. 
 
 
 MEMOEEAL 
 
 
 
THE 
 
 MOSAIC SYSTEM 
 
 IN ITS 
 
 FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES 
 
 BY THE 
 
 REV. DR. LOUIS SALOMON, 
 
 MINISTER OF THE CONGREGATION RODEF SHALOM, AT PHILADELPHIA. 
 
 2W 1D3D DWD UPI 
 " Take away the dross from the silver and there shall come forth 
 vessel for the finer." Proverbs xxv. 4. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA : 
 
 E. G. DORSEY, PRINTER, LIBRARY STREET. 
 
 5601. 
 

 r 
 
 
DEDICATION. 
 
 TO THE 
 
 PRESIDENT AND DIRECTORS 
 
 CONGREGATION RODEF SHALOM, 
 
 IN PHILADELPHIA. 
 
 IMPRESSED with the conviction, that it has always 
 been your noble zeal to improve the condition of our 
 youths; it is my heartfelt desire to express to you my 
 gratitude publicly, and to avow by these lines, how 
 well I appreciate your unceasing perseverance and 
 energy, manifested by the assistance which you have 
 so kindly lent me in the achievement of the useful pro- 
 jects that have been lately realized with such admirable 
 success. 
 
 Thus, you will permit me, Gentlemen, to dedicate 
 
 t> J 
 
IV 
 
 this small volume to you, cherishing the hope that it 
 may answer the end for which it was undertaken. 
 
 If so, I shall be happy and proud to say, that I have 
 given my mite to promote the welfare of my brethren 
 in faith; and with a thankful heart to the Almighty, I 
 shall feel satisfied with the assistance you have given 
 me in my efforts. 
 
 With due regard, 
 
 Yours most respectfully, 
 
 L. SALOMON. 
 
 Philadelphia, August, 1841. 
 
PREFACE OF THE TRANSLATOR. 
 
 I WAS desired about two months since, by the Rev. 
 Dr. Salomon, to translate the present work from the 
 German manuscript. In undertaking the task, I did 
 not depend much on my own competency as a transla- 
 tor, but on the assistance of a kind friend who is an 
 American scholar. Though I am certainly tolerably 
 familiar with the English language, I am far from be- 
 lieving that my knowledge of it is so perfect, as to 
 make it advantageous for me to appear before the pub- 
 lic as a translator. The knowledge which I have of the 
 German, joined with the perfect mastery which my 
 friend (whose name I am not permitted to mention) has 
 of the English, not to speak of his own familiarity with 
 the German, persuaded me that the translation would 
 not lose by a comparison with many which are acknow- 
 ledged to be at least good ones. If he who is disposed 
 to censure should find here and there something which 
 might be better, it is hoped he will consider, that it was 
 necessary to finish the whole work amid a press of other 
 business, in the short space of eight weeks, and that it 
 1* 
 
VI 
 
 is easy to find fault with every translation, though it may 
 be tolerably difficult to execute one. 
 
 It is due to the kindness of the Rev. ISAAC LEESER* 
 that these printed sheets have been carefully and pro- 
 perly corrected. This saved me a considerable trouble 
 and a great loss of time, and I consider it my duty to 
 return to him my best thanks for his disinterested la- 
 bour. 
 
 May then the work be judged indulgently, and the 
 meritorious labours of Dr. Salomon be crowned with 
 that success, and the pains which he has taken receive 
 that reward, which they so richly deserve. 
 
 GUSTAVUS REMAK. 
 Philadelphia, August, 1841. 
 
 * The translator having mentioned my name as having as- 
 sisted in editing this work, it seems necessary for me to say, 
 that I honestly endeavoured to do justice to the work of the 
 learned author; but that owing to my want of practice in poet- 
 ical writing, or perhaps because I have no poetical ear, I have 
 not been able to revise the poetry scattered through the book 
 in a manner satisfactory to myself. As, however, the merits of 
 the work do not depend upon this part so much as upon the 
 general excellent arrangement and fidelity to the Scriptures, 
 and our accepted mode of interpretation, I trust that Dr. Salo- 
 mon will reap a plentiful harvest of public approbation for his 
 well-intended and pious labours. I. L. 
 
PREFACE OF THE AUTHOR. 
 
 As the glorious sun, though he blesses all, does not 
 shed his beneficent beams over all the inhabitants of 
 the earth at once; as he permits some to enjoy their 
 midnight slumbers, while to others he dispenses the light 
 and heat of noon, as he, in quitting the horizon of one por- 
 tion of men, invites them to rest, whilst by his dawn- 
 ing light he announces to others the new commencing 
 day; so does the blissful light of true enlightenment 
 illumine, warm, and fructify only a portion of mankind 
 at the same time. Individuality, character, inclination, 
 circumstances, habit and opinion, form together a whole, 
 in which man, so to say, moves in an element or an at- 
 mosphere of his own, which alone he finds convenient 
 and agreeable. Legislation phlogisticates this atmos- 
 phere, or deprives it of its phlogiston with iron hand, and 
 mixes it with nourishing oxygen or deadly azote, accord- 
 ing as it in its principles regards the earth, in reference 
 to its intelligent occupants, as the daughter-land of the 
 great heavenly state, and causes the enactment of laws 
 which tend best to connect this life with the spiritual 
 existence hereafter; or as it separates our two states of 
 existence by a procedure resulting from selfishness in 
 the enactment of laws. 
 
 Nowhere has this mighty influence of the laws of a 
 
Vlll 
 
 country on the progress of civilization been more dis- 
 played in living examples, than in this happy America. 
 If we limit our view to it as the nursery of so many blessed 
 seeds, which evidently are nourished by the blessing of 
 Heaven, we shall everywhere discover these seeds as 
 expanding in blossoms, exhibited in the progress to per- 
 fection produced by education; and they promise many 
 noble fruits, if God will but cause them to advance to 
 maturity, by the expanding light of truth. Under the 
 conviction that whatever comes short of the contem- 
 plated improvement of the people, can eftect but little 
 good, public schools have been every where instituted 
 with paternal zeal, yet with the tenderest regard for the 
 freedom of conscience. Here systematic education is 
 already ennobling the rising generation. All hurtful 
 results are carefully prevented by the tried and be- 
 nevolent assistance of those to whom the superintendence 
 and instruction are entrusted. Hence I shall the more 
 rejoice, if I have succeeded to contribute my mite in 
 this great undertaking. It is my intention, by means 
 of these pages, to present to my companions in faith, 
 as well as I am able, a general outline, according to 
 which our youths of both sexes* should receive instruc- 
 tion, from their infancy till the age of ripening reason, 
 when they are to make a decided and public profession 
 of their faith, and stand prepared for the holy solemni- 
 ties of confirmation. 
 
 For if the peculiarity of human nature consists in its 
 continually advancing onward to what is divine; if by 
 
 * God, in his requirements of mankind, has made no differ- 
 ence between the sexes. Compart Deuteronomy xxxi. 12. 
 
IX 
 
 its capacities, its impulses, wants, connections, and the 
 gifts it has received from nature, we already perceive 
 its peculiar calling freely and gladly to follow its des- 
 tinationf then are the solemnities of confirmation indis- 
 putably the most proper means to engage our whole 
 attention, and to give a correct direction to our course 
 of conduct during our whole lives, if its holiness be fully 
 comprehended, and so solemnized as its dignity de- 
 mands. 
 
 The place consecrated to % God, (D"ro) should serve 
 to glorify Him. The minister who appears as teacher 
 in the most pleasing department of the circle of his 
 duties, should move with words full of religious fervour 
 the hearts of his well-prepared pupils of both sexes, on 
 the appointed day of that solemnity before the assem- 
 bled congregation^ and he should exhort them to cast a 
 look into every fold of their hearts, and to carry this 
 searching view from themselves into active life;* so 
 that they may feel and know that whatever blessings 
 are dispensed to them, whatever greatness is inherent 
 in them, whatever holiness incites them, whatever 
 excellence they attain, and whatever they are and 
 have, are all the gifts of God alone. When they have 
 thus seen the wisdom, the power, the goodness, the 
 protection and the care of the Creator in the creature, 
 in what is little and in what is great when they have 
 thus viewed God in nature, in themselves, in their dis- 
 positions, endowments, inclinations and infirmities, and 
 
 * 
 
 Endeavour first to learn and then to think farther. Marbanel 
 in Nachlat Moth, page 200. 
 
comprehended the object for which they were created 5 
 when the minds of the pious youths are thus attuned to 
 beauteous harmony, their hearts opened and elevated, 
 then may they come before the Almighty God, arid from 
 the fulness of their hearts make their confession of faith,* 
 and solemnly declare the pure effusions of their souls. 
 
 My own conviction, based on experience, no less 
 than the approbation of intelligent persons, with whom 
 I have often spoken about the proposed plan, gives me 
 the sweet assurance, that this small donation of mine 
 will be pleasing and useful to all who have the weal of 
 mankind at heart. A man who has formed his charac- 
 ter according to the divine doctrines of nature, and of 
 Holy Writ, stands in quite another relation to the 
 world from him who clings to the letter, and is fettered 
 by prejudices. 
 
 For the rest, although I am convinced that the me- 
 thod I have adopted to develope the subject matter is 
 the safest, I might say the only true one, by which 
 
 * I well know that in recent times the expression "acknow- 
 ledgment of faith" has become a favourite. I beg permission, 
 however, that I may remain true to my word (nothing is better 
 rewarded) to think that acknowledgment of faith is an illogical 
 expression, since knowledge requires no faith, and faith only 
 steps in where knowledge fails, (See Maternus Reus, Lectures 
 on Theoretical and Practical Philosophy, vol. i. pp. 66 68,) 
 and because I dare not limit faith to knowledge, that is, things 
 that are positively known. Human reason does not afford all 
 that is requisite for our peace of mind, and what it does afford 
 is not unquestionable certainty. Only the heart is the true altar 
 whence the offering of perfect adoration, which alone is pleas- 
 ing to God, ascends to heaven, and not the head. 
 
XI 
 
 man must be led from the world to God, and from God 
 to the world, I nevertheless do not wish that these 
 pages should in form and contents ever remain the same, 
 since I am conscious that the performance, though at- 
 tempted with honest intention, may nevertheless deviate 
 considerably from the idea I had in view. 
 
 "Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall 
 come forth a vessel for thejiner." 
 
 As in important moments the presence of several 
 persons whose feelings and opinions harmonize is suit- 
 able and advantageous, I have arranged the dialogue 
 sometimes for one, sometimes for several persons. 
 
 The doctrine of the duties, the exposition of the ten 
 commandments, and the confession of faith, arranged 
 according to the thirteen articles of the creed, I believe 
 to have been clearly exhibited and proved to agree with 
 the spirit of the holy Scriptures. If, however, for this 
 object of the highest importance something yet re- 
 mains to be performed, I throw myself upon the sense 
 of duty of the learned, and urgently entreat them that, 
 with their profound attainments, they will illustrate 
 the subject yet farther, and propagate, as far as it is in 
 their power, whatever good and useful they may find in 
 this work. 
 
 Though I see the rights of man vindicated with 
 heartfelt emotions, and do not wish to see his spirit 
 bow to any thing on account of its antiquity: I could 
 not but think it might be somewhat meritorious, to 
 make a little journey through the supposed inhospitable 
 deserts of the Talmud, to remove the pernicious preju- 
 dice which exists against that work, as if it were a com- 
 
Xll 
 
 pendium of the most corrupt doctrines and principles. 
 Whether I have returned crowned with success, my 
 respected readers can candidly judge from the Hebrew 
 passages in the notes of this work, all of which I have 
 extracted and faithfully translated from the Talmud 
 and its kindred works;* it is therefore that separate 
 notes have been added which contain the "ususfruc- 
 tuum" of my studies. 
 
 Such is the view, according to which I wish my book 
 to be judged. Whether and to what degree I have suc- 
 ceeded in choosing my subject well, and adorning it, in 
 so adapting my expression to the character of my sub- 
 ject, that it may appear complete in colour, drapery, 
 incidents and background whether it is expressive and 
 easily comprehended whether its light shades and 
 darker tints melt into harmony whether the colouring 
 is true to nature, and maintains the proper proportions, 
 may be decided before the public tribunal with appro- 
 bation or disapprobation. If with the former, renoun- 
 cing every panegyric, it shall sweeten the consciousness 
 of the purity of my design; and if with the latter, I shall 
 find sufficient comfort in "ultra posse nemo obligator." 
 
 Louis SALOMON. 
 Philadelphia, Ab 25, (August 12,) 5601. 
 
 * I must however observe, that it is possible that slight inac- 
 curacies may perhaps be discovered in some few of the quota- 
 tions; owing to the fact that I was not supplied with all the 
 books from which the extracts are taken, and hence I had to 
 rely, not rarely, on memory alone, which is naturally a source 
 of error. 
 
THE 
 
 NATURE AND OBJECT OF FAITH. 
 
 WHEN we compare man with the rest of nature, 
 he appears to be an extremely weak and perishable, 
 and yet a glorious and god-like member of the 
 immeasurable creation. Weak, frail, and a stranger 
 to himself, the mortal steps on the stage of this 
 world, with waking desires and slumbering capaci- 
 ties. It would be impossible to wrest himself from 
 his miserable condition, had not the all-merciful Cre- 
 ator permitted him to grow up under the fostering 
 care of fond parents, who devote themselves, with 
 tenderness and assiduity, to his helpless infancy. 
 Thus safely led, he can gradually dispense with the 
 assistance of others, and approach his condition of 
 independence. 
 
 Such an independence, at least in a religious point 
 of view, must have a commencement; and it is in 
 many respects deserving of our earnest considera- 
 tion, since by the aid of those infallible guides, 
 2 
 
*:*: - 
 
 5 
 
 /. 
 
 natufe'and'r'elfgioh, it 'is that" quality which will lead 
 us safely to our destination. 
 
 Even at the very beginning of the holy Scrip- 
 tures, the first historian of the world, Moses,* in- 
 forms us, that it was the pleasure of the Creator to 
 call into existence the immeasurable All in six days. 
 He, the Creator of the universe, whose almighty 
 fiat, yea, whose bare will sufficed to form all out of 
 nothing, could certainly have been able to create 
 
 * After the Israelites had been 430 years (according to the 
 reckoning of others, about half so long) through the tender, 
 powerful intervention of Joseph, in happy separation in Egypt, 
 (in the province of Goshen, which borders on Arabia and 
 the eastern branch of the Nile; Gen. xlv. 10, Faber's Arche- 
 ology of the Hebrews; Michaelis Supplementa ad Lexicon Hebra- 
 icum, pars II., pagina 372,) where they dwelt and greatly 
 increased, and preserved their nationality in the midst of 
 strangers, a new reigning family, distrustful of the so long 
 favoured singular people, threatened with tyrannical arbitrari- 
 ness their independence. It was then that Moses (son of 
 Amram and Johebed, born in Egypt in the year of the world 
 2369, died 120 years later in the land of Moab, on the 7th Adar, 
 in the year 2496, Exodus ii. 1,2; Deut. xxxiv. 7,) was drawn 
 out of the Nile by the daughter of the cruel king Achenchersis. 
 (Exod. ii. 3 11.) An excellent education at the royal court 
 developed the rare talents of the foundling, and the unjust and 
 increasing oppression of his kindred inflamed his courage. 
 He surmounted the powerful obstacles which rose in the way 
 of his bold undertaking, and led the delivered people towards 
 the promised land, but their persecutors to destruction. (Exod. 
 xiv. 2628. 
 
our world entire and perfect in an instant, without 
 finding the space of six days necessary thereto, if it 
 had not been his holy purpose to teach us thereby, 
 that we should make a daily progress by the steady, 
 gradual, and therefore sure path of nature towards 
 the high goal of our perfection. So the all-ruling 
 Deity permits the mineral elements, protected in 
 the bosom of the earth, to be gradually formed into 
 mighty masses; so the germ in the seed is gradually 
 developed into a perfect plant; so, care even the irra- 
 tional animals for the fostering and protection of 
 their gradually maturing young; and so also does the 
 finger of God direct the helpless infant to its pa- 
 rents, who assist it in gradually acquiring the requi- 
 site bodily strength, and who strive to impart to 
 it, with the assistance of instructors, a proportionate 
 power of mind; and who must so strive, if they 
 really wish to employ the best means to enable their 
 child to attain the high destiny which is pointed out 
 by man's distinguishing and excellent endowments. 
 This outward assistance must, in all the above- 
 mentioned cases, finally cease. The human pupil 
 also, according to the example of all nature, must 
 physically as well as mentally, at some time stand 
 alone, must have arrived at maturity, and become 
 capable of being an integral part of the human race, 
 of being a free, self-acting, independent man.* 
 
 * See Pedagogical Aphorisms, by G. J. Schatt. Bamberg, 1815. 
 
Such he generally becomes at different periods, 
 fixed partly by nature, partly by religion, and part- 
 ly by the state, in proportion as physical, religious, 
 or political principles are concerned in the before- 
 mentioned maturity. 
 
 From this philosophical and infallible view of 
 mankind in comparison with the rest of nature, the 
 idea conveyed by the word confirmation distinctly 
 arises. 
 
 "Confirmation is the religious rite of that period 
 at which a person, being matured to powers of rea- 
 soning and penetration, decisively and openly adopts 
 his religion, and is incorporated and confirmed as a 
 worthy member of a religious society." Accord- 
 ing to the observances of every religion, the period 
 for this rite occurs at the conclusion of some par- 
 ticular year of the individual's age. But as this 
 necessarily presupposes a sufficient knowledge of 
 the principles and precepts of religion, the duties 
 of instruction begin much earlier. Hence it also 
 clearly follows that confirmation is not an unmean- 
 ing, a merely outward form, but the blissful result 
 of preceding endeavours. 
 
 a. It is the duty of the instructor to assist the 
 pupil, by steady, careful and affectionate incitement, 
 not by mechanically imparting, but by a genuinely 
 Socratic method* in attaining a general perfec- 
 
 * Socrates, the Grecian sage, son of Sophroniskus the statu- 
 ary, and the midwife Phseneretta, lived at Athens in the year 
 
lion,* commensurate with his capacities, and a cul- 
 
 of the world 3648. He raised himself above all the preceding 
 and contemporary thinkers of his nation, particularly by 
 having turned his attention directly to man, and his circum- 
 stances and destiny. He was properly the creator of practical 
 philosophy. To a keen penetration, a correct judgment, a 
 variety of knowledge, and a frequently astonishing clearness of 
 perception, this teacher, so venerable for his sentiments and 
 morals, joined also the difficult art of developing in their minds 
 by questions, all that the scholars were to learn; so as to make 
 it appear to them, that they had themselves discovered the 
 truth. "In this I imitate my mother," he used to say jestingly; 
 "she has ceased to bear herself, but she possesses the means 
 of assisting others in bringing their offspring into the world. 
 I also understand the office of a midwife; I ask and investigate 
 till the hidden fruit of the minds of those who apply to me is 
 brought into the world." The frankness, however, with 
 which he removed the prevailing prejudice from his followers, 
 brought upon him not only the hatred of the rulers, but even 
 death. (See Mendelssohn's Phaedon.) 
 
 * Perfection is the entire adaptation of a subject to its end. 
 It is either such as a man is indebted for to nature only, 
 (a natural gift,) or it is such as he may acquire by his own ex- 
 ertions. This last is only obligatory on him who can conceive 
 it possible to attain it by his own exertions. As the effort 
 of another, and the object of that effort, are not, and can not be 
 mine, so neither can it be my duty to do that which another 
 only can do. Accordingly, for whatever the teacher is to im- 
 part to the scholar, the scholar must have a susceptibility. 
 Perfection cannot be imparted; it cannot be received from one 
 mind by another; but it must result from internal activity, it 
 must be of spontaneous growth. If the scholar then is to 
 2* 
 
tivation of the heart as well as the head* (that is of 
 the faculties of will and reflection). And 
 
 b. It is the pupil's duty to attain by faithful per- 
 severance, practical obedience and active zeal in 
 acquiring, all things that can conduce to his tem- 
 poral and eternal welfare. 
 
 The whole course of a good man's life must be 
 steadily devoted to the service of God; that is, it 
 ought to be so modelled, that all his actions, thoughts 
 and feelings should give evidence of that willing 
 obedience, heartfelt reliance, and devoted resigna- 
 tion to the will of the Creator, which are so justly 
 due to his infinite goodness and holiness. Every de- 
 viation from this holy duty produces the most painful 
 consequences: dejection accompanies the conscious- 
 ness of our unworthiness, shame, every aberration; 
 
 attain perfection, that is capacity for the free agency which has 
 been spoken of, he must mould his own heart, he must bring 
 his own powers into play, and acquire by his own agency capa- 
 city for action. The teacher must merely incite, guide, and 
 assist the still unpractised scholar in discovering the truth for 
 himself. By this means the perfection of the scholars will be 
 advanced, it is true, but only indirectly and mediately; since 
 their susceptibility for what is imparted is increased, and 
 hence their intellect and power of perfecting themselves. 
 = : onn Tr6 DIKH HXOD nroinn Guidance leads us into the 
 path of life. (Kad Hakemach, page 50.) 
 
