they are fully
sensible of this truth, and remember that the breath of the Spirit
of God may in a moment sweep away all their long-accumulated
gain, they will better appreciate the imperishable treasure bound
up in the word of God, which is eternal as He from whom it
emanates, and all flesh will see that the mouth of the Lord hath
spoken it.
PRAYER.
ALL-GRACIOUS FATHER ! " I anticipated the dawn of the morning-,
and cried: I hope for Thy word. Mine eyes prevented the night-
watches, that I might meditate on Thy word." Thus sings the Royal
Bard, and thus does every true Israelite, when he rises in the morning,
or lies down at night, repeat the words we read this Sabbath: " Hear,
O Israel ! the Lord our God is ONE God!" Thou hast commanded us
to teach these words to our children ; and, no sooner is the Hebrew
child able to lisp forth a few syllables, than its fond mother gradually
instructs it in the recital of Israel's watchword. In boyhood, we utter
them more distinctly and correctly ; and in manhood, with more reflec-
tion and devotion. The daughters and women of Israel also, habituated
from early youth, join in this all-important prayer, which forms the
essence of our creed. And at the evening of our life, when we lie
down to rest from the turmoil of this earth, we solemnly repeat the
Shemah Jisrael ; or when, in the awful hour of dissolution, we can give
no more utterance, that prayer is recited to us previous to the soul
winging its flight up to the throne of Thy Grace. Nothing do we
know of the incessant troubles of this world, when we first stammer
forth the Shemah, till maturer age makes us acquainted with them ; and
we are released from them when we utter the prayer for the last time,
through Thy calling us away from the land of mortality for other
regions, where " the wicked cease from troubling, and where the weary
are at rest ; where the small and great are together, and where the
servant is free from his master." We implore Thee, O Lord, that
whenever we utter this prayer, Thou mayest awaken our minds to its
due solemnity ; and that wherever we meet in the countries Thou hast
scattered us, we may identify ourselves by that cry, as descendants of
those to whom Moses originally addressed it. Grant, Lord, that we
not only identify one another as Israelites by the Shemah, but that we
also firmly adhere to the Faith which it proclaims, and to the doctrines
which it enunciates ; so that, after we acknowledge Thy Unity, we may
love Thee with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our might.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 297
Grant, O God, that these words which Thou commandedst us, be ever
in our heart. Bless Thou, Father of All, the instruction of our children
in these words ; and inspire us with devotion when we talk of them,
when we sit in our houses, when we walk by the way, when we lie
down, and when we rise up. And thou, O Lord, who hast comforted
us this Sabbath, through the mouth of Thy prophet, grant that this be
our comfort in our affliction, 13J"Pn "|J"nDK '3 for Thy word hath quick-
ened us. Amen.
298 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
apj; TTD
THIRD PORTION OF DEUTERONOMY.
nyi D32 iBTb ny
'n o r6np pane pirr6 nyi pnr6 ny
" There is a time to cast away stones,
And a time to gather stones together ;
There is a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing."
Eccles. iii. 5.
LAST Sabbath's lesson concluded with the prohibition of inter-
marriage with any of the seven heathen nations, lest Israel,
destined to be " a holy people," be enticed to idolatry. Moses
reminded them, at the same time, that it was not numerical
strength, but the fulfilment of the oath made to the patriarchs,
which was the cause of the Lord's choosing Israel from among
the other more powerful and numerous nations on earth. He
then terminates his exhortation by assuring them that reward or
punishment, according to their obedience or rebellion, will in-
evitably follow :
" Know, therefore, that the Lord thy God, He is God, the faithful
God, who keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love Him, and
keep His commandments, to a thousand generations ; and repayeth
them that hate Him to their face, to destroy them ; He will not be
slack to him that hateth Him, He will repay him to his face."
The lesson we read this Sabbath commences with some details
of the reward and punishment, consisting in temporal prosperity
or adversity. But we have already, in one of our previous medi-
tations (vide p. 199), shown why Moses only speaks of temporal
happiness, though the doctrines of the immortality of the soul,
and reward and punishment in a future state, are indicated by
him in several passages of the Pentateuch. The divine legislator
adapted his exhortations to the character of the people whom he
had to deal with ; but in his last song, as we shall see, he alluded
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTOKAHS. 299
to that eternal bliss and lasting felicity which is the great reward
of the virtuous and righteous.
He now, and for the last time, explains to them the cause of
their forty years' wandering:
" And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led
thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee and to prove
thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldst keep His
commandments or no."
But, it will be asked, Does the Omniscient, the Creator of
man's heart, require to know what is therein by trial ? The reply
to this question is the same as we gave or, rather, as Scripture
itself gives in the narrative of Abraham's trial in the offering
of his son Isaac. Every incident of Scriptural history serves as a
lesson for mankind ; and it was for the instruction of future gene-
rations that Israel was tried in the wilderness. The next verse
elucidates the object of the instruction more clearly :
" And He humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee
with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know ;
that He might make THEE know that man doth not live by bread only,
but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man
live."
This was the great lesson Israel was to learn during their
itinerary in the desert, that the physical aliments, such as bread
and water alone, cannot sustain life without the moral and intel-
lectual support through the word of God. The history of their
journey shows that even their- physical wants were not supplied
by the usual course of nature, but by the miraculous interposition
of the Divine Word ; as Moses further expresses it :
" Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, nor did thy foot swell,
these forty years."
And as to the hardships they had to undergo, and the pain
they still suffered, he tells them:
" Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that as a man chasteneth
his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee."
But as sons do not recognise in youth the love of parents in
the punishment they receive, but only at maturer age and under-
standing, so did the first generation in the desert not appreciate
the Divine Father's love and solicitude for them; some only,
who profited by the lesson, survived the trial; whilst the second
generation derived important instruction therefrom. They had
now an opportunity, on taking possession of "a good land" a
land in which they would eat bread without scarceness, and in
300 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
which they would not lack anything; a land whose stones are
iron, and out of whose hills they might dig brass," to apply the
instructions received direct from Moses, and indirectly through
the fate of their fathers. The first and foremost of these instruc-
tions \sgratitude. " When thou hast eaten and art full, then shall
thou bless the Lord thy God for the good land which He hath
given thee." Hence the remark of the Rabbies:
pran nra
" The blessing after meals is enjoined by the. written law." The
" Grace" which our brethren of another creed pronounce before
rising from a repast, is, therefore, an adoption of the Mosaic pre-
cept. Our blessing after meals is much lengthier, and enters into
our national history and vocation, as well as into our hopes for
the future. It is questioned by some, whether the prayer, as we
now have it in our ritual, is not too long to rivet attention, and
to secure the necessary devotion, and various attempts have there-
fore been made at iudicious curtailment. But whether short or
long, some thanksgiving should issue from our hearts and lips " to
our Father, our Shepherd and Provider," for the food received
from His table, which is prepared for all His creatures, accom-
panied by the prayer that He may never cease to grant it to us,
so that we may not be in need of any gifts from the hands of
men, nor lendings from their bounty; for (as added in the ritual
of the Sephardim) " their gifts are small, and their reproaches
great;" but to depend alone on God's all-bountiful hand, which
is ever full and open, holy and ample, and will not cause us shame
or confusion. How beautiful a prayer is this ! and how necessary
is it for ourselves, after the enjoyment of a meal, whether frugal
or sumptuous, to make this acknowledgment ! There is another
passage in the Sephardim ritual of grace after meals, which is
very short, but impressive: "O bountiful God! may what we
have drunk be for a healing, and what we have eaten be for our
satisfying, and what we have left be for a blessing !" indicating
that we should not forget those who may be in want of food, and
who perhaps at the very moment when our table groans under
the weight of delicacies and superfluities, are crying for bread.*
We advisedly say, that such a prayer is required for ourselves,
the recipients, and not for the Divine Donor, for the reason
assigned by Moses:
* In our " Devotions for the Daughters of Israel," we conclude the JITDH H3")3
(Thanksgiving after Meals) with the following prayer: " Whilst I rejoice and
praise Thee, O Lord, for that good which Thou hast given unto me, O let me not
be insensible to the wants of my fellow-creatures, and grant that Thy bounty may
enable me to be the humble instrument of distributing from Thy gifts to the poor.
Endow me with the constant remembrance, that as ' Thou openest Thy hand and
satisfiest the desires of all living," so may I follow Thy precept: 'Thou shalt open
thine hand wide unto thy brother, to the poor, and to the needy.' Amen."
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 301
" Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God ; lest when thou
hast eaten and art satisfied, and hast built goodly houses and dwelt
therein, and when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver, and
thy gold, and all that thou hast is increased, then thine heart be lifted
up, and thou forget the Lord thy God."
The Divine legislator well knew the weakness of the human
heart, which is soon " lifted up," and soon forgets its benefactor;
boasting in prosperity, " My power, and the might of my hand,
hath gotten me this wealth." There are some of us who publicly
make this boast, and show no semblance of gratitude to God; and
there, are others, again, who, as a matter of form (D^Jtf H1!b
rn/a?) taught by men, read the prayer of thanksgiving, but
whose hearts are inflated by vanity and arrogance, believing that
their skill and shrewdness (we will not say, their cunning) have
gotten them the wealth they possess. To them Moses says :
" But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is He that
giveth thee power to get wealth."
This remembrance is indispensably necessary for maintaining
our position individually and collectively; by following up that
principle, we shall exercise justice and forbearance to man, grate-
ful obedience to God; by carrying out that idea we stand and
rise; without it we shall be proud, unjust, vindictive to each
other, disregarding our duties and obligations to our Eternal Pro-
tector; we shall falter and sink. We have, therefore, only to be
mindful of Moses' warning, " Take heed to yourselves, that your
hearts be not deceived."
In the following chapter, Moses reviews the history of the
worship of the molten calf, and the incidents connected there-
with. He commences by making Israel understand that it was
not her righteousness, or the uprightness of her heart, which
brought her to possess the land of promise; but it was the wicked-
ness of the inhabitants, who had forfeited their claim to its pos-
session, and the oath which the Lord swore to Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob. He then recapitulates the events that occurred soon
after he had received the Two Tables of stone, on which were
written the Ten Commandments, and which he cast out of his
hands and broke before their eyes when he beheld the molten
calf, and, to his inexpressible grief, saw how " quickly they had
turned aside out of the way which the Lord had commanded
them." To this event the Kabbies of the Midrash apply the
words of our text :
" There is a time to cast away stones,
And a time to gather stones together."
For, after having successfully interceded with the Divine Judge
302 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
for the ungrateful Israelites and for Aaron, he again hewed two
tablets of stone like unto the first, on which again were now
written the same words, and they were placed in the Ark of the
Covenant. The justly indignant legislator was at first so provoked
that he would hear nothing of them ; but when he perceived the
imminent danger of his flock, like a faithful pastor, he took com-
passion, and fell down before the Lord, praying for forty days and
forty nights, till he appeased the .Divine wrath; to which event
we may apply the last words of our text:
" There is a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing."
Having thus obtained for them a conditional pardon from
the merciful Father, Moses now appeals unto them :
" And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but
to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him,
and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul ;
to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I com-
mand thee this day for thy good?"
This was the condition on which the Divine clemency was
granted to the delinquents, the fulfilment of which was an easy
task, if their spirit of obedience was still the same as pronounced
by them at the foot of Mount Sinai. He again impresses on them
their own inferiority, and that their only claim rested upon the
Divine promise to the patriarchs:
" Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lord's thy
God; the earth also, with what therein is. Only the Lord had a
delight in thy fathers to love them, and He chose their seed after them,
even above all the people, as it is this day."
Nothing was more likely than their arrogating to themselves
the merit of the Divine choice, as soon as they should enjoy the
bounties with which the holy land was blessed. Moses, therefore,
repeatedly warns them against the danger of presumption leading
to their degeneracy and destruction. Their obduracy he terms
" the foreskin of their heart," which he figuratively advises them
to " circumcise"; and their rebellious disposition he terms "stiff-
neckedness," which he implores them to discontinue. Whilst he
thus holds before them the mirror in which their defects and
blemishes are reflected, he represents to them the great attributes
of their Heavenly Benefactor :
'* For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, a great
God, almighty, and a terrible, who regardeth not persons, nor taketh
reward."
It is observed by a Rabbi in the Talmud :
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 303
nrrn S&?
" Wherever you find mention made in Scripture of the greatness of
the Holy One, blessed be He ! there you will also find mention made of
His humility."
The Eabbi quotes three passages; one from the Pentateuch,
one from the Prophets, and one from the Hagiographs. The pas-
sage before us is the one in the Pentateuch alluded to. For after
Moses has recited some of the Divine attributes exhibiting His
greatness, he continues : " He doth execute the judgment of the
fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food
and raiment" which are the attributes of His compassion and
humility. And according to the principle, that man should walk
in the ways of God, he practically follows up this representation
of the Divine character and mercy by the precept: Love ye
therefore the stranger: "for ye were strangers in the land of
Egypt;" and he again enforces upon them the fear of God, and
adherence to His service:
" Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God ; Him shalt thou serve, and to
Him shalt thou cleave ; for He is thy praise, and He is thy God."
The fervent and eloquent exhortations pronounced by Moses in
the lesson of this Sabbath, are echoed in the beautiful Haphtorah,
taken from Isaiah xlix. As the Israelites in the desert, in times
of tribulation, drooped their spirits and despaired, so did Zion in
later years, when she was hard pressed by the enemy, say, "the
Lord hath forsaken me, and my God hath forgotten me." But
the prophet rejoins:
" Can a woman forget her sucking child,
Not to have compassion on the son of her heart?
Yea, even they may be forgotten,
But I will not forget thee.
Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands,
Thy walls are continually before me."
The " walls" of Zion were not only the physical fortifications
which surrounded her, but the moral strength she possessed in
the time of Israel's faithfulness, when she was " a crown of beauty
and the rejoicing of all the earth," as a pattern of virtue and
piety, and when she was a fortress impregnable by her intel-
lectual power. The prophet predicts a time when that mental
power shall be restored, when the destroyers and those that made
her waste shall leave her, whilst her children who had remained
faithful shall return:
304 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
" She will scarcely recognize these children, and ask :
Who hath begotten me these,
Seeing that I have lost my children and am desolate,
A captive, and wandering to and fro?
And who hath brought up these?
Behold, I was left alone; these, where have they been?"
After desolation and captivity, the bereaved daughter of Zion,
who had mourned the loss of her offspring, will be reassured by
the Divine word of consolation :
" Behold, I will lift up my hand to the Gentiles,
And set up my standard to the people ;
And they shall bring thy sons in their arms,
And thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.
And kings shall be thy nursing fathers,
And their queens thy nursing mothers, .....
And thou shalt know that I am the Lord ;
For they shall not be ashamed that wait for me."
The transition from the degraded state into which captive
Israel had sunk, to so brilliant a position as that promised by the
prophet, might seem improbable, if not unnatural, and the
dejected people would scarcely listen to such predictions; he
therefore continues:
" Wherefore, when I came, was there no man ?
When I called, was there none to answer ?
Is my hand too short to redeem ?
Or have I no power to deliver ?
Behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea,
And I make the rivers a wilderness.
And as it is in the power of the Omnipotent to subvert the
mighty elements, so, by His will, are controlled the political
powers on earth, to humble proud potentates, and elevate the
oppressed and outcast.
Isaiah then alludes to his own intrepidity in delivering the
Divine messages of retribution, which exposed him to insult and
outrage, though " he spoke a word in season" :
" I gave my back to the srniter,
And my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair ;
I hid not my face from shame and spitting ;
For the Lord God will help me,
Therefore shall I not be confounded."
Such must be the character of a preacher, whose exhortations
are to make an impression on the congregation ; he must be bold,
fearless, and uncompromising. He must denounce the offences of
the powerful and influential to their faces, and speak the word of
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTOllAHS. 305
hope, of comfort, to the lowly and suffering, as we read in the
concluding sentences :
" Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness,
Ye that seek the Lord ;
Look unto the rock whence ye are hewn,
And the cavity of the cistern whence ye are dug.
Look unto Abraham your father,
And unto Sarah that bare you,
For I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him."
Looking up to those ancestors who proclaimed the Divine
Unity at the peril of their lives, must support the descendants to
preserve their faith under trials and sufferings :
" For the Lord shall comfort Zion,
He will comfort all her waste places :
And He will make her wilderness like Eden,
And her desert like the garden of the Lord.
Joy and gladness shall be found therein,
Thanksgiving, and the voice of melody."
PRAYER.
ALL- WISE JUDGE ! In the course of our wanderings on earth, we
often experience, as did our ancestors in their itinerary through the
desert, troubles and hardships, calamities and afflictions, which not only
make us dejected in spirit, but frequently cause us to murmur, and to
burst out in complaints against the justice of Thy rule. Even the best
and wisest among mankind, when overwhelmed with pain and sorrow,
exclaim, like Job : " I will not refrain my mouth ; I will speak in the
anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul."
However powerfully our religion may sustain us when we bask in the sun-
shine of prosperity, our strength faileth, and our boasted fortitude becomes
nought, when adversity envelopes us in darkness, and we are abandoned
by our dearest friends, and destitute of all human aid. It is then we
greatly require support from above ; it is then we stand in need of Thy
assistance, O Lord, who strengthenest the weary hands, and boldest
up the tottering knees. It is in these hours of trial that we need to take
to heart the exhortation of Moses, who told our ancestors, that "as a
father chasteneth his son, so doth the Lord thy God chasten thee" ;
and that these trials are to humble us, and to make us know that " man
liveth not by bread alone, but by all that proceedeth from the mouth of
the Lord." We implore Thee, O Lord, that when our heart is sinking
under the weight of Thy judgments, Thou mayest elevate it to look to
Thy holy word, lending us the necessary strength to bear our afflic-
tions, and inspiring us with hope and comfort. Mayest Thou, O Lord,
through the never-failing words of sacred Scripture, lead us to the
conviction that the punishment we receive is^for our^ own purification
X
306 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
and correction; so that we, like Job, in moments of devotional reflec-
tion, shall gratefully say, " Thou hast granted me life and favour, and
Thy visitation hath preserved my spirit;" or, in the words of Eliphaz,
" What is man, that he should be clean ? and he who is born of woman,
that he should be righteous ? Behold, He putteth no trust in His
saints ; the heavens are not clean in His sight. How much more
unworthy and despicable is man, who drinketh iniquity like water."
All-gracious Father, vouchsafe to us, Thy children, the spirit of conso-
lation which breathes through the pages of the sacred volume, and
especially through the words which we have read this Sabbath, remind-
ing us that Thou art a faithful God, who keepeth covenant and mercy
with them that love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand
generations, and that Thou art our praise and our glory for all eternity.