 * ! Drpjror on Dm-on o^pi-ix 1 ? rwcj \w\y j^s: Erect no monu- 
 ments to the virtuous; their precepts are their monuments. 
 (Talmud Hiero. Schekalim, Chap. 2.) 
 
remorse follows ingratitude to God and man, and 
 horror chills our hearts when we perceive our degra- 
 dation caused by sin.* It is therefore clear, from the 
 inward nature of man, that religious actions consist 
 not merely in the observance of the prescribed cere- 
 monial laws; but chiefly in understanding and reflect- 
 ing on the object therewith connected, and in the 
 conviction that to do good and to avoid evil, is our 
 chief concern on earth. 
 
 In accordance with this high calling, the bounti- 
 ful Creator has not only given us reason with which 
 
 * Leviticus, chapter xxvi. verse 40. If they shall confess 
 their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their tres- 
 pass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have 
 walked contrary unto me. 
 
 41. And that I also have walked contrary unto them, 
 and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then 
 their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept 
 of the punishment of their iniquity, 
 
 42. Then I will remember my covenant with Jacob, etc. 
 Deuteronomy, chapter xxxii. verse 6. Do ye thus requite 
 
 the Lord, O foolish people and unwise? is not he thy father 
 that has bought thee? has he not made thee and established 
 thee? 
 
 17. They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom 
 they knew not, to new gods, that came newly up, whom your 
 fathers feared not. 
 
 18. Of the rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and 
 hast forgotten God that formed thee. 
 
 29. Oh that they were wise, that they understood this, 
 that they would consider their latter end. 
 
to distinguish right from wrong, good from evil, 
 truth from falsehood not only granted us moral 
 faculties, those divine attributes by which even the 
 child is guided in its actions, but has also given us the 
 holy Scriptures as a visible guide which, if faithfully 
 followed, will never let us go astray in this uncertain 
 human life. As, then, the maturing man, that is, the 
 child, is also supplied with reason and conscience 
 by nature, it may consistently be expected that his 
 thoughts and actions should accord with the divine 
 decisions of these inestimable gifts. Hence every 
 transgression, as for example, lying, stealing, disobe- 
 dience to parents and superiors, inclination to idle- 
 ness, deliberate mistreatment of others, and the like, 
 are proportionably as punishable in children as in 
 adults, since they must be considered the free au- 
 thors of their transgressions. 
 
 But it is entirely otherwise with the practice of 
 those positive duties, the observance of which is 
 commanded us by laws, and which reason sanctions 
 only on the ground that we owe to our superiors 
 and benefactors the most undivided obedience, 
 though we may but dimly perceive the cause and 
 object of the precepts. The Pentateuch, that word 
 of God, written down to bless all mankind by the 
 immortal Moses, the authenticity of which, not only 
 the whole human race, but chiefly the elevated sen- 
 timents and objects presented by it sufficiently 
 prove, contains many and various precepts, the 
 
spirit and intention of which, are important, and 
 serve as a guide in practical life to the followers of 
 the Old Testament; and not indeed because these 
 precepts are so and not otherwise, or given in this 
 and no other form, but because it would be a daring 
 violation of the reverence we owe to the Supreme 
 Benefactor, the Ruler of the world, if we, with the 
 consciousness of fmiteness and weakness, were to 
 attempt to improve, question, or audaciously repu- 
 diate the arrangements which were certainly made 
 with supremely wise motives. 
 
 The Deity reveals himself to the reflecting man 
 in a thousand, thousand forms, but ever equally 
 wise, equally good ever divine. Hence all his 
 precepts might have been given us in different 
 forms, and relate to different objects, yet the wis- 
 dom and the goodness of the Giver would as unde- 
 niably shine forth, and the strictest obedience would 
 equally ennoble us. 
 
 As then man consists of two parts of an earthly 
 body, which is mortal according to the eternal tran- 
 sition in all creatures, of beginning, continuing, and 
 passing away (Psalm 104), and of a celestial, god- 
 like, and hence entirely, in the undeniable sense, an 
 immortal spirit,* his actions in the sphere in which 
 he moves must be divided into, 
 
 j'yin San* 
 All goes thither whence it came. 
 
 Ben Syra. 
 
10 
 
 a. The mechanical, which in religion constitutes 
 the ceremonial part, and appears in outward forms 
 addressed to the senses. And 
 
 b. The ideal, spiritual part, which alone imparts 
 meaning and importance to the outward actions. 
 As it is only the connection of the soul with the 
 body, that makes man such as his Creator intended 
 him to be, so it is also the connection of the spiritual 
 with the physical part of his performances that 
 makes these worthy of himself and pleasing to 
 God. 
 
 As the letter, if the spirit does not animate it, is 
 dead, so are ethics which^lttach importance only to 
 outward deeds, and represent the intention, that 
 soul of actions, as unimportant, the greatest curse 
 that can rest on a people. Outward action, united 
 with intention, is, according to the beautiful image 
 of the holy Scriptures, (Proverbs vi. 23,) a light 
 protected by a lamp, which guides us safely through 
 the dark path of life to the place of our destination, 
 while the light without the lamp, (inward devotion 
 without the outward forms addressed to the senses,) 
 would, by wind and weather, be easily extinguished 
 easily banished by outward disturbing circum- 
 stances and occurrences; and the lamp without 
 the light, (the mere outward form without inward 
 devotion,) would be an unprofitable, burdensome 
 puppet-show. 
 
11 
 
 For shining we design the lamp, 
 
 Yet it alone can never shine, 
 The wick must first with oil be damp, 
 
 And with its threads a flame entwine; 
 Thus understanding 's valueless alone, 
 Then let it make instruction's light to own! 
 
 He who places virtue merely in what is outward, 
 and neglects the sentiments of the heart, under- 
 mines as it were the root of the tree of life. 
 
 Since, however, the ceremonies and precepts 
 which are binding only to the followers of the Mo- 
 saic religion, are so manifold, and of such various sig- 
 nifications, it may reasonably be expected that the 
 pupil, after the age of confirmation, (which is fixed 
 at thirteen years,) will satisfy all requirements, and 
 no more confine himself to self-evident truths alone, 
 but regard also the precepts of the church, (against 
 the violation of which it was hitherto necessary for 
 the parents to guard,) without requiring the assist- 
 ance of others. 
 
 This also explains the apparent antinomy of the 
 subjoined passages from the Bible.* For in neglect- 
 
 * Deuteronomy, chapter xxiv. verse 16. The fathers 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. 
 
 Ezekiel, chapter xviii. verse 4. Behold all souls are mine; 
 as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: 
 the soul that sinneth, it shall die. 
 
12 
 
 ing those duties the inviolability of which reason 
 commands, and the necessity of which it acknow- 
 ledges, every person who is free to think and free to 
 act, must suffer the penalty in his own person. 
 The son cannot bear the fault of the father, nor 
 the father that of the son. But the All-righteous 
 deals otherwise with those "who hate him," who 
 know the word of God to be his will, and yet, follow- 
 ing the wicked example of others from obduracy, 
 deliberately offend against the holiness of the 
 Creator; these He punishes according to the judg- 
 ment which He has pronounced. "For I the Lord 
 thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquities 
 of the fathers upon the children unto the third 
 and fourth generation of them that hate me; 
 
 "And showing mercy unto thousands of them 
 
 18. As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, 
 spoiled his brother by violence, and did that which is not good 
 amongst his people, lo, even he shall die in his iniquity. 
 
 30. Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every 
 one according to his ways, saith the Lord God. Repent 
 and turn yourselves from all your transgressions, so iniquity 
 shall not be your ruin. 
 
 Jeremiah, chapter xxxi. verse 29. In those days they shall 
 say no more: The fathers have eaten a sour grape and the 
 children's teeth are set on edge. 
 
 30. But every one shall die for his own iniquity: every 
 man that eats the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge. 
 
 Compare the above mentioned passages with Exodus 20th 
 chapter, 5th and 6th verses. 
 
13 
 
 that love me, and keep my commandments.'' 
 (Exod. xx. 5, 6.) 
 
 "For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure 
 wherewith the Lord was wroth against you to de- 
 stroy you. But the Lord hearkened unto me at 
 that time also." (Deuteronomy ix. 19.) 
 
 Thus the holy Scriptures also prove in the case 
 of Jeroboam, that not only the originators of sins are 
 punished, but their imitators likewise. But they 
 promise at the same time mercy to the thousandth 
 generation of those who love God and keep his 
 commandments. 
 
 "A good man leaves an inheritance to his chil- 
 dren's children; and the wealth of the sinner is laid 
 up for the just." (Proverbs xiii. 22.) 
 
 Confirmation is accordingly to have the following 
 effect: 
 
 The candidates for confirmation are to be admit- 
 ted to the ecclesiastical rights and duties of the 
 church, after they have proved by a solemn exami- 
 nation, which is to sanctify this period of their life, 
 that they have not only learned the extent and de- 
 tails of their religion according to its fundamental 
 principles, but that they have also a sincere convic- 
 tion of the importance of obeying its behests; and to 
 confirm them as faithful members of the same, after 
 they have made a profession of their religion. 
 
 To parents, who truly love their offspring, the 
 attainment of this period of life by their own child, 
 3 
 
14 
 
 educated by them with toil and care, must cause the 
 strongest motives of heartfelt thanks towards the 
 Author of their domestic happiness. And here are 
 strikingly applicable the words of David (Psalm 
 cxxvi. 5, 6): 
 
 nixp> nna npD-a D^jnun 
 "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy." 
 
 vnc^N KIM ru-o *o-> NJ jn?n -|B>D NE>J PO2i y?> i^n 
 "He that goes forth and weepeth, bearing pre- 
 cious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, 
 bringing his sheaves with him." 
 
 Not only the fathers of families, but every re- 
 flecting person, can easily perceive what parents are 
 
 j to children, but not always what children are to 
 parents. With how much forgetfulness of self do 
 parents care and toil for their offspring in their help- 
 less infancy, and amid their various diseases; what 
 
 I sacrifices do they make to satisfy their various wants; 
 
 ' what self-denial do they display in advancing and se- 
 
 | curing their real welfare ! Yet, apart from the mani- 
 fold spiritual diseases of the children, which often, 
 incredible as it may appear to many who are inter- 
 ested, are merely a reappearance of the deficiencies 
 of the parents: all the difficulties attending the 
 duties of education are rewarded in rich measures 
 even before the child has attained the age of discre- 
 tion. 
 
 ] Its first smiling, lisping, walking and volition 
 lyhat treasures of domestic happiness! Still the 
 
15 
 
 greatest of these treasures is the consciousness of hav- 
 ing reared our children so as to be grateful friends, 
 sympathizing fellow-beings, useful members of the 
 commonwealth, and pious adorers of the all-ruling 
 Deity. The attainment of such an object justifies the 
 Jrouth in aspiring to suffer the inconveniences pro- 
 duced by the sweet encumbrances of domestic life.* 
 But what, if our hope be wrecked if in spite of 
 all the means we have applied for the attainment of 
 our object if, in spite of all the burdens we have 
 willingly borne the child should degenerate, and 
 grow up a being whom neither God nor man could 
 love? No, nature rrever brings forth an absolutely 
 pernicious product, never contradicts herself. True, 
 many seeds of instruction promising much fruit may 
 fall from the teacher's hands on stony ground, take 
 no root and decay early; many among tares, where, 
 deprived of its nourishment, they cannot ripen; 
 but many a grain also finds a fruitful soil, and 
 this fact, which constitutes the sole consolation of 
 the teacher in his task, is confirmed by experience. 
 But if, despite of the most careful tillage of the field, 
 weeds should spring up amidst the useful plants, 
 \ then will the experienced teacher, relying upon 
 
 i DTI^N Y? rw ?"nj?n hy -jruNi ax b IDH jxn nrm DIN n*n ins Don * 
 
 IinjNT D'nSN y? qiov 2''j?n Sj? yuNn DNI UDO 
 
 A sage on seeing a man tormented with cares, said to him: 
 
 "If your cares concern this life, may God relieve you of them; 
 
 'but if they concern the life to come, may God increase them." 
 
16 
 
 divine assistance, sedulously endeavour to root them 
 out, and be in an equal degree more vigilant to meet 
 and to combat the obstacles which threaten to em- 
 bitter the spiritual and everlasting enjoyment of the 
 fruits of education. And thus in the comforting 
 words of David, "Shall they who sow in tears reap 
 in joy." 
 
 Scarcely born, the lamb already 
 
 Blithely skips upon the mead; 
 Scarcely born, the chick already 
 
 Finds its little grain of feed. 
 Only man comes to his station, 
 
 Strengthless in his hands and feet, 
 And the pride of the creation 
 
 First must learn to walk and eat. 
 
 In fact, in this view, the lower animals would ap- 
 pear more favoured than man, if, during the longer 
 period in which he requires assistance, he did not 
 also attain a greater degree of perfection a spiritual 
 accomplishment, while theirs is only physical. He 
 who undertakes to serve two masters, has of course 
 more to perform and need of a longer time, than he 
 who has to attend to the service of one only. 
 
 If we consider then how numerous are the branch- 
 es of the tree of human knowledge, how exalted 
 and manifold the capacities of his soul, and what 
 various cultivation it demands, we find the true no- 
 bility of man based on this very fact of a longer 
 time being required for his developement. And 
 
17 
 
 when at last he has gradually, safely and happily 
 passed this period, and attained the years of spiritual 
 maturity, then does he by the practice of religion 
 and virtue lay up full and golden sheaves of tem- 
 poral and eternal happiness. 
 
 In this manner does every individual, after he has 
 passed his dependent childhood, and been led up by 
 the faithful hands of others from the depth of his 
 former position to the threshhold of a more metho- 
 dical and active life, step into the years of religious 
 maturity; while hitherto he was only required to 
 practise the moral duties which were to constitute 
 him upright and good. But now he must with heart 
 and soul attend to all the ceremonial practices which 
 are practicable in his public and private relations, 
 since he must now feel a deep conviction of the 
 truth " That all are based on the immovable prin- 
 ciples of humanity, and aim at the establishment 
 of a truly pious course of life." 
 
 This representation of the nature of the maturity 
 of man, leads us to recognise clearly its importance 
 in its whole momentous extent. It is, 
 
 . For the candidates for confirmation the most 
 honourable, the most important, the holiest moment 
 of their lives, as they, by this consecration, approach 
 nearer to their point of destination; are dismissed, 
 as it were, from the school of childhood, and 
 led to the noble and active stations for which 
 their holy Creator called them into existence. It 
 3* 
 
18 
 
 gives their minds strength, peace and joy. It bids 
 them do with cheerfulness what is godly, and earn- 
 estly shun what is ungodly; it teaches them to live 
 only to promote the objects of divine love; it directs 
 their views, their whole hope upon the Source of life, 
 and confirms them in their resolve to follow this 
 path till death. It permits them now to go free and 
 secure after having preserved them through a long 
 series of years by the support of others; it is, in a 
 word, the most important step towards the relative 
 completion of their temporal career. 
 
 b. For the family, the confirmation of their hope- 
 ful offspring is the fairest trophy of the various suf- 
 ferings, happily overcome, for which they now reap 
 a rich reward. They see their unbounded love re- 
 quited in the fair impress of the soul which they have 
 produced; see its worth exalted, its happiness en- 
 sured. The parents, when poverty threatens, feel 
 rich in the possession of children dedicated to God; 
 they feel strengthened when overtaken by weariless, 
 nourished when grief oppresses them, and comforted 
 when sorrows bend, or inexorable death calls them. 
 pu nnn p HDIDD pu nnn nSuo pa^o Sty mm 1 ?* 1 ? non aan TD^n 
 
 "A wise scholar is like a balm-phial, which if but 
 opened spreads a scent. Thus is man, endowed with 
 the power of improving himself in the path of duty. 
 (Aboda sara, 35, 2.) 
 
 c. The state justly expects in the spiritually new- 
 formed servants, possessing various abilities, com- 
 bining clear heads with warm hearts citizens who 
 
19 
 
 see their own happiness measured by that of the 
 public,* subjects who deem obedience as necessary 
 as command, and warriors who will venture not 
 only their possessions, but their blood also, if the 
 vindication of truth and their country require it.t 
 They will cheerfully conform to the national habits 
 which they esteem; contribute gladly to increase 
 their country's fame, and take a zealous part in its 
 burden; and their hatred of tyranny will be as ardent 
 as their zeal for guaranteed rights. 
 
 d. The church gains by those who are confirmed 
 an increase of pious worshippers of God, who are 
 zealous for its advancement with becoming pru- 
 dence; who eschew all trick and violence, and all 
 arts of persuasion and intolerance towards those who 
 are of a different persuasion, and who love not that 
 species of piety which loudly claims a pre-eminence 
 for itself, and separates itself from, and bears ill-will 
 towards all who entertain different opinions on 
 matters of religion. It gains an increase of good 
 angels, who seek the lost, strengthen the weak, sup- 
 port the stumbling, and raise the fallen: to whom the 
 
 * Jeremiah xxix. 5 and 7. Build ye houses, and dwell in them,- 
 and plant gardens and eat the fruit of them: And seek the peace 
 of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away cap- 
 tives, and pray unto the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof 
 shall ye have peace. 
 
 j>nsu jmajm non^ns p-unn jn^Su f 
 Slaves only banter in war, but heroes conquer. 
 
 Berachoth, 53, 2. 
 
20 
 
 visible church appears worthy and estimable, in order 
 that from its outward connection, an inward holy 
 union a Kingdom of God may arise. It is glori- 
 fied in the minds of those who were trained up in 
 its bosom: established and immortalized in the spirit 
 of love and truth. 
 
 e. The human race sees those who are confirmed 
 appear as new links in the great chain of our union, 
 ready to support what is good in men and in insti- 
 tutions, as well in distant climes as at home and in 
 neighbouring countries; who gladly enter into pub- 
 lic union with those of the same mind, whenever 
 they can promise themselves that a benefit, however 
 small, may be gained for mankind and religion; 
 "who recognise and endeavour to display the true 
 worth of the individual in the practice of virtue, 
 and in the purest love towards God and all his chil- 
 dren." 
 
 Now, my beloved scholars, you know 
 
 The earth is beauteous; from it spring 
 
 Myriads of blossoms fair, 
 Yet none so sweet, so cherishing 
 
 As is parental care. 
 
 Thus, then, you certainly do not wish to profane 
 the solemnity of your all-important entry into your 
 religious independence by despicable unkindness to 
 your greatest benefactors on earth; but you should 
 consider, that as you rise to greater improvement of 
 body and spirit, your parents are, as it were, de- 
 
21 
 
 scending by means of the unavoidable infirmities of 
 age. Then grant them a rich harvest of the costliest 
 fruits of your lives! This will be the ornament of 
 your virtue, the source of your worth, and the 
 surety of your happiness. 
 
 "Honour thy father and thy mother; that thy 
 days may be long upon the land which the Lord 
 thy God giveth thee." (Exodus xx. 12, and also 
 Deuteronomy v. 16.) 
 
 Verify with word and deed, with head and heart, 
 what is said by the divine Psalmist: 
 
 "Lo, children are a heritage of the Lord: and the 
 fruit of the womb is his reward. 
 
 "Happy is the man that has his quiver full of 
 them; they shall not be ashamed, but they shall 
 speak with the enemies in the gate." (Psalm cxxvii. 
 35.) 
 
 "Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides 
 of the house: thy children like olive plants round 
 about thy table. 
 
 "Behold that thus shall be the man blessed that 
 fears the Lord." (Psalm cxxviii. 3, 4.) 
 
 Honour, beloved young friend, honour thy father 
 and thy mother, that thou mayest be happy where 
 thou shalt long, and where thou shalt for ever 
 dwell!* 
 
 rvaNn 1133^ OTI'JK ruiD&o rovs 1 ? nnnnNty me JN * 
 No virtue leads so certainly to happiness, as faith towards 
 God and reverence towards parents. Miphchar Hapeninim. 
 
FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 
 
 A. Knowledge of God. 
 
 I. Man discovers the Creator by involuntary re- 
 flection on the world, the object of creation. 
 
 II. Man discovers himself (that is his dignity, 
 his position), by comparing himself with, and seeing 
 that he is distinguished from the rest of creation. 
 
 III. Hence he infers his destination. 
 
 B. The Worship of God is demanded: 
 
 I. As the command of reason, in the strictest 
 compliance with all the moral duties. 
 
 II. As a command of the revelation of the divine 
 will, in the most faithful practice of all the holy 
 precepts. 
 
 III. As the object of our existence, in steadily 
 increasing our similitude to the Deity. 
 
23 
 
 A. Knowledge of God. 
 
 " This world is the vestibule of the world to 
 come. Prepare thyself suitably in the vestibule, 
 that thou mayst have a pleasing reception in the 
 palace. Jin hour of penitence and good actions 
 in this world, excels all happiness in the world 
 to come; but one hour of happiness in the coming, 
 excels all our whole life in this world." 
 