Amen.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTO11AHS. 307
nan "no
FOURTH PORTION OP DEUTERONOMY.
am noio
y* VD njn nrom
" Whoso loveth instruction, loveth knowledge ;
But he that hateth reproof is brutish." Prov. xii. 1.
THE portion of last Sabbath concluded with the well-known
chapter yift}> DK "7TI H^HS* which we read every morning
and evening after the prayer of Shemah (SNIfcy yi&fc?). ^ P ro "
mises temporal happiness and prosperity, such as rain in due
season, plentitude of corn, wine and oil, grass in the fields for the
cattle, and every blessing desirable on earth, in case of obedience.
On the other hand, that is, in case of disobedience, it predicts
temporal adversity, such as shutting up the heaven, that there be
no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lastly, that
the Israelites should be deprived of the good land which the
Lord gave them. After commanding them " to lay up these
words in their heart and in their soul, and to observe the law
of phylacteries (pSsnV' in order to remember these words; as
well as the law of writing them upon the door-posts (JllTTft)*
and upon the gates, Moses concludes: " That your days may be
multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the
Lord sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven
upon the earth/' In this last sentence, there is an indication of
reward and punishment in a future state, for had he alluded to
temporal retribution only, the phrase " as the days of heaven
upon the earth," which signify eternity, would be inapplicable.
The multiplication of days evidently refers to life hereafter, where
the fulness of bliss undimmed by corruption, and peace undis-
turbed by contention, reign to eternity. For this bliss and peace
David prayed: " Mayest thou show me the path of life: in Thy
presence is fulness of joy ; at thy right hand there are pleasures
for evermore." This blessing, however, can only be attained by
walking in the path of righteousness on earth, as he expresses it
x 2
308 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
in the next Psalm : " As for me, I will behold Thy face in right-
eousness : I shall be satisfied when I awake, with Thy likeness."
In the lesson of this Sabbath, the Divine Legislator com-
mences :
" Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse ; a bless-
ing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I
command you this day ; and a curse, if ye will not obey the command-
ment of the Lord your God, but turn aside out of the way which I
command you this day, to go after other gods which ye have not
known."
Moses found it necessary, not only to enjoin upon them faith
and obedience during his life, but he provided measures for the
future, that the blessing and the curse should always be placed
before their eyes. He, therefore, continues :
" And it shall come to pass, when the Lord thy God hath brought
thee in unto the land whither thou goest to possess it, that thou shalt
put the blessing upon Mount Gerizim, and the curse upon Mount
Ebal;"
and we shall see, in a future portion of Deuteronomy, that some
of the tribes were to be placed on Mount Gerizim, when they
passed the Jordan, to bless the people in case of obedience, whilst
others were to be placed on Mount Ebal, to pronounce the curse,
in case of disobedience,
Mention being frequently made in the Pentateuch and in the
Book of Judges of the river Jordan and its vicinity, it will not
be out of place if we here quote from a descriptive geography of
Palestine, written by a resident of that country, (Rabbi Joseph
Schwarz). His historical sketch and description of Palestine
widely differs from the superficial and partial writings of those
travellers who visit the Holy Land for a short period, and often
for special purposes, but who by no means have the opportunities
and the time required for making a minute and faithful investiga-
tion of a country, every spot of which teems with traditional and
historical interest. Rabbi Schwartz justly says:
An uncommon degree of interest has been excited in modern times
towards Palestine, to an extent scarcely ever before attained. Jt issue?
forth, as it were, out of its devastation of more than eighteen centuries'
standing; and people seek to re-animate it through their investigations
and discoveries. The learned contend for the prize of contributing the
most to its elucidation, by discovering and tracing out the vestiges of
antiquity which it offers ; and it is therefore constantly visited and tra-
velled over by the well-informed of all nations. How much more ardently,
then, must the erudite man belonging to the house of Israel feel on the
subject? For should not Israel march in the advance, and serve in this
matter as an example to other nations? Or shall it (to whose ances-
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 309
tor God said, " For the whole land which thou seest I will give unto
thee and thy seed for ever)" receive an amount of its possessions
for its property the land remains, long as time may be that its claim is
not acknowledged and its rights usurped by the hand of power from
the mouth of others ?
Of the Jordan, the author thus speaks:
This plain of the Jordan, the romantic beauty of which is truly
astonishing, is the most agreeable district of all Palestine. It is tra-
versed by the Jordan in its whole length. On both sides of this clear
river, the water of which is very agreeable for drinking, are found the
most varied trees, the green brandies of which are so closely inter-
woven with each other, that they form the most beautiful natural
arbours, under the agreeable and refreshing shadow of which the
traveller passes from one to the other, as though he walked in a
pleasure-garden, laid out so designedly by the hand of man. The ear
of the wanderer is here delighted by the soft rushing of the Jordan,
combined with the harmonious song of birds, which fill the air with
natural melodies; and the eye is ravished by a view of the banks of the
river, brilliant in their green ornaments, and the beams of the majestic
sun, as they penetrate the thick foliage. And even in autumn, in the
month of September, when I travelled through this region, I was so
charmed with the whole scene, that my heart, full to admiration,
through the incomparable beauty of this region, lifted itself up to God ;
and I could have exclaimed, overcome by a painful feeling at the love-
liness of the scene : " My God 1 how is my soul bowed down within
me, when I remember Thee in this land of Jordan." (Ps. xlii. 7.) " Is
not this whole district of the Jordan abundantly watered, fruitful, and
blessed, like a garden of the Lord?" (Gen. xiii. 10.) " And still it is
scarcely trod by the foot of the traveller, it is not inhabited, and the
Arab pitches not there his tents, and the shepherds do not cause the
flocks to lie down there." (Isa. xiii. 20.) " Still, thus speaketh the
Lord Zebaoth, There shall yet be in this place, which is waste, without
man and cattle, again a dwelling for shepherds causing their flocks to
lie down." " In those days shall Judah be redeemed, and Jerusalem
shall be inhabited in security; and this is the name which it shall be
called, The Lord our righteousness." (Jer. xxxiii. 12 16.)
We will now recur to the subject of our lesson the powerful
exhortation in which Moses placed before Israel the consequences
of their choice between obedience and rebellion. Well may we
apply to those soul-stirring admonitions that fill the book of
Deuteronomy, "Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge;"
for the instruction conveyed in the Mosaic exhortation, confer a
large amount of knowledge, both moral and religious; " but he
that hateth reproof is brutish," which is evident from the history
of Israel, who, whenever they turned their back to the wise and
salutary instruction and reproofs of their pious and patriotic
leaders, sank beneath the level of humanity, and were reduced to
brutish habits.
310 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
In the next chapter, Moses considered it necessary to command
the Israelites, immediately upon their entering the Land of Pro-
mise, to destroy all monuments of idolatry, whether upon the
high mountains, or upon the hills, or under every green tree ; to
overthrow the heathen altars, and break their pillars, to burn their
groves, to hew down the graven images of their gods, and to
blot out the very names of them from the place. But the Lord
will choose a place where his glory shall dwell ; thither they shall
come, thither they shall bring their offerings, there they shall eat
before the Lord their God, and there they shall rejoice in all that
they put their hand unto ; they, their sons, their daughters, not
forgetting their man-servants and maid-servants, who, according
to the humane laws of Moses, were to participate in the offering
and in the rejoicing. He also recommends the Levites, who had
to depend upon the offerings for their subsistence, to the special
attention and solicitude of the other tribes. " Take heed to thy-
self that thou forsake not the Levite, as long as thou livest upon
the earth."
The Divine Legislator having foreseen that there would arise
in later times men pretending to divine inspiration, and striving
to subvert the laws, or to modify them according to their conve-
nience, he cautions Israel against such pretenders, and advises
them how to act in such cases. He commences by telling them,
" What thing soever I command you, observe to do it; thou shalt
not add thereto, nor diminish therefrom;" thus impressing upon
them the immutability of their code, and that no alteration can
be made therein without divine authority. He continues " If
there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and
giveth thee a sign or a wonder, (even if the sign or wonder come
to pass), speaking unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods,
which thou hast not known, and let us serve them, thou shalt
not hearken unto that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for
the Lord your God proveth you, to know, (or rather to make
known), whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart,
and with all your soul .... and the prophet, or that dreamer of
dreams, shall be put to death." Under no circumstances were
they to put trust in any one who would turn them away from
their belief in the only God; and no one who openly came for-
ward, or secretly tried, to entice them to idolatry, " even thy
brother, the son of thy mother, thy son or thy daughter, or the
wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, who is as thine own soul,"
should be pitied, spared, or concealed, but visited with the punish-
ment of death, " and all Israel shall hear and fear."
The following chapter treats on tithes, which were necessary for
the maintenance of the Levites, who had no portion or inheritance
in the land; and also on the gifts to the poor, which the humane
legislator enjoins in the following sentiments of genuine philan-
thropy :
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 311
" If there be among you a poor man, of one of thy brethren, within
any of thy gates, thou shalt not harden thine heart nor shut thine
hand from thy poor brother; but thou shalt open thine hand wide unto
him, and shalt surely lend sufficient for his need, in that which he
wanteth."
For charity consists not only in presenting the applicant with a
trifling donation, but in aiding the honest man who is struggling
yet prevented from want of means to carry out his , industrious
purposes. Indeed, such charity is more efficacious, and confers
more lasting benefits, than the mere temporary relief in the shape
of a gift. The portion of the week concludes with the observances
of the feast of Passover, of Weeks, and of Tabernacles (ty~>ty
Q^Sjn), in which laws the benevolent Legislator always remem-
bers the wants of the needy, the unprotected, and the helpless :
" And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son and thy
daughter, and thy man-servant, and thy maid-servant, and the Levite,
the stranger, and the fatherless and the widow, that are within thy
gates. Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of
the Lord thy God, which He has given thee,"
In our Haphtorah of this Sabbath, the prophet Isaiah also
dwells upon the necessity of instruction, indispensable to the es-
tablishment of righteousness. He addresses the nation :
" O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest and not comforted,
Behold, I will lay thy stones witli fair colours, and thy foundation
with sapphires."
He now explains how these foundations may be laid :
" And all thy children shall be taught of the law,
And great shall be the peace of thy offspring ; *
lu righteousness shalt thou be established :
Thou shalt be far from oppression, nor fear it,
And from terror, for it shall not come near thee."
The dissemination of knowledge and of the principles of peace,
will lay the basis for justice, and banish oppression. These prin-
ciples must be implanted in the breast of the youth, to fructify
and develop themselves in later age. The foundation thus early
laid, the prophet continues:
" No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper,
And every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou
shalt refute :
This is the heritage of the servants of God ;
And their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord."
* The philosophers of the tradition say: 1*313 N7X 1'33 ^pH ?N read it not
" thy sons," but " thy builders." Signifying that the teachers in Israel are the
builders who lay the groundwork for knowledge and peace.
312 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
But in order to be able to refute the unjust charges brought
against Israel, we require knowledge and instruction to accom-
plish the task skilfully and effectively. He therefore calls:
" Ho! every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters,"
alluding to the living waters, flowing from the divine fountain
of wisdom and knowledge.
" Incline your ear, and come unto me ;
Hear, and your soul shall live.
Behold, thou shalt invite a nation that thou knowest not,
And people that knew not thee shall run unto thee ;
Because of the Lord thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel :
FOR HE HAS GLORIFIED THEE."
PRAYER.
ETERNAL tjfoo ! " Trouble and anguish have taken hold of me ; yet
Thy commandments are my delights. The righteousness of Thy testi-
monies is everlasting : give me understanding and I shall live." The
integrity of these testimonies has been preserved by Thy wise injunc-
tion not to add to the words which Thou commandedst us, nor to
diminish therefrom. Whilst human codes are continually undergoing
changes, either by adding or repealing some of their enactments, Thy Law
remains immutable, because it emanates from Thee, Omniscient Father,
who art Eternal and who never changest. It would be presumptuous
in man to make either additions or curtailments in that Sacred Volume,
as it would be perilous to the welfare of society. Thou hast permitted,
nay, even desired, man to inquire into it and to search out its truths,
which he cannot fail to discover, if such inquiries and researches are
made in a spirit of fairness and devotion. Thou hast cautioned us
against putting trust in pretending prophets, who, from sinister and
unhallowed motives, presume to lay their hands sacrilegiously on the
sanctuary of Thy Law, and thereby gradually strive to lead us away
entirely from the path of religion and virtue. We therefore beseech
Thee, Divine Lawgiver, that Thou mayest support us in our resistance
to innovations upon Thy Holy Word; and that, by diligent study
therein, we may be enabled to defend it and preserve it to the letter, as
well as to its spirit as David prayed : "Hold Thou me up, and I shall
be safe, and I will have respect unto Thy statutes continually. For
Thou hast trodden down all them that cause to err from Thy statutes ;
for their object is deceit and falsehood. Deal with Thy servant accord-
ing to Thy mercy, and teach me Thy statutes." Amen.
THE PENTATEUCH AND IIAPHTOHAHS. 313
FIFTH PORTION OF DEUTERONOMY.
p
n>D a^nn yw n^io pi*
" According to Thy name, O God, so is Thy praise unto the ends of
the earth :
Thy right hand is full of righteousness." Ps. xlviii. 10.
RABBI ISAAC thus comments upon this text in the Midrash :
Two things are figuratively described in Scripture as being
in the RIGHT HAND of God righteousness and the law. Of
the former the Psalmist says, " Thy hand is full of righteous-
ness." Of the latter Moses says, " From His right went fiery
law for them. Two other things are described in Scripture as
being in the hand of God the soul and justice. Of the former
Job says, " In whose hand is the soul of all living" : and, of the
latter Moses says, by Divine Authority, " mine hand take hold
of justice." The Holy One, blessed be He ! says to mankind,
" the soul and justice are in my hand; you guard justice and I
will guard your soul."
The Lord has vested authority in men appointed that they
may execute justice: if they perform their trust conscientiously,
and faithfully discharge the great responsibility of guarding the
rights, the life and the property of the people, they may rely
upon the Divine promise, that He in return will guard their lives
and protect them.
The lesson of this Sabbath commences with Moses' charge to
the Israelite: "Judges and officers shalt thou appoint thee in all
thy gates, which the Lord giveth thee, throughout thy tribes;
and they shall judge the people with just judgment." Through-
out scripture we notice that the judges and elders were sitting
" in the gate " of the city. Moses also says here, " in thy gates,"
which plainly shows that the Jewish tribunals were not of a
secret character, but in the open street, and in the most public
314 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
thoroughfare, which was the gate of the town. He next cau-
tions them against bribery and corruption. " Thou shalt not
wrest (or pervert) judgment; thou shalt not respect persons,
neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise,
and pervert the words of the righteous." Let no man boast that
he can receive a gift and yet remain impartial to the donor. The
human heart is not strong enough to resist the favourable inclina-
tion towards him, and the very acceptance of the gift, or rather,
the bribe, is sinful, for it blinds the understanding and corrupts
the judgment. He concludes by repeating the word " righteous-
ness." (Cfi*nn p*T p*rc) " Righteousness, righteousness, thou
shalt pursue," the one alluding to impartiality in the examination
of witnesses and the pronouncing of sentence, and the other to
fairness even before taking the seat, by abstaining from accepting
any favour or gift from either of the contending parties.
Besides these appointed judges there were also the priests who
decided in special cases, as directed by Moses:
" If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between
blood and blood (signifying a case involving capital punishment) be-
tween plea and plea, and between injury and injury, being matters of
controversy within thy gates : then shalt thou arise, and get thee up
unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose ; and thou shalt
come unto the priests, the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in
those days, and inquire ; and they shall show thee the sentence of
judgment ; and thou shalt do according to the sentence which they of
that place which the Lord shall choose, shall show thee ; and thou
shalt observe to do according to all they inform thee. According to
the sentence of the law which they shall teach thee, and according to
the judgment which they shall tell thee, thou shalt do : thou shalt not
decline from the sentence which they shall show thee, to the right hand
nor to the left."
This alludes to cases not distinctly provided for in the Mosaic
law, where doubts may arise as to the application of certain
enactments, or as to the inferences to be drawn from the same,
which the judge, for the time being, had the power to decide
according to equity. That decision and the sentence pronounced
was binding upon the contending parties before them, and resist-
ance to the same was visited with punishment of death. " And
the man that will do presumptuously and will not hearken unto
the priest that standeth to minister there before the Lord thy
God, or unto the Judge, even that man shall die: and thou shalt
put away the evil from Israel."
We now come to an important subject, namely, the constitu-
tion by which Israel was to be governed. An attentive perusal
of this portion of Scripture will show, that, although Israel after
the time of the Judges was governed by kings, who exercised an
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 315
absolute power over the nation, that form of government was not
necessarily required by the Divine legislator. We read in this
Sabbath's lesson that Moses said, " Thou shalt in any wise set
him king over thee whom the Lord thy God shall choose."
Thus the Mosaic laws clearly recognise the principle of monarchy
in the Jewish polity ; but by no means make that form of govern-
ment compulsory or indispensable. The passage preceding this
injunction distinctly shows that monarchy is but optional and
voluntary, for it says: " When thou art come into the land which
the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt
dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all
the nations that are about me" then follow the laws for the
election of that king. From this it is evident that the appoint-
ment of a king depended upon the will of the people.
Nor is this Mosaic injunction at all in contradiction to the
displeasure signified by Samuel (1 Sam. viii.) at the request of the
people to have a king, since his own administration, combining
the offices of a judge and governor, was sufficient to dispense
with the enormous expenditure which royalty, even in that age,
entailed on the people, and which is so eloquently denounced by
the indignant prophet.
Having thus shown, on Scriptural authority, that the form of
monarchy was optional in the Jewish polity, we shall now prove
on the same authority, that Judaism enjoins loyalty and obe-
dience to monarchy, if that form of government is once adopted
by the Jews. The wisest of kings, in those Proverbs which have
become the lesson-book for the children of men in general
Christians and Mahometans as well as Jews advises us: " My
son, fear thou the Lord and the king, and meddle not with them
that are given to change" (Prov. xiv. 21). A more distinct ex-
hortation to obedience to monarchy and homage to royalty it is
impossible to quote; and a clearer admonition to beware of un-
necessary changes of government can scarcely be adduced. Nor
does Judaism confine its loyalty to the king of the Jews, to the
king of their own choice, but its spirit of justice extends the
duties of loyalty to any and every king, Jew, or heathen,
under whose sceptre they dwell, and in whose dominions they
reside; nay, even where they are treated as captives. "And
seek the peace of the city," says Jeremiah (chap. xxix. 7),
( ' whither I have caused you to be carried away captives ; and
pray unto the Lord for it : for in the peace thereof shall ye have
peace." A similar advice was given and practised by Daniel to
his contemporaries under the sway of a heathen monarch. Even
the much-derided rabbies of the Talmud recognise monarchical
authority in the strongest sense of recognition, by the dogma
(JO*H NHpSfcn W*l) " the judgment of the kingdom is the
authoritative judgment."