 With these sententious words the Rabbi Jacob 
 (Talmud Aboth, Sect. 4,) expresses the importance 
 of man's high calling, bidding him to devote his 
 whole existence to pure faith and the dignified 
 worship of his heavenly Father. Only in this re- 
 spect does this life, so varied with pleasure and pain, 
 appear high and sublime, that, if it is accompanied 
 by an active love of virtue,* it is our only means 
 of attaining the highest happiness in another world, 
 
 * Virtue is the power inherent only in man, of conquering 
 himself, or the strength of his resolutions to fulfil his duties with 
 a moral freedom out of regard for the precepts of reason, which 
 are independent of all feelings, desires, and inclinations. A vir- 
 tuous action cannot be produced by coercion, and hence must 
 ever result from the free resolves of the individual. Of it the 
 maxim is true that "no one should be forced." The opposite 
 of virtue is the law, that is, the limitation of the will of man in 
 the condition of outward freedom naturally belonging to him. 
 Law gives rules for actions which are acknowledged to be 
 necessary; that is, to tell what I may do; morality gives 
 rules for the choice of actions, or tells what I may desire to 
 
24 
 
 where the crowns of merit are secure; but where 
 also any preceding neglect of our duties as men will 
 cause the high displeasure of God to condemn us to 
 the most painful torments. 
 
 You also, my beloved young friends, are now at 
 a period of life when you are capable of advancing 
 every day a step farther into the vestibule of the 
 inconceivably beautiful palace of the great Ruler of 
 the world, where you certainly desire to be re- 
 ceived in favour. Then let us conscientiously in- 
 quire before the Omnipresent, whether in the 
 objects of pious consideration which are here 
 presented to you, you may find a support of suf- 
 ficient strength to preserve your lives continually 
 upright. Your childlike, pious minds (for such 
 are not peculiar to older years) will certainly 
 sustain me in the conviction that an hour of true 
 devotion is worth more than all the trifling trea- 
 sures of earth. Let us, however, first apply to God 
 to illumine our understandings and strengthen our 
 hearts, so that we may have a knowledge of the 
 
 do. As an apparently moral action may be extremely immoral, 
 (for example, the benevolent concealing of a criminal, to secure 
 him from merited punishment,) a law to be effectual must be 
 connected with coercion, must be compulsory. Of it the max- 
 im is true: "Thou must though thou mayest not wish." 
 
 j^j? VIDHD SDD nS Nin -o nc>vi PTO "pinion aw 
 Connect thy treasure with virtue and law, it will avail 
 thee more than all possessions. Midrash, ex Ben Syra. 
 
25 
 
 truth, and be fortified in what is good, and that our 
 deeds may not degenerate into mere forms.* 
 
 PRAYER. 
 
 God! unto thee our lives and beings are nothing; 
 but unto us thou art all. What is man that thou art 
 mindful of him, or the son of man that thou visitest 
 him? For thou hast made him a little lower than 
 the angels, and hast crowned him with glory 
 and honour. Strengthen, Father! our trust in 
 thee, our rock and refuge. Let thy countenance 
 shine on us at this time, and illumine our under- 
 standings with the light of thy holy spirit. Pre- 
 serve us from error and deceit, and teach us to ap- 
 proach, without stumbling, the high destiny which 
 thy goodness has set before us. For if thou dost not 
 lay the foundation of the temple of wisdom for us, all 
 our attempts to raise it are in vain. Only through 
 thee do we live and exist. What is the power of 
 man, who is but a passing shadow, a withering 
 flower, a worthless atom, without thee? Do Thou, 
 
 .rhych uVi nan 1 ? voo jn 
 He that prays should cast down his eyes and elevate his 
 heart. Jebamoth, xix. 2. 
 
 VD^ "on DN ? injn no ? iraita nn ? unrn nni ? unon HD ? BMJN ,ID f 
 .nSij; nn inx ova fto D-UO I^NI Sinn p -VJ-UDI o>n p neoa ,-UB rwo 
 Man with his defects his privileges his prosperity his 
 
 misfortunes alas! what is he? what are a hundred years'? a 
 4 
 
26 
 
 therefore, teach us to number our days, that we 
 may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Bless, Lord, 
 the fruits of our imperfect knowledge, and cause 
 them to ripen to perfection. For with thee is the 
 fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light. 
 Shower thy mercies on thy worshippers, thy good- 
 ness on those that are pure of heart. Amen ! 
 
 drop from the ocean, a grain of sand from the desert. Even a 
 thousand years are nothing, are scarcely a day to eternity. 
 Midrash ex Ben Syra, 17, 34. 
 
A. KNOWLEDGE OF GOD. 
 CONVERSATION I. 
 
 MAN discovers the Creator by involuntary re- 
 flection on the world, the object of the creation.* 
 
 On him whom the existence of the world and of himself, 
 whose own consciousness, whose perception of right and 
 wrong, and hopes and fears of the future, impressed on his 
 heart, cannot convince that there is a Supreme Being, on him 
 all other demonstrations are lost. GELLERT. 
 
 Teacher. My beloved pupil, I suppose you can 
 tell me by means of the instruction which you have 
 received hitherto in the holy Scriptures, in how 
 many days God created the world. 
 
 Pupil. Yes; God created the world in six days.t 
 T. In what order did the Creator call every 
 thing into existence? 
 
 ."?OD Nin nniSon iy yjnty 3)B>m ntrxDi nDDnn u>p2D unijja osn DIN? * 
 
 A man is wise as long as he seeks wisdom; but when he 
 imagines that he has perfectly attained it, he is a fool. Miph- 
 char Hapeninim. 
 
 f That the six days of creation are mere indefinite periods, 
 and not to be considered similar to the period which we ordi- 
 narily call a day, is evident from this, that the sun did not 
 come into existence until the fourth day of the creation. 
 
28 
 
 P. When heaven and earth were in existence, 
 God on the first day created light, on the second 
 the firmament, on the third the plants, on the fourth 
 the sun, moon, and stars, on the fifth the fishes and 
 birds, and on the sixth all the other animals, and at 
 last man, the chief object of the creation. 
 
 T. True. Every individual of the great host of 
 creatures on earth displays in its adaptation to its 
 circumstances, the power, wisdom, and goodness of 
 the Creator. That we may have a demonstration of 
 this, you will be good enough to follow me with at- 
 tention through a little by-path, which, if somewhat 
 circuitous, will the more securely lead us to our ob- 
 ject. You know my beloved pupils, that the world 
 is, as it were, an open volume, in which we may 
 indeed continually read, and should read with the 
 greatest attention, but of which we can never reach 
 the end. Still, can you tell me into how many 
 classes all the creatures on the earth are usually 
 divided, in order that they may be better compre- 
 hended and distinguished? 
 
 P. Into three kingdoms. The mineral, the vege- 
 table, and the animal. 
 
 T. By what peculiarities do you distinguish all 
 the individuals of the mineral kingdom? 
 
 P. Every thing that belongs to the mineral king- 
 dom, increases by external addition, and not by in- 
 ternal growth, and is destitute of feeling and the 
 power of motion. 
 
29 
 
 T. What species of objects does this extensive 
 kingdom comprehend? 
 
 P. To the mineral kingdom belong all earths, 
 stones, salts, resins, and metals. 
 
 T. And their general peculiarity is that they are 
 
 P. Lifeless and passive. 
 
 T. What can you state of the natural formation^ 
 and the use of minerals generally? 
 
 P. All minerals, simple as their structure is, are 
 entirely adapted to the supremely wise purposes 
 which the Creator has assigned to them for the pro- 
 motion of the happiness of his creatures. 
 
 T. Are all the constituent parts of the earth alike? 
 
 P. No; the first stratum is generally soil, then 
 follow sometimes sand, sometimes clay, sometimes 
 lime, and sometimes gravel. 
 
 T. But is this diversity in the materials of the 
 earth useful? 
 
 P. Both useful and necessary. By means of it 
 the earth maintains the necessary solidity, and is 
 capable of producing the most various kinds of 
 plants. Besides this every particular kind of earth 
 is also variously employed. 
 
 T. And suppose the earth were less solid? 
 
 P. If the earth were loose and spongy, many in- 
 sects would be compelled to leave it, and we should, 
 no doubt, soon be sensible of their loss; our houses, 
 palaces, and magazines would sink, and but few 
 plants could grow in the swampy soil. 
 4* 
 
so 
 
 T. But are the stones also useful? 
 
 P. Certainly; the large masses of rock are, as it 
 were, the bones of the earth, and serve to strengthen 
 it. From them we procure stones for building, 
 grinding, and many other purposes. And what 
 wealth do not the precious stones afford us! 
 
 T. Well, if the precious stones are so valuable, 
 why was so small a quantity of them created in com- 
 parison with common stones, sand, and the like? 
 
 P. Because God is infinitely wise and good. 
 Without mentioning that their scarcity is the prin- 
 cipal cause of their value, we may easily conclude 
 that those more abundant materials are far more 
 useful than precious stones; and this gives us the 
 Creator's reason for furnishing them in the propor- 
 tion we have mentioned. 
 
 T. Very well! But must not precious stones 
 also be of some use? 
 
 P. They are scarcely useful for any other pur- 
 pose than that of delighting the eyes with their 
 brilliancy. 
 
 T. You have, it is true, spoken of the use of 
 stones, but what advantages does sand yield us 
 beyond those afforded us by the precious stones? 
 
 P. Sand is favourable to the growth of many 
 necessary productions, many animals live therein, 
 and many useful stones are formed of it; many ani- 
 mals need sand to assist them in their digestion, 
 and mankind use it for making glass, mortar, and 
 for other purposes. 
 
31 
 
 T. There are, however, regions where there is a 
 scarcity even of this useful material? 
 
 P. This also displays the wisdom of the 
 Creator. If the sand were scattered everywhere 
 we should have a dry, sterile soil, and should not 
 be able to resist the effects of the heat and dust. 
 The rain would penetrate to the centre of the earth, 
 and never issue from its surface in fountains. 
 
 T. True; and under the present arrangement 
 the products of one region differ from those found 
 in the others; the whole earth is rendered valuable 
 to man; and the mutual exchanges of the products 
 drawn from the bountiful storehouses of the earth, 
 are the cause of the whole human race being more 
 closely and intimately united in the bonds of society.* 
 The mineral kingdom embraces also, as we have 
 seen, salts, resins, and metals; should not these present 
 to the observing eye of man an instructive lesson? 
 
 P. Certainly; we need only regard the connec- 
 tion between their proportionate quantities, the par- 
 ticular purposes for which they are formed, and 
 other peculiarities, to see the Creator's wisdom 
 beaming brightly forth. 
 
 T. In what do their quantities prove the wisdom 
 of the Creator? 
 
 *6i mpon "?a 
 
 As all men are not perfectly alike, so neither are all places 
 and all products like each other. Talm. Jebamoth, cxx. 1. 
 
32 
 
 P. Salts are indispensable, and his bounty has 
 placed them everywhere in nature. In every ani- 
 mal, in every plant, in the water, and in the earth, 
 there is salt. It is calculated that a pound of water 
 in the Mediterranean sea contains one ounce of 
 salt. Resins and combustible fossils, unimportant 
 as these gifts of nature may appear to us, are of the 
 highest importance to the whole world. Wax, gum, 
 and pitch we derive from almost the majority of 
 plants. 
 
 T. In what respects are these gifts of nature so 
 beneficial? 
 
 P. They are employed in most of the plasters 
 which are so indispensable in surgery. Without 
 pitch we could not caulk our ships, consequently 
 we could make no voyages; and what would be the 
 condition of our race if the seas were impassable 
 to us! Many of the trades and arts could never 
 have existed without resin. Consumptive indi- 
 viduals find relief when they inhale the balmy 
 vapours of burning resins, and fumigations purify 
 the air.* 
 
 T. Well answered! Who can discover the 
 wealth of nature, and the application of her trea- 
 sures! How kindly has nature supplied the regions 
 where wood is scarce, with the substitute stone-coal ! 
 
 * See Morand de 1'extraction, 1'usage et du commerce du 
 charbon de terre. (2. 2773.) 
 
33 
 
 The mines of New Castle, which afford the English 
 annually nearly 800 large ship-loads of excellent 
 coal, have been worked these 800 years. Such a mine 
 was once set on fire, and continued to burn for thirty 
 years, when the flames having expired the mining 
 was begun anew.* Such unspeakable, such inex- 
 haustible abundance do we find in the earth. In 
 what respect do the metals also appear remarkable? 
 P. In every respect, for there is indeed nothing 
 in this world, which proceeded from the creative 
 hand of the omnipotent and all-wise Sovereign, 
 that does not excite in the reflecting mind the 
 deepest admiration.! Iron is more useful than gold 
 and silver, and hence it is far more abundant. 
 
 T. Why is iron more valuable than gold and 
 silver? 
 
 P. Because, for cultivating the earth, for most 
 implements and machines, iron cannot, though gold 
 and silver may easily, be dispensed with. Without 
 iron we could not procure the other metals, nor em- 
 ploy them if procured. 
 
 T. But what is the proportion between the prices 
 of silver and iron? 
 
 "O jtapn "\rh man VN * 
 Regard not what is small as insignificant, for it leads to what 
 is great. Miphchar Hapeninim. 
 
 : "?jnfln ninety hy min nSiycn niD^tp t 
 
 The perfection of the creation indicates the perfection of the 
 Creator. Midrash rabba. 
 
34 
 
 P. The proportion is as 740 to 1; so that we can 
 buy 740 pounds of iron for one of silver. 
 
 T. And what is the proportion between gold and 
 iron? 
 
 P. It is as 11,000 to 1; that is for a single pound 
 of gold we can buy 11,000 pounds of iron. 
 
 T. Whence this great difference in price. 
 
 P. It is because the all-wise Creatojr permits, 
 on account of its far greater usefulness, a far more 
 abundant production of iron in nature than of gold 
 and silver. (Ben Syra xl. 16.) 
 
 T. Very true; and thus also there are much 
 greater quantities of true than of semi-metals, be- 
 cause the former are far more useful; but must it 
 also be considered a proof of the goodness of God, 
 that he has formed so many means of destruction, 
 so many poisons, which rob many a person of his 
 health and even life? 
 
 P. Even the so-called poisons are advantageous 
 gifts of the beneficent Deity; but we must know 
 how to make a rational use of them. 
 
 T. You are perfectly right, my beloved pupil, 
 those enemies of life appear dreadful only in the 
 distance. Natural philosophy, which is for every 
 person a most important branch of learning,* pre- 
 sents us keys to open the glorious temple of wis- 
 dom erected by the hand of the Almighty Architect 
 
 * Learning (science) embraces all the important branches of 
 
35 
 
 of the universe. The naturalist, or the physician, 
 is more accurately acquainted with them, and he 
 
 knowledge of the human mind, which are capable of being 
 reduced to, and taught by, a regular method. Though these 
 branches may be compared to a large country, the territories, 
 districts and boundaries of which are very extensive; and though 
 for this reason the briefness of the life of man, and his limited 
 mental powers, will not permit him to become acquainted with 
 the whole; yet it is very useful to have at least a sketch of 
 them before him. They may be arranged in the following 
 order: 
 
 1. Philology, which embraces all the rules necessary for 
 acquiring a knowledge of languages, as well 
 
 a. The dead, which, as they are not spoken by any one 
 people, cannot be learned from social intercourse, but only from 
 books; (such are, for example, the Hebrew, Syriac, Chaldee, 
 Greek and Latin:) as 
 
 b. The living, which may be learned from social intercourse: 
 (e. g. the English, French, German, Spanish, etc.) 
 
 2. History, which is the description of what is past. It 
 is like a forest, the different trees and shrubs of which re- 
 quire different kinds of treatment. It consists of 
 
 a. Civil history, which is divided, 1, as to time, into the history 
 of the ancient, middle, and modern ages; and 2, as to compass,'mto 
 general and particular history; its auxiliary branches are Chro- 
 nology, Archaeology, Genealogy. b. History of the Religions, 
 c. History of various systems of Belief, d. History of the 
 Church, e. History of Literature and Science. 
 
 3. The Arts; consisting of 
 
 a. Those the object of which is to satisfy the wants of life, 
 the principal of which are Agriculture, Commerce, and Science 
 of Finance, &c. 
 
36 
 
 finds even poisons a gift of beneficence. There is 
 nothing which is solely poisonous and deleterious, if 
 
 b. The Fine Arts, which engage the imagination and increase 
 our enjoyment. The principal of these are: Architecture, 
 Painting and Sculpture, Oratory, Poetry and Music. 
 
 4. Mathematics, or the science of determining magnitudes, 
 embraces, a. Arithmetic, which relates to numbers, b. Ge- 
 ometry, which relates to magnitudes in their relations to 
 space, c. Mechanics, or the science of motion, which embraces 
 Statics, the theory of equilibrium, and resistance of solids at 
 rest; Dynamics, the theory of solids in motion; Hydrostatics 
 and Hydrodynamics, the corresponding terms employed when 
 treating of incompressible fluids, as water; Pneumatics, which 
 treats of the mechanical properties of compressible fluids, as 
 air; Dioptrics, the theory of the refraction of light, and Catop- 
 trics, the theory of its reflection; Astronomy, which explains 
 the laws which govern the heavenly bodies; Gnomonics, which 
 teach the nature and use of dials. These are only some of* 
 the branches of that comprehensive and extremely useful 
 science, Mathematics. 
 
 5. Physics, or the science which treats of the laws and ope- 
 rations of nature; embracing, a. Meteorology, which explains 
 the various phenomena of the atmosphere; b. Mineralogy, 
 which instructs us in the natural history of the different de- 
 partments of the mineral kingdom; c. Chemistry, which ex- 
 amines bodies as to their constituent substances; d. Botany, 
 which describes the formation, nature and relation of the dif- 
 ferent plants; e. Anatomy and Physiology, which teach the in- 
 ternal and external formation of bodies, and how they are nour- 
 ished and propagated; /. Materia Medica, which treats of 
 medicinal qualities; g. Zoology, which teaches us the forms 
 and habits of animals, and in describing their structures and 
 
37 
 
 properly employed; but all things, even the costliest 
 and most pleasing, may be made deleterious poisons 
 
 qualities, it frequently invades the territory of Anatomy and 
 Physiology; h. The science of Medicine, which instructs us 
 how to mitigate, heal, and escape diseases, and comprehends, 
 
 a. the Anatomy and Physiology of the human body, b. Patholo- 
 gy and Therapeutics. 
 
 6. Philosophy, which leads us to a knowledge of God, and 
 the regulation of the moral world in regard to the object of the 
 creation in all its parts. A. Theoretical or speculative Philo- 
 sophy consists of a. Logic, or the method of thinking correctly; 
 
 b. Ontology, or the theory of qualities of things; c. Cos- 
 mogony, or the theory of the world; d. Metaphysics, which 
 applies the theories which have been established, to an object 
 scientifically treated, e. Psychology, embracing the science 
 of the human soul. /. Philosophical Theology, which teaches 
 us better to comprehend the existence and essence of the 
 infinite Creator. B. Practical Philosophy, which treats of 
 the moral actions of mankind, which effect their external 
 comfort and internal happiness, embraces a. the theory of the 
 natural laws generally, relating 1, to moral duties, 2, to 
 laws. b. Domestic Economy, which regards the duties to 
 our families or domestic circles, c. Political Economy, which 
 regards the happiness of communities. Beside this artificial 
 system, there is also a natural philosophy of the world, which 
 draws truth from its primitive source, that is, from the sound 
 common sense of every man. This philosophy gives to the 
 people no less than the learned purity of thought, and with 
 it the safest guide for directing them in active life. And the 
 hesitation to make use of this gift, so requisite to all mankind, 
 might be aptly compared to the whim of dispensing with the feet 
 in walking, because one is able to move along on crutches. 
 
 5 
 
38 
 
 by misuse. Could you give a few examples to 
 illustrate this? 
 
 P. Mineral and vegetable poisons are employed 
 
 7. Jurisprudence is the science of those arbitrary laws of a 
 state, which arise from its peculiar condition. A. Civil laws 
 have for their object temporal welfare, and comprise a. Munici- 
 pal laws, which regulate the conduct of the citizen towards 
 the government (arising either from natural or peculiar motives), 
 and b. Private rights, which secure the safety and peace of the 
 citizen. B. Canonical laws, which regard church-property, 
 ecclesiastical offices, rules and discipline. 
 
 8. Theology comprehends all sciences the immediate ten- 
 dency of which is to convey a correct and thorough knowledge 
 of the doctrines of revealed religion which are contained in the 
 holy Scriptures. A. Exegetical Theology, (the knowledge of 
 all the branches requisite in understanding, interpreting and 
 expounding of the Scriptures,) is the source from which are 
 derived all theoretical truths; it embraces 1. Hermeneutics, or 
 the science of interpretation, which teaches the literal meaning 
 of the holy Scriptures, and presupposes a knowledge of Ancient 
 History, Chronology, and Archaeology, b. Prophetical The- 
 ology, which inquires into the true meaning of the prophecies. 
 From the interpretation and explication of the collective books 
 of the holy Scriptures, arises the exegetical theology in its more 
 restricted sense, or an exposition of all the doctrines which the 
 Scriptures contain. B. Systematic Theology presents all the 
 holy doctrines as a whole, defined, elucidated, and confirmed, 
 according to theological principles, a. Dogmatical Theology 
 contains those holy doctrines which constitute religion, b. Prac- 
 tical or Moral Theology presents us with an important system 
 of ethics and practical morals. Ascetical, casuistical, homileti- 
 cal,and polemical theology, are particular branches of Practical 
 Theology. 
 
39 
 
 for eradicating the most dangerous diseases; and 
 indeed the majority of the sick are healed by the 
 medicinal use of poisons, while the healthy are, 
 from the misuse of wine, brandy, and the like, over- 
 taken by disease and death. Thus for example, 
 arsenic, the most dangerous of metallic poisons, is 
 an effectual remedy for several extremely stubborn 
 diseases; and hemlock, the thorn-apple, and wolf's- 
 bane are excellent medicines in the hands of the 
 skilful. 
 
 T. We may particularly observe the paternal 
 care of Providence in this, that wherever we are 
 liable to be hurt by poisons, there remedies will also 
 be found. The forests of North America which 
 shelter the rattlesnake, yield also the remedial snake- 
 root and other plants for healing those who are bitten. 
 The fat which is obtained from this animal is also 
 employed as a remedy against the effects of its 
 poisonous fangs. Indeed the poison of serpents may 
 even be eaten; and if it does not penetrate the blood- 
 vessels, the power of nature changes it, by means 
 of the digestive system which dissolves and purifies 
 it, into harmless food, and permits it to be so inti- 
 
 .mvu itpflj 
 
 "As at the flame of a single candle myriads of caravans may 
 light their lamps, so may every one enlighten his mind by 
 science." Schemoth Habba, sect. 36. 
 
40 
 
 mately united with the other fluids of the body, that 
 it is no longer poison, .but salutary blood.* 
 
 P. Poisons are extensively employed for dye- 
 stufis and the like. It is easy to distinguish them, 
 and nature warns us in a great variety of ways to 
 prevent their harming us. It would be rank in- 
 gratitude towards the infinitely good Creator were 
 we to overlook the useful properties which even 
 the poisons contain.t 
 
 Behold how glorious is the world! 
 
 What then is its Creator? 
 For he must be, than all his works, 
 
 More glorious and greater. 
 
 T. What peculiarities have all the individuals of 
 the vegetable kingdom? 
 
 * A learned gentleman to whom I handed my MS., that he 
 might pass his judgment on it, and of whose advice I have 
 thankfully taken advantage, remarked to me that a certain tribe 
 of people prepare their bread from a poisonous plant (the cas- 
 sava). This is also confirmed by the fact that our potatoes, at 
 times a substitute for bread, grow from a plant which, like every 
 other variety of nightshade, is imbued with a narcotic poison. 
 
 "There is nothing bad, which might not also be good." 
 
 Zeror Hamor, Sect, mtr 
 
 worn iajn "?3 nci 1 ? *?vn CIN jtrn nSij? 1 ? t 
 Accustom yourself to the maxim: "What God (when man 
 has performed his part,) permits is good." Talm. Berachot, 
 Ix. 2. 
 
41 
 
 P. The individuals of the vegetable kingdom are 
 destitute of consciousness, and the power of volun- 
 tary motion, but, unlike the minerals, they increase 
 by internal addition. 
 
 T. What things belong to this kingdom? 
 
 P. To this kingdom belong trees, shrubs and 
 bushes with perennial stalks, herbs and grasses 
 with annual or perennial stalks, all those which 
 have perceptible blossoms, and all with impercepti- 
 ble blossoms, such as ferns, mosses and mushrooms. 
 
 T. For what purpose did God destine the plants? 
 
 P. The destiny of plants is life in its extended 
 sense, vegetable life,* or power of growing. 
 
 T. Is the vegetable kingdom also worthy of being 
 studied by a reflecting mind? 
 
 P. Certainly; for God appears infinitely exalted 
 and adorable, no less by the wisdom displayed in 
 the vegetable and animal kingdoms, than in the for- 
 mation of the minerals. 
 
 T. Could you illustrate this by the structure of a 
 tree? 
 
 P. The tree is a collection of different kinds of 
 vegetable matter, which, notwithstanding their as- 
 tonishing number, occupy nevertheless but a very 
 small space. From the lowest fibres of the roots to the 
 highest twigs of the crown, it is covered with minute 
 
 xxu V?Sn mtyn opyV pori DIN >J3 * 
 Man also blooms and withers like the herbs of the field. 
 Erubin. liv. 1. 
 5* 
 
42 
 
 insects, and every chink and fissure is peopled with 
 the same. To nourish its thousands of little branches 
 a great quantity of sap is necessary: hence the roots 
 descend deeply to imbibe it. In the spring, all the 
 branches are covered with leaves, which collectively 
 present an incredible extent of surface, and absorb 
 nutriment through millions of pores. They serve 
 also to protect other plants from the noonday heat, 
 to prepare a couch for animals, and to revive man by 
 their shade. By means of them also the tree con- 
 tinually exhales, moistens other plants, and makes 
 the air, that great requisite of life, respirable for our 
 lungs. On the tree the birds make their nests and 
 render it a concert hall. The root beneath main- 
 tains the most perfect proportion with the burden 
 which it has to bear above the surface. 
 
 T. All true, my dear child; yet one thing you 
 seem to have overlooked; that is, its fruitfulness. 
 
 P. One thing? Is the tree not fruitful in the great- 
 est variety of ways, if we even do not mention that 
 which nourishes and refreshes mankind? The wood 
 supplies many natural and artificial wants; the bark 
 assists the tanner in preparing his leather; from the 
 tree we obtain sumac for dyeing; tar and rosin for 
 making pitch, sealing-wax, and many other things; 
 from trees flow copal and other gums; from the 
 birch we draw a savoury liquid; the oak affords us 
 gall-nuts. 
 
 T. Who among us, if he had been counsellor 
 
43 
 
 when the plan of the creation of the world was de- 
 signed, would have known how to attain so many 
 important objects by such simple means. God! 
 who can survey thy works and not adore thee! 
 The bread-tree is the wonderful nourisher of many 
 islanders. There sits the Otaheitean in his hut 
 two trees in the forest are his pantry and granery! 
 The various uses of other plants is in reality in- 
 describable. But the multitude of weeds which cause 
 the industrious farmer so much trouble, and often 
 supplant and destroy the finest seed, surely they 
 cannot be considered blessings also? 
 
 P. Even the so-called weeds are useful products; 
 for by them numerous animals are nourished and 
 sheltered, which are indispensable in the system of 
 nature. Quitch-grass is resorted to as a medicine by 
 dogs; in times of famine its roots preserve many 
 from starvation; they are employed in making beer 
 and vinegar, which is applied to such a variety of 
 uses, and also extensively in medicine. That use- 
 ful animal, the ass, subsists on thistles. These are 
 also cultivated, and a valuable oil pressed from their 
 seeds. The tender nettles form a pleasant dish 
 when cooked young; all kinds of cattle are fed on 
 them. They are also employed for preserving 
 game, trout, and crabs for transportation; and a 
 kind of cloth even is prepared from them.* 
 
 >JDOD DJ; airon INJDI jn inn ru^n * 
 The smell of galbanum is unpleasant, yet the Scriptures reckon 
 it as one of the constituents of incense. Kerithot 1, 6, 2. 
 
44 
 
 T. Enough, my good child; I am convinced 
 that you understand the words of Solomon, (Prov. 
 i. 20.) "Wisdom cries without: she utters her 
 voice in the streets:" since you everywhere 
 recognise the eminent goodness and love of Him 
 who is himself invisible to us.* Where every 
 object is attained, where every power is con- 
 stantly exerted, where the smallest as well as the 
 greatest feel happy, should we there complain of 
 curses, deformity and mutilationPt And is then the 
 whole system of nature unfolded before our eyes? 
 Can we understand all that we find in the great book 
 of nature? Why should we then view the whole 
 earth as if made for the sake of but some single one, 
 and every plant which we cannot eat or use as use- 
 less and superfluous? Oh, love your soil, your na- 
 tive soil, my dear children, and it will return 
 your love with benefits! If there is among the 
 employments which serve to supply mankind with 
 necessaries, no one so surely productive as agricul- 
 ture; neither is there one so well adapted to preserve 
 the morals, to train the feelings, and raise the heart 
 
 : *nao Nnpwi N-UN * 
 The reward of instruction is self-thought. 
 
 : pujniD men raw mo rann f 
 
 You may rest assured, there is far more good than evil. 
 
 Sota, xi. 1. 
 
45 
 
 to the great First Cause.* Agriculture has its diffi- 
 culties, but how many joys has it likewise! Heaven 
 and earth unite to pour plenty into the lap of in- 
 dustry.t Not penuriously as one man does to the 
 other who serves him/but with profusion does nature 
 requite our toil. She extends certain indulgences to 
 ignorance, and even to negligence. Nature does 
 not only grant us what serves to sustain life bread 
 and the water of the fountain; but she lavishes her 
 gifts in a multiplicity of forms. The husbandman, 
 the shepherd, the wandering hunter and the fisher- 
 man, find in her a kindly bountiful mother. 
 
 P. On the hills and in the vale, 
 Flowers are blooming numberless, 
 
 God is bounteous, God is great, 
 Herbs and grass proclaim to us. 
 
 T. What peculiarities characterize the animal 
 kingdom? 
 
 P. All the individuals of the animal kingdom 
 have consciousness and the power of voluntary 
 motion, and grow by internal addition. 
 
 .DIN WX JJjnp V? pXP DIN "?3 * 
 
 A man who is not fond of agriculture can scarcely be called 
 a man. Jebam. Ixiii. 1. 
 
 f 
 
 A little obtained in the field is better than much obtained by 
 commerce. Pesach, cxiii. 1. 
 
46 
 
 T. What creatures are considered as belonging 
 to the animal kingdom? 
 
 P. To this kingdom belong mammalia, birds, 
 amphibia, fishes, insects and reptiles. 
 
 T. What did the Creator assign to this part of 
 the creation? 
 
 P. The enjoyment of animal life. 
 
 T. Whatever grows by internal addition, must 
 be so formed that a nutritive fluid may pervade it, 
 so as to promote its growth, and it must have various 
 organs, none of which can be wanting without 
 causing the object to be no longer that which it was 
 intended to be, according to the supremely wise 
 plan of the Creator. Such beings are called orga- 
 nic, but those which increase by external addition, 
 do not require such a formation, and are called inor- 
 ganic. What objects then are organic? 
 
 P. All those belonging to the animal and vege- 
 table kingdoms. 
 
 T. And those of the mineral kingdom? 
 
 P. Are inorganic. 
 
 T. True. For if we were to deprive the plant 
 of its roots or blossoms, or the animal of its heart 
 or veins, neither could exist as it ought to exist. 
 Are then the wisdom and goodness of the Creator 
 also displayed in the animal kingdom? 
 
 P. Undoubtedly; for every individual in this 
 great portion of, creation, from the greatest to the 
 least, possesses all the requisites for its happiness. 
 
47 
 
 Each has its covering; each knows were to find its 
 dwelling, or is enabled to prepare one with admi- 
 rable skill; each recognises its enemies, and knows 
 how to protect itself against them, or to defend itself 
 with the weapons which hare been bestowed upon it; 
 each knows the food which God has appointed for 
 its support, and has the sagacity not only to collect 
 it for momentary, but also for future use, since it, 
 as it were, fears that there may be a time when it 
 shall not be able to find any.* 
 
 T. All these miracles of animal instinct we per- 
 ceive at the first survey. But when we penetrate 
 somewhat farther into this temple of the wisdom 
 and omnipotence of God,t and behold the living 
 multitudes see that there are in a pool of ten square 
 feet more microscopic animals than there are visi- 
 ble ones on the whole surface of the earth; that a 
 million of infusoria do not in bulk equal a grain of 
 sand; that there are flies which produce at once a 
 thousand living young;;}: that there are animals 
 
 * 
 
 Every thing in creation is adapted to the purpose for which 
 it was appointed. Midrash. 
 
 nnnwa poj? "]h jwi jjinnn rsnvitp nos f 
 
 Investigate what is left of use to your comprehension, but do 
 not meddle with mysteries. 
 
 rwpna 
 oipoa i 
 He who yields himself to the guidance of reason alone, is 
 
48 
 
 which, in twenty-four hours, live to see their off- 
 spring of the second and third generations; that all 
 these are fed and preserved: then do we perceive the 
 iniiniteness, the infinite greatness, infinite goodness, 
 and infinite wisdom of the Creator. 
 
 In what form did the Deity form the earth? 
 
 P. God formed the earth round. 
 
 T. What proofs of this could you adduce? 
 
 P. All the heavenly bodies appear round, and 
 we may therefore suppose the earth to be so too. 
 Those who live farther east see the sun rise sooner 
 than we who live farther west; and if we travel from 
 south to north, the northern stars appear to rise just 
 in proportion as the southern appear to sink; and 
 this is also true of the reverse. 
 
 T. True! will you proceed? 
 
 P. When travelling on a large even surface, on 
 land or water, we always perceive the tops of the 
 various objects which we approach, as for example, 
 spires and masts, before we can see their lower 
 parts. In an eclipse of the moon, the shadow of 
 the earth always appears round. There have also 
 been many voyages made round the earth in the 
 last 300 years. All this could not be so if the earth 
 were not round. 
 
 like one who wanders at midnight unsupported through a soli- 
 tary wilderness, and where, enveloped with fogs, clouds and 
 darkness, he falls unawares into a pit. Kosri \. 99. 
 
73 
 
 nection between the soul and the idea of dying, the 
 soul must be immortal. 
 
 T. Could you not also adduce other evidences of 
 the immortality of the human soul? 
 
 P. 2. Nothing in the world is annihilated; the 
 meanest and most unimportant material thing when 
 it is used up in one form, will assume a new form 
 of existence for some other object. How then 
 should the spirit, which is a world within itself, 
 cease to be? 
 
 T. This truth may be fully predicated of every 
 part of the whole creation. From the apparent 
 death of any one thing, a new and beautiful life 
 always springs forth.* 
 
 P. 3. Every man who truly wishes to live as 
 man should live, must daily advance towards per- 
 fection; yet no one becomes before death what he 
 should be; consequently there must be a continu- 
 ance of this life, where he may attain his perfec- 
 tion. 
 
 T. Very true, my dear child, we must have an 
 endless continuance, and an advancement towards 
 moral perfectability, that we may be able to under- 
 
 * In the whole creation, where all is change and resurrec- 
 tion, the image of life and death is presented to us in a million 
 of shapes. No atom passes away to-day, that will not be on 
 the morrow even something better. From the chrysalis the 
 butterfly will soon burst forth and fly away on painted wings. 
 Every thing decays and is swept away, the spirit only remains. 
 8 
 
74 
 
 stand clearly why we have this capacity for the 
 attainment of perfection. This moral and rational 
 conviction is necessary to our living as we should.* 
 
 P. 4. Everything that is good meets its reward, 
 and all that is bad is punished; but this does not 
 always happen, nor if it even does, to its full extent, 
 in this life; and therefore it must take place here- 
 after. 
 
 T. We must admit that, as true servants, we 
 ought to devote ourselves entirely to the service of 
 the Lord, without reference to a reward (Aboth i.); 
 yet happiness must nevertheless be the consequence 
 of virtue. Now, as there is no perfect happiness in 
 
 * Perfection, in its transcendental signification, is the col- 
 lective idea of diverse substances, which, taken together, com- 
 pose one thing. In its theological signification it is the harmony 
 subsisting between the nature of a thing and the object of its 
 formation. The former is quantitive, because it regards the 
 compass of the variety composing the aggregation: it is mate- 
 rial, because it has reference to the substance, to the parts 
 composing the whole. The latter is qualitative, because it 
 has reference to the positive nature (the destination) of the 
 object; it is formal, because it regards the manner in which 
 the nature of any thing harmonizes with the object of its forma- 
 tion. In this last signification an object may have perfection 
 in several ways, in so far as it may be fitting for different pur- 
 poses. 
 
 njn *nn >D Sao Sjn oi>n *nn o nnS n:n 
 
 "We weep over the ,dead because they have not life, and 
 over the living, because they have not perfection. Midrash. 
 
75 
 
 this life, we have another well founded reason to 
 expect a future existence. (Jer. xii.; Psalm Ixxiii. 
 25, 26; Ezek. xliv. 28.) 
 
 P. 5. Man has a desire for knowledge which 
 cannot be fully satisfied in this life; it must there- 
 fore be satisfied in a future state. 
 
 T. And it will be satisfied. The power which 
 God has bestowed on man, increases indeed as it 
 is developed; but its complete developement re- 
 quires assuredly a longer time than is allotted to us 
 in this limited earthly life. 
 
 P. 6. Man has an instinctive desire for the pre- 
 servation of life, and a dread of annihilation. 
 
 T. And the benevolent Creator would certainly 
 not have planted this desire of life within us, if 
 He had intended to annihilate us suddenly to all 
 eternity.* Vain pursuits even cannot extinguish 
 our longing after immortality; for it is in truth only 
 a longing after our own home. 
 
 P. 7. All men, even the most barbarous, believe 
 in an existence after death; this belief is therefore 
 implanted in the nature of man, and can assuredly 
 not be a mere vain and wild fancy. 
 
 T. Though the uncultivated mind has not rarely 
 very imperfect and crude notions of the immor- 
 
 runn \y\ iS 
 
 Does a master give his servant a gift, and take it back with- 
 out cause? Talm. Erachin, XT. 1. 
 
76 
 
 tality of the soul, he will nevertheless become more 
 thoroughly convinced of its being necessarily so, 
 the more he increases in wisdom. 
 
 P. 8. The energies of the soul do not decrease 
 in proportion to those of the body; it is therefore 
 highly probable that they likewise do not cease 
 totally with the death of the body. 
 
 T. Though the soul is often much affected by 
 bodily suffering (for example, in a swoon); yet 
 many a dying person displays, despite of the help- 
 lessness of his body, an astonishing strength of 
 spirit. This leads us to presume that the soul, after 
 its separation from the inert body, has a greater field 
 for freedom of action.* 
 
 P. 9. Many duties demand of us to disregard 
 and sacrifice our present life; which could not be if 
 it were the only one given to us. 
 
 T. True love of God does not fear death: its ex- 
 cellence and truth give it a sure hope of a glorious 
 eternity. 
 
 P. 10. If there were no future life, the sinner 
 could escape the just punishment of God by the 
 simple act of suicide (self-murder). 
 
 T. As in this case man could escape from the 
 power of God; so also, as you have sufficiently 
 
 np iS pNtp nn 
 
 The soul in the body is like a sojourner in a strange land; it 
 finds neither help nor support therein. Vayikra rabba, Sect. 
 
77 
 
 proved, could the wisdom, justice, and goodness of 
 the Lord have no existence, if man were not im- 
 mortal. But we are convinced that in addition to 
 our life here, there is an hereafter. Death does not 
 remove us from the Judgment-seat? but brings us 
 nearer to it. In what relation therefore does this 
 life stand to the life to come? 
 
 P. As a state of preparation for the future. 
 Aboth iv. 
 
 T. Even so; and both constitute but one whole. 
 No sooner have we reached our end here than 
 we begin there; and we shall reap there what we 
 have sown here. Be then, my dear child, never 
 faint-hearted and slothful in the pursuit of good, 
 whatever the difficulties be which you may have to 
 encounter. Always compare the insignificance of 
 the loss you may sustain in fulfilling a duty, with 
 the high reward which awaits you in the life to 
 come; and the trifling gain you may expect from 
 the neglect of a duty with the far greater loss of 
 future happiness. Aboth ii. Death is not a place 
 of refuge for vice; it is the transition to a better 
 life. Like lighthouses on the shore of our native 
 land, the stars of our God bid us a friendly welcome 
 
 naxn -o nm p jJixnn noi, inn n>33 \ e D'oSy njntwi 
 
 Eternal bliss is ours in the palace of our great King; why 
 then complainest thou, son of man, that a grave is prepared for 
 thee here. Bechinoth Olam, Sect. iv. 
 8* 
 
78 
 
 in the world beyond. Our works will follow us; 
 the holy One will weigh them in a just balance, 
 and happy will it be for us if they do not merit his 
 displeasure.* Is this truth confirmed by the word 
 of God? 
 
 P. Perfectly; for it is said (Ezekiel xxxvii.): 
 "Thus says the Lord unto these bones, Behold I 
 will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall 
 live: And I will lay sinews upon you, and bring up 
 flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put 
 breath into you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know 
 that I am the Lord" (to whom the inconceivable is 
 also possible). 
 
 T. Could you not adduce another passage, that 
 confirms this highly important truth? 
 
 P. Yes: 
 
 "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the 
 earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some 
 to shame and everlasting contempt."! Dan. xii. 2. 
 
 T. If you survey the lives of all the truly pious 
 of all ages, recorded in the holy Scriptures or else- 
 where, you will always find that they had an un- 
 
 mm nai pN 
 
 The words of the law are abiding only with the man who 
 does not regard this life as the chief object of his being. Talm. 
 Sola, xxi. 2. 
 
 . rhy miB> ruwi, IDS'? .1210 nn h&v wna> ^D VD f 
 He who is humble does not always attain honour, bat the 
 glory of God attends him. Com xciii. 2. 
 
79 
 
 shaken, firm faith in a life to come, and they exhibit- 
 ed consequently a voluntary renunciation of every- 
 thing earthly. What can be more advantageous 
 for us than to follow the bright example they have 
 set us? 
 
 P. 'Tis true; the pious even here, 
 Some moments of delight possess; 
 
 But all the joys which here they find, 
 Are still imperfect happiness. 
 
 Here virtue strives; but she descries 
 
 In yonder happier world, her prize. 
 
 Here I but seek, there I shall find, 
 Shall wiser, holier become, 
 
 Shall comprehend why I was formed, 
 Why placed in such a glorious home. 
 