316 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
But whilst the spirit of Judaism is thus shown to be favour-
able to monarchy, and whilst its essence is thus proved to be
loyalty and obedience to the crown, we are bound to state, on
scriptural authority, that the loyalty which it enjoins, and the
obedience which it commands are conditional. So long only as
the king (or his government, where the king is not absolute)
discharges the duties entrusted to his care faithfully and justly,
so long Judaism commands loyalty, and obedience to his laws.
As soon, however, as he abuses that sacred trust, Judaism releases
the subjects from loyalty and obedience. So long only as his
administration is conducted in the spirit of righteousness and
truth, so long is it incumbent on us to pay homage to his person,
to fear him, to love him, and to confide in him. As soon, how-
ever, as, so far from governing the people, he cannot govern
himself and his extravagant and insatiate cravings as soon as,
instead of affording relief to the oppressed and succour to the
defenceless, he tampers with justice, and winks at the mal-admi-
nistration of his hirelings as soon as he turns the golden sceptre
to his own aggrandisement, and rules with the rod of iron, and,
instead of shielding innocence, he oppresses and persecutes it
instead of listening to the just calls of the people's voice for the
reformation of abuses, he turns a deaf ear to that heavenly voice,
and bids it defiance, Judaism permits, or rather directs, us to
endeavour, by all legitimate means in our power, to throw off the
yoke of oppression, and to strive to choose another and better
ruler; or, if none can be found, to establish another form of
government, more suitable and more likely to do justice to its
adherents and subjects. Judaism, in a word, requires a monarch
or a ruler according to the hearts of the people, but not against
them. It requires a ruler according to the spirit of the age, one
who keeps pace with the march of civilization and the progress
of liberty ; and it rejects and despises that monarch who dares to
trample upon the rights of his subjects, who scorns and ridicules
the just claims of those by whom he is elected, and from whose
resources he derives his kingly magnificence and power. Solo-
mon, himself a king, thus qualifies the blessings of monarchy :
" Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes
waste the morning in feasting. Blessed art thou, O land, when thy
king is the son of nobles of heart, and thy princes feast in due season,
and not for drunkenness."
But we are able to trace further back, even so far as the
Mosaic dispensation, the conditions on which monarchy is to be
acknowledged. In the very breath in which the Divine legis-
lator speaks of a king, he says :
" But he shall not multiply horses to himself, neither shall he mul-
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAH8. 317
tiply wives to himself, neither shall he multiply to himself silver and
gold. And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his king-
dom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, out of
that which is before the priests the Levites."
And after enjoining him to read in that book, the law, all the
days of his life intimating that the king is not above the law,
but under it he assigns a reason for it, " that his heart be not
lifted up above his brethren." It is on these terms that the
king do not indulge in too great extravagance at the expense of
the country ; that he govern according to the laws of the consti-
tution, and not in opposition to them ; that he be not led away
by priestcraft and by the ambition of his ministers; that, as
Scripture forcibly says, "he lift not up his heart above his
brethren" it is on these irrevocable conditions that Judaism
accords obedience to the throne, and on no other.
It is true that the Jews, under the direst troubles and persecu-
tions which they suffered in Spain and in Portugal, in France
and in Germany, and, we are pained to add, even in England,
never made an attempt at rebellion, either individually or collect-
ively, but bore their dreadful fate with pious resignation. Not a
treasonous whisper, not a rebellious sound, escaped their lips or
burst from their oppressed breasts. Even in our present age,
when millions of Jews yet groan under the overwhelming yoke
of absolute rulers, they never allow their just complaints to
degenerate into mutiny and rebellion. But in those parts of the
continent where the people, worn out with their troubles, exas-
perated at the increasing tyranny of mercenary ministers and
despotic rulers, have risen as a man to drive their oppressors from
power in those countries where, after all legitimate means of ob-
taining redress for their grievances having failed, the people, poor
and rich, young and old, have had recourse to arms that Jews
have participated in the people's cause, and by their courage and
talent contributed to the overthrow of tyranny, is a course fully
justified by the spirit of Judaism, and sanctioned by the laws of
God. We regret it not that the blood of many of our co-
religionists in some countries has flowed for the cause of their
native land, nor do we grieve at the pecuniary sacrifices they
made to purchase the people's rights. On the contrary, we
rejoice in these tokens of true patriotism, and it enables us to
show that the Jews are not a " nation within a nation," but a
part of the nation among whom they reside; it affords us an
irresistible answer to the charge " that the Jews have no country."
The spirit of Judaism demands love of the country, fear of the
king, obedience to the laws of the land; but equally demands
participation in the cause of the people, whenever, even above
the sound of cannon, it makes its voice heard, to teach kings
their duties, and the laws they have abused.
318 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
A most remarkable Psalm (Ps. Ixxii.) addressed to a king,
points out the duties of a king. It is entitled " A Psalm for
Solomon." Mark the injunctions:
" He shall judge the people with righteousness,
And the poor with judgment.
He shall save the children of the needy,
And shall break in pieces the oppressor.
Then shall they fear Him so long as the sun and moon endure,
Throughout all generations.
In His days shall the righteous flourish,
And abundance of peace, as long as the moon endureth."
What a glorious picture of monarchy does Judaism here
present !
" For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth ;
The poor also, and him that hath no helper."
Then the Psalmist sums up his characteristics with the re-
markable sentence:
" He shall redeem their souls from deceit and violence,
And precious shall their blood be in His sight."
The Haphtorah of this Sabbath, like the three preceding and
the three succeeding ones, is replete with prophecies of consola-
tion, following the imprecations on account of Israel's disobe-
dience, and the denunciations against her backsliding and ingrati-
tude. The seven Sabbaths on which we read these Haphtorahs are
called rnn/brO JD^> " seven consolations/' and are the seven
weeks intervening between the Fast of Ab and the Sabbath of Re-
pentance (POIt? J"QEJO> ushering in the New Year and the sacred
Day of Atonement. They are all taken from the Book of Isaiah,
the most eloquent of prophets.
The prophetic portion we read this day thus commences,
" I, even I, am He that comforteth you :
Who art thou that thou shouldest be afraid of mortal man,
And of the son of man, who shall be made as grass ?
And forgettest the Lord thy Maker,
Who hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of
the earth ?
And hast feared continually the fury of the oppressor,
When he was ready to destroy ?
And where is the fury of the oppressor ?"
The same complaint which Moses had continually to make of
Israel's faint-heartedness when powerful enemies threatened to
oppress if not to crush them, was here made by Isaiah, and also
by other prophets, upon the same grounds. Her faith was not
THE PENTATEUCH AND IIAPHTOUAHS. 319
sufficiently confirmed, and her confidence in the Omnipotent was
not yet so fully developed as to place implicit trust in Him who
promised not to forsake them. Hence the necessity, on the part
of the prophets, of continual appealing to their grateful remem-
brance of the innumerable miracles wrought for them ever since
they were, as a nation, taken under special Providence.
The prophet therefore continues:
" But I am the Lord thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves
roared :
The Lord of Hosts is His name.
And I have put my word in thy mouth,
And I have covered thee with the shadow of mine hand ;
Planting the heavens, and laying the foundations of the earth,
And saying unto Zion, Thou art my people."
The Divine promise to protect, and under no circumstances to
abandon Israel, should have been sufficient to strengthen her
failing heart in the hour of danger and distress. But the measure
of retribution had been filled, and the time of consolation was
now come.
" Awake, awake ! stand up, O Jerusalem,
Which hast drunk at the hand of the Lord the cup of His dis-
pleasure ;
Thou hast imbibed the dregs of the cup of bitterness,
And wrung them out.
There is none to guide her among the sons whom she has brought
forth;
Neither is there any that taketh her by the hand,
Of all the children that she has reared."
The want of efficient and faithful leaders was the bane of
Israel, and the retarding of her progress. The prophet, however,
predicts the advent of a ruler who will resuscitate the fallen
nation.
" How beautiful upon the mountains, are the feet of Him that
bringeth good tidings,
That publisheth peace, forebodes good, and proclaimeth salvation;
That saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth."
In his prophetic mind he beholds the rising of pastors who
shall carefully watch their flock, and of whom he says:
" Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice, and sing praises together ;
For they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall return to Zion.
Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem ;
For the Lord has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jeru-
salem."
320 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
PRAYER.
MERCIFUL FATHER! King of kings! Judge of judges ! Ruler of
rulers ! The well-being of society, and the prosperity of the social state,
requires heads to govern the people, and chiefs to lead them. What-
ever be the form of constitution by which society is governed what-
ever be the titles of the men who are at the helm of the state, we are
bound by Thy wise laws to pay homage to then* office, and obedience
to their decrees. When we look upon those countries where the
government is vested in absolute hands ; where the ruler is responsible
to no human control or authority; where, in one breath, he may decide
the fate of millions, and, by one stroke of the pen, overthrow the laws
of the land, and pull down the institutions which the wisdom of their
ancestors had erected, how grateful ought we to be unto Thee, O
God, that we live in a country governed by a liberal constitution,
guided by humane legislators, and presided over by a Sovereign wield-
ing the sceptre of justice and mercy, and holding the reins of power
not to oppress, but to relieve. But even those of our brethren who,
unhappily, reside in despotic lands, and are subject to the caprice of
unscrupulous councillors, and often to ill-usage from a prejudiced and
fanatic populace, quietly submit to their sad fate with that loyalty which
is a characteristic feature in our nation. Whilst we, their happier
brethren, sympathise with their calamities, and pray to Thee, O God,
for the amelioration of their civil condition; we entreat Thee, O
Heavenly Father, that Thou mayest cause us to appreciate the great
boon we enjoy, in participating in most of the rights and privileges
which the salutary laws of the constitution offer to every resident ; and
in the protection which the country affords to every one of her children,
native or adopted, and by which she has thus become an asylum for the
oppressed and outcasts of all other nations. Hasten, O Lord, the time
when the universe shall be governed by Thee alone, and when the
prophetic promise will be fulfilled "The Lord will go before you, and
the God of Israel will be your rereward." Amen.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 321
'a -no
SIXTH PORTION OF DEUTERONOMY.
o'psn ja Dn mix
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" Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life,
Remember that her ways are moveable, and that thou canst not
know them." Prov. v.6.
WE concluded our lesson of Sabbath last, with the considera-
tion of the form of government most congenial to the
Jewish spirit; and we shewed that the ruler, whatever title he
may possess, must abide by the enactments of the mif! rOfc^/ft
(a copy of the law), from which he had no authority " to turn
aside, to the right hand or to the left; to the end that he may
prolong his days in the kingdom, he and his children, in the
midst of Israel."
In the same chapter, the Divine Legislator cautions against
the practice of heathen worship and abominations, such as a
father making his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or
using divination, or pretending to be " an observer of times," or
to be an " enchanter, a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with
familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer." All these super-
stitious practices are an abomination unto the Lord, who gave the
Israelites a pure and unmystified religion; and because of which
abomination the Almighty had driven the heathens out of the
land, before Israel. Moses concludes with the impressive sen-
tence: " THOU SHALT BE PERFECT WITH THE LORD THY
GOD." This perfection is manifested by adhering to Him alone,
by resting assured that in Him we find comfort and strength, and
by not dividing our worship of Him through leaning to supersti-
tion and mysterious doctrines for the faith in the Unity is pure,
clear, simple, and distinct, and allows of no mystification.
In the same portion of the Pentateuch, Moses laid down several
la\vs, the transgression of which was to be visited by the punishment
of death. In case, for instance, of idolatry ; if a man or woman
should go and serve other gods and worship them, either the sun
Y
322 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
or the moon, or any of the host of heaven, and after diligent
inquiry the same is found to be true, the delinquents were to be
publicly executed. The Divine Legislator, at the same time,
specifying : " At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses,
shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the
mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death/' The Divine
Lawgiver says also, in the case of a false prophet, " who shall
presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not com-
manded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other
gods," the crime was to be punished with death. In the lesson of
this Sabbath, also, there are several laws, pronouncing sentence of
death on the offender.
Although it appears from these passages that capital punish-
ment was often decreed in the Mosaic code, and although it seems
that in case of murder, " blood for blood" was required, both by
the Noachite and Mosaical laws, yet we shall show, first, that if
we strictly follow those laws and enactments, there will be very
few cases in which it can be legally enforced ; and second, that it
was very rarely enforced by those on whom the law was enjoined,
and whose ancestors were the immediate recipients of that law;
and by those who traditionally best understood its meaning and
its purport.
The same Moses, or rather, (speaking in the true spirit of
revelation), the same God who instituted the law of death-punish-
ment for murder, also said, be it remembered, " At the mouth of
two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death
be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be
put to death" (Deut. xvii. 6). Again, (Deuteronomy, xix. 15),
" One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or
for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two wit-
nesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be
established." According to these enactments, if we take them
literally, such as the opponents of the abolition will have it,
there must be two witnesses of the offence, i. e., two men who
can bear witness to the commission of the crime. Now what
avails all circumstantial evidence, by which, in our day and in
this country, most sentences of death are supported? How rare
are the cases in which witnesses can bear testimony to the actual
commission of the offence?
As we are in possession of ancient records, written at the time
when the law of Moses was in full force, we will examine these
important documents, and shall soon perceive, how the law of
death-punishment for murder was carried out by the Jewish
judges, (the Sanhedrin), who, more than any tribunal in history,
were guided by the letter and spirit of the law. We extract the
following from the Mishnah, which was composed about seventeen
hundred years since, detailing the practical manner of dispensing
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 323
the law; and the most able defenders of death-punishment, if
they are actuated, (as we believe them to be,) by conscientious
motives will admit, that we ought to be most scrupulous in taking
the life of our fellow-creature, not only on grounds of humanity,
but also on legal ones :
" The judges decided by a majority of votes.
" In all trials, except where life and death were concerned, a
tribunal composed of three judges was sufficient; but when life
and death were concerned, twenty -three judges were required to
be present.
" In ordinary cases, the opening of the trial might have com-
menced either with the defence or the prosecution; but in case of
life and death, they commenced with the defence, the prosecution
following, and the delinquent having the right of reply."
(How different in this country, where the prosecutor has the
last say.)
" In ordinary cases, a majority of one was sufficient to con-
demn or acquit; but with a case of life and death, a majority of
one was sufficient to acquit; but it required a majority of two to
convict.
" In ordinary cases, a new trial was granted, whether the sen-
tence was a conviction or acquittal; but in life and death, only in
case of conviction."
(In this country it is different. No new trial can be had for a
capital offence; but it may be obtained in a civil action.)
" In ordinary cases, any person was allowed to speak as counsel
either for or against, but in a case of life and death, even the
young students were allowed to speak in the prisoner's favour as
counsel, (such as had not received official appointments); but no
one was allowed to act as counsel against the prisoner, unless he
was declared competent by the judges.
" In ordinary cases, a judge who considered he had given an
erroneous opinion, whether for or against, was allowed to retract
his former opinion ; but in a case of life and death, he could only
retract his opinion when it had been given against the prisoner.
" In ordinary cases, a. trial might be carried on during the
night; but in a case of life and death, it was to commence in the
day, and could only be carried on during day-time.
" In ordinary cases, a trial and sentence might be concluded in
one day; but in a case of life and death, the verdict and sen-
tence, if against the prisoner, had to be postponed till the follow-
ing day, to give persons an opportunity to come forward in the
prisoner's behalf; but on the following day, no one could come
against him, (the tribunal, in cases of life and death, did not sit
on Friday, or the eve of a holy day); but a verdict of acquittal
might be considered final on the day of trial.
Y 2
324 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
" In cases of life and death, the following caution was address-
ed to the witness by the senior judge:
" Give no evidence from inference, hearsay, or because you
have been told by a trustworthy person ; or because one who had
been an eye-witness, said he had seen it done. ' For,' said the
Judge, ' know ye, that we shall search and strictly examine your
evidence, for this is not like a money matter, which can be atoned
for by money; but in this, his blood, and the blood of his de-
scendants, depends on you; as God said unto Cain, The blood of
thy brother cries unto me from the ground.'
" For example: Suppose you had seen a man run after
another into a ruin, and you ran after him, and you found a knife
in the one man's hand, and the knife was dripping with blood,
and you found the dead man weltering in his blood. If you have
seen no more, you have seen nothing. You must actually have
seen him commit the murder with that knife. (Case in point):
Simeon, the son of Shatach, himself a judge, relates, ' That he
once saw a man running after another into a ruin;' he says, ' I
ran after him, and I saw the knife in his hand, the blood was
dripping from it, and the dead man weltering in his blood. /
said to him, Thou wicked one, who has slain this man, either thou
or I? But what can 1 do? thy blood is not in my hand, because
the law says, by the mouth of two witnesses, etc., etc. ; but He
who knows the secret thoughts of man, will require the blood
from him who committed the murder.' Before Simeon had
finished the words, a serpent had bit the man, so that he died
from the bite.
" In civil cases, one witness was sufficient; in case of life and
death it required two eye-witness, as even the Bible says, ' By the
mouths of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is
worthy of death, be put to death (Deut. xvii. 6).
EXAMINATION OF WITNESSES.
" They had every one to agree on the most minute point
respecting time, place, &c.
" Only one witness at a time was allowed to be in court, and
that only whilst he gave his evidence, after which he was led into
another room, and then the next witness was introduced. If a
witness who had been examined against the prisoner, recollected
something in his favour, he was allowed again to come forward
and state it; but he was not permitted, after the reply to the prose-
cution had begun, to say anything against the prisoner. When
the trial was adjourned till the next day, the judges had to ab-
stain from excessive eating, were not allowed to drink wine, nor
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 325
to attend to any pleasure during the over night; but they were
permitted to remain together the whole night debating the
question."
AFTER THE SENTENCE.
" The place of execution was always some short distance froin
the tribunal of justice. The judges had to remain in court until
the execution was over. A man was placed at the door of the
court-house, with a flag in his hand, and at a little distance from
him, and within his sight, a man with a horse was stationed.
Suppose one of the judges, after sentence, should say, ' I find
something in the prisoner's favour,' the one man had to wave his
flag, the horse was immediately mounted by the other, who rode
to the place of execution, and stopped it, until the reasons were
discussed; or suppose that the delinquent himself, even at the
last moment, wished to say something in his own favour, the exe-
cution was also stopped to give time for discussion. The same had
reference to any one who might come forward for the prisoner,
(even as we have already said, at the last moment). If it were
in his favour, he had the benefit of it; but no one was allowed to
give additional evidence against the prisoner. On the way to
execution, a proclamation was isssued to the following effect :
Whoever knows anything in favour of the prisoner, let him come
forward and state it."