 Thee, God of love, I there shall see, 
 
 And hymn thy praise eternally. 
 
 T. Very well, my young friend. Now you can 
 clearly perceive what is the high destiny of man 
 here below: virtue is the expressive word by 
 which it is designated. It consists in pure, fearless, 
 and disinterested love and desire for all that is right 
 and good, or that which is pleasing to God, who is 
 the most holy; and in a careful avoidance of, and an 
 unqualified aversion to, all that is wrong and bad, or 
 that which necessarily is displeasing to God.* 
 
 * Man should not be satisfied with merely having a feeling 
 of virtue, but virtue should entirely possess him, and regulate 
 
80 
 
 Virtue is what we denote by Godliness; and vir- 
 tue is the unerring guide which will lead us to the 
 
 all that relates to him. There is but one virtue (npnx), Gen. 
 xv. 6; Deut. vi. 25; 2 Sam. viii. 15; Jer. ix. 23; Job xxvii. 6; 
 Prov. x. 2; xii. 28; xv. 9; for many virtues are according to 
 their nature nothing else than moral objects, which direct the 
 will of him who acts from the proper impelling principle, or vir- 
 tue. Whatever is opposed to virtue is sin, (san Lev. xix. 17; 
 xxii. 9; Deut. xv. 9;) and by repetition becomes vice, (nj?en 
 Deut. xxv. 2; Isaiah ix. 17; Malachi iii. 15). By vices like- 
 wise, we understand merely the different exhibitions of an im- 
 moral disposition; or, as they are called, vice. Sin is inward 
 when it consists in immoral feelings, thoughts, inclinations, 
 and intentions; outward when displayed in looks, words, and 
 deeds. It is of omission when duties are neglected; rmn Sj? -DJ? 
 ntrjr of commission when things forbidden are done. When 
 sin arises from a careless neglect of duty, it is an unintentional 
 transgression, (rma> Lev. iv. 2, 27; Num. xv. 24; Eccl. v. 5; 
 Job xix.) The sources thereof are Precipitation (?nc), arising 
 from our not taking time to think and choose correctly; Inad- 
 vertence (map), from our not paying attention to the precepts 
 of the law; Ignorance (nx>je>), from our wanting the requi- 
 site information; Weakness (nxw), from an insufficiency of 
 self-control; and Habit (iio 1 ?), if we blindly follow any ruling 
 passion. If we knowingly choose to sin, it is called inten- 
 tional sin pi?, Deut xvii. 12; Jer. xlix. 16; Obad. 3. -no Jos. 
 xxii. 22; 1 Sam. xx. 30; Eze. ii. 3; Dan. ix. 9; and is also 
 called Deviation (pj?), Gen. iv. 13; xv. 16; Job xxxi. 11, 
 because we deviate from the path of righteousness; Viola- 
 tion (yvo Gen. xxxi. 36; 1. 17; Prov. xxviii. 2), when we 
 violate precepts; Crime (ctfx Gen. xxvi. 10; Jer. li. 5; Psalm 
 Ixviii. 22), when we are punishable by the laws; Infamy (nSa; 
 
81 
 
 most perfect happiness of a better world. But it 
 rewards us also in this life with the greatest of all 
 blessings, a quiet conscience, and cheerfulness of 
 soul. Would you secure your own and your parents' 
 temporal and eternal happiness? then! let virtue 
 ever be your companion. Have a mind elevated 
 above the things of this earth, if you would really 
 wish to be raised above this world. Strive to obtain 
 what is eternal, and gladly sacrifice what is tempo- 
 ral, to become possessed of it. Combat boldly all 
 the temptations, all the allurements of vice.* Shun 
 no obstacles, no hardships, no dangers, in the cause 
 of virtue. Hasten to perform godly deeds while it 
 is yet day. Prepare for your journey home instead 
 of dreading it, (Psalm xc. 12,) and weary not in 
 well-doing, even with your last breath. Who lives 
 
 Judges xix. 23, 24; 2 Sam. xiii. 12), when we injure our re- 
 putation; Sacrilege (Si'jnExod. xxi. 14; Lev. xix. 18; Malachi 
 ii. 11), when we desecrate what is holy; and Abomination 
 (najnn 2 Chron. xxi. 6; Job xv. 16), when it shocks even the 
 most hardened conscience. 
 
 W> MOW >C1, N 
 
 Happy he who has never sinned; and he who, when he sins, 
 \ repents, that he may be forgiven. Talm. Sucah, 5. 
 
 V nn 
 JP no 
 
 What must a man do to live"? Slay his animal desires. 
 What should a man do to die? Live only for animal grati- 
 fication. Tamid xxxii. 1. 
 
82 
 
 for virtue, dies gladly for it, and who dies for virtue 
 lives for it.* 
 
 P. This doctrine is contained in a hymn which I 
 well remember. 
 
 T. Then recite it as a conclusion to our obser- 
 vations on 
 
 THE WORTH OF VIRTUE. 
 
 P. Virtue is the only treasure 
 
 That can give us joy and rest; 
 Purples cannot hide the lowness 
 
 Of a soul by sin possessed. 
 
 Indiscretion is the fountain 
 
 Whence misfortunes ever flow, 
 But, for the man whose heart is pure, 
 
 Hope and comfort ever grow. 
 
 All depends upon the first step; 
 
 If in this you ill succeed, 
 Then, alas! your guardian angel 
 
 Will your steps no longer heed. 
 
 Therefore, with your mind enlightened, 
 View the path you're entering on; 
 
 Virtue's soft and gentle features, 
 At a single glance are known. 
 
 . mpm rvnnx uS vtwrh hnv -^Sanon -iDonm o>San -npe tan * 
 Vain world, fountain of vanity, destroyer of happiness! Can 
 thy vanities vouchsafe me a heritage 1 ? or thy nothingness grant 
 me comfort and hope? Bechinoth Olam, Chap. x. 
 
83 
 
 Virtue is no empty glitter, 
 
 'Tis no phantom, vision vain; 
 It affords us lasting pleasures, 
 
 Everlasting life it's gain. 
 
 And, while yet our sands are running, 
 
 Here below it yields us peace, 
 Joys that shall be interrupted 
 
 Only when those sands shall cease. 
 
 While I rove through earth's bright valleys, 
 
 Virtue! ever be my guide! 
 Guide me over thorns and flowers, 
 
 Pleasure's ebbing, flowing tide. 
 
 Naught but virtue e'er united 
 
 Purest joy with ev'ry pain; 
 And of all in our possession, 
 
 Virtue only we retain. 
 
B. WORSHIP OF GOD. 
 
 CONVERSATION IV. 
 
 WORSHIP of God is required as a demand on 
 human reason, and consists in the strictest observ- 
 ance of all moral duties. 
 
 "Reason ever carries a bright light before me, and urges me 
 to seek for the surest prop of life this prop, is religion. Reason 
 bids me to strive to know it in all its parts, and to follow its 
 behests implicitly." RACINE. 
 
 T. If we, my beloved child, sum together all the 
 results of the observations we have hitherto made, 
 we shall find man to be the noblest creature on 
 earth, and that he was formed for virtue and right- 
 eousness. Man alone is capable of doing or avoid- 
 ing actions freely, of choosing them according to 
 his ideas of right and wrong, without being im- 
 pelled by blind instinct. Let us pause a little in 
 this view of the free field of human actions, and 
 enquire how we should make such use of it, that our 
 acts may redound to our own satisfaction, and that 
 when we quit the stage of this world, we may not 
 be unworthy of the highest approbation of God, of 
 
85 
 
 ourselves, and of other men.* According to which 
 standard should we judge of the actions which we 
 perform in this life? 
 
 P. We must judge them, a, according to their 
 outward, and b, according to their intrinsic value, 
 or in so far as they are without either. 
 
 T. When has an action outward value? 
 
 P. An action has outward value when it pro- 
 duces temporal advantages, as wealth and estates. 
 
 T. And intrinsic value? 
 
 P. An action has intrinsic value when it is per- 
 formed more from regard for what is just and good, 
 than for any temporal advantage. 
 
 T. Has every action outward and intrinsic value 
 at the same time? 
 
 P. No; an action can have mere outward or mere 
 intrinsic value, or both intrinsic and outward, or 
 neither. 
 
 T. Mention an action that has merely outward 
 value? 
 
 P. When a man acquires wealth by lying, deceit, 
 slander, flattery, and the like. 
 
 T. What action has intrinsic value only? 
 
 P. Raising ourselves enemies, and incurring per- 
 secution by defending the cause of justice. 
 
 . vj>j?3 obiyn ptapi wjja woj mpip ^D * 
 Whoever esteems his spirit highly, esteems the world but 
 little. Miphchar Hapeninim. 
 9 
 
86 
 
 T. In what action can outward and intrinsic 
 value be united? 
 
 P. When a man by honesty, and the perform- 
 ance of his duty, acquires wealth without its having 
 been his principal object; in which case his actions 
 have both outward and inward value. 
 
 T. What action can have neither kind of value? 
 
 P. That by which we incur contempt, or other 
 just punishments. 
 
 T. What are those actions called which have 
 mere outward value? 
 
 P. They are called interested, selfish. 
 
 T. And always flow from the impure fountain of 
 sensual desires. But from what source spring 
 actions of intrinsic value? 
 
 P. Disinterestedness. 
 
 T. And their mainspring is love of honesty, and 
 their object is, the fulfilling of the eternal laws of 
 God, as the requisitions of pure reason. The in- 
 ward value of good intentions and actions remains, 
 be the immediate consequence what it may. God 
 regards only the heart.* Only honest, disinterested 
 persons deserve and enjoy true esteem. But the 
 thoughts and conduct of interested persons produce 
 nothing but the feeling of contempt.! 
 
 ijja lo 1 ? wem * 
 God requires only the heart. Men Ezra. Exod. xxxi. 
 
 f If you assume the principle of the pursuit of happiness, 
 as the impelling power of your conduct, instead of the free in- 
 
87 
 
 What objects have merely outward value? 
 
 P. Mere outward value belongs only to things 
 which we can possess, as property, for example, 
 houses, animals. 
 
 T. And which have intrinsic value, or merit? 
 
 P. This belongs to men, they being reasonable 
 and moral agents. 
 
 T. For what purposes may things be employed? 
 
 P. They may be employed as means for the at- 
 tainment of all unforbidden ends. 
 
 T. May men also be employed as mere means? 
 
 P. No, but as having objects to attain themselves; 
 otherwise we abuse their dignity as men. 
 
 T. A just conclusion, my young friend. Treat 
 not therefore yourself nor others as mere means. 
 Never employ your reason for merely selfish pur- 
 poses, forgetting meanwhile the principal object of 
 your existence. Never abuse others to promote 
 your own selfish interests. Every person is like 
 yourself, the child of God. In our existence, birth, 
 death, necessities, duties and hopes, we all have 
 one nature; and the degeneracy of thousands even 
 
 ward impulse for what is right, the gradual death of all mo- 
 rality will follow. Reason would then merely fill the office of 
 a handmaid to your inclination, and lose its power of deciding 
 and convincing. 
 
 Esteem it (reason) highly; it will put you equal in rank to 
 princes. Talm. Hieros. Nasir, Chap. v. 
 
88 
 
 does not justify misanthropy. Malachi ii. 10. 
 Ever act virtuously ! 
 
 What does the law lay down as the cardinal 
 principle by which we should be governed in all 
 our intercourse with others? 
 
 P. It is: Do always unto others as you might 
 justly wish them to do to you and others. 
 
 T. This rule, my dear child, is of the highest 
 importance; regard for it must ever give our will 
 its proper direction, and chiefly there where we feel 
 an inclination to act otherwise. If, for instance, any 
 one has wronged you, you will perhaps feel a desire 
 for revenge; but you should be able, by overcoming 
 this desire, to forgive, and to benefit him who has 
 wronged you; and reflect, how overjoyed you would 
 be to receive such treatment from others in case 
 you had done them wrong yourself. This victory 
 of reason exalts your dignity, and blesses you with 
 the purest self-satisfaction. All sin springs from 
 an insufficient regard of this law.* 
 
 P. Assist me, God! in conflict's hour 
 O increase my spirit's power! 
 Over passion's wild array 
 May I reason's sceptre sway: 
 May I be in every state 
 Watchful and considerate. 
 
 >i mm SNDIP Km 
 When thy left retreats', thy right must advance. Sanhedrin, 
 page 107 1; Sota, page 47 1. 
 
89 
 
 THE DUTIES. 
 
 T. As you are now able to judge of the merits 
 and demerits of actions, we will apply the test of 
 merit to the duties which we have to perform 
 in this pilgrimage of life. But first I wish you to 
 define the word duty. 
 
 P. By duty we understand the obligation to think 
 and act in conformity with the commands of reason 
 and the holy Scriptures. 
 
 T. How are duties divided? 
 
 P. Duties are divided into a, the duties of man 
 to God; b, towards himself; and c, towards other 
 men.* 
 
 * Duty, in its limited sense, or unconditional and perfect 
 duty, is that which is accurately defined by the laws of morality, 
 and informs us what and how much is to be done. The obliga- 
 tions to observe them can never be annulled. To these belong 
 all the duties of justice. Duty in its extended sense, or condi- 
 tional, imperfect duty, is that in which the moral laws do not 
 accurately define what and how much is to be done. Hence, 
 there is room for choice. Thus morality commands me: 
 "Assist the poor." It gives me the principle, but I must 
 define farther to what extent and how often I can give, 
 according to my circumstances, and my own necessities. 
 We are more virtuous the more we fulfil the most indefinite 
 duties as strictly as we would the most definite, the more our 
 conscience impels us to the fulfilment of duties. The follow- 
 ing sentence is truly correct: 
 9* 
 
90 
 
 T. a. What duties have we to fulfil towards 
 God? 
 
 P. Towards God we have chiefly the duty of 
 reverence, which requires veneration of his great- 
 ness, love and prayer. 
 
 T. Since we must have regard for all reasonable 
 beings, we must therefore have the more reverence 
 for God, the most exalted of all beings. This duty 
 affords us the sweetest and most enduring of all 
 pleasures, because its object to the great Supreme, 
 and because it corresponds with the requirements 
 of our hearts. There is no act demanded of us 
 which is more sublime and soothing than the ado- 
 ration of God.* 
 
 But how should we outwardly show that we adore 
 God? 
 
 P. We should show it, 1, by avoiding all thoughts 
 and actions which are contrary to the divine will; 
 2, by the proper use of all our mental and physical 
 powers, for the promotion of all that is good. 
 
 T. How is adoration to God farther shown? 
 
 rpSx aipn DN vmi ijuaa rrrojrD i 1 ? n-o 
 Fly from every violation of duty as from a serpent; if you 
 approach it you shall be wounded. Kelt Yakar, xxviii. 2. 
 
 - nDT >D 'n x-v nonnnn 
 Worshipping God excels all things; a man fearing God, 
 wherewith can he be compared] Mew Enayim, xvi. 2. 
 
91 
 
 P. In this, that we always speak with the highest 
 reverence of the Deity and things divine; that we 
 say nothing and do nothing that could in any man- 
 ner, in ourselves or others, diminish the idea of the 
 exaltedness of God. 
 
 T. Mention a few cases in which this duty of 
 venerating God would be violated. 
 
 P. Blasphemy, perjury, and cursing; finding fault 
 with God's works, false devotion, hypocrisy, infi- 
 delity, making game of religion, unnecessary swear- 
 ing, and the like. 
 
 T. And also calling on God to assist us in per- 
 forming immoral actions. 
 
 What else is our duty in worshipping God? 
 
 P. That we should glorify His name. 
 
 T. How is God's name glorified? 
 
 P. By our advancing the true knowledge of God, 
 by combating superstition, religious fanaticism and 
 unbelief, by prayer and other devotional exercises. 
 
 T. Also by keeping sacred the laws of God, 
 joyfully obeying them, being satisfied with our lot, 
 and having an unshaken trust in God. Nothing on 
 earth can suffice us; in God alone our peace is firmly 
 established. If our course of life makes us worthy of 
 His love, we have obtained our glory, our fountain 
 of life, and our crown. From things divine there 
 is nothing to fear. Therefore let what is holy, ever 
 be holy to you; and let the pure worship of God, 
 
and the glorifying of His eternal name be the life of 
 your life.* 
 
 P. Hallelujah! sing to God the Lord, 
 O! let his name for ever honoured be! 
 
 Him glorify, ye nations far and near, 
 And sing his praises through eternity. 
 
 Day unto day makes known his unending power, 
 The starry firmament proclaims His praise, 
 
 Him the divine creation glorifies, 
 And all the earth makes known His wondrous ways. 
 
 T. b. What duties have we towards ourselves? 
 
 P. 1. Every person must earnestly exert him- 
 self to retain and exalt his dignity as a human being. 
 
 T. Why is this the first duty towards himself? 
 
 P. Because man as a reasonable being has capa- 
 city to exercise moral actions, and the striving to 
 live morally is the basis of all duties. 
 
 T. Wherein consists the retaining and exalting 
 of our dignity? 
 
 P. It consists in the strictest obedience to the 
 dictates of reason, in abstaining from all that hu- 
 manity, reason, duty, and religion forbid. 
 
 T, Very true, my dear child! Better to lose 
 health, fortune, and life, than to act contrary to an 
 
 The adoration of God is the beginning of love to Him; 
 walking in his ways is 'the beginning of righteousness. Kad 
 flakemach, ix. 3. 
 
93 
 
 enlightened reason. No one has a right to induce 
 or compel us to dishonour ourselves. What means 
 lead to the high object in view? 
 
 P. Temperance, sobriety, propriety, chastity, and 
 a constant effort to govern all our desires. 
 
 T. And humility, the twin sister of love, cheer- 
 fulness, the approbation of our consciences, general 
 esteem, health and enjoyment, follow in the foot- 
 steps of these virtues.* 
 
 P. No, never shall my dignity 
 
 By me be desecrated; 
 My costly gem, my ornament, 
 
 Could ne'er be compensated. 
 
 T. What further duty have we towards our- 
 selves? 
 
 P. 2. To preserve our life. 
 
 T. What is the reason of this duty? 
 
 P. If we shorten our life, we cannot do as much 
 good as we should. 
 
 T. How are we to preserve our life? 
 
 P. By avoiding all intemperance and other vices, 
 by taking the necessary food, and by employing the 
 proper remedies in sickness. 
 
 DI npow J?NI nxin \iy ten rhyd? HD jn * 
 Know what is above thee; an eye which sees and an ear which 
 hears all things; and that all thy actions are, as it were, writ- 
 ten in a book. Jfboih ii. 
 
94 
 
 T. May we in no case expose our lives to dan- 
 ger? 
 
 P. When the preservation of the life of others, 
 the defence of our country, or the vindication of 
 our principles require our life to be perilled; and 
 then are we not at liberty to expose our life to im- 
 minent danger needlessly.* 
 
 7\ In this we display genuine heroism and true 
 love of glory. But even in war we must cherish 
 humanity, and not sacrifice more lives than the ful- 
 filling of imperious duties demands. By what sins 
 would we shorten life? 
 
 P. By cowardice in bearing the hardships of life, 
 and self-destruction which it would cause, by teme- 
 rity, intemperance, debauchery, and the like. 
 
 T. Even in days of misfortune, a man has oppor- 
 tunities of exalting his dignity, and being useful to 
 
 * We must not spare our life when it is required for the 
 great design of the world the promotion of the highest moral 
 good. To this calling we must remain true, though it cost us 
 wealth and life. Yet it would be an immoral action, and a 
 dishonour to humanity in our own persons, if we were design- 
 edly to sacrifice our life, if this could be avoided, even if by so 
 doing we might promote the happiness of others; since we are 
 not at liberty to serve another person to the injury of ourselves. 
 Only unavoidable self-sacrifice can be permitted, since all men 
 alike are creatures of God. 
 
 bv Y?PI nnNty I^D i 1 ? jn 
 
 Give him (God) his own; for thou and thine are his. 
 Talm. Moth, iii. 8. 1 Chron. xxiv. 
 
95 
 
 the world by the exercise of virtue. How base and 
 cowardly would it then be for us to abandon the 
 post which God has assigned us! God watches us 
 everywhere, and will assuredly rescue us from the 
 greatest dangers, if it be consistent with His good- 
 ness and wisdom.* 
 
 P. Take courage, still be undismayed, 
 
 Though fortune sometimes frown, 
 Though notwithstanding all thy load, 
 
 New burdens bear thee down. 
 Remember honour's wreath will grace, 
 
 And happy days will bless our race, 
 If we will raise our spirit's eye, 
 
 To him who dwells above the sky. 
 
 T. What other duties do we owe to ourselves? 
 
 p. 3. \Ve should endeavour to maintain and 
 advance the pre-eminence which has been imparted 
 to our soul. 
 
 * The highest degree of vice, and one connected with ap- 
 parent deliberation and reflection, has, in a physical point 
 of view, an appearance of heroism, but morally viewed, it is a 
 paroxysm in which the living principle is robbed of all the free 
 use of its energies, and in which, consequently, the physical 
 strength is based upon the relaxed state of the moral governing 
 powers; for when the moral principle is silent, and its impelling 
 power is arrested, mere unassisted nature steps on the stage, 
 whether it displays itself in a physical or intellectual capacity. 
 
 Many sin without its being their intention, many err without 
 perceiving it. Midrash. 
 