Who can read this, and still maintain the justification of the
frequent executions resting on circumstantial evidence? Who
can peruse these extreme cautions and reserves, and qualifications
of the law, and still say, the Jewish and original law demands
punishment of death? Indeed, so great was the reluctance and
aversion of the Jewish judges to punishment of death so many
formalities and particularities did they impose upon the evidence
for the prosecution that the occurrence of an execution was a
great rarity among a population of so many hundred thousands as
the Jews then numbered. We read in the Mishna (Macoth,
chap. i. 10), " A Sanhedrin which killed, (i. e., ordered an exe-
cution), once in seven years, is called a murderous one. Rabbi
Eleazar, the son of Asariah, says, " It is called so if it kills even
once in seventy years!" Rabbi Tarphon and Rabbi Akiba say,
" Had we been of the Sanhedrin, no human being could ever have
been executed."
Thus spoke and acted the most pious Jews, who more than any
nation adhered to the letter of the law.
We will now proceed with the consideration of some of the
laws in the portion of this Sabbath, remarkable for the spirit of
humanity and benevolence which pervades them.
326 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
" Thou shalt not see thy brother's ox or his sheep go astray, and
hide thyself from them : thou shalt in any case bring them again unto
thy brother.
And if thy brother be not nigh unto thee, and if thou know him,
even thou shalt bring it unto thine own house, and it shall be with
thee until thy brother seek after it; and tbou shalt restore it to him
again.
In like manner shalt thou do with his ass ; and so shalt thou do with
his raiment ; and with all lost thing of thy brother's, which he hath lost
and thou hast found, shalt thou do likewise : thou mayest not hide
thyself."
The restoration of lost property is made a special law, to re-
move the erroneous notion, that we may appropriate to ourselves
anything we find in the public road. But not only are we to
restore it to the owner, if we discover him, at once; but we are
commanded to save the property for the owner, if we do not dis-
cover him directly after finding the lost goods. And the rabbies
of the tradition comment on the term, " and thou shalt
restore it to him," it shall be worth restoring; it shall not eat up
as much as it is worth, else you will have to demand the
expences, amounting to the value of the property when you
restore it. It is, therefore, necessary to lay down the following
rule: If the property yields the expense of keeping it, then
keep it for the owner; but if it does not, then sell it for the
benefit of the owner, and give him the produce when you dis-
cover him. This is an admirable rabbinical law.
" Thou shalt not see thy brother's ox or his ass fall down by the
way, and hide thyself from them : thou shalt surely help him to lift
them up again."
From this we may justly infer our duty to assist every fellow-
creature who is in a state of helplessness.
" If a bird's nest chance to be before thee in the way in any tree, or
on the ground, whether they be young ones or eggs, and the dam sit-
ting upon the young or upon the eggs, thou shalt not take the dam
with the young. But thou shalt in any wise let the dam go, and take
the young to thee, that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest
prolong thy days."
Although this law apparently refers to a trivial matter, its
importance becomes manifest from the reward assigned to its
fulfilment, which is the same as that promised for the performance
of one of the most essential commandments of the Jewish code,
namely, the honouring of father and mother. The reward of
both is stated to be the prolonging of our days, and our welfare
through life. The rabbies of the Midrash comment hereon :
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 327
" The Holy One, blessed be He ! said, Thou shalt not weigh the
precepts of the law. Say not, Because this precept is great I will do
it, or because its reward is great ; and because the other is light, I will
not do it. Therefore the Lord has not revealed to His creatures the
reward of every precept, in order that they may value all the command-
ments alike, and execute them to perfection."
This is the meaning of our text:
" Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life,
Remember her ways are moveable, and that thou canst riot know
them."
The Midrash then gives the following parable :
" A king who had an extensive garden, engaged a number of
labourers to cultivate it, without telling them the amount of their
wages. In the evening he called them, and asked them separately on
which tree they had been working, rewarding them according to the
value of the tree. The labourers then asked, Why didst thou not tell
us with which tree each of us should occupy himself? The king re-
plied, Had I told you that, my inferior trees would have been neglected,
and the object of having my whole garden set in order would never
have been accomplished."
So the Lord revealed only the reward of two commandments,
the most important, which is the duty to parents, and the most
trivial in reference to the bird's nest. Both are compensated
alike, namely, the prolongation of man's life.
The next laws are:
" Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother; usury of money,
usury of victuals, usury of anything.
" No man shall take the nether or the upper mill-stone to pledge ;
for he taketh a man's life to pledge.
" When thou dost lend thy brother anything, thou shalt not go into
his house to fetch his pledge : thou shalt stand abroad, and the man to
whom thou didst lend shall bring out the pledge abroad unto thee.
And if the man be poor, thou shalt not sleep with his pledge. In any
case, thou shalt deliver him the pledge again when the sun goeth
down, that he may sleep in his own raiment, and bless thee. And it
shall be righteousness unto thee before the Lord thy God.
" Thou shalt not oppress a hired servant that is poor and needy,
whether he be of thy brethren, or of any strangers that are in thy
land within thy gates. At his day, thou shalt give him his hire ; neither
shall the sun go down before it; for he is poor, and setteth his heart
upon it : lest he cry against thee unto the Lord, and it be sin unto
thee."
Although we have already commented on these humane laws
in the former Books of the Pentateuch, we repeat them here, as
328 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
in some parts the language in which they are expressed is even
more forcible, and in others more amplified.
The next is a law of strict justice :
" The father shall not be put to death for the children ; neither
shall the children be put to death for the fathers : every man shall be
put to death for his own sin.
" Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the stranger, nor of the
fatherless ; nor take the widow's raiment to pledge. But thou shalt
remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt, and the Lord thy God
redeemed thee thence : therefore I command thee to do this thing."
The spirit of justice blended with mercy, breathes through
every line of these wise laws. In them we recognise " the finger
of God," whose great attributes, next to unity and eternity, are
justice and mercy.
The Haphtorah of this Sabbath, which is also one of consola-
tion, commences with an address to the daughter of Zion,
encouraging her not to fear, not to be ashamed, nor to be con-
founded on account of her former backsliding after she had
repented :
" For a small moment have I forsaken thee,
But with mercies will I gather thee ;
In the tide of wrath, 1 hid my face from thee for a moment,
But with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the
Lord thy Redeemer."
Here again the attributes of justice and mercy are forcibly
described; the latter predominating in the divine rule of man-
kind.
" For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed,
But my kindness shall not depart from thee ;
Neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed,
Saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee."
PRAYER.
LORD OF GOODNESS ! *' O, how I love Thy law ! It is my medita-
tion all the day. How sweet are Thy words unto my taste ; yea,
sweeter than honey to uiy mouth ! Through Thy precepts, I get
understanding ; therefore I hate every false way. Thy testimonies
have I taken as a heritage for ever ; for they are the rejoicing of my
heart." Such were the sentiments of David, inspired with fervent love
and holy enthusiasm for Thy hallowed laws; and may such be our
emotions when we peruse them. Teach us, O Lord, that we may
value them alike : those that appear to us essential, and of great signi-
ficance, as well as those which we deem, in our weak understanding, as
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAFHTOBAHS. 329
less important, if not as trivial May we duly observe them as alike
emanating from the fountain of Infinite Wisdom : " For the words of
the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assem-
blies, which are given from, one Shepherd." Instruct us, O God of
Knowledge, that we may fully appreciate the innumerable benefits
which they confer upon mankind, and that we may not select those
only, by the performance of which we hope for a great reward, neglect-
ing those for which we expect less. Let us be impressed with the holy
thought, that the reward of a good action is already contained in itself;
and if Thou, Heavenly Father, in Thy mercy dost reward us, it is an
act of grace from Thee, to which we can lay no claim. May no selfish
motives actuate us in the execution of Thy behests ; but let the love of
Thee, all-kind Father, be the main-spring of our thoughts and deeds ;
so that we may say with the pious Psalmist, " Thy testimonies have I
taken as a heritage for ever; for they are the rejoicing of my heart.
I have inclined my soul to perform Thy statutes alway, even unto the end.
I hate vain thoughts ; but Thy law do I love. Thou art my shelter
and my shield. In Thy word do I hope." Amen.
330 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
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SEVENTH PORTION OF DEUTERONOMY.
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" Blessed is the man that heareth me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at the post of my doors.
For whoso findeth me, findeth life,
And shall obtain favour of the Lord."
Prov. viii. 34, 35.
THE portion we read this day commences with the precept
respecting the first fruits which the Israelites of Palestine had
to bring as an offering before the altar of the Lord, accompanied
by a recital of Israel's history in Egypt, of the miraculous
deliverance from bondage, and of grateful acknowledgments for
the possession of the land " flowing with milk and honey." The
offering of the first produce of the soil, before rejoicing in all
good which the Lord has given, will awaken the reflection in
man's heart, that all wealth and treasure come from the Heavenly
Possessor of all, and that whatever we give is but part of that
which we received from Him; indeed, that which we spend in
benevolence we really do possess, whilst the other is fleeting and
uncertain. An ancient writer illustrates this idea in the following
parable :
" A rich merchant, who was a contractor to the government, and
whose wealth was known to be immense, was one day asked by the
king how rich he was. On naming, in reply, a comparatively small
amount, the merchant was asked by the king, ' What ! no more ?
Surely thou tellest no truth!' 'I do,' replied the philanthropist; 'I
certainly have more than ten times as much as I have stated, but the
sum I mentioned I have spent for good and benevolent purposes. This
I do possess, but the other is only under my trust."
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 331
The next part of this Sabbath's lesson contains the blessings
and the curses which were pronounced by the Levites in the pre-
sence of six tribes on Mount Gerizim, and six tribes on Mount
Ebal; the people responding, "Amen." Moses also repeats, with
some alterations, from the book of Leviticus, the various blessings
which would attend obedience, and the punishments which would
follow rebellion. Having already commented upon these bene-
dictions and imprecations in their original place in the book of Levi-
ticus, we shall devote our reflection on this Sabbath to an enquiry
into the former and present political state of the Jews in this and
other liberal countries, verifying the predictions of Moses, as well
as those of later prophets, who foretold the time when oppression
would cease, and equality would prevail. We are impelled to
these devotional thoughts by a triumph recently obtained in the
admission of one of our brethren to the great senate of this
country a victory achieved after many years' struggle and
unabated zeal. But the cause of truth and justice ultimately
conquered the deep-rooted prejudices of former ages. We will
introduce this subject by the following quotation from the
prophet :
" Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth," says the
Lord, through the mouth of his servant (Isaiah Iv. 17). What an
important and hopeful promise! All is to become new again,
the earthly and the heavenly state. A sacred yearning, a never-
ceasing, insatiable panting for a better, happier, more perfect,
and more blissful condition, runs, like a thread, through the
history of man, lives in the songs and lays of nations, and moves
and creeps in every human heart. " It must, it shall be better !"
is the voice of the Lord, resounding from the depths of the mind
of man and his existence, and therefore this voice cannot deceive.
Indeed, it has not deceived, for it has come to pass; the time
vouchsafed is drawing nigh, and has the new heaven in its right
hand, and the new earth in its left.
But the sentiments and emotions which animate us this Sab-
bath we find recorded in the following passage:
" When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like
them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our
tongue with singing; then said they among the heathen, The Lord
hath done great things for them. The Lord hath done great things for
us, whereof we are glad. Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as the
streams in the south. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He
that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless
come again rejoicing, bearing his sheaves with him" (Ps. cxxvi.).
For the proper understanding of the above passage, we will
but just mention the event to which it refers. Israel leaves the
Babylonian captivity, and becomes free not by power, nor by
332 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
strength but by the spirit of the Lord (Zech. iv.6); which
actuates a non-Israelite ruler, whom God calls His Messiah ( Isaiah
xlv. 1), to give liberty and a fatherland to Israel, who is panting
for freedom. This the captives in Babylon did not expect. So
rapid a change of fate they hardly dared to hope for; and they
express their emotion in our text, that this change came like a
dream upon them ; they found no words to give vent to their joy
their language was that of song. But other people also, says
the Psalmist, participate in Israel's improved condition, and this
exalts Israel's joy. This rejoicing is, however, perpetuated, be-
cause Israel sees in this happy event the hand of her paternal
Guide, who permits those to reap in joy who sowed in tears, and
who will lead the emancipated to a perfectly happy future. Even
the separate grains of corn will become full sheaves. Let us
compare this with our history, our condition, and our circum-
stances; for
We, also, have been taken by surprise ;
We, also, are rejoiced;
Our joy is also exalted by the participation of others;
Our gladness is perpetuated by faith in Divine Providence;
and
Our prospect in the future grows brighter and more inviting.
These five points we will now proceed to elucidate.
" When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were
like them that dream," exclaimed our ancestors, when God freed
them from their oppressive chains, and when, from the dark
night of bondage, dawned the morning of liberty. They stood
amazed; they saw it, and believed it not; they then believed it,
but could not comprehend it. What has not been done, on the
part of Israel, to conciliate and appease the rulers of the earth,
the great and the small, by word and by letter, to move them by
tears and petitions to receive them also among the number of
their children us, also, with a glowing heart, desire the weal
of the country, and whose pulses beat loudly for the salvation of
our native land? With how much learning and eloquence,
armed with the weapons of understanding and common sense,
have the men of Israel, for the last eighty years, written and
spoken for the civil equality of their brethren; but in vain. A
trifling ease of the burdens which pressed us down was all that
could be obtained. But, behold ! the Lord has created a new
earth. Lo ! He has sent forth the spirit of justice, of wisdom, of
liberty; and that spirit it was which dispelled the visions of
hereditary privileges, of dark prejudices, and of slavish notions,
from our native land; and in that city in which often so much
that was unjust, unwise, and unfree, was brooded and executed
against Israel, there arose noble-hearted, truly liberal and sensible
men, who assisted us also to attain the dignity of man. There
THE PENTATEUCH AND IIAPHTORAHS. 333
assembled men who pronounced the sentence and made it law,
that neither religion nor church, neither faith nor state, should
restrict man, created in the image of God, in the enjoyment of
those rights which were granted to him by God; that only by
his powers, by his abilities, by his character, and by his walk in
life, man, as a citizen of the state, is to be judged and valued
EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL who are worthy of the children of
man.
It appears as a dream, but it is none. We may, indeed, be sur-
prised, like our fathers; we may, indeed, be amazed, if we recall
the past to our mind. But it is, nevertheless, a reality. We are
acknowledged by our authorities as true and legitimate children
of our native city, and may henceforth enjoy the privilege granted
to every resident of this free country. Well may we, therefore,
shout and sing, as our fathers did, according to the Psalm of our
text.
" Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue
with singing;" or, is the slave not to shout when his chains are
taken off ? Is the oppressed not to rejoice when the oppression
ceases? Is the disowned and discarded not to give vent to his
rapturous joy when at last he attains the rights long withheld,
and when ultimately he obtains that spiritual boon the
privation of which he has painfully felt and suffered ? To BE
FREE, however great a happiness it is, can be described in
words. To BECOME FREE after centuries of slavery, to be
FREED that idea language cannot convey here language
must become song. Prose cannot define such an event, it requires
the flight of poetry. And thus has the poet described us. Now,
however, the Lord has taken off the disgrace of exclusion, and
offers us His and our most noble gift, the heavenly boon of boons,
in full measure. We are at once free citizens and free men ;
" free men," we advisedly say, because the one without the other
is an impossibility. Whoever is not free as a citizen, is not free
as a man ; because, we think, to move in the free air, to eat and
to drink, to build a house or a cottage, and to dwell therein with
his own, all that does not constitute human freedom it is the
freedom of a beast, of a senseless creature, and nothing more.
But to co-operate in the welfare of man, to apply all his powers
to the cultivation of man, to be unfettered in word and action, in
in thinking and expressing his thoughts; to be able to fill every
office, every place in the state, however high it may be, so long
as the Creator has endowed us with strength and talent to fill it;
to be permitted to speak, live, and aspire to higher and the
highest affairs (we mean mentally), according to his convictions
that, and that alone, is human freedom. But that freedom,
Israel, with millions of non-Israelites, has long been pining for.
But now it has partly come; we have received it from the very
334 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
authorities who had hardly dreamed, a few months since, of
giving it to us.
'' Then said they among the people, The Lord hath done great
things for them. The Lord hath done great things for us, therefore
we are glad."
Even non-Israelites participated and interested themselves in
the happy change which has come over Israel; they promoted
our affairs, and assisted us in the recovery of our rights, which
had long been withheld from us, as we read in the first book of
Ezra ; and this participation, to which our text alludes, augmented
Israel's joy. Need we say, that the participation in our welfare
by our fellow-men is calculated to enhance our joys? Pain is
readily born by the good man in seclusion, but joy appears to him
only complete when his fellow-man shares it with him. Such is
our lot at present. In our joy at the precious gem of civil
liberty and equality, sympathise, no doubt, millions of beings in
far countries. No man who is endowed with genuine feelings of
humanity can be glad and merry so long as he sees oppression
round about him; in every one who is fettered he sees his own
chains, he sees humanity in bonds; nay, if the expression be not
too bold, we would add, he sees the Deity lowered in its dignity
when he beholds a slave. For our part, we do not consider
mankind saved, so long as there is a single slave on God's earth.
It is the participation in our joy, then, which enhances Israel's
happiness. We may also rejoice in the sympathy which, near
and afar, manifests itself in those pious souls with whom liberty
is no empty sound. The better class of our fellow-citizens stretch
out to us their brotherly hands, shout with us, and exclaim,
" God hath done marvellous things." But not only the higher
and middle classes; for there seems to be a universal voice, com-
mon to all, which declares that we have been too long treated as
aliens. The people begin to see that we have been excluded
without a cause, and that justice owes us a heavy compensation;
and this universal sympathy declares, " The Lord hath done
great things, therefore we are glad."
" Our joy is perpetuated by faith in Divine Providence." God
has turned the captivity, says the reflecting Israelite; it is He
who has changed our tears into gladness. It was not Cyrus, nor
his councillors, nor his vassals; but it was God who used them
for the purpose, who freed Israel from the Babylonian captivity.
It was God who led the languishing to refreshing fountains in the
midst of the desert; it was the God who neither slumbers nor
sleeps to Him the honour is 'due. And this faith in God, this
salvation-bringing thought, enhances and perpetuates our joy.
When we look back a year, and survey all that has passed,
we ask, "Do we dream? or are we awake? Is it a fable, or a
THE PENTATEUCH AND IIAPHTORAHS. 335
reality, which we have heard and seen?" Such a triumph cannot
be the work of blind chance. It came from the Lord of times
and of people; from Him whose path is not only throughout
nature, but throughout history. We must confess, " This is the
Lord's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes." Like the first re-
demption from Egypt, like the second from Babel, the third,
which we have now lived to see, has also been predicted by the
greatest of prophets (Deut. xxx. 3). A higher power than we can
see hovers over us, a higher love bears us, a higher wisdom guides
us, and directs the fate of nations not with human short-
sightedness, not with mortal impotence, but with a wisdom that
never deceives, with a security that never fails, and with a
strength that nought resists. This heavenly care has ever borne
and nursed Israel; it has ordained the seasons, and changed them
(Dan. ii. 21); it has ripened the seed of tears into a harvest of
joy. Not princes, not people, but God, has prepared this feast;
and it is with Him, and in Him, that we must enjoy it.
" He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall
doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him."
This passage has puzzled the commentators; they could not
trace the connection with the preceding verses. But whoever is
intimate with the history of the Babylonian captivity will at once
perceive the connection. It is true, that the Perso-Median ruler
gave to Israel liberty and a father-land ; but, to complete their
well-being, much was wanted. To that end Ezra, the scribe, and
the future leader of all reformatory efforts in Israel (Ezra iii.), yet
remained behind in Babylon. It may, therefore, easily be imagined,
that many an Israelite looked upon the liberty or, rather, the
privileges obtained as but a trifling matter, which our text
calls " a small vessel of seed" (jnTP! "]G?D)- But this state did
not last long; the precious gift of freedom was soon completed.
Israel began to feel herself at home ; temple and altar stood forth,
and the few grains of seed became sheaves of corn. Thus, also, is
it with our present emancipation. Like the sun, gradually pene-
trating the sea of surrounding clouds and mists till he stands in
his full glory in the firmament of heaven, and warms and illu-
mines a world, so it is with the sun of liberty. Let us refresh
ourselves for the present in the single rays; they are the precur-
sors of the light of noon ; for God Himself has vouchsafed to us a
new heaven and a new earth, and in that heaven, and on that
earth, a sun will rise which never shall set, spite of those who
conjure up the night of bigotry and persecution spite of all who
would like to destroy equality among the children of God, but
would restore the traffic in human bodies and consciences. But
it will not, it cannot succeed, else there would be no God in
heaven, and no justice on earth. No, it shall not succeed; for
338 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
for He woundeth and bindeth up, He bruises and His hands heal again."
Let us apply these words of comfort, pronounced by Eliphaz the Tema-
nite, to our desponding spirits, after reading the fearful and terror-
striking curses and imprecations hurled at the head of the obdurate and
incorrigible sinner and rebel, as recited by Moses in the lesson of this
Sabbath. On their first perusal, the reader will ask, with Job, " Is my
strength the strength of stones, or is my flesh of brass ? Is there no
help in me ? and is hope driven quite from me ?" Can the body bear
all this pain, these plagues and maladies ? or can the spirit endure all
these sufferings and humiliations ? Can there be any severer calamity
than that comprised in the short but terrible sentence we read to-day,
" The Lord shall give thee a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and
sorrow of mind" ? But the same volume which contains these curses
holds out the promise, and abundantly pours forth the balm of consola-
tion, that Thou woundest and healest, Thou bruisest and bindest up
again. Frequently do the afflictions and calamities in this valley of
trouble and anguish so heavily weigh on our bodies and spirits, that we
despair of enduring them ; yet in Thy mercy, O Lord, Thou sustainest
us, and we come forth clean and purified from the crucible in which
Thou hast tried us. Grant, O Lord, that the words of comfort and
consolation with which Thy Holy Law abounds may constantly be
before our minds when Thou paternally correctest us by punishment,
and exhortest us by suffering, so that we may say, with the Psalmist,
" Trouble and anguish have taken hold of me, yet Thy commandments
are my delight." Amen.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 339
"HO
EIGHTH PORTION OF DEUTERONOMY.
n:>n
" Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the holy is understanding ;
For by me thy days shall be multiplied,
And the years of thy life shall be increased." Prov. ix. 10 4.
HAVING concluded the powerful exhortation, which we read
on Sabbath last, with enjoining upon Israel the observance of
the covenant, Moses now addresses the nation, the heads of their
tribes, their elders, and their officers, all the men of Israel, as
Avell as their children, their wives, and the stranger in the camp;
people of all ranks and stations, even hewers of wood and drawers
of water. He represents them as standing on that day before the
Lord, to enter into covenant, and into the oath which He made
with them. He emphatically repeats, that the oath and the
covenant are not with them alone, but also with their posterity:
" Neither with you only do I make this covenant and this oath,
but with him that standeth here with us this day before the Lord
our God, and also with him that is not he re with us this day."
The Midrash observes : " When Israel had listened to the im-
precations pronounced by Moses/' (as appeared in the lesson of
Sabbath last), " amounting to nearly one hundred terrible sen-
tences, their spirits were reduced, and they said, Who can stand
against these?" Moses then pacified them, by reminding them :
" You stand here this day;" often and grievously have you pro-
voked the Lord, and He has not destroyed you; for you yet
remain a nation, and so will He in future preserve your totality,
though He may visit you individually with the punishments
merited.
7. 2
340 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
But Moses, who was inspired by the Omniscient with the
knowledge of the human heart its vanity, its obduracy, and its
pride knew that there were many who had heard the denunci-
ation of immorality and irreligion, and the subsequent retribution,
and yet cared little or nought for them, imagining that they were
only threats for the purpose of intimidation into obedience.
To these perverse and stubborn minds he addresses the warning :
" Lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and
wormwood, and it come to pass when he heareth the words of
this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have
peace, though I walk in the luxuriousness of my heart, to heap
satiety on the thirsty soul:* the Lord will not spare him .... and
He shall separate him unto evil out of all the tribes of Israel,
according to all the curses of the covenant that are written in
this book of the law." Such is the reply to that boasting licen-
tiousness, to which men are addicted who have no faith in reve-
lation and its moral teachings, but entirely rely upon their
physical strength and their imaginary " cleverness/'
He thus concludes the admonitions of this chapter: " The secret
things belong to the Lord our God ; but those things which are
revealed belong unto us and unto our children for ever, that we
may do all the words of this law." The question will naturally
be asked, Which are the secret and which are revealed things ?
But the answer is given in the very next chapter: "For this
commandment, which I command thee this day, is NOT HIDDEN
FKOM THEE, neither is it far off." Here Moses, by divine
authority, distinctly tells us, that the sacred law is not wrapped in
mystery, as some secret-mongers would fain make us believe, nor
is the knowledge thereof beset with difficulties, for " it is not in
heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven,
and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and doit? Neither is
it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the
sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it and do it.
But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth and in thy
heart, that thou mayest do it/'
From this simple explanation, we perceive at once that the divine
commandments are not the secret things; that their comprehen-
sion is within the reach of all of us; that though they were
revealed to one generation, they are made manifest to every
succeeding generation. The secret things, however, are the
essence of the Supreme Creator, who is all spirit, and also the
essence of the spirit within us; this has not been revealed, as the
prophet said, " No eye has seen it, Lord, except Thou." Nor
j* We entirely deviate here from the Authorised Version, and other translations,
'j? JTn v ")E> signifies sensuality,, and recklessness in excessive gratification; vv-hil-t
nXDSH fix niin niSD jjjb? we render as above, satiating the thirsty soul, the
root nil expressing, satisfying to fulness and excess.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTOllAIIS. 341
can man, " living in houses of clay," which signify the perish-
able body, ever attain the knowledge thereof. These matters are
purposely hidden from us by the All-wise Creator, and it would
be presumptuous in us to dive into these mysteries; and those
who have dared to dive into them have sunk. " Behold I have
laid before thee this day the life and the good, the death and the
evil; in that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God,
to walk in His ways, and to keep his commandments, and his
statutes, and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply.
Even this day can we all acquire life, if we open our hearts to
the dictates of true love; for hatred and envy, wickedness, and
evil desires, are the actual, spiritual, and moral death, against
which our law so earnestly admonishes us. But in the same
measure as Providence has wisely ordained, that though each
streamlet which meanders through the meadow, is in itself a
pleasant spectacle to the beholder, many streamlets must neverthe-
less carry their waters into the river, which, thus acquiring a high
importance, bears on its bosom ships without number, and diffuses
commerce, trade, intercourse, and blessing over a whole country,
so was it intended, that each individual man, and each single
family, shall and must unite themselves with a larger mass, with
a community, in order to obtain value and importance. And
what is the means of union, the bond which keeps any commu-
nity together, and promotes their prosperity? It is the principle
of love. The individual Israelite must not regard himself solely
as a member of the congregation to which he belongs; he must
likewise bear within himself the consciousness that he is destined
by God to belong to the whole congregation of Israel, and all
mankind on the face of the earth. If the spirit of true love
towards God, the law, and Judaism, has found a place in us, then
must all petty jealousies between various communities vanish;
then will the walls of separation which divide them fall to the
ground ; for they will then see and understand that they have all
the selfsame task, the selfsame destiny, to glorify on earth the
name of the ONE, the blessed God of our fathers, and that in this
no one can have a preference above the other.
With the spirit of love must also come the spirit of a pure,
undefiled faith, which must fill us, if we wish to be Israelites in
the full sense of the word. Through the spirit of love we can be,
without doubt, good and honest men and worthy citizens; but
are nevertheless, through this means, not yet Israelites, not yet
champions in God's army, who are ready to aid with all their
powers in the establishment of the divine kingdom on earth.
Only, then, do we become Israelites, when we believe in the ONE,
eternal, and invisible God, who shares his glory with none other,
and gives not his praise to idols; that the Holy One, praised be
He, watches over the acts and omissions of every man, probes his
342 SABBATH MEDITATIONS OX
innermost soul; that nothing escapes His omniscience; and that
He dispenses reward and punishment in the measure of justice,
which is also accompanied at the same time with mercy. These
doctrines are embraced in the first two of the ten commandments,
which our forefathers heard themselves immediately out of the
mouth of the Deity, on Mount Sinai.
As Israelites we are, moreover, bound to believe, that Moses
was the principal among the prophets, and that through him,
God revealed His holy will, His laws, and His ordinances. To
this day we are obliged to observe the execution of these laws
and ordinances, so far as it is within our power; therefore ought
every Israelite to occupy himself with the study of the law as
often as possible, and endeavour to obtain instruction therein
from wise and God-fearing men. A principal advantage of Ju-
daism consists in this, that it demands of its professors only obe-
dience towards the decisions of the judges of every period, but
not by any means a blind faith in the words of its spiritual
teachers; on the contrary, every one should, with his own reason,
with his own power of penetration, and with unlimited love for
the truth, endeavour to impress on himself the doctrines of
religion, and the prescriptions, and the articles of faith. Not-
withstanding this, have the pious Israelites at all times held in
honour their preachers and rabbies, so soon as they had con-
vinced themselves that these were penetrated with true fear of
God, and esteemed the honour of their faith higher than their
own honour and their own interests.
Let us, then, all who are inclined to the adoption of religious
sentiments, and whose example has so great an influence on the
education of children, hold fast to this our holy faith, and let us
prove also its presence by acts which correspond with it. Let us
especially celebrate our Sabbath and festivals as holy days de-
voted to God, on which men and women, youths and maidens,
should flock to the houses consecrated to the Lord, to become
strengthened in the spirit of our holy faith, and to take an example
by the life of God-inspired men of yore. Let us not forget that
nothing contributed more to the preservation of our law than the
very Sabbaths and festivals on which the people obtained public
instruction. Thus, also, it is related in the Talmud :
" Once upon a time, the Israelites were prohibited by the tyrannical
government of the Romans, from engaging in the study of the law. Pa-
phos, son of Judah,came to a place where he found a large mass of people
assembled, to whom Rabbi Akiba was expounding the law. The former
then said to him, Akiba, fearest thou not the government, the law of
which thou violatest? But Rabbi Akiba answered him, I will tell thee
a parable. A fox once took a walk along the bank of a river, in which
he discovered a mass of fishes, who swam hither and thither in the
greatest confusion. He asked them, What causes this great disturb-
THE PENTATEUCH AND IIAPIITORAHS. 343
ance among you ? To which they replied, We fear the nets which men
have spread against us. I will give an advice, said the fox. If you
desire to be safe, then come and live with me on shore, just as your
fathers formerly used to live with mine. What, they exclaimed, art
thou the one who is called the most cunning of beasts ? Thou art not
cunning 1 , but the most foolish. If we are not safe here, where alone
we can live, what can we expect of a place where we are sure to die ?
Just so it is with us Israelites: if we are not safe when we adhere to
our law, of which it is written, It is thy life and the length of thy days,
what have we to expect if we forsake it? Soon afterwards, Rabbi
Akiba was thrown into prison ; but Paphos, son of Judah, was also taken
and put in the same place of confinement. When Rabbi Akiba saw
him, he asked Paphos, What had brought thee hither? To which he
replied, Happy art thou, Rabbi Akiba, that thou sufferest for the law ;
and woe is thee, Paphos, that thy suffering proceeds from the vain and
worthless things of the world."
The same Rabbi Akiba, as we narrated in a previous medita-
tion, when he had been led to the place of execution, and was
compelled to yield his spirit amidst the cruel tortures of the
minions of tyranny, called out with his expiring breath, " Hear,
Israel, the Eternal, our God, the Lord is one." Never would
Rabbi Akiba, one of the greater teachers of our people, have
acted contrary to the commands of the government, never would
he have taken part in the revolt of his fellow-Israelites under the
guidance of the celebrated Bar Cochebah against the Romans;
never would he have ascended the scaffold ; if he had not felt the
most absolute conviction that Israel would sooner or later become
again an independent kingdom, and that the Creator of life had
destined the human soul to endure for ever.
The chapter concludes with the following summary:
" I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I
have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. There-
fore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live. That thou
mayest love the Lord thy God, that thou mayest obey His voice, and
that thou mayest cleave unto Him ; for He is thy life, and the length
of thy days."
The annals of our history fully bear out this record. Through
captivity and the edge of the sword we were taught in the days .
of our national existence, that destruction only is the portion of
those who forsake the Lord. And in adversity we were in-
structed that those are not forgotten who (irmly place their trust
in the Rock of Ages, the Everlasting One, to whom appertain
the power and the dominion. Israel has thus been tried in the
furnace of affliction, and also in the sunshine of prosperity.
Unmitigated calamities, /unceasing banishment, daily slaughter,
would have at length destroyed us, had we remained ever so
constant in our attachment to our religion; for the worshippers
344 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
would have ceased when the people of Israel had all been anni-
hilated. The tribulations, however, were an excellent means to try,
to purify, and to make us white. The wicked, who had not the
Lord in their heart, started back at the sight of the dark vaults of
the noisome dungeon, and they fainted before the sharp edge of
the drawn sword; they fell off, and became mingled with the
oppressors; and from them sprung many who were the bitterest
enemies to those of their father's faith. Whilst, in the same
times, the martyrs persevered in their righteousness, and proved
to the world how the Jew can love his God ; how he can prize
beyond every possession the hope in the truth of his father; how
he can despise all things on earth, and cast away life, if thus
only he can seal his truth and his faith. The defection of the
weak is to us a beacon, a warning, pointing out the dangers of
the deeds for which these have been cut off from the community
of Israel. The heroism of the brave brave not in worldly
battle, but in a contest in which angels of purity might fittingly
have participated is also a beacon, an incentive, a guiding
star, the bright blaze of the lighthouse upon the distant promon-
tory, pointing out to us the track into the safe harbour, where we
can anchor with unfailing security, in the haven of righteousness,
our storm-tossed bark, when the voyage of life is ended. Again,
there have broken over us days of greater calm and peace; the
world no longer professes to hate the Jews; they are acknow-
ledged as children of a common Father; and everywhere there
are many who speak well of Israel, and who seek to promote our
welfare. The race for scientific improvement and far-reaching
enterprise is again open to us, and many of us scarcely remember
even now, the days of sorrow which we fain would hope have
passed away. But " Jeshurun has also again grown fat, and he
kicks; many of us are not able to withstand the temptation of
prosperity; they feel themselves better, in their own imagination,
than their humbler and less enlightened brothers ; and they seek
after distinctions which, to Jews, are not easily attainable, and for
alliances which remove them from their own friends. But at the
same time there are many, and these a hundred-fold greater
in number than the others, who glory in their descent, and do
honour to their name; these discover, in the improved state of our
particular condition, no motive for self-gratulation, but one for
thankfulness to the Deity, who has looked down upon our affliction,
and remembered unto us the covenant with our fathers, that He
would not forsake us, nor even leave us because of His great and
holy name by which we are called.
May we then take to heart the words of our text :
" The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the holy is understanding ;
THE PENTATEUCH AND IIAPHTORAHS. 345
For by me thy days shall be multiplied,
And the years of thy life shall be increased."
This Sabbath we read the last of the seven " Haphtorahs of
Consolation" (ninbPO $%&) it again enunciates the principle,
that the salvation of Israel depends on her own reformation ; upon
the removal of oppression within; the establishment of justice
internally, leading to peace and praise from without. The pro-
phet commences:
" I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
My song shall be joyful in my God;
For He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation,
He hath covered me with the robe of RIGHTEOUSNESS,
As a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments,
And as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels ;
For as the earth bringeth forth her bud,
And as the garden causeth the things that are sown to spring
forth,
So the Lord will cause RIGHTEOUSNESS and PRAISE to spring
forth before all the nations."
Israel being destined to shine forth as a light to the nations, she
may now, after the consolidation of her internal affairs, and the
confirmation of her character as a " holy people," by the strict
exercise of the laws of justice, claim the monitorship of the
universe:
" For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace,
And for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest,
Until the RIGHTEOUSNESS thereof go forth as a luminary,
And the salvation thereof as a torch that guideth.
And the nations shall see thy RIGHTEOUSNESS,
And all kings thy glory."
But the promotion of that justice which is to lead to the
glorious epoch, when " Israel shall no more be termed FORSAKEN,
nor the land be called DESOLATE," depends upon the leaders of
the people, upon their integrity and their fearlessness in the dis-
charge of their duties. The Lord, therefore, says:
" I have et watchmen upon thy wall, O Jerusalem,
Who shall never hold their peace, day nor night:
Ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence."
He now defines the duties of the office of these spiritual
watchmen. It is not only to " stand upon the walls;'' not only
to look on and report the approach of enemies from without the
city; but they must also watch the peace within, and remove
all the obstacles from the course of progress. The prophet calls
upon them :
346 SABBATH MEDITATIONS OX
" Go through, go through the gates ;
Prepare ye the way of the people.
Cast up, cast up the highway ; gather out the stones ;
Lift up a standard for the people."
When thus the way is cleared from obnoxious intruders, who,
under the mask of guiding the people, lead them astray, then :
" Behold, the Lord will proclaim to the end of the world:
Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh ;
Lo, his reward is with him, and his work before him."