96 
 
 T. What end is to be attained by the perform- 
 ance of this duty? 
 
 P. The greater the spiritual perfection is which 
 we possess, the more securely will we attain the 
 object of our existence. 
 
 T. What must we do in accordance with this 
 duty? 
 
 P. We must judiciously exert all the capacities 
 of our soul, and by this means improve them.* 
 
 T. That is, we should exercise our senses, reflec- 
 tion, imagination and reason, cultivate our moral 
 sentiments, and ennoble our tastes. What results 
 will spring from the performance of this duty? 
 
 P. Honour, esteem, usefulness, and all the hap- 
 piness incident to life. 
 
 T. Can you mention the means to be used for the 
 attainment of these desirable results? 
 
 P. Industry, appreciation of time, abstemiousness, 
 constancy, and patience. 
 
 T. Unfortunately there are too many persons who 
 neglect the cultivation of their mental faculties, 
 waste their time in debauchery and idleness, and 
 even despise true civilization and those who seek 
 to advance it. Shun, therefore, my dear child, self- 
 ishness, idleness, whims, dissipation, pride, rude- 
 
 by* DIN 3mN * 
 
 Understanding is the friend of man; folly his foe. Meno* 
 rath Hamaor. 
 
97 
 
 ness, aversion to labour, prejudice, and all kindred 
 vices, so that you may never be counted among the 
 ranks of those miserable beings who are the more 
 unfortunate, the more fortunate they fancy them- 
 selves in the moral waste in which they-jnove.* 
 What farther duty have we to perform? 
 
 P. 4. The preservation of our health; for by the 
 want of bodily health, we are prevented from pro- 
 perly performing our duties. 
 
 T. But how can we preserve our health? 
 
 P. By temperance, precaution, careful diet, the 
 avoiding of excesses and other vices, by strength- 
 ening our bodies through industry, taking fresh 
 air, and cleanliness. 
 
 T. What faults are in opposition to this duty? 
 
 P. Sloth, effeminacy, imprudence, false modesty 
 and uncleanliness. 
 
 T. Have we no other duties to perform towards 
 ourselves? 
 
 P. 5. Yes; it is our duty to preserve and to 
 augment our temporal possessions. 
 
 T. What is the reason of this duty? 
 
 P. This is our duty because its performance 
 
 The fool has his understanding in his mouth, but the wise 
 man has his mouth filled with his understanding. Orchoth 
 Chayim, xxvii. 1. 
 10 
 
98 
 
 contributes greatly to the attainment of our highest 
 object, and is consistent with the moral law.* 
 
 T. This is the case when this duty is performed 
 in an honourable, lawful and permitted manner. But 
 should the performance of this duty be the principal 
 motive of our actions? 
 
 P. By no means: all our actions should spring 
 from a proper self-appreciation, from a love for that 
 which constitutes our permanent happiness, but 
 never from an egotistical, ungenerous self-love.t 
 
 T. He who feels delighted with his worthless 
 earthly riches, who views them, not as means, but 
 as a fortune, (property, as they are often impro- 
 perly called,) is a servant of gold, is in a measure 
 a worshipper of idols. Earthly possessions, if em- 
 ployed for a hallowed purpose, are of great value; 
 but if used for unhallowed purposes, they encumber 
 our souls with a load of sin. 
 
 Understanding without wealth, is like feet without shoes; 
 wealth without understanding is like shoes without feet. 
 Miphchar Hapeninim, xxiv. 2. 
 
 . np-ix fiDD nSc f 
 
 Beneficence is the salt of wealth; i. e. charity is the cause of 
 the preservation of wealth to the possessor. Talm. Ketuboth, 
 Ixvi. 2. 
 
99 
 
 P. 'Tis true that God forbids us not 
 
 To have on earth possessions, 
 But he has made our duty plain, 
 
 And punishes transgressions. 
 Low avarice degrades the soul, 
 
 And checks each high desire, 
 And quench'd by love of glimmering ore 
 
 Is virtue's gentle fire: 
 E'en reason's made a mockery, 
 And paltry gold a deity. 
 
 T. What possessions do you call temporal? 
 
 P. To temporal possessions belong external free- 
 dom in the choice of actions, wealth, food, residence, 
 reputation, and social connections. 
 
 T. May Providence bountifully bestow these pos- 
 sessions upon you, and assist you to make constant 
 use of them for the acquisition of those blessings 
 which can never be taken from you, which shall 
 accompany you from time into eternity namely, 
 for the acquisition of virtue and greatness of soul. 
 Regard what is enduring, not merely what is showy; 
 then will you, like our holy ancestors, be rich even 
 in poverty, and blessed by the inward unfailing 
 fountain of contentment.* 
 
 c. What duties have we to perform towards other 
 persons? 
 
 P. 1. We must have proper respect for all men, 
 
 OIN SDD "vvy NID e>"n> NTOH iS ~vw HDD iS HB> ^D * 
 He is richest who is content with what God has allotted 
 him. Miphchar Hapeninim. 
 
100 
 
 and maintain and improve their dignity as human 
 beings.* 
 
 T. On what basis is this duty founded? 
 
 P. The same on which the first duty towards 
 ourselves is founded. The duty of every being 
 capable of virtue, is to be virtuous; and to esteem 
 as less than ourselves any creature whom God has 
 formed for the same high destiny with us, would 
 certainly displease our common Father.! 
 
 * When we speak of the moral and not of natural laws, we 
 have in view a moral world, the state of which we can only 
 understand by an analogy with the physical world. Attraction 
 and repulsion are in their various relations the two principles 
 of material nature. According to analogy with this, rational 
 beings on earth are directed, 1, to approach each other con- 
 tinually by the power of mutual love, and 2, to maintain a 
 proper distance out of the principle of respect which they owe 
 to each other. Love and respect therefore, in a practical sense, 
 are the two moral powers, of which neither can be neglected 
 without prejudice to morality. The former as the principle of 
 benevolence is duty in its extended sense; and the latter, as the 
 principle of limiting our self-estimation by an appreciation of 
 the dignity of human nature in the person of others, is duty 
 in its more limited sense. 
 
 v 1 ?? iprrn njwa "Jy 1 ? ySo m'jDni vanp DN anpnm VJOB> nx aniNn f 
 
 . ruy 'm anpn IN new avion 
 
 He who loves his neighbour, and respects his kindred, and 
 rescues the poor from want of him the Scriptures say: When 
 thou callest, God will answer thee. Talm. Sanhedrin, Ixxvi. 2. 
 
T. Must we then have regard for all men, even 
 the sinner? 
 
 P. We may not exclude from the number of 
 mankind even him whom we consider the greatest 
 sinner; and therefore we dare not violate in regard 
 to him the duties of philanthropy, be this in 
 thoughts, words, or actions. 
 
 T. But is this not countenancing vice? 
 
 P. By no means! If we abhor vice ever so much, 
 every man is still made in the image of God, and 
 never ceases to be our brother. We cannot look 
 into his heart. God punishes the sins of the heart; 
 and the authorities can punish the sins against the 
 peace of the state only. 
 
 T. What should we, according to this view, not 
 permit ourselves towards other men? 
 
 P. We should not speak ill or injuriously of any 
 man, nor impute bad motives to his actions, nor 
 deny his good qualities, and less than all, rejoice 
 over his faults; but we should pity the vicious, and 
 endeavour to improve them. 
 
 T. According to the precepts of universal phi- 
 lanthropy, we should also endeavour to remove 
 ignorance, error, and immorality; and try to pro- 
 mote a regard for religion, good morals, and the 
 laws of the state; to advance a correct mode of in- 
 dependent thinking, vindicate human rights, esta- 
 blish religious conduct, permit freedom of con- 
 10* 
 
1-0,2 
 
 science, defend the innocent, help the needy, and 
 to combat all injurious prejudices.* 
 
 P. We should prove our love for others not only 
 by good wishes, but also by good actions. 
 
 T. Yes; this is true as a general principle; still 
 justice goes before mercy, and hence we must not 
 steal, nor cheat others in order to assist the poor. 
 What virtues spring from the cultivation of the sen- 
 timents we have mentioned? 
 
 P. Philanthropy, patriotism, fidelity, readiness 
 to serve others, active morality, devotion, justice, 
 equity, mercy, liberality, gratitude, tolerance and 
 mildness. 
 
 T. Philanthropy, then, is the beautiful band around 
 the garland of virtue. We are under obligations to 
 all mankind, to high and low, rich and poor, rude 
 and enlightened, sable and white, friends and foes, 
 good and bad. Philanthropy rewards us often in 
 this world even, and causes us to feel the noblest 
 pleasure, a delight to which nothing is equal in 
 purity. 
 
 Before we pass to the second class of duties, you 
 can perhaps tell me in how many points of view the 
 love of man may be considered? 
 
 P. It may be considered as twofold; 1, love of 
 
 He who has unjustly accused his neighbour of any offence, 
 must endeavour by all possible means to satisfy him. Talm. 
 Berachoth, xxxi. 2. 
 
103 
 
 man (benevolence) arising from prudence, or one 
 which is connected with the expectation of some 
 advantage; and , arising from impulse, which is 
 not founded on principles of reasoning, and seeks 
 for no return. 
 
 T. Which of these two have we just considered 
 according to its inestimable worth? 
 
 P. The latter; for love of man springing from 
 interested motives, is mere cold selfishness, and not 
 genuine philanthropy.* 
 
 T. What is the second duty which we have to 
 observe towards others? 
 
 P. We must strive to preserve their life and health. 
 
 T. What should we accordingly do, and what 
 leave undone? 
 
 P. We should not kill, nor injure the health of 
 others, wound their feelings, lead them into dan- 
 gers not required by duty, nor seduce them from 
 the path of duty; we are also bound never to omit 
 rescuing others from perils, be this at the expense 
 
 * The love, says the ingenious Stolberg, which binds 
 together the brethren of an order, is very equivocal. It is a 
 branch which, springing from the wild stem of self-love, is 
 nourished from its bitter roots, and bears sour fruit if it has not 
 been inoculated with love of the Lord, which alone produces 
 the fruit pleasing to God, that is, a more refined love for our 
 fellow-beings. "All selfish love vanishes as soon as the im- 
 pelling motives have ceased to exist; pure love never ceases." 
 Moth v. 
 
104 
 
 of our health, our strength, and even, under some 
 circumstances, our life. 
 
 T. This duty also requires of us to assist the 
 sick, and to endeavour to prevent that kind of 
 bravery in arms which is reckless of human life, 
 cruelty, and every species of ill-treatment of living 
 things. 
 
 How should we then conduct ourselves to avoid 
 the committing of such sins, and to live in accord- 
 ance with wisdom? 
 
 P. We should excite no one to anger, by words 
 or deeds, always avoid giving cause for quarrel; 
 be circumspect, prudent, amiable, and undaunted, 
 and entertain correct ideas of honour.* 
 
 T. What farther is our duty? 
 
 P. 3. We should leave every one in undisturbed 
 possession of what is his. 
 
 T. Why? 
 
 P. Because, since we are bound to treat every 
 man as a being created for a wise purpose, we are 
 not at liberty to violate the right he has to his 
 justly acquired wealth.! 
 
 IDJ?D nytto vjj?n D'-on rwhv* ^N pjnw 
 
 Three classes of men are discovered in three ways only; 
 the meek in his anger, a hero in war, and a friend in need. 
 Baba Metzia, Ixxxiv. 1. 
 
 f The government alone, and this only when the laws require 
 it, has a right to deprive an individual for a time, or for life, 
 of a part of his property. 
 
105 
 
 T. Which are the possessions of which we are 
 prohibited to deprive any one? 
 
 P. External freedom, wealth, his capacities for 
 action, and the exercise thereof, acquired property, 
 honour, friends, his sphere of action and lawful en- 
 joyments. 
 
 T. What rules of conduct should we therefore 
 adopt for practical life? 
 
 P. Never to deceive, always to keep and fulfil 
 our promises to the utmost of our power, never to 
 take the advantage of others in trade, to be equitable 
 and grateful, and ever ready to repair past errors. 
 
 T. Also to return to the proper owner whatever 
 has been entrusted to us, or what we have found; 
 and in short, to violate no rights in regard to others 
 which we would wish to be kept inviolate in regard 
 to ourselves.* What vices ought we accordingly to 
 avoid? 
 
 P. It is our duty to avoid every species of vice; 
 but we should be particularly guarded against vio- 
 lence, theft, deceit, cunning, falsehood, slander, 
 ingratitude, selfishness and obstinacy. 
 
 T. And these faults will be shunned by every 
 one who is not under the influence of that erroneous 
 opinion, "That what many do, we also may do." 
 But what is the fourth duty? 
 
 mon N ninr> -ttu najn nspx 
 Happy is the man who never errs, and never loses sight of 
 probity. Midrash Rabba. cvi. 4. 
 
106 
 
 P. We should invariably speak the truth, be 
 honest, and avoid every falsehood. 
 
 T. What is the reason of this duty? 
 
 P. Because, every falsehood, with which we 
 intend to deceive another, is an offence not only 
 against the person we wish to deceive, but likewise 
 against mankind in general, and against God. 
 
 T. How are we then to act in this respect? 
 
 P. We should never dissemble and never conceal 
 the truth. 
 
 T. Neither must we lie to gain any advantage.* 
 If the government requires of you to declare what 
 you know, you dare the less violate the strictest 
 truth, since, perhaps, the fortune and life of others 
 depend on what you may tell.t But must we 
 always say all that we know? 
 
 P. Veracity does not require that we should, 
 when it is not demanded by the civil authorities, 
 state to other persons all that we know. The vir- 
 tue of discretion should never be lost sight of. We 
 
 * Veracity is a duty so long as it does not interfere with a 
 higher duty; for example, if justice should stand in opposition 
 to the dqty of telling the truth; in such an extreme case, which 
 is of rare occurrence, the concealment of truth may be allow- 
 ed, to prevent injustice, as, for example, the destruction of 
 our life by the hands of an enemy. 
 
 . imENn SN is 1 ? DNI inncx trnco natn V? ina DN f 
 If a thing is as clear to you as the sun, then speak it, but if 
 otherwise, speak it not. Talm. Sanhedrin, vii. 2. 
 
107 
 
 ought to know what we say, but not always say 
 what we know.* 
 
 T. Very true; but should we not also affirm with 
 an oath what we assert? 
 
 P. Not without necessity: whoever swears to 
 every trifle, knows not the importance of an oath, 
 and deserves therefore in a less degree to be be- 
 lieved.f 
 
 T. An honourable open-hearted man does not 
 permit himself to tell a lie even in jest, and requires 
 no oath to confirm what he says. His yea is yea, 
 his nay, nay. Falsehood, knavery, dissimulation, 
 boasting and garrulity destroy all confidence and 
 intimacy in our social intercourse, and produce dis- 
 trust and quarrels. All men are not able to give, 
 and no man can give to all; but honesty we owe to 
 every one; and though we sometimes may, or even 
 should, conceal the truth out of a due regard for 
 others, still are we never permitted to say what is 
 untrue. But to trifle with an oath, that is, to use it 
 without cause, is a fearful crime. Have we not still 
 other duties to perform under peculiar circum- 
 stances? 
 
 Whoever speaks much that is useless is easily brought to 
 sin. Moth i. 
 
 Viyn itpcj -\DIB> nSw VB now f 
 Whoever guards his lips from oaths, guards himself also 
 from evil, and falls not easily into sin. Menoralh Hamaor. 
 
108 
 
 P. Yes, the peculiar circumstances in which we 
 find ourselves placed, impose on us, besides the ge- 
 neral ones, particular duties, which should be the 
 more inviolable since they are sacred in a two-fold 
 respect. 
 
 T. Name some of their peculiar duties. 
 
 P. Duties towards the government,* and all the 
 persons who administer it; towards our country 
 and our fellow-citizens; duties towards our parents 
 and teachers; reciprocal duties between husband and 
 wife, and those between parents and children, and 
 between masters and servants, apprentices and per- 
 sons employed in work. 
 
 T. What duties are we to observe towards the 
 head of the government? 
 
 P. We owe him the most perfect fidelity and 
 implicit obedience; we should therefore love him 
 as a tender parent, who constantly provides for the 
 well-being of his children, and implore our heavenly 
 Father for his success, and for the success of those 
 who are associated with him in the government.! 
 
 . mynn "?N D^IO oy -jSoi ya 'n nx NT * 
 
 My son fear God and the king, and engage not with rebels. 
 Prov. xxiv. 21. 
 
 o^Sa o^n injn ns a>'N nNTin N %I ?D t ?Ntt> mobn "?ti> noi'jza V?flnD MH f 
 
 Pray for the happiness of the government and his counsel- 
 lors. Without reverence for the same, men would devour each 
 other. Moth Hi. 2. How can he be blessed who is un- 
 faithful to his sovereign and to God? Bechinoth 0/am,Chap. iii. 
 
109 
 
 T. Have we no duties to perform except towards 
 the chief magistrate? 
 
 P. We owe his counsellors and officers, through 
 whose faithful co-operation the public weal is 
 guarded and promoted, gratitude, reverence, love, 
 and obedience for their beneficial services, and 
 should pray to God to lend them his assistance in 
 the discharge of their duties. 
 
 T. What have we to do and what to omit, ac- 
 cording to these dictates of reason and religion? 
 
 P. We should strictly obey the laws of the 
 country;* never transgress them either publicly or 
 privately; support the institutions established for 
 the public good, pay honestly the taxes imposed for 
 the support of the state, and never permit ourselves 
 to do anything that might be detrimental to, or 
 subversive of, the institutions or interests of the 
 country. 
 
 T. Which land do you call your country? 
 
 P. That in which we were born and educated, to 
 which we owe many obligations from our very in- 
 fancy, or that which we have chosen as our place of 
 residence, where we enjoy the protection of the laws, 
 and obtain our livelihood; to either of these we 
 actually belong and it is our country. 
 
 .wn NiroSm Nj-n * 
 
 The laws of our states are obligatory upon Israelites like- 
 wise. Talm. Berachoth, Iviii. 
 11 
 
110 
 
 T. What are the duties of a man in reference to 
 his country? 
 
 P. He should love and esteem it above all things; 
 prove himself worthy of, and grateful* for all the 
 benefits he enjoys therein; promote its prosperity, 
 and support its laws without regarding any sacrifice 
 as too great, and, when it is in danger, defend it with 
 his fortune and his blood. 
 
 T. After God, the name of our country is the 
 most sacred word. We must be proud of its 
 glory without despising or hating other countries. 
 The happiness of our country is our own happiness.! 
 
 P. My country! O! the pleasing name 
 
 Inspires me with delight; 
 Love, hope, ambition, fond desires 
 
 In thee they all unite. 
 
 * Gratitude is not due to cpntemporaries only, but also to 
 our ancestors and antiquity. Hence it is our duty to vindicate 
 those of past days, who may be viewed as our instructors, 
 against all unjust assaults, imputations, and slights; because 
 we ought not to forget the services they have rendered us, and 
 that the time may come when we shall be glad to be defended 
 by others: indeed we must never lose sight of the wise maxim: 
 . N"?P ira mm xS non rvnun NIO 
 
 Into a cistern from which thou hast drunk, thou mayst not 
 cast a stone to make the water turbid. Bdba Kama xcii. 2. 
 
 ?e> n icm t 
 
 And seek the peace of the city 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. Jeremiah xxix. 2. 
 
Ill 
 
 Here I inhale the air, which winds 
 
 From other climes convey, 
 Where ice-hills where luxuriant groves, 
 
 Thy wisdom, Heaven, display. 
 
 And while such blessings I enjoy, 
 
 Health, friends in thee possess, 
 My strength I will to thee devote, 
 
 And ne'er thy laws transgress. 
 
 My home! in thee shall be my pride, 
 
 I'll make it virtue's school, 
 And give to every one his due 
 
 And honour those who rule. 
 
 T. What are our duties in reference to our fellow 
 citizens? 
 
 P. Every citizen owes fidelity to his fellow-citi- 
 zen, should assist him in performing his civil duties, 
 and do every thing that is required by the social 
 compact. 
 
 T. Do you know the duties towards parents and 
 teachers? 
 
 P. Children owe their parents reverence, grati- 
 tude, love, and support, and particular attention and 
 indulgence in their old age. The same is due to 
 grand-parents, instructors, and guardians. 
 
 T. And what duties have parents and teachers 
 towards their children and scholars? 
 
 P. To educate and instruct them in the best 
 manner possible; to develope their intellect, and 
 
112 
 
 never to exercise the power which they possess 
 over them except for good. 
 
 T. With the reciprocal duties of servants to their 
 masters, and these to their servants, you are proba- 
 bly also acquainted. 
 
 P. Servants must be respectful, obedient, faithful, 
 and industrious; and masters should be kind to their 
 domestics, and not abuse their power over them.* 
 
 * Many more peculiar relations and duties might be adduced 
 here: for instance, those of brothers and sisters, husband and 
 wife; but as the principles of these are included in the duties 
 towards man in general, and may be easily supplied by the 
 teacher, I omit them for the sake of brevity. The moral duties 
 towards other men are, a. either gratuitous, which we perform 
 of our own accord, or 6, those we owe to others. By the per- 
 formance of the first, the recipient of our acts incurs an obliga- 
 tion; but not so through the latter class. The feelings which 
 accompany the performance of these duties are love and esteem. 
 They can be considered separately, but also in connection. 
 As regards our feelings merely, we may love our neighbour, 
 though he deserves but little esteem; and esteem him, though 
 he seems but little worthy of our love. But as regards the law, 
 love and esteem are united together; yet, in such a manner, 
 tliat the duty we owe arises at times principally from merit 
 (gratuitous duty), at others principally from debt (obligation), 
 in either case the other principle becomes the accessory motive 
 of our action. 
 