The reward on earth is centered in the good work, whilst sal-
vation in a future state will surely follow. The prophet closes
with a fervent prayer of thanksgiving :
" I will mention the loving-kindness of the Lord,
And the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath
bestowed on us ;
And the great goodness towards the house of Israel,
Which He has conferred on them, according to His mercies,
And according to the multitude of His loving- kindness."
PRAYER.
O LORD OP ETERNITY ! A covenant hast Thou made with Abraham,
the first teacher of the doctrine of Thy Unity, that to his descendants
shall fall the lot and the privilege to propagate the same doctrine
throughout the earth. This covenant hast Thou established with his
son Isaac, who was willing to seal it with the sacrifice of his life ; and
Thou hast further confirmed it to Thy servant Jacob, in the dream of
the ladder, at Beth-el, which he, in the firmness of his faith, conse-
crated " a house of God, and the gate of heaven." In Thy mercy, O
Lord, hast Thou again remembered that covenant in the message of
redemption from slavery, sent by Moses to the dejected and oppressed
Israelites in Egypt. But the crowning of its glory was consummated
by the revelation of Thy Holy Law on Mount Sinai. And though
" the heart of the Israelites remained not right with Thee, neither were
they steadfast in Thy covenant, yet Thou, being full of compassion, for-
gavest their iniquity," and renewedst the covenant which they had
broken. Through the intercession of Thy faithful servant Moses, Thou
wrotest again the words of the covenant on two tablets of stone, after
the first had been cast away by him with just indignation, at the breach
and violation of the sacred compact so soon following its conclusion.
The patriotic prophet, seeing his death approaching, and feeling that he
would soon have to relinquish his sacred trust, gathered the people
together, high and low, young and old, male and female, and impressed
upon them, in language unequalled for holy ardour by the greatest
orators of any epoch, the obligations under that covenant, and its per-
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAIIS. 347
petuity for all generations. We implore Thee, O Lord, that our hearts
may be penetrated with the importance, sanctity, and eternity of Thy
covenant ; so that we may not say, " We will walk in the luxuriousness
of our imagination, satiating our cravings to excess," and unmindful of
the wise boundaries by Thy precepts. Let us not say the covenant was
made thousands of years ago, with a certain people in a barbarous age,
and in a peculiar climate, and therefore is not applicable to, nor binding
upon, us ; but let us remember the emphatic admonition of Thy truth-
ful messenger: " Neither with you only do I make this covenant, and
this oath, but with him that standeth here with us this day before the
Lord our God, and also with him that is not here with us this day."
Grant, O Lord, that we may remember the encouraging words of
Moses, showing that the study of the laws of this covenant is accessible
to all of us, and that the matters which are revealed belong to us and
to our children for ever. Amen.
348 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
i -no
NINTH PORTION OF DEUTERONOMY!
nnn nx *v?? nm DB> DTK px
TI TI rv?np men era pate }w
" There is no man that hath control over the spirit to retain the
spirit ;
Neither is there any one who hath power in the day of death."
Eccles. viii. 8.
THE time had now arrived for Moses' making arrangements
regarding the succession of the leadership after his death,
and to direct the affairs of the Israelites especially to the object
before them, the taking possession of the Land of Promise. He
therefore addressed them with the calmness of pious resignation:
" I am an hundred and twenty years old this day; I can no more
go out and come in (which signifies heading them in battle), and
the Lord hath said unto me, Thou shalt not go over this Jordan.
The Lord thy God, He will go over before thee, and He will
destroy these nations from before thee, and thou shalt possess
them ; and Joshua, he shall go over before thee as the Lord hath
said." He assured them, on Divine authority, that though he
would die, the great object in view would be carried out by
Joshua, who would lead them as he did while the Omnipotent
would " go before them " and direct and support their measures as
He had hitherto in His mercy sustained him. After promising
that the Lord would deal with the nations beyond the Jordan as
He had dealt with Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites and
with their countries, he concludes with the words of encourage-
ment: " Be strong and of a good courage; fear not nor be afraid
of them; for the Lord thy God He is it that goeth with thee;
He will not fail thee nor forsake thee." The next step was his
charging Joshua with the duties of the office, and also addressing
him in similar words of encouragement, and assuring him also of
the Divine support. He said to him, in the sight of all Israel :
" Be strong and of good courage, for thou must go with this
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 349
people unto the land which the Lord hath sworn unto their
fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it.
And the Lord He is it that doth go before thee; He will be with
thee, He will not fail thee neither forsake thee : fear not neither
be dismayed." When Moses had thus concluded his address to
the people, and his charge to Joshua his successor, we read that
he wrote this law and delivered it unto the priests, the sons of
Levi, who bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and unto all
the elders of Israel. In order to perpetuate that law which
existed only in writing, he commanded them, saying:
" At the end of every seven years, in the solemnity of the year of
release, in the feast of tabernacles, when all Israel is come to appear
before the Lord thy God, in the place which He shall choose, thou
shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing. Gather the people
together, men, women and children, and the stranger that is within thy
gates, and that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the
Lord your God, and observe to do all the words of this law ; and that
their children, which have not known anything, may hear, and learn to
fear the Lord your God, as long as ye live in the land whither ye go
over Jordan to possess it."
Notwithstanding this precautionary measure adopted by Moses
for the perpetuation of the holy law, it is evident from Scripture
that this ordinance must have been neglected throughout many
generations, in the time of the kings of Israel and Judah, that
not even a copy of the law was extant among the people, and
every remembrance of it had vanished for a long period from
them. For we read (2 Kings xxii. 8) " that Hilkiah the high-
priest said unto Shaphan, the scribe, I have found the book of
the law in the house of the Lord. And Hilkiah gave the book
to Shaphan, and he read it; and Shaphan, the scribe, showed it
the king, saying: Hilkiah, the priest, has delivered me a book,
and Shaphan read it before the king." So novel appeared the
contents of the book to the pious king Josiah, that we read,
" And it came to pass when the king had heard the words of the
book of the law, that he rent his clothes." The Divine will, how-
ever, which ordained the perpetuity of the sacred law of the
covenant, notwithstanding all the tribulations of Israel, was here
powerfully manifested; and, though it was lost for centuries, it
was discovered, and again renewed by Josiah, as we perceive
from the following passage:
" And the king sent, and they gathered unto him all the elders of
Judah and Jerusalem. And the king went up into the house of the
Lord, and all the men of Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem
with him ; and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, both
small and great : and he read in their ears all the words of the book of
the covenant which was found in the hou&e of the Lord. And the kins
350 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after
the Lord, and to keep His commandments, and His testimonies, and
His statutes, with all their heart and all their soul, to perform the
words of this covenant, that were written in this book. And all the
people stood to the covenant."
We now come to that part of the lesson of this Sabbath in
which God announced to Moses the approach of his end, and the
Divine prediction of the future destinies of Israel. It is in this
passage which we read that the Lord said to Moses, " Behold thy
day approacheth, thou must die," that the Midrash introduces the
words of our text: " there is no man that hath power over the
spirit to retain the spirit, neither is there any man who lias power
in the day of death." Even the man who had often ascended the
mount, and had direct communion with the Eternal, who could
even dispense for many days and weeks with the necessary
aliments of the body, his spirit being almost sufficient to sustain
him, even he had no control over it to retain it. Even he of
whom it is said, "The wise man scaled the city of the mighty
and brought down the strength of the confidence thereof," even
lie had ultimately to succumb to the established laws of nature,
and yield to the mighty hand of death.
Having warned Moses of his approaching dissolution, the
Omniscient said to him: " Call Joshua, and present yourselves
in the tabernacle of the congregation, that I may give him a
charge." The charge consisted in commanding them to write
the song which Moses had to recite before the children of Israel,
and which was to testify to them as a witness in times of disobe-
dience and rebellion. That such time was sure to come, and that
many evils and troubles would befall them in consequence of
their ingratitude, was well known to Him " who calleth the
generations from the beginning," who would then " hide his face
from them," or, in other words, would withdraw from them the
protection of His special providence JVtD*l) nn^H, and leave
them exposed to the vicissitudes of fate and the fluctuations of
fortune. But He also foretold that they would reflect in the day
of trouble, and say: " Are not these evils come upon us, because
our God is not among us?" This will lead them to consider
the words of the song, and they will turn from the way of cor-
ruption into the path of truth and religion. Whenever Israel
thus roused herself, whenever we read of her awakening from
lethargy to activity, either in ancient or modern history, we
notice in her character a remarkable perseverance, which carried
her through the direst afflictions, and made her overcome diffi-
culties and obstacles, which to many other and powerful nations
seemed insurmountable.
" What historian is there," (asks a Jewish author), " who can do
justice to that indomitable perseverance which characterises espe-
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 351
cially the modern history of our race? Fancy we behold a
beautiful plant, luxuriant beneath the skilful hand of an expe-
rienced gardener ; see it blessed with the dew of the morning,
the sunshine of the day, and the zephyr of the evening; suddenly
you see it uprooted, torn, mangled, trodden under foot, and so
disfigured that you can hardly distinguish root from branch, or
flower from bud we sigh for pity and give it up for lost.
Strange, we scarcely turn our back, and we behold this identical
plant in another spot. The germ lives, the stem shoots upwards,
the leaves expand, the shining buds glisten amongst the foliage,
the calyx becomes enlarged, the brilliant petals open their chintzy
gates, and with God's dew upon their face, they display their gor-
geous nuptial beds to our wondering gaze. Whilst yet we
admire its revived brilliancy, a sudden whirlwind shivers its
branches to atoms ; its tender leaves are scattered and blown to
all quarters of the globe ; its uncapsuled seeds thrown abroad on
the wings of the wind, and by the birds of the air ; what hope can
there yet remain for this poor down-trodden offspring of earth?
But the ways of the Lord are inscrutable. On other spots and
in different climes, far from its native home, the humbled plant re-
appears, its trodden-down seeds, even out of the bowels of the
winged messengers, come forth again, and seek a home in the
pliant earth again they spring into life, again they perish, and
again they revive; let us fancy this ten thousand times in the
space of eighteen centuries, and we have a faint idea of Israel's
history. And what a vast scope is there for a poetical or pro-
saic pen to luxuriate in a description of that thrilling scene which
must have taken place in Babylon, when, for the first time, it was
announced to the captive Israelites, that it was the will of the
freat Cyrus, that they should return to their own dear native
erusalem ! What a shout of delight must have burst from the
lips of myriads of human beings? The river Chebar must have
swelled its overflowing waves with the tears of gratitude which
flowed from the eyes of the aged captives, as they were about to
seek a grave in their own native homes. And the great Cyrus,
the hero whose name floated on the inspired theme of the im-
mortal prophet, Isaiah ; can it possibly be true, that the anointed
one of God, the Redeemer of his chosen race, should have fallen
ignominiously, the sport and rage of the infuriated queen, To-
myris? And where do we find a scene, either in history or
fiction, in prose or in poetry, half so affecting, as must have been
that of which we are told : " The ancient men that had seen the
first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before
their eyes, wept with a loud voice." What a wonderful change
nature and captivity must have wrought upon these " ancient
men" in seventy years, except of their souls, how much of that
which constituted their SELF did they bring back as octagenarians?
352 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
And the poor old men, "they wept." Who could behold such a
sight unmoved? " And the old men wept with a LOUD VOICE."
Well might they weep. What a difference between the Jerusalem
of their childhood and that of their manhood. Where is all the
golden splendour of the Solomonic temple; where the glorious
ark; where the Urim and Thummim; where is that mysterious
quenchless heavenly fire that used to adorn the altar of God? It is
gone but not for ever.
And now, could we tear the veil of oblivion asunder, and read
the changes that seventy years of captivity must have wrought
upon the inward man, what a revolution might we not perceive
in their feelings, in their religious and moral reflections, and in
their appreciation of divine justice and mercy. From its infancy
the Jewish nation has been threatened with expatriation, as one
of the greatest penalties of disobedience to the Divine will ; but
like a favorite child, which cannot look upon the anger of a fond
parent as real, they never would believe or conceive that any
such a dread calamity as that which subsequently befell them,
could ever really overtake them; in vain the prophets admonished
the idols had for them superior charms; in vain they threat-
ened yet they were lulled in security. But lo, the long-
threatened calamity at last did come, and like the earthquake
which engulfed Pompeii in the bowels of the earth, it came
quickly, surely, and tremendously. Scarcely did the captive
children of Israel find themselves securely seated in their captive
homes, than the burning reflections flashed across their pensive
minds, that all their misfortunes overtook them, because they
were idolators because they despised and neglected the laws of
God given through Moses. What would a patriot do to be
restored to his native land once more to behold it, and partici-
pate in its prosperity? A sudden, all-powerful, and irresistible
passion took hold of every heart the law of God became their
study by night and day. Idolatry was FOR EVER discarded fron
the ranks of Israel; learning became the chief ladder to honour
among themselves; and the influence of an Ezra, which might
have been insignificant as that of the royal favorite, became irre-
sistible as that of the u wise student of the law." He alone was
most worthy of esteem, rank, and honour, who studied the law,
and could expound its open and secret meaning in the most
scholar-like manner; hence patriotism, and the glowing desire of
once more beholding their fatherland, through a meritorious study
and observance of the Mosaic law, became the grand corner-stone,
the very foundation of that vast, immeasurable, and unfathomable
bulk of rabbinical literature which began with the first captivity,
and is not yet ended in the last. And the poor captives? God
in his infinite mercy heard them at the appointed hour, and
brought them again to the land of their fathers. With hearts
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 353
full of zeal and devotion, they cheerfully laboured and toiled,
until, in the sixth year of Darius, the second temple reared its
head amidst the joyful acclamations of the people.""
In the Haphtorah of this Sabbath, the prophet also exhorts
Israel to leave the way of wickedness and return to God. He
thus begins his admonition:
" Seek ye the Lord while He may be found;
Call ye upon Him while he is near."
He then explains how we can find the Lord, and when he will
be near to us, not only by prayer, fasting, and humiliation,
but
" Let the wicked forget his ways, and the unrighteous man his
thoughts ;
And let him return unto the Lord, who will have mercy upon
him,
And unto our God, for He will abundantly pardon."
The stubborn sinner may ask, " How can I be pardoned after a
long life of sinfulness?" and may say with Cain, " Is not my
iniquity too great to be forgiven?" To which the prophet
replies :
" My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my
ways, saith the Lord;
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are my ways higher than your ways,
And my thoughts than your thoughts."
Mortal man can judge of what is probable or even possible in
the hidden future, only according to the extent and range of his
limited capacity. He cannot see beyond a certain distance with
his physical eye, nor with that of his mind; and this short-
sightedness, so widely different from the all-seeing and all-pene-
trating eye of God, is exemplified by the distance of heaven from
earth. The inspired Isaiah, then, by an apt simile, illustrates the
safe and infallible nature of the Divine word and promise:
" For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven,
And returneth not thither, but watereth the earth,
And maketh it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater ;
So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth :
It shall not return unto me void ;
But it shall accomplish that which I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."
The fulfilment of the Divine word shall restore harmony in
* Post-biblical History of the Jews, by Hertz Ben Pinchas.
A A
354 SABBATH MEDITATIONS OJf
nature and peace to society; success will attend every effort for
individual and national amelioration, and. from labours hitherto
the most unfruitful and hopeless, the most beneficial results will
spring forth:
" For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace :
The mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into
singing,
And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir-tree ;
And instead of the brier, shall come up the myrtle tree :
And it shall be to the Lord for a name,
For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off."
As in the previous exhortations, Isaiah told the Israelites that
all the ceremonial observances of repentance are unavailable
unless attended by practical righteousness and justice, so here
again he reminds them:
" Thus saith the Lord, Keep ye judgment, and do justice ;
Then will my salvation be near to come,
And my righteousness to be revealed.
Blessed is the man that doth this,
And the son of man that will lay hold on it. ....
Then will I bring them to my Holy Mountain,
And gladden them in my house of prayer.
Their burnt- offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon
mine altar ;
For my house shall be called a house of prayer for all people."
PRAYER.
" O LORD ! Make me to know mine end, and the measure of my
days, what it is, that I may know how frail I am. Behold, Thou hast
made my days as an hand-breadth ; and mine age is nothing before
Thee. Verily, every man at his best state is altogether vanity." In
Thy infinite wisdom hast Thou, O God, concealed from man the dura-
tion of his life, and the end of his days. It is for his own good that
Thou dost not reveal to him the length of his sojourn on earth, so that
he should every day be prepared for heaven. " Repent one day before
Thy death," advise the, sages of old ; and, as every morn may bring
forth that "one day," we should be ready every day for the departure.
But how few of us, O Lord of Eternity, can boast that we are prepared
for this journey into a new life ? How frequently do we even lose sight
of it altogether, when our mind is occupied with the numerous and
attractive scenes which crowd upon our attention in this busy and
changing world ? How many of us, possessed of earthly treasures in
abundance, niggardly deal out " their mites," and tardily dole out the
hand of relief and assistance, appeasing their consciences by intended
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAH8. 355
posthumous bequests, which it may never be in their power to accom-
plish, or which never may be applied so appropriately and effectively as
they might have done, in their living judgment? We beseech Thee,
All-gracious Father, that though Thou withholdest from us, Thy chil-
dren, the knowledge of the day of dissolution, Thou mayest in Thy
mercy awaken us in this life to that useful activity by which we may
effect good for ourselves and our fellow-labourers sowing the goodly
seed, the fruit of which we may reap, either in those fields which are
subject to outward casualties, or in yonder regions, which are unaffected
by any influences of time or circumstances. Then may we say with the
Psalmist: "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want; He maketh
me to lie down in green pastures, He leadeth me beside the still waters,
He restoreth my soul, He guideth me in the paths of righteousness for
His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow
of death, I shall fear no evil, for Thou art with me ; Thy rod and Thy
staff they comfort me." Amen.
A A 2
356
TID
TENTH PORTION OF 0BUTKRONOMY.
Kin
" I know that whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever:
Nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it.
And God doeth it, that men should fear before Him."
Eccles. iii. 14.
THE lesson of this Sabbath commences with the song, the
importance of which becomes evident from the Divine com-
mand, " Write ye this song for you, and teach it the children of
Israel : put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness
for me against the children of Israel." It begins thus :
" Give hear, O ye heavens, and I will speak ;
And hear, O earth, the words of my mouth:
My doctrine shall drop as the rain,
My speech shall flow as the dew,
As the small rain upon the tender herb,
And as the showers upon the grass."
The prophetic bard, as allegorically described in the Midrash,
said, " I am but of flesh and blood, to-morrow I may die; if
Israel should say, we have not accepted the covenant, who shall
come and refute them." He, therefore, called heaven and earth
to witness, evidence which will last for ever. And if they shall
prove faithful, these very witnesses will come and give them their
reward: " The vine will give its fruit, and the earth will yield
her increase, and the heavens will give their due." But should
they be guilty of violating the covenant, " the hand of the wit-
nesses shall be upon them first;" and, " He will close the heavens,
and there shall be no rain, and the earth shall not yield her
fruit."
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 357
*' When I call the name of the Lord,
Ascribe yc greatness unto our God ;
The Rock whose work is perfect, all His ways are judgment ;
A God of truth, and without iniquity, just and right is He.
If they corrupt themselves, it affects not Him.
No, the blemish is that of His children,
Of a perverse and crooked generation."
The imperfection of man cannot affect the perfect God; nor
the creature's injustice, the Creator's judgment; the corruption of
mortals cannot influence the all-righteous Lord, but recoil upon
the perverse and obdurate heart. He now appeals to their sense
of gratitude:
" Do ye thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise?
Is not He thy Father that has owned thee ?
Has He not made thee and established thee ?
Remember the days of old; consider the years of many gene-
rations.
Ask thy father, and he will show thee ;
Thy elders, and they will tell thee."
The prophet then, in the most sublime language, describes
the numerous bounties of the Most High to the children of Israel;
how
" He found them in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilder-
ness;
He led them, He instructed them ; he kept them as the apple of
His eye.
As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young,
Spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her
pinions;
So the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange god
with him."
This poetic description of the Divine protection of Israel is so
lofty, that no comment can possibly enhance its grandeur. After
denouncing, in words glowing with indignation, their ingratitude
and faithlessness, and praying, " that they were wise, and con-
sidered their latter end," he closes with the Divine sentence :
" See now, that I, even I, am He, and there is no God with me.
I kill, and I make alive, I wound, and I heal ;
Neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand."
When Moses had concluded this memorable song, he addressed
the nation for the last time previous to his final blessing in the
following words: " Set your hearts unto all the words which I
testify among you this day, which ye shall command your
children to observe to do, all the words of this law. For it is
358 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
not a vain thing for you; because it is your life." This Sabbath,
being generally the one intervening between the new year and
the Day of Atonement, falling in the ten penitential days (rDfcJ*
PQlfcy)) we shall now devote our reflections to the subject of
repentance. From among the numerous passages in Holy Writ,
dwelling upon the privilege and efficacy of repentance, we will
give the words of Micah:
" Who is a God like unto Thee, that pardoneth iniquity,
And passeth by the transgressions of the remnant of His heritage ?
He retaineth not His anger for ever, because He delighteth in
mercy."
For the elucidation of these sublime words, let us quote the
following sentence of the sages of old :
rotmnn PBJ mo iy no
,, TDK na"pr6 *bwv "isam
mv p ^>y *n
Wisdom was asked, " What ought to be the punishment of
the sinner?" and Wisdom answered, " Evil persecuteth the
sinner." Then Prophecy was asked; and Prophecy answered,
" The soul that sinneth snail die/' Then the Torah (Law) was
asked; and the Torah answered, " The sinner has to bring sacri-
fices, and the sin will be atoned for." But at last the Lord
himself answered, " The sinner may repent, confess his sins, and
his sin and he shall be forgiven." It will be observed, that the
first sentence was the severest, then it became milder and milder,
until the Lord himself pronounced the most merciful. Let us,
therefore, reflect on the arguments of each, and pray the Lord
that our meditations may bear blissful fruits.
When Wisdom was asked, " What ought to be the sinner's
punishment?" the answer was, " That the sinner ought to be
pursued by the sin eternally." The judgment seems to be harsh
and cruel ; but it only seems so. By Wisdom we understand that
cold judgment which looks neither to the right nor to the left;
which will not listen to the arguments of mildness and clemency.
It is the first rule in the criminal code, that, according to the
crime, such is the punishment. Insult against a low character,
cannot be punished alike with that against a respectable man ;
the offence to a respectable character cannot have the same
punishment as that committed against majesty; but the guilt
increases with the dignity of the person against whom the offence
is directed. The offence which the sinner commits intentionally
against the divine law, is directed against the Supreme Being,
against the eternal God. With the same measure that he meted,
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTOUAHS. 359
it shall be meted unto him. Can we be surprised, that the
punishment ought to be also eternal? that the sinner seals his own
destruction, separates himself for ever from the favor and presence
God, and is consequently given up to darkness? Must we not
remember against whom the offence was committed, against the
greatest Benefactor, before whom the worlds tremble? What
would be thought of a child who, carried in a parent's arm,
watched by a parent's eye, fed at a parent's table, dwelling
beneath a parent's roof, shut out that parent from his heart,,
despised him, and mocked at him? What would be thought of
such a child? We would regard him as a cast-away, and would
submit him to the severest punishment. But is not an offence
against God infinitely worse, who had nourished, cherished,
guarded, and protected us; loaded us with benefits and mercies
from our cradle; who has dealt with us in all kindness and sin-
cerity, even before we could thank Him? ^fi *]T^ Tl
" Thou hast forgotten the rock that begat thee " (Deut. xxxii. 18).
We must confess a common sense of justice cannot regard the
sentence of Wisdom as too severe.
When Prophecy, however, was asked to give her judgment,
Prophecy, who looked deeper into man's soul and body, answered,
" The soul that sinneth shall die." Wisdom is right thus far,
that offence against the Eternal deserves an eternal punishment.
But it is not the soul which committed the transgression, it is
the disturbance and tumult of passion; it is sensuality and intem-
perance which become the masters of the sinner's breast; it is
the impulse which draws downward ; in one word, it is the body
which is the instrument, and therefore, HI/SH KTI HtfDirin fc^S^r
the ANIMAL part has forfeited the privilege of life, and death
ought to be its doom. We cannot object, Why shall such a
severe verdict be the lot of man? Is not the frailty of the body
also an emanation from God? " Is it my fault that my constitu-
tion is framed to drag me downward to the earth and earthly
objects? Is not the serpent within, this first and strongest of
all enemies, D^^il 7J? K^K^ given to me from my birth? 1
am not to be blamed for my iniquities; my own Creator gave me
a disposition prone and ready to follow evil with hasty steps." We
must not say so; for man has freedom of will, he is his own
architect: as he has a power which drags him down to the earth,
he has another power which draws him up to heaven, which can
withstand all the forces of the outward world, all the pains which
fire, sword, and storm can inflict; he has a light which is perpe-
tually darting beyond that which is present and visible, struggling
against its earthly prison-house; he is gifted with a flame which
shows him the right way. Man is his own tutor: he does -not
depend on the education of his parents alone; it is not finished
360 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
by them; there are other agents in that work the whole
universe has the office of preceptor to him ; he can take lessons
from all that he meets, sees, and feels; nature, society, and expe-
rience, are volumes opened to him everywhere ; he can use them
to govern his inclinations, anxieties, and temperament; and if he
does not so, if he follows wrong, evil, and darkness, the verdict
of Prophecy is justified, THAT THE END OF SIN is DEATH.
When the Torah (Law) was asked, " What ought to be the
sinner's punishment?" the Torah, which " has long life in her
right hand, and honour in her left hand," agreed neither with the
sentence of Wisdom, that man should forfeit his life in this and in
the next world, nor with that of Prophecy, that death shall be
the sinner's end ; but her sentence was, " The sinner shall bring
sacrifices, and be pardoned." Let us not misunderstand those
momentous words. It is not the sacrifice itself that pleases the
Lord.
HD3
asked Micah: " Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and
bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before Him
with burnt-offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord
be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of
rivers of oil?" (Micah, vi. 6, 7). No; the sacrifice was an
equivalent, the representative of man, the internal interpretation
of his thoughts. He who offered the sacrifice was obliged to
confess thereon his guilt; was bound to bring before his mind
that the procedure which was done to the poor animal ought to
be done to himself, did not the Lord hate the sacrifice of man.
If a man brings an offering, he must bring it of his own, of his
better portion, (Lev. i. 2), no foreign thought, no mental reserv-
ation was allowed therein ; and Sohar expresses itself
, o-ta vh KJ3ip , Knn ^n -QJVK vh w , mstn nn on^N
" The sacrifices of God are a contrite spirit;" namely, if the
sacrifice was not accompanied by a contrite spirit, it was null and
void, and might be cast to the dogs, (Sohar of Leviticus). There-
fore, when the idea was misapprehended, when the essence dege-
nerated to a form, when a multitude of sacrifices was offered
without the inner man, the Lord said:
ran rbiy nm Sy cms N 1 ?! n^nns nx
" 1 spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them, con-
cerning burnt-offerings and sacrifices," (Jeremiah, vii. 22); such
burning and meat-offerings I have never commanded, I never
THE PENTATEUCH AND 11APHTOKAH8. 361
intended them. But the Torah meant offerings in which the
outward sacrifice and the inward intention went hand in hand.
However, it is obvious that this remedy was only so long-
available as the temple was standing; but after the fall of the
temple, when there was neither priest, nor altar, nor sacrifice any
longer, from whence should help come to the sinner? Should
eternal destruction, should death, be his last refuge? Must
not the liability of man to sin, in the course of time, have made
Israel cease to exist? Let us rejoice, therefore, in the answer
which the Almighty God, in his infinite mercy, has given:
-iSDm rai>n rw HMiy no oin
" Let the sinner return to me, and he shall be forgiven." The
Creator, knowing the frailty, the weakness of our nature as
the potter knoweth the nature of the clay of which he makes a
vessel has provided us with a remedy, to return and to be
healed. To save man, to save the whole nation from destruction,
the God of mercy determined that neither perdition, nor death,
nor sacrifice, are wanting, but a repenting heart, a contrite mind;
and therefore our text proclaims : <f There is no power like our
God, who rejects the views of wisdom, of prophecy, and even of
the law, pardons iniquity, and passes by transgressions, by His
mercy, by His grace. Let us then appreciate this inestimable
gift to see our shoulders loosened, and our consciences relieved
from the heavy burden of sin. To-day we may be despised and
contemned ; to-morrow we may be esteemed, regarded, and be-
loved by God; to-day a wall of iron maybe between us and Him,
to-morrow it may be removed ; to-day we may be at the utmost
distance from our God, to-morrow in his arms again. Maimonides
says:
p -ain IK n'pnxn r6yo pnno
o'piyo Ntsn N"? I'PND KTinn vsb Kin nomi
(Maimonides, Hilchoth Teshubah, vii. 4).
" The repentant must not think that after his penitence he is still
in an inferior position towards his God : it is not so ; he is, on the
contrary, as much beloved and regarded as if he had never
sinned/' And let us not say, How is this change in the esteem
of God to be reconciled with the unchangeableness of God, one
of His attributes: " God is not a man, that he should lie, nor the
son of man that he should repent/' Let us remember, that the
change is not in God, it is in ourselves; it is owing to my infirm-
ity that the right hand of the Most High changes His benefits.
It is not the sun which undergoeth any change when we are de-
prived of its warmth and beauty; it is but the clouds, which
362 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
place themselves between us and the sun. It seems as if the sun
changes its position every night, when darkness descends upon
us; but it only seems so; it is but we ourselves on the earth who
have changed our position, and must resume it again. Our
shadow has gone down ten degrees, as the sun-dial of Ahaz; we
must endeavour to move the same backwards ten degrees, and
our recovery will be effected.
However infinitely great and merciful the judgment of the
Lord may be, we must not fall into the other extreme, and take
the matter of repentance too easy, thinking that we have done
our duty when we merely repent our iniquities. This would be
a grievous error. The passive state of our mind is not sufficient,
although we sorrow for the sin with a godly sorrow ; it requires
some activity:
1T3 TC?BK1 13 "131^ "OT 1T3 N3B> HT
(Maimon. Hilchoth Teshuba, ii. 11).
What is true repentance? It is when the same sinful object
which tempted and conquered him before occurs again, and he
becomes the master of his passion, and avoids it :
(Yoma, fol. 87).
" When is a man called 'the beloved of God?' When he
leaves his evil ways, and gets rid of the sin, which it is in his
power to commit again."
Let us not forget that there are impediments which prevent
our repentance from being accepted, and among them is the
Dfcyn TP^H if we have profaned the name of God, by bringing
disgrace on our whole people through dishonesty, if we have
wronged our neighbour by any kind of fraud, or impoverished
him to enrich ourselves. It is the remnant of the inheritance,
in/PD rV"1XK% for which the Lord will retain His anger; there-
fore, if a man cares not that the rest of Israel will be blamed,
that the efficacy of God's law will be doubted, he has forfeited
the privilege of God's mercy, and he will earn the wages of
sin.
Further, let us not forget that another of these impediments
consists in the attempt to seduce others, if he openly and publicly
profanes the day of the Lord, paves the way for others to break
it, and facilitates an excuse to his neighbour to imitate his own
vile and odious example. This is the difference between $?fc?3
and |iy; J1J7 is a sin committed in a concealed mannner, whilst
the latter (J^S) is a careless opposition, an open violence.
Lastly, let us not forget, that the kindness of God to recovei
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 363
man is limited to the iniquities committed against Him alone, but
not extended to those we have done against our neighbours. If
we have offended or injured him, and we harden our heart
against bringing about his reconciliation; if we have a heart of
flesh towards God, and a heart of stone beneath; if we have eyes
full of tears upwards, and eyes full of envy downwards; words
full of humility toward God, and words of anger and haughtiness
to our neighbour, we cannot expect the atonement of God.
Therefore, let us enter the new year with a new heaven and a
new earth Tl1 DVPl DHKHpl; " Sanctify yourselves'to-day and
to-morrow ; be ready against the third day/' for then the Lord
will decide who are His. He, the Judge of the Universe, will
then have the balance in His hand, and He will weigh, not only
our gross transgressions, but also our minutest faults.
Parents who have been so fortunate as to have brought their
children from the last into the new year, should pay their grati-
tude towards God, who has preserved their lives; and sons and
daughters who are so fortunate as to have their parents, ought to
thank them warmly for their kindness ; their duty it should be to
cling to them with confidence and love, and be to them an honour
and an ornament, a solace and a support. Let them guard them-
selves against those bitter tears which they must shed if they
have neglected their duty, and now express the fruitless wish,
" that I could bring them back again, how differently would 1
behave towards them." But when, from ignorance or from
rashness, we have neglected our duty, let us implore pardon from
Him who is faithful and just to forgive. Let us endeavour to
enter the new period, by recommending our efforts to the bles-
sings of Him by whose guidance all things are ordered, upon
whose disposal all success depends, and " who will keep truth to
Jacob and mercy to Abraham."' 35 '
The portion of this Sabbath concludes with the divine com-
mand to Moses, that he should go up to the mountain, Abarim,
and to Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, which is over
against Jericho; that he should die in the mount, and be
gathered unto his people; closing with the terrible words, " Thou
shalt see the land before thee, but thou shalt not go thither."
The decree which issued from the heavenly Judge at the waters
of Meribah was irrevocable. To the human understanding, it
may appear as a heavy, if not severe, punishment; but the ways
of Providence are inscrutable; and the Divine Ruler, as we have
seen in the case of Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, chastiseth
His most faithful servants with more rigour, as an example to
the world, as it is expressed in the Divine words
* The above is extracted from a sermon delivered by the liev. Dr. Adlcr, on
364 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
" by those that are near me I will be sanctified." OS
DyP! SD "liDtf* u And thus shall I be honoured in the lace of all
the people/' The wise preacher admits the same convictions in
our text :
" I know, that whatsoever God doeth it shall be for ever :
Nothing shall be added to it, nor anything be taken from it.
And God doth it, that man should fear before Him."
In the Haphtorah of this Sabbath, the prophet Hosea urges the
people to repentance in the following terms :
" O Israel ! return unto the Lord thy God ;
For thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.
Take with you words, and turn to the Lord :
Say unto Him, Pardon all iniquity,
And receive us graciously,
And let our lips compensate for the offerings of bullocks."
We have on various occasions, cited this text, to show that our
prayers are deemed an efficient substitute for animal sacrifices by
the All-merciful God ; but we have also proved from numerous
passages in Holy Writ, that prayer alone, without practical re-
pentance, is unacceptable to God, and inefficacious. In the
chapter of our Haphtorah, the prophet, although promising that
words of remorse and penitence should lead to pardon, yet he
adds, that the cure can only be effected by active amendment of
conduct, and by returning from the path of evil :
" I will heal their backsliding, I will love them benevolently;
For mine anger is turned away from him.
I will be as the dew unto Israel:
He shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon ;
His branches shall spread, and bis beauty shall be as the olive-tree,
And his fragrance as Lebanon."
The dew which moistens the plants, and causes the roots to
develop, is a figure of the inward springs of piety and benevo-
lence, which call forth the good and virtuous actions which are
represented as branches that spread, on account of their leading
to emulation, and which are the essence of sincere repentance.
Hosea concludes his exhortation, by intimating that it is not
only necessary to read the word of God, but also diligently to study
it, in order to arrive at the proper understanding thereof; and
that this study should be conducted in that spirit of devotion,
which will tend to a due appreciation of its righteousness and its
wisdom :
" Who is wise, and he shall understand these things ?
Prudent, and he shall know them ?
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAH8. 365
For the ways of the Lord are right :
The just shall walk in them ; but the transgressor shall stumble
therein."
Much depends upon the spirit and disposition in which we sit
down to read, and contrive to understand the Divine Word. If
we start biassed and prejudiced against revelation, and have no
one to guide us into the right path, we shall stumble and fall.
But if we impartially and fairly investigate the truths shining
forth in the law of God, we shall be enlightened and improved;
we shall attain blessings here and hereafter, by walking steadfast-
ly in the just ways prescribed by an all-just God.
PRAYER.
O GOD OF LOVB AND MERCY ! " Thou desirest not the death of the
wicked ; but that they should return from their sinful paths and live."
In Thy infinite grace hast Thou vouchsafed to accept the penitence of
sinful man, and to receive his prayers as a substitute for sacrifices, pro-
vided they are the offerings of the heart, and followed up by actual
amendment of his ways, and an improved course of life. The present
season of the year has been appointed by Thee, O Lord, for examining
our conduct during the past year; and if we find as surely we shall
that we have been deficient in the performance of our most sacred
duties, and that we have transgressed many of Thy holy and salutary
laws, we shall repent of the past, and determine to be better and wiser
in the year before us. But although these stated times are devoted by
us to penitence, guard us, O Lord, against the erroneous thought, that
when the penitential season has elapsed, and another year has passed
along the current of time, we may, in the next, relapse into our former
religious inactivity if not into the commission of those offences for
which we have made confession, and prayed and fasted for forgiveness.
Cause us to remember, O Lord, that we are to return unto Thee before
death overtakes us ; and, as that day may be to-morrow, we should be
prepared at all times for the call to appear in Thy presence, and
render an account of the trust confided to us. May we, by Thy
guidance, O Omniscient Father, be enabled to say with David, " My
soul is penetrated with a longing unto Thy judgments at all times. I
have chosen the ways of truth ; Thy judgments have I always before
me." Amen.