 . DIN ho ojn vnN DJ; Di^tr mini ncn a>B>D "p rupn DIN Nr^ oSty 1 ? 
 
 Man should always be mild and forgiving, and preserve and 
 promote peace among all his kindred and friends. This is the 
 duty to all men, even to the'most ignorant heathen. Berachoth, 
 Ghap. II. 
 
113 
 
 T. These, my dear child, are the principal duties 
 which reason and religion demand of us. Yet, 
 before we dismiss this important subject, we must 
 explain a few circumstances which seem to contra- 
 dict the most exalted attributes of God. He grants 
 to man complete freedom in the choice of actions, 
 and thus bestows on him the possibility of doing 
 evil: would it not be better for mankind if they 
 could not do any evil? 
 
 P. If we were compelled to do good from neces- 
 sity and without choice, doing good would not be 
 meritorious in us, and consequently we could re- 
 ceive no reward for doing it. 
 
 T. Correctly said. And though men are, as now 
 constituted, often unable to avoid sin from weak- 
 ness, yet their condition is far less evil than if they 
 were mere machines or automatons, compelled to 
 move according to the irresistible will of a superior.* 
 But does not the abuse of human freedom inter- 
 fere with, or destroy, the wise plans of God? 
 
 P. No; God foresees all the actions of man and 
 their consequences; and in His wisdom and power 
 He knows how to direct all that it may tend to good 
 ending, t 
 
 The worth of a man is measured by his degree of intelli- 
 gence. 'MipJichar Hapeninim. 
 
 . e>"n> SNH nruevra r** Q'vin o>-ann SOP WDKD on^onn f 
 11* 
 
114 
 
 T. But how can the justice of God be vindicated 
 when pious and good men meet with misfortunes? 
 
 P. These misfortunes may have been partly 
 merited, for not every one is really pious who seems 
 so in the eyes of men: farther, no man is without 
 sin,* and if the pious suffer here, they will have the 
 more happiness hereafter.t 
 
 T. And do not many so called unfortunate cir- 
 cumstances prove in their consequences, to have 
 been truly fortunate events? For instance, had the 
 pious Joseph not been so unfortunate as to be sold 
 for a slave to Potiphar by his brethren, and had he 
 not been cast into prison, though innocent, would 
 the happiness and prosperity of himself, his family, 
 of Egypt, of so many countries, been promoted in an 
 equal degree? As a general rule we must, when con- 
 sidering the moral government of the world by the 
 Deity, always have regard to the whole, and not 
 confine our attention to so small a part merely, as 
 
 The pious believe every event to be directed by Providence. 
 Baba Metzia, Chap. I. 
 
 * None on earth, not even the pious, are without sin. 
 
 f He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are 
 judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right 
 is he. Deut. xxxii. 4. 
 
 It is not in our power to understand correctly the prosperity 
 of the wicked, nor the sufferings of the pious. Talm. Moth. iv. 
 
115 
 
 this our earthly life evidently is.* But many mis- 
 fortunes occur in the world on which man has but 
 little influence, as earthquakes, pestilence, famine, 
 destruction by fire, water and the like; can these, 
 too, be made to appear consistent with the goodness 
 of God? 
 
 P. Just as in the case with single individuals, 
 who are admonished by misfortunes and punish- 
 ments; so God employs at times calamities, as the 
 means of improving the whole human race. 
 Through afflictions men are often made better than 
 they were before; and their virtue, constancy, and 
 confidence are often exhibited in a more trium- 
 phant manner under adversities than in prosperity. 
 
 T. By means of afflictions the understanding is 
 made more effective, the moral character is elevated, 
 and many opportunities are afforded for the per- 
 formance of duties. And what is our state when 
 we have overcome a misfortune by perseverance? 
 
 P. We then enjoy our prosperity with more de- 
 light, and use it with more grateful feelings towards 
 God. 
 
 T. How delightful is health after sickness, peace 
 
 If no bird in the air is forsaken, how much less can a son of 
 man be forsaken by Heaven. Talm, hiros. Schebiith, chap. ix. 
 Bereschit Rabba, sect. 29. 
 
116 
 
 after war! and besides, is there not far more happi- 
 ness than unhappiness in the world? 
 
 P. Yes, if we could but perceive and appreciate 
 the former. 
 
 T. Truly, in point of fact, the earth is no vale of 
 tears. Misfortune is, as it were, only a slight ex- 
 ception to the rule, and generally has better conse- 
 quences, than unexpected good luck. We enjoy 
 innumerable blessings daily, but we are so much 
 accustomed to them, that we seldom think of them. 
 We may avoid the greater part of the evils which 
 beset us, by the proper use of our reason; because, 
 to have merely the power of thinking and knowing 
 is not the chief object of our existence: we are also 
 bound to act reasonably.* A common man, who 
 knows but little, yet thinks and acts justly, is far 
 preferable to one of a bad character, who has ac- 
 quired vast treasures of knowledge.! 
 
 It is only by acting in accordance with reason 
 that a man acquires worth. Let us therefore ever 
 strive to understand what is truly good, and to act 
 
 S onaia oon Nnn "?*< * 
 Be not merely wise in words, but also in deeds. Mtdrash. 
 
 . N2im jnn 211 ppn *pn jnn ion B f 
 
 Many are ignorant and free from sin; many have much 
 knowledge and are knaves; Midrash Yalkut, 
 
117 
 
 accordingly; then shall we have done what our 
 Maker expects of us to do.* 
 
 I perceive you wish to cull me a flower from the 
 wreath of religious instructions which you have 
 hitherto received: I shall accept it with pleasure. 
 
 P. 'Tis good to have a heart that's moved 
 
 With ease to pity's pious tears, 
 That cannot banish sympathy, 
 
 When suffering's trembling voice it hears; 
 'Tis good, unseen by human eye, 
 
 Around us blessings to bestow, 
 To cause o'er those whom sorrow bends 
 
 A stream of happiness to flow. 
 
 'Tis good to see, with true delight, 
 
 The flowers of joy for others grow, 
 To pluck our own, however small, 
 
 And on our way contented go. 
 The blossoms which we chance to find, 
 
 On others' paths to drop; to spread 
 With comfort, as with morning dews, 
 
 The thorny paths which others tread. 
 
 'Tis good through raging storm and hail 
 
 To pass with cheerful voice and eye, 
 And through the gloomy clouds around, 
 
 With hope the beauteous day to spy; 
 
 Man should pray for mercy even in his last breath. Talm. 
 Berachoth, viii. 1. 
 
118 
 
 Tis good to show a modest mien, 
 
 When we've accomplished what we hoped, 
 To hush the voice that fain would boast, 
 
 When we successfully have coped. 
 
 'Tis good, with strictest eye to judge 
 
 The deeds which we ourselves have done, 
 But o'er the faults our friends commit, 
 
 Needless severity to shun; 
 'Tis good to long for righteousness, 
 
 Our will for virtuous deeds to train, 
 And boldly still our path pursue, 
 
 Though we should step from pain to pain. 
 
 'Tis good our gift of reason as 
 
 A heaven-kindled spark to hail, 
 And day by day increase its light, 
 
 To lead us through this gloomy vale; 
 'Tis good, though it should cost a world, 
 
 The truth to utter faithfully, 
 To be sincere, and never seem 
 
 What we have not the heart to be. 
 
 'Tis good to gladden the distressed, 
 
 The suffering joyously to serve, 
 Their sinking courage raise when they 
 
 From duty's thorny path would swerve; 
 'Tis good to see with patience those 
 
 We dearest deem'd their coldness show, 
 Reviling not when we're reviled, 
 
 Forgiving fault of friend and foe. 
 
119 
 
 'Tis good, tho' hard, to combat all 
 
 The passions which so strongly plead; 
 To quench each deleterious flame, 
 
 This is a victory indeed! 
 'Tis good to strive unceasingly, 
 
 And ne'er from duty's path to fly; 
 Till we can SBy, the palm is ours 
 
 That blooms for us eternally. 
 
 CONVERSATION V. 
 
 The worship of God as commanded by revela- 
 tion, consists in the most faithful performance of 
 all the holy precepts.* 
 
 In the same degree that the precepts which the holy Scriptures 
 present to man for the government of his thoughts and actions 
 demand a constant reference to God; does their history exhibit 
 the unceasing and powerful working of his immediate influ- 
 ence. STOLLBERG. 
 
 T. The great love of God for his creatures, and 
 
 -ixu ruian 'n n>w rroan htt min * 
 Knowledge of the laws of God is true wisdom, fear of God 
 is just understanding, and he who has both possesses real 
 happiness. Sen Syra. 
 
120 
 
 particularly for man, we have learnt to discover from 
 his pre-eminent qualities and capacities, mental, 
 no less than bodily. It is therefore necessary now 
 that we proceed to a more minute consideration of 
 the noblest gift which we have received from the 
 hand of our beneficent God, in order to secure our 
 temporal prosperity and eternal happiness. Do you 
 know what this great, this divine, gift is? 
 
 P. It is the written word of God, or as we call 
 it, the holy Scriptures, in which his sacred will is 
 made known to us. 
 
 T. What blessing could be a greater living testi- 
 mony of the boundless love and goodness of the 
 Creator, than his heavenly gift! Although man was 
 already furnished with most appropriate means for 
 securing his happiness, he, nevertheless, received in 
 addition a written revelation of God's holy will,* 
 that he might at all times be able to guard against 
 error. Will you mention more particularly the time 
 at, and the circumstances under which mankind 
 came into possession of this valuable treasure? 
 
 P. When the people of Israel had been set free 
 from Egyptian bondage, and led into the Arabian 
 
 . *wp wxi jnw 0-1*6 nnn why inn WNI min iciSn So * 
 He who learns the law and does not act in accordance there- 
 in, is like the man who sows and does not reap. Talm. Bera- 
 choth, Ixiii. 1. 
 
121 
 
 wilderness* by Moses, God, out of love for his 
 creatures, deemed it proper to give them laws and 
 precepts: and these they received on the sixth day 
 of the third month Sivan (Exod. xx.), in the year 
 of the world 2440, on Mount Sinai, amid lightning 
 and thunder and the sound of trumpets. No his- 
 tory proves that God ever appeared to another 
 nation as He did to our fathers. That day became, 
 as it were, the birth-day of the Israelitish religion. 
 
 T. To whom did God deliver these laws? 
 
 P. After the people declared that they felt too 
 timid to hear the voice of the Lord themselves, 
 (Exod. xx. 19,) Moses, according to the general 
 desire, went alone on the mountain, where he re- 
 mained forty days and forty nights, and brought 
 down two tables of stone, on which were engraved 
 the Ten Commandments. These, together with 
 many historical details, truths, and farther instruc- 
 tion in reference to duties, were written by Moses 
 in five books and handed over to the Israelites, to 
 be strictly followed by them. In this manner was 
 their religion established. 
 
 T. What effect has religion on us? 
 
 P. It is that alone which renders us really good 
 
 * According to Frank's Chronology, the Pharaoh who ele- 
 vated Joseph was called Venephes; he who began to oppress the 
 Israelites, Jlchenchersis; and he who wished to destroy them, 
 and was drowned in the Red Sea, Chencheres. 
 12 
 
122 
 
 and useful men. It teaches us to lead such a life on 
 earth as shall be acceptable to God, and how to at- 
 tain happiness here as well as hereafter; and shows 
 us how we should enjoy prosperity and bear mis- 
 fortune. (Deut. vi. 1 3.) 
 
 T. Do the five books of Moses (the Pentateuch) 
 contain only ten commandments? 
 
 P. No; the number of the collective ordinances 
 is six hundred and thirteen; namely, two hundred 
 and forty-eight positive commandments ntpj? nwo 
 and three hundred and sixty-five prohibitions, 
 nu>j?n vh rnxo (according to the number of days in the 
 year). Maccoth, page xxxii. 2. 
 
 T. Are we at this day still bound to obey all 
 these commandments? 
 
 P. No; for since the termination of the Jewish 
 government, many commandments which had re- 
 ference to the promised land, and the then condition 
 of the Israelites, have lost their applicability; so that 
 there now remain only three hundred and sixty- 
 nine which we are able to obey. 
 
 T. Is it the duty of every Israelite without dis- 
 tinction, to obey all these commandments? 
 
 P. No; ninety-nine of them are only adapted to 
 persons under certain circumstances, for example: 
 " When thou buildest a new house, then thou shalt 
 make a battlement for thy roof, that thou bring 
 no blood upon thine house, if any man fall from 
 thence." (Deut. xxii. 8.) 
 
123 
 
 " The wages of him that is hired, shall not abide 
 with thee all night until the morning" (Levit. 
 xix. 13.) 
 
 These precepts and others like them are evident- 
 ly not of daily occurrence; and if a person, for 
 instance, never builds a house, he never will have 
 an opportunity of complying with the precept re- 
 garding the same. 
 
 The number of commandments then, which every 
 Israelite is bound to observe, is diminished to two 
 hundred and seventy ; namely, forty -eight positive 
 commandments, and two hundred and twenty-two 
 prohibitions.* 
 
 T. Is obedience to these laws important, or is it 
 merely left to our choice and pleasure? 
 
 P. The commands of God were given for the 
 highest good of man; they are therefore doubtlessly 
 of vast importance, and it is part of our destiny on 
 earth to obey them.t 
 
 T. What are the words by which God makes 
 
 * See Sepher hachinuch (-pjinn nco); by Rabbi Aaron of Bar- 
 celona. 
 
 mina y^ -pix DIN *?:> -p DVJJP nyp *m pvh ^nx mn pwnn nno t 
 
 . nyv SDH 
 
 As the mother's breast is requisite to afford constant nourish- 
 ment to the infant, so is every man bound to labour constantly 
 in the pursuit of religion. Talm. hieros Berachoth. 
 
124 
 
 known in the holy Scriptures the duties which are 
 required of man? 
 
 P. They are: 
 *?D3 ro 1 ? 1 ? ^nSN 'n DN rwv 1 ? DN->J icpn VNIP ^n^N TI nn Sxnss" nnjn 
 
 . ^cr 1 ?:):]! -pa 1 ?- 1 ?:):! -pn^N 'rrnN -n^Si in rttnN^ VDTI 
 
 "And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God 
 require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God, to 
 walk in his ways, and to love him, and to serve the 
 Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy 
 soul." (Deut. x. 12.) 
 
 T. How can we walk in the ways of God? 
 
 P. When we are penetrated according to his 
 sublime example, by the purest love for good, and 
 the greatest possible aversion for evil. 
 
 T. How can we serve God? 
 
 P. If we speak and act according to the senti- 
 ments just laid down. 
 
 T. Do the holy Scriptures contain no other decla- 
 rations as to what is required of man? 
 
 P. Yes, very many. Thus Moses, the faithful 
 servant of God, said to the assembled people of 
 Israel: 
 
 nrinan -^jo 1 ? inru nicm onn pNrrrw DiDPrrnN ovn DM >nTj?n 
 . linn nnN n>nn ]yrh am mrai rMpm 
 
 "I call heaven and earth to record this day against 
 you, that I have set before you life and death, 
 blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both 
 thou and thy seed may live." (Deut. xxx. 19.) 
 
 T. Do you also therefore choose life, my dear child; 
 
125 
 
 .be it your study to do much good in your present 
 life, that you may be everlastingly happy. In what 
 words is the duty of man elsewhere clearly and 
 plainly set forth? 
 
 P. In the words of David: 
 
 mo 
 
 "Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace and 
 pursue it." (Psalm xxxiv. 14.) 
 
 T. In addition to this blessed precept we find in 
 the wide and fruitful field of the holy Scriptures, 
 promises of the highest favour of God as the reward 
 for all good actions; and on the other hand, threats 
 of his highest displeasure as the punishment for 
 every evil action. In this we constantly discover 
 the reward for virtue, and the punishment for evil 
 doings. Humanity is likewise recommended to us 
 by God and his servants in many passages of Scrip- 
 ture, and is therefore a duty, the execution of which 
 must never be pretermitted, 
 
 P. That we should happy be on earth 
 Is bounteous Heaven's pleasure, 
 
 He therefore gave us laws divine, 
 To be life's choicest treasure. 
 
 Through conscience He adresses us, 
 And through the understanding; 
 
 Forever what we ought to do, 
 And what avoid commanding. 
 
 T. You spoke of the ten commandments de- 
 12* 
 
126 
 
 signed by God to bless mankind, which He deliv- 
 ered to Moses: what are they?* 
 
 P. The first commandment is: 
 
 . D>n3j? nun onxo pND "vnNxin "^N ^nSN 'n OJN 
 
 "/ am the Lord thy God, who have brought 
 thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house 
 of bondage" 
 
 T. What doctrine does this commandment con- 
 tain? 
 
 P. It teaches, 1, that God is the Creator and 
 Preserver of the world. 
 
 T. What is meant by, God is the Creator? 
 
 * As it is an acknowledged truth, that religion, in its purity, 
 is the highest good of mankind, and to comprehend it fully, 
 and act accordingly, is our holiest duty; it would be the great- 
 est sin to endeavour arbitrarily to disfigure its outlines, or to 
 undermine the principles upon which it is based. Hence, I 
 hold it to be the duty of every teacher to be particularly care- 
 ful to inculcate and fully explain the ten commandments, when 
 giving religious instruction. What would remain to the as- 
 sociated believers in the holy Scriptures without the ten com- 
 mandments'? a meagre skeleton of casuistical fragments! 
 Should any friend of the truth deem the passages which I have 
 adduced from the holy Scriptures, as deviating from my design, 
 I would say to him: 
 
 *7N )?>jn N 1 ? ItPND D^IDJH Onain JD HXp N^nty ID * 
 
 "Account it not a sin to him who brings what is good in 
 parts, though it may not entirely correspond with his design." 
 Preface to Sepher Mechir Yayin. 
 
127 
 
 P. That every thing is derived from Him. God 
 is the first cause of all things. 
 
 . pNn nK) o'Dtsri PN D^N Nn2 nwana 
 
 "In the beginning God created the heavens and 
 the earth. (Gen. i. 1.) 
 
 . na >3B>i) "?an nNiSci pNn 'n 1 ? 
 
 "The earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof; 
 the world, and they that dwell therein: 
 . njJioi nnru Vyi moi D>D> 'jy Nin "o 
 
 "For he hath founded it upon the seas, and esta- 
 blished it upon the floods." (Psalm xxiv. 1, 2.) 
 
 "Then king Darius wrote unto all people, 
 nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; 
 Peace be multiplied unto you. I make a decree, 
 That in every dominion of my kingdom men 
 tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; for he 
 is the living God, and steadfast for ever, and his 
 kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and hjis 
 dominion shall be even unto the end. He deliver- 
 eth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders 
 in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel 
 from the power of the lions:" (Dan. vi. 25 27.) 
 
 God is therefore the origin of all creation; and all 
 creatures came from Him, and exist through Him 
 and in Him. 
 
 . mia "\o Svw nnx 'jru 'n IIDD ^ND 
 
 "Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, 
 Lord; thou art great, and thy name is great in 
 might. Who would not fear thee, King of na- 
 
128 
 
 tions? for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as 
 among all the wise men of the nations, and in all 
 their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee. But 
 they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is 
 a doctrine of vanities: Silver spread into plates is 
 brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the 
 work of the workman, and of the hands of the 
 founder: blue and purple is the clothing: they are 
 all the work of cunning men: But the Lord is the 
 true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting 
 King: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the 
 nations shall not be able to abide his indignation. 
 He hath made the earth by his power, he hath esta- 
 blished the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched 
 out the heavens by his discretions: When he utter- 
 eth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the 
 heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from 
 the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, 
 and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures. 
 Every man is brutish in his knowledge; every 
 founder is confounded by the graven image: for his 
 molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath 
 in them." (Jerem. x. 6 10, 12 14.) 
 
 T. From what motive did God create all things? 
 
 P. From the purest possible love towards his 
 creatures, and for the purpose of making them all 
 happy. 
 
 T. God, the Author of the world, loves, and Is 
 active for the welfare of his creatures; and is not a 
 
129 
 
 being occupied merely with the contemplation of 
 his own greatness, who does not care for the crea- 
 tures He has made, because their comparatively 
 little acts might seem too insignificant to merit his 
 attention. 
 
 "Yet they (the wicked) say, The Lord shall not 
 see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it: He 
 that planted the ear, shall he not hear? or he that 
 formed the eye shall he not see?" (Psalm xciv. 7, 9.) 
 
 What is meant by the expression, God is the Pre- 
 server? 
 
 P. That every thing is preserved in being through 
 Him only. The same God who created all things, 
 graciously provides for their continuance. 
 