3fif> SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
nmn nn "no
ELKVKNTH PORTION OF DEUTERONOMY,
n o "i3 Dnn w no npijn -n nxo nann e
" Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord,
Or who shall stand in His holy place ?
He that hath clean hands and a pure heart ;
Who has not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
He shall receive the blessing from the Lord,
And righteousness from the God of his salvation."
Ps. xxiv. 35.
OUR reflections of Sabbath last dilated on the various ways of
repentance and its efficacy. We have shown that active
repentance, consisting in conquering evil habits, mastering
passions, and resisting temptations, is not only accepted by God,
but that the penitent is also fully admitted to the Divine grace,
and is called " His beloved." *
In the last blessing which Moses the man of God pronounced
upon Israel before his death, he commences, as Rashi justly
observes, with the praise of the Omnipotent, and then continues
with the wants and merits of Israel. The blessing opens with a
poetic description of the Divine revelation:
" The Lord came from Sinai, and rose up unto them from Seir :
He shone forth from Mount Paran, and came with myriads of holy
ones :
From His right hand a fiery law went forth for them."
* Beautiful, indeed, is the Talmudic idea, that repentance was pre-existent to
to the erection of the material world, As soon as there was a material world, sin
became possible; but the mercy, of God had prepared an antidote for the time
when it would be wanted ri3D? n&OSH DHpn fl3"pn " God sent the remedy
before the evil" (Megilla 13). Great is the glory of repentance," said R. Abuhu
(Midr. Thillim, Ps. 96), " for it existed ere the world was created." Rev. D. W.
Marks' Sermons, p. 95.
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPITTORAHS. 367
The decalogue was given from the midst of the fire of a burn-
ing mountain as a symbol of the ardour and holy zeal which was
indispensable for Israel to surmount the obstacles which they were
sure to encounter in carrying out the Divine laws and statutes.
" Though He loveth all people, though all His saints are in the
Divine hand :
(For even they sat down at Thy feet, and received Thy words;)
Unto us Moses commanded the law; it is the inheritance of the
congregation of Jacob.
He was the King in Jeshurun (the righteous one),
In gathering the heads of the people, and uniting the tribes of
Israel."
The love of God extends to the whole human race ; none are
excluded from His mercy, and all are permitted to participate in
eternal bliss and salvation. But He has chosen the people of
Israel for revealing His law to them, and through them to man-
kind at large. The King of kings elected Jeshurun, the right-
eous one, if they are deserving of that name for the residence of
His glory, so long as the heads of the people and the tribes of
Israel shall be united. When they, however, forfeited the claim
to the title of righteous, and when they became disunited, the
residence of the Divine glory departed from them, and with it
vanished the protection of His special providence.
Moses now proceeds with his benediction on the various tribes.
Reuben he blesses with numerical power; Judah with superiority
of physical strength; Levi with the privilege of being the
keepers and teachers of the law ; Benjamin with assigning the
place of His sanctuary in the portion of His inheritance; Joseph,
Ephraim, and Manasseh, with fertility of soil and prowess in
war; Zebulun with success in battle; and Issachar with domestic
peace; Gad with extensive landed possessions and executing the
justice of the Lord; Dan with extraordinary power; Naphthali
with plenty in his vast inheritance, extending to the west and the
south; and Asher with abundant produce of oil, iron and brass.
The history of Israel shows that these blessings were conferred on
each tribe as specified by Moses, proceeding from Divine inspira-
tion. He concludes the benediction with addressing the nation
generally :
' ' Happy art thou, O Israel !
Who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord,
Who is the Shield of thy help, and the Sword of thy excellency!"
And as long as Israel trusts for her salvation in God alone ; as
long as she confides in Him as her Shield ; as long as she considers
her excellency as not resting upon her own physical means but upon
368 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
the moral power she possesses by the purity of her faith; so long
will she maintain the enviable position, that more numerous
and more powerful nations will greet her,
" Happy art thou, O Israel : who is like unto thee !"
The chapter which now follows is the last of the portion of
this Sabbath, the last of Deuteronomy, and hence the last of the
Pentateuch ; recording the death of its gifted and inspired writer.
It commences thus :
" And Moses went up from the plains of Moab, unto the mountain
of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho. And the
Lord showed him all the land, . . . and said to him, This is the land
which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob ; saying, I
will give it unto thy seed. / have caused thee to see it ivith thine eyes ;
but thou shall not go over thither."
The rabbies of the tradition allegorically state that in showing
Moses the several portions situated in the Land of Promise, the
Lord intimated to him the incidents in the history of the various
tribes and the destinies of Israel generally, until the consumma-
tion of the prophecies realised in the glorious epoch of the
advent of the Messiah and the resurrection of the dead.
We now come to the passage which, simply in language un-
adorned, narrates Moses' departure from life: " So Moses the
servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to
the word of the Lord And Moses was an hundred and
twenty years old when he died : his eye was not dim nor his
natural force abated." But not only his physical eye remained
undimmed, not only his bodily vigour was unabated to the day
of his death; but also his intellectual powers were not weakened,
and his spiritual faculties were not diminished, as is evident
from the song and blessing which he pronounced immediately
before his dissolution, and in which the vigour of his mental
vision and the ever-shining light of his great mind appear as
brilliant as in the sublime productions of his youth. Happy are
they who, like Moses, enjoy the blessing of retaining full posses-
sion of the faculties of body and soul until the hour of death.
Happy are they who are able to continue providing for their
eternal journey till the hour of their departure.
We read in the D^^SH inHO : The sage was told that a
certain man died in the full vigour of health. " Pray, replied
the sage, can he be deemed healthy, about whose neck death is
hanging?" The sage having observed a certain man greatly dis-
mayed, he addressed him to the following effect: "If thy
anxiety is merely concerning this world, the Creator has already
relieved thee from it; and if thy solicitude concerns the world to
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 369
come, may the Creator increase it." * When the world is tested
by the man of intellect, it will be found an enemy, in the garb of
friendship. A certain sage having been overtaken by sickness,
was asked to disclose his affairs, to which he replied, " What
can you expect from one who sets out on a distant journey with-
out provision, who is about to descend unattended to a pit in the
wilderness, and who is cited to justify himself before the king,
and has no defence ; assailed by so many calamities, what can be
his condition?" The querist, however, replied, "But how are
these evils to be remedied?" To which the sage rejoined, " He
who attains much by little; he who is conscious of the sublunary
vicissitudes; he who vanquishes the allurements of the lesser for
the sake of the greater world he will be doubly happy."
We will now recur to our text, which the Midrash applies to
Moses :
" Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord ?"
The rabbies answer, MOSES. For Scripture says, " And Moses
went up unto God " (Exodus xix. 3).
" Or who shall stand in His holy place ?"
We reply: MOSES. For it is said, "For the place whereon
thou standest is holy ground " (Exodus iii. 5).
" He that hath clean hands ;"
which may be said of MOSES, as it is written, " I have not
taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them"
(Numbers xvi. 15).
" He that hath a pure heart ;"
Which may be truly said of MOSES, who, being told by the
Lord that He would consume Israel, and would make of him a
great nation, refused high honours to the detriment of the na-
tion, but interceded for the people, as it is recorded that he
prayed, " Wherefore is thy wrath kindled against thy people,
which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt, with
great power and with a mighty hand?" (Exodus xxxii. 11).
* This maxim is likewise to be met with in Algaxali's ,p*1 "OTNtt but in more
conspicuous phrases than those of our author. IHN^ K1DJ> D3H 1JO "IDIOCY 1D3
& run &ort D^iyn hy inmx DK iS IONI pixnoi m&o . IHNIKO vTino
-|r6m max a -ft yi ntn D!?iyn njo Nin DNI im-ino nr6v as it is
related by a sage, who addressed one of his friends, whom he heard to sigh and
complain, to the following effect: "If thy sighing be concerning the world to
come, behold, thy affairs have already prospered; but if it be concerning this
world, be assured that thy wares have already perished." From a manuscript
translation and commentary on the Mibchar Hapnimin, by the Rev. B. H. Asher.
B B
370 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
" Who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity,"
Moses; having fearlessly and patriotically executed judgment
upon the Egyptian who smote the Hebrew without cause.
" Nor sworn deceitfully."
which again may be applied to MOSES, as well as the concluding
passage :
" He shall receive the blessing from the Lord,
And righteousness from the God of his salvation."
As we read in this Sabbath's lesson, "and this is the blessing
wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel
before his death;" which benediction he had received from
Divine inspiration to confer upon Israel.
The closing of the earthly career of Moses is replete with
instruction. Here we have the great leader of a nation, their
liberator from servile bondage, appointed to that great mission by
God Himself the absolute ruler of a million of people, the
civiliser of an uncultivated horde, the pacificator of a discontented
mob, the judge of a querulous mass of people, the arbitrator of
jealous claimants and haughty pretenders and yet " the man
Moses was very meek above all the men which were upon the
face of the earth."
Here we have a prophet " like unto whom there arose not a
prophet since in Israel" ; who, nevertheless, when told that others
prophesied in the camp, replied to Joshua, who was jealous of
his master's authority, " Enviest thou for my sake? Would God
that all the Lord's people were prophets !" Here we have a man
who possessed irresponsible civil power over a whole nation, and
who might have easily appropriated to himself their wealth, and
who, nevertheless, could boast, " I have not taken one ass from
them, neither have I hurt one of them." Here we have a man
with whom God spoke face to face, whose countenance shone
with the light of God, yet did he ever pretend to a higher cha-
racter than that of a divine prophet ? Did he ever pretend to
more than a humble birth? Here we have a seer, whose miracles
and wonders acknowledged as such by Jews and Christians
were most numerous and remarkable, yet did he ever claim spi-
ritual parentage and supernatural descent ? Here we have the
greatest of men record his sins as well as his virtues, and with
his own hand write down the dreadful punishment inflicted on
him, because he did not "sanctify the Lord in the eyes of the
children of Israel" at the memorable instance of the waters of
Meriba. The dreadful punishment we read in the lesson of this
Sabbath, and on HTIH HPl/b^ (Feast of Kejoicing in the Law).
After forty years' pilgrimage through the burning sands of a
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 371
desert, exposed to a fiery sun and still more fiery serpents; thirst-
ing for water, and panting for refreshing shade; hunted by the
wild beasts of the desert, and by the still wilder bands of Amalek,
Ammon, and Moab; distracted by civil discord in his own camp,
and menaced by mutiny and rebellion; after fighting fierce bat-
tles against enemies within and without; after completing such a
journey with the primary view of leading the people into the
land flowing with milk and honey, being near to the long-desired
goal, reaching already the top of the mountain that is over
against Jericho, a city in the Holy Land; and the Lord having
shown him all the land, for the possession of which he endured
more pangs than ever human being suffered, " the Lord said
unto him" mark the punishment " This is the land which I
sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will
give unto thy seed: " I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes,
but thou shall not go thither" !
The Midrash has the following parable :
THE DEATH OP MOSES.
" When Moses, the faithful servant of God was to die, and his end
approached, the Lord gathered the angels around His throne. ' It is
now the time,' He said, ' to summon the soul of my servant before me:
who will be my messenger ?'
" The eldest of the angels, Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel, together
with all the others who stood before the Divine Glory, said, ' He has
been our instructor; O pray Thee, let us not demand the soul of that
man.' But the apostate Sammael stepped forward, and said, ' Here I
am, my Lord, send rne.'
" Clad with wrath and cruelty, he descended, the flaming sword in
his hand, and glutted in anticipation of the pangs of the righteous.
But on approaching him he beheld the countenance of Moses, ' and his
eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.' The great prophet was
writing his last song, and the holiest name of God. His countenance
shone with the calmness of innocence and the purity of heaven.
" The enemy of man was startled : his sword sank, and he hurried
away. ' I cannot take the soul of that man,' said he to Jehovah ; ' for
I have found nothing wrong in him.'
" Then the Lord Himself descended on earth to take the soul of His
attached servant ; and His faithful messengers, Michael, Raphael, and
Gabriel, together with all the angels of heaven, descended with Him.
They prepared the death-bed of Moses, and stood severally at the head
and foot thereof; and a voice was heard saying, ' Fear not ; I myself
will bury thee.'
" Thereupon Moses prepared for death, and sanctified himself, as
one of the seraphs is sanctified ; and the Lord called unto his soul,
' My daughter, a hundred and twenty years I had appointed unto thee
to dwell in the house of my servant. His end has come: go hence,
and linger not.'
B B 2
372 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
" And the soul of Moses said, ' O Lord of the universe, I know that
Thou art the God of all spirits and of all flesh, and that in Thy hand
are the living and the dying. From Thy hand I received the fiery law,
and I saw Thee in the midst of the flames, and walked the way of
heaven. By the power of Thine hand I stepped into the king's palace,
took the crown from off his head, and wrought many wonders and
signs in Egypt. By the strength of Thine arm I led the people forth
from the land of bondage, divided the sea, turned the hitter waters
sweet, and revealed Thy laws to the children of man. My dwelling
was under a throne of glory, and my tent under the pillar of fire. I
spoke to Thee face to face, as a friend speaketh to a friend. And now,
my days are up ; take me, I come unto Thee.'
" The mercy of the Lord then embraced His servant, and, kissing
him, took his soul. Thus, Moses died by the mouth of God, who
Himself buried him ; ' and no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this
day.' "
The scriptural historian then records the succession of Joshua,
the son of Nun, after the thirty days of weeping and mourning
for Moses were ended ; and in the last verses of the Pentateuch,
he, by Divine inspiration, confirms the superiority of Moses over
all future prophets:
" And there arose not a prophet since in Israel, like unto Moses,
whom the Lord knew face to face : in all the signs and the wonders
which the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh, and to
all his servants, and to all his land ; and in all that mighty land, and in
all the great awe which Moses showed in the sight of all Israel."
"We are bound to accept this high testimony to the character
of Moses, not only because it emanates from divine inspiration,
but also, rationally speaking, from the evident impartiality and
truthfulness of the whole Pentateuch. Unlike histories written
by men, in which the '.heroes of the narrative are represented as
infallible, in which their great virtues and excellencies are pro-
minently brought forward, whilst their weak points and short-
comings are suppressed; Moses, the historian of the Pentateuch,
faithfully records the faults, as well as the virtues, of the great
men of the age, not omitting his own failings. Well might it
be said of these records : " And the tablets were the work of
God
n&n DTI^N
and the writing was the writing of God, the God of truth."
Well might it be said :
on mi me onnny JS?D D'aina mm 1 ?
" The tablets were written on both sides;" (both the virtues
THE PENTATEUCH AND HAPHTORAHS. 373
and the faults), on the one side and on the other were they
written/'
After concluding the last chapter of the Pentateuch, in the
synagogue, we at once resume the commencement, by reading
the first chapter of Genesis; thus shewing, that we maybe able
to go through this sacred book, but can never finish it. The
oftener we repeat its lessons, the more frequent occasions we
shall have of perceiving the necessity of reading it again and
again to comprehend its divine wisdom, to interpret its manifold
significations, and to appreciate its heavenly beauties. It is only
by resuming its study immediately after we have concluded it,
that we manifest our " rejoicing in the law."
This last portion of the Pentateuch is always read in the
synagogue, on the ninth day of tabernacles, n*Tin fin/ftfe?*
the festival of " rejoicing in the law," on which we read the
Haphtorah from the first chapter of Joshua, who succeeded
Moses, " the servant of God," as the leader of Israel, consum-
mating the taking possession of the Land of Promise, and who
received the Divine assurance, " There shall not any man be
able to stand against thee all the days of thy life : as I was with
Moses, so I will be with thee : I will not fail thee, nor forsake
thee. Be strong and of good courage; for unto this people
shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land which I sware unto
their fathers to give them." He was enjoined " to be strong and
very courageous;" which strength and courage was not to be
merely of a physical nature, but likewise, and principally, of a
religious character, as is further illustrated : "That thou may est
observe to do according to all the law, which Moses, my servant,
commanded thee : Turn not from it to the right hand or to the
left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest." The
prosperity is expressed in Hebrew by the term 7^^H TK which,
as we previously stated, signifies wisdom; and this wisdom is
concentrated in that Book of the Law, of which the Almighty
told him, " It shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt
meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do
according to all that is written therein ; for THEN thou shalt make
thy way prosperous, and THEN thou shalt have good success" or
rather, THEN shalt thou be wise, p^i^n TNI)-
After Joshua had delivered various charges to the officers of
the people, in reference to the inheritance of the promised land,
they answered him: " All that thou commandest us we will do;
and whithersoever thou sendest us we will go. According as we
hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto
thee; only the Lord thy God be with thee, as he was with
Moses only be strong and of a good courage."
374 SABBATH MEDITATIONS ON
PRAYER.
ALL-GRACIOUS FATHER ! Through Thy mercy we have been enabled
this day to conclude the reading of the Five Books of Thy Holy Law ;
but, though we have concluded reading, we have by no means ended the
study of them. The more we peruse and study the sacred words con-
tained therein, the more we feel impelled to inquire and search. The
more light dawns upon the obscurity of our minds, through the all-
illuminating pages of Holy Writ, the more powerfully we are urged to
seek for further knowledge from that inexhaustible source, and to
diffuse it among those who dwell in darkness. Unremitting study
therein, will surely lead us to the same conviction as it led the pious
David, when he exclaimed, " I have seen an end of all perfection ; but
Thy commandment is exceeding broad ;" or, in the words of Zophar
the Naamathite: " It is as high as heaven, deeper than hell ; the mea-
sure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea."
Whilst thanking Thee, O Lord, for having lived to complete the recital
of the words of the Sacred Volume, we implore Thee to spare us many
more days and years to continue our study, and to take delight therein.
May we also be inspired by Thee, Lord of Wisdom, to say, as our fore-
fathers answered Joshua, " All that Thou commandest us, we will do ;
and whithersoever Thou sendest us, we will go." Guide Thou us,
Ruler in heaven and earth ! in the fulfilment of Thy behest : " This
Book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth ; but thou shalt
meditate therein day and night." Vouchsafe, O Lord, that this Medi-
tation shall be blessed with Thy blessing ; " so that we may observe to
do according to all that is written therein." And finally, O Heavenly-
Father ! we pray Thee to grant that we may be always impressed, as
Thou didst impress upon Joshua, that we can only derive courage and
strength from Thy Divine Word and the performance thereof; "for
then wilt Thou make our way prosperous, and then shall we have
good success " during our transient life on earth, and attain salvation
unto all eternity. Amen, and Amen.
Stac
Anne
079-
GOO 045 216 9
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