 "Thou visitest the earth and waterest it: thou 
 greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is 
 full of water: thou preparest them corn, when thou 
 hast so provided for it: thou waterest the ridges 
 thereof abundantly: thou settlest the furrows there- 
 of: thou makest it soft with showers: thou blessest 
 the springing thereof: thou crownest the year with 
 thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness: they drop 
 upon the pastures of the wilderness; and the little 
 hills rejoice on every side: the pastures are clothed 
 with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with 
 corn; they shout for joy, they also sing. Psalm Ixv. 
 1014; civ. 13 15; cxlv. 15, 16; cxlvii. 79. 
 
 "Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the 
 skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, 
 
130 
 
 and let them bring forth salvation, and let righte- 
 ousness spring up together. I the Lord have cre- 
 ated it. Isaiah xlv. 8. 
 
 T. No evil then threatens us here below, for the 
 God of love* makes every occurrence tend to real 
 good. His mighty arm rules over the world, des- 
 tiny, mankind, the elements, and events. Gen. 1. 
 20; Isaiah xii. 2; Psalm ix. 5; Ivi. 12; Ivii. 2; en- 
 tire Ps. xc. 
 
 What farther does the first commandment teach 
 us? 
 
 P. 2. That God is the Ruler and Benefactor of 
 his creatures. 
 
 T. What is meant by this? 
 
 P. That every thing that occurs is in strict ac- 
 cordance with His wise arrangement of creation, 
 His will, His ordaining, and under His guidance: 
 nowhere does any thing happen by chance. Isaiah 
 xlv. 7, 8; Psalm xxxiii. 13 15; cxiv. 7, 8. 
 
 "0 Lord, I know that the way of man is not in 
 himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his 
 steps." Jerem. x. 23. 
 
 "Who is this that darkeneth counself by words 
 
 * E ven so would he have removed thee out of the strait, into a 
 broad place, where there is no straitness, and that which should 
 be set on thy table, shouldbe full of fatness. Job xxxvi. 16. 
 
 f As if he had said, who art thou who pretendest to speak 
 on the deep things of God, and administration of his justice 
 and providence, which thou canst not comprehend 1 ? 
 
131 
 
 without knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a 
 man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me. 
 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of 
 the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding: 
 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou know- 
 est? or who hath stretched the line upon it? 
 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or 
 who laid the corner-stone thereof; and said, Hither- 
 to shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall 
 thy proud waves be stayed? Hast thou commanded 
 the morning since thy days, and caused the day- 
 spring to know his place." Job xxxviii. 2 6, 11, 
 12. 
 
 "Then Job answered the Lord and said: 
 I know that thou canst do every thing, and that 
 no thought can be withholden from thee. (Thy 
 power is unlimited; thy wisdom infinite.) Who is 
 he that hideth counsel without knowledge? there- 
 fore have I uttered that I understood not; things too 
 wonderful for me, which I knew not."* 
 
 "Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak; I will 
 demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. I have 
 heard of thee by the hearing of the ear; but now 
 mine eye seeth thee. Ibid. Ixii. 2 6. 
 
 oijm nchyw ^"px noons nfc> ip Sont? 'n ivyn nn nmn 1 ? px * 
 
 Do not measure by thy reason the acts of God, for He does 
 every thing with the highest wisdom, though it may not he 
 clearly perceptible to human eyes. Sen Syra, i. 5. 
 
132 
 
 T. His presence fills the entire space; His eyes 
 penetrate the human heart no less than all the 
 worlds; the abundance of His blessings is inexhaust- 
 ible, and His beneficence boundless. Deut. xxxii. 
 4; Isaiah xlviii. 13; 1.2; Jeremiah xxiii. 23, 24; Ps. 
 xxx. 15; xxxiii. 9; cxv. 3; cxxxix. 1 5. 
 
 What do we mean when we say that God is our 
 Benefactor? 
 
 P. That all things are objects of His providence 
 and care, that all are happy through Him. 
 
 "The eyes of the Lord thy God are always upon 
 it, (the land of Palestine,) from the beginning of the 
 year even unto the end of the year." Deut. xi. 12. 
 
 "The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and 
 delivereth them out of all their troubles. The 
 Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, 
 and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many 
 are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord 
 delivereth him out of them all." Psalm xxxiv. 19. 
 
 T. How great is the love which God displays in 
 the providence with which He cares for mankind. 
 How manifold are the joys which his goodness dis- 
 tributes among them! How inexhaustible are the 
 means by which He preserves them when suffering, 
 protects them in danger, and rescues them from 
 destruction. 
 
 "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dis- 
 mayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; 
 yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with 
 
133 
 
 the right hand of my righteousness. Isaiah xli. 10; 
 xlix. 13-15; xxxi. 20; Ps. xxxiv. 10; xxxviii. 20, 
 21; Habak. i. 12. 
 
 What other doctrines do we derive from the first 
 commandment? 
 
 P. 3. That God is our Judge and Guide. 
 
 T. What is meant by His being Judge? 
 
 P. God rewards every one according to his me- 
 rits. His acts towards us are in strict accordance 
 with, and a compensation for, our deeds. 
 
 6. "The Lord killeth and maketh alive: he 
 bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. 
 
 7. "The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich; 
 he bringeth low and lifteth up. 
 
 8. "He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and 
 lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them 
 amongst 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. 
 
 9. "He will keep the feet of his saints, and the 
 wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength 
 shall no man prevail. 
 
 10. "The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken 
 to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: 
 the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth; and he 
 shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn 
 of his annointed." 2 Sam. Chap. ii. 
 
 "And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may 
 be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be ex- 
 13 
 
134 
 
 alted, that he may have mercy upon you, for the 
 Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that 
 wait for him." Isaiah xxx. 18. 
 
 "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 according to his ways, and accor- 
 ding to the fruit of his doings." Jeremiah xxxii. 1 9. 
 
 "For the day of the Lord is near upon all the 
 heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto 
 thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head." 
 Obadiah 15. 
 
 T. Although the ways of the Lord are unsearch- 
 able, they are nevertheless wise and just. Notwith- 
 standing the most exalted justice, He displays in a 
 manner too evident to be misunderstoo(L long-suf- 
 fering towards the erring, mercy towarfc the re- 
 pentant, satisfaction with the pious, and his joy 
 over all those who act uprightly. 
 
 "For what nation is there so great, who hath 
 God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in 
 all things that we call upon him for?" Deut. iv. 7. 
 
 "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the un- 
 righteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto 
 the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and 
 to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." 
 Isaiah Iv. 7. 
 
 "Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I 
 have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but 
 that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn 
 
135 
 
 ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye 
 die, house of Israel." Ezekiel xxxiii. 11. 
 See Psalm xi. 7; xxiii.; xxxiv. 19; xxxvii. 25. 
 
 3. "Who forgiveth all thy iniquities; who healeth 
 all thy diseases; 
 
 4. "Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; 
 who crowneth thee with loving-kindness and ten- 
 der mercies; 
 
 8. "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to 
 anger, and plenteous in mercy. 
 
 13. "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the 
 Lord pitieth them that fear him. 
 
 17. "But the mercy of the Lord is from ever- 
 lasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and 
 his righteousness unto children's children." Psalm 
 ciii. 
 
 "He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up 
 their wounds." Psalm cxlvii. 3. 
 
 11. "To set up on high those that are low; that 
 those which mourn may be exalted to safety. 
 
 12. "He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, 
 so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise. 
 
 13. "He takes the wise in their own craftiness: 
 and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong. 
 
 14. "They meet with darkness in the day-time, 
 and grope in the noonday as in the night. 
 
 15. "But he saveth the poor from the sword, 
 from their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty. 
 
136 
 
 1 6. "So the poor hath hope, and iniquity stoppeth 
 her mouth. 
 
 17. "Behold, happy is the man whom God cor- 
 recteth; therefore despise not thou the chastening 
 of the Almighty. 
 
 18. "For he maketh sore and bindeth up; he 
 woundeth, and his hands make whole." Job, chap, 
 v. 1118. 
 
 What do we mean when we say, God is our Guide? 
 P. The object of all that He dispenses to us, is 
 to make us more perfect. 
 
 27. "For the fitches are not threshed with a 
 threshing-instrument, neither is a cart-wheel turned 
 about upon the cummin; but the fitches are beaten 
 out with a staff and the cummins with a rod. 
 
 28. "Bread corn is bruised; because he will not 
 ever be threshing it, nor break it with the wheel of 
 his cart, nor bruise it with his horsemen. 
 
 29. "This also cometh forth from the Lord of 
 hosts, which is wonderful in council and excellent 
 in working. Isaiah xxviii. 
 
 15. "For thus saith the high and lofty One that 
 inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell 
 in the high and holy place, with him also that is of 
 a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of 
 the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite 
 ones. 
 
 16. "For I will not content for ever, neither will 
 I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before 
 
137 
 
 me, and the souls which I have made. Isaiah, 
 Ivii. 15, 16. 
 
 T. Nothing is evil that proceeds from our loving 
 Father. What we have to suffer here, directs us to 
 a brighter destiny, and occasions more perfect vir- 
 tue. Even the paths which we cannot comprehend 
 at first, have always a joyful termination; a truth of 
 which the going out from Egypt, cited in the first 
 of the ten commandments is an example eminently 
 calculated to elevate the heart. Gen. xlv. 5 7; 1. 
 19, 20; Isaiah Iv. 8, 9; lix. 1; Hab. i. 13; Ps. xlii. 
 6, 12; cxix. 52; cxxvi. 5; cxxxix. 17, 18. 
 
 What is the second commandment? 
 
 P. " Thou shall have no other gods before me." 
 
 T. What does this second divine precept forbid? 
 
 P. It forbids idolatry and superstition. 
 
 T. In what cases would we be guilty of idolatry? 
 
 P. We are guilty of idolatry: 
 
 1. If we offer divine worship or put our trust in 
 any spiritual or corporeal being beside the one true 
 God. 
 
 T. Only the God who created you is worthy of 
 adoration; for He alone is the light and strength of 
 your life. Gen. xv. 6. 
 
 P. 2. If we entertain an unworthy idea of God; 
 for instance, if we suppose Him to have a visible 
 form, or attribute to Him bodily peculiarities and 
 weaknesses. 
 
 T. The existence, life, and actions of God cannot 
 13* 
 
138 
 
 be compared with any visible existing thing. Par- 
 don, then, thy creatures, infinite God, for being 
 unable to speak of Thee otherwise than in their de- 
 fective language.* Ps. cv. 5. 
 
 P. 3. When instead of honest faith, we merely 
 practise hypocrisy and pretended holiness. 
 
 T. The Most Holy delights not in the dishonest 
 actions of the hypocrite. Good intentions are as 
 much to Him as deeds. No outward, compulsory, 
 blind, half-performance is satisfactory to God; his 
 law should incite us to a pure, joyful, complete, and 
 fearless obedience. Gen. iv. 7; Deut. v. 29, 30; x. 
 20; Isaiah i. 11; Jer. iii. 10; v. 24; vi. 20; vii. 21 
 33; xxxi. 33; Psalm 1. 7; Ixxiii. 28. 
 
 "He hath showed thee, 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? Micah vi. 8. 
 
 When do we sin through superstition? 
 
 P. When we ascribe any thing that happens to 
 unnatural or preternatural causes; as believing that 
 certain stars govern this or that human being or 
 other creature; that the accidental positions of the 
 clouds, the instinctive movement and flight of birds, 
 and the like, have reference to the fortunes of man: 
 farther, if we have faith in the power of evil spirits, 
 
 n>on ? 
 Thy praise, O, God! is silence Yalkut. 
 
139 
 
 witches, magic, and other pretended powers which 
 tend to weaken our veneration for God. 
 
 T. Let therefore the Creator's will be sacred to 
 you; and strive to glorify his name. Strive to grow 
 in true knowledge of his being and ways, for then 
 you will be easily able to conquer every prejudice 
 by means of the correct views which you have ac- 
 quired. 
 
 "And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will 
 not hearken unto my words which he shall speak 
 in my name, I will require it of him." Deut. xxviii. 
 19; Lev. xix. 4 31; Jerem. ii. 3; Ps. xl. 5.* 
 
 What is the third commandment? 
 
 P. The third commandment is: 
 
 "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy 
 God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guilt- 
 less that taketh his name in vain." 
 
 T. What is prohibited by this? 
 
 P. 1. That we are not to swear to confirm a 
 falsehood, since by this means the veneration we 
 owe to God would be violated in the most sinful 
 manner.t 
 
 ittMDDi ant Sty pope 1 ? ?non Nin nnS pm * 
 The truly pious man is like a golden bell, of which the clap- 
 per is made of pearl. Midrash. 
 
 f The word NNP expresses the idea useless, unnecessary, 
 without cause, groundless and vain, no less than the idea/a/se 
 or lying; compare Deut. xxxiii. 23; Isaiah i. 13; Psalm lix. 
 13. Ixxxix. 47; Job vii. 3. 
 
140 
 
 2. That we are not to break an oath which we 
 have taken, by which, as in the first case, we would 
 perjure ourselves. 
 
 3. That we are not to be guilty of any kind of 
 cursing, lying, and deceiving; for by these crimes 
 we would grossly offend the holiness of God. 
 
 T. When are we permitted to take an oath? 
 
 P. We may take an oath when it is required by 
 the authorities to establish any fact, and we are con- 
 vinced of the entire truth of that to which we swear. 
 
 T. An oath is a golden coin of great value, 
 stamped with the name of the living God. With a 
 pure hand only, dare we to lay it on the altar of 
 truth, and even that pure hand should do it with 
 trembling. Not without cause does the word of 
 God contain a particular warning on this subject. 
 
 A lie is the intentional uttering of an untruth in expressing 
 our thoughts. It is judicial where it violates the rights of 
 others, and ethical or moral when it violates truth in general. 
 It is concealed when we thereby deceive ourselves, and open 
 when we expose ourselves also to the contempt of others, by 
 the exhibition of the falsehood. Lying annihilates the dignity 
 of man, and consequently is a gross crime, whether it is 
 against justice or prudence, against the liar himself or others, 
 whether it is the result of inadvertency, complaisance, or good 
 intentions; and whether great or small. Sincerity is in general 
 the opposite of falsehood. Veracity is a predominating incli- 
 nation to speak the truth. Honesty is sincerity viewed as the 
 character of a person, and faithfulness is honesty in keeping our 
 promises. Compare Maseeh. Sota, page Hi. 
 
141 
 
 The fancied golden hills, the tops of which the false 
 swearer would attain, time will cause to crumble 
 into dust, but undying remorse is left behind. His 
 days of joy even are not sanctified by the idea of 
 duties performed, his hours of suffering are without 
 the comfort of religion; his solitude is without in- 
 ward peace, and his intercourse with others lacks 
 the robe of innocence. Virtue, what can be com- 
 pared with thee? Sir. xxii. 10 13; xxiii. 10 12; 
 Exod. xx. 7; Ezek. xvii. 19; Ps. iv. 3; Job xi. 14. 
 
 20. "The wicked man travaileth with pain all 
 his days, and the number of years is hidden to the 
 oppressor. 
 
 21. "A dreadful sound is in his ears: in pros- 
 perity the destroyer shall come upon him. 
 
 22. "He believeth not that he shall return out of 
 darkness, and he is waited for of the sword. 
 
 23. "He wandereth abroad for bread, saying, 
 Where is it? he knoweth that the day of darkness 
 is ready at his hand. 
 
 24. "Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid; 
 they shall prevail against him, as a king ready for a 
 battle. 
 
 25. "For he stretcheth out his hand against God, 
 and strengthened himself against the Almighty." 
 Job xv. 20 25. 
 
 P. The fourth commandment is: 
 
 roipn or nx TOT 
 "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." 
 
142 
 
 T. Explain this in other words. 
 
 P. On the seventh day of every week we should 
 avoid all worldly works and cares, the object of 
 which is the satisfying of our bodily wants, that we 
 may be the more occupied with the concerns of our 
 souls; we should examine our conduct, improve 
 what we discover to be defective, cultivate our un- 
 derstanding of the nature of our duties by means of 
 instruction, and ennoble our hearts by devotion, 
 and by searching in the word of God. 
 
 T. There is in reality something momentous in 
 the divine institution of the Sabbath. In this 
 weary pilgrimage, where so many pleasures are 
 always ready to entice us away from the path we 
 should pursue, where we not rarely care and strive 
 as if the eternity for which we should care and 
 strive, were of the same earthly nature as our pre- 
 sent existence, and where at other times our whole 
 soul is absorbed in the enjoyment of the moment- 
 in such a life it is most urgently necessary for the 
 immortal spirit, dwelling in its house of clay, to be 
 reminded of its origin and of its destination. 
 A day of rest was therefore bestowed upon man, 
 that he might devote it to the contemplation and 
 worship of God. A day of rest for him who is 
 fatigued by the labour and the toil incident to our 
 earthly life; and a day of rest for him also, who, 
 more unfortunate than the former, does not discover 
 
143 
 
 that repose flies from him, the more he seeks it in 
 the gratification of his base desires. 
 
 "Ye shall keep my sabbath, and reverence my 
 sanctuary, I am the Lord." Levit. xix. 30. 
 
 "If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, 
 from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call 
 the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honour- 
 able; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own 
 ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking 
 thine, own words." Isaiah Iviii. 13. 
 
 "Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a 
 sign between me and them, that they might know 
 that I am the Lord that sanctify them." Ezekiel 
 xx. 12. 
 
 "Because they despised my judgments, and walk- 
 ed not in my statutes, but polluted my sabbaths: for 
 their heart went after their idols." Ibid. 16. 
 
 "Nevertheless mine eye spared them from de- 
 stroying them, neither did I make an end of them 
 in the wilderness." Ibid. 17. 
 
 P. The fifth commandment is: 
 
 . TD^ pan&o ]yvh IDN DNI -pax ns IM 
 
 "Honour thy father and thy mother; that thy 
 days may be long upon the land which the Lord 
 thy God giveth thee." 
 
 T. What have we to do, and what to avoid, in 
 obedience to this commandment? 
 
 P. To honour our parents; ever to remember 
 with grateful feelings the benefits which they have 
 
144 
 
 bestowed on us; to do every thing which will cause 
 them joy; to promote their welfare as far as possi- 
 ble, and to fulfil whatever they require of us; that 
 is to say, we are bound to do willingly, entirely, 
 speedily, and unconditionally, all that our parents 
 have a lawful right to require, all that affords them 
 permitted pleasure and pure joy, all that can law- 
 fully promote their temporal and eternal welfare; 
 but we are bound also to avoid carefully every thing 
 that may cause them just sorrow, that may mar their 
 temporal and eternal welfare, as for example, faith- 
 lessness, disobedience, rude demeanour towards 
 brothers and sisters, negligence and the like.* 
 
 T. The parents are the first and greatest bene- 
 factors of their children; all, all that the children 
 are and have, they are and have directly and indi- 
 rectly through their parents. Hence do the holy 
 Scriptures warn us so frequently not to sin against 
 them; hence has our bountiful Creator promised a 
 particular reward to those who obey this command- 
 ment, notwithstanding it is of that nature that it is 
 a spontaneous feeling of every human heart. Talm. 
 Chulin, last chapter. 
 
 "Honour thy father with thy whole heart, be 
 
 niaa HTUD TON nwa n?aon *?DI ro"pnS naan ION ns laacn Sa * 
 
 . na"pn 
 
 He who honours his parents, also thereby honours God; he 
 who neglects honouring his parents, also disregards the honour 
 due to God. Sereshith Rabba. 
 
145 
 
 grateful towards thy mother: how canst thou re- 
 quite them the trouble of training thee up? 
 Prov. vi. 20, 23; Sir. vii. 26, 27, etc.* 
 
 Parents' love, how great! how boundless! 
 
 More than children can return: 
 But to thank them, to be grateful 
 
 To your parents you may learn. 
 On your parents, weak and helpless, 
 
 Youthful vigour to bestow, 
 Gladd'ning them with help and comfort, 
 
 When afflictions round them flow, 
 This is your delightful duty, 
 Never, children, this forget! 
 
 P. The sixth commandment is: 
 
 . nann vh 
 
 "Thou shalt not kill." 
 T. What does this precept teach? 
 P. It teaches: 
 
 1. Not to destroy our own life, nor that of others. 
 
 2. Not to be accessory in causing our own death, 
 or the death of others, and never to neglect any op- 
 portunity of rescuing those whose life is endangered. 
 
 3. Not to shorten life in any case by immoderate 
 grief, intemperance, rejecting proper remedies in 
 
 na"pn pNty . DNI ax mi mxn na"pn ^o 1 ? ra-an HDD nx-n Na * 
 
 . pan pa pn* pa rot? nepn 
 
 Mark how pleasing to God the command to honour our 
 parents must be; since the reward for obeying it is meted out 
 to the wicked no less than to the good. Kad Hakemach, 
 xxxvi. 3. 
 
 '14 
 
146 
 
 sickness, useless abstinence and inflictions to mor- 
 tify the flesh, nor by any other means whatever 
 which are not demanded by duty. 
 
 T. The shedding of innocent blood is too great a 
 sin to be left unpunished by our just Creator. Gen. 
 ix. 5, 6. Cherish no evil thoughts towards your 
 neighbour; we are all brethren; the misfortunes of 
 others should be our misfortunes: we should do unto 
 them what we desire to be done unto us. Do 
 nothing therefore to shorten their life; but endeavour 
 to promote useful information; be attentive to the 
 wants of others; have a conscientious regard for their 
 necessities, and advance thus the temporal and eter- 
 nal welfare of all around you. 
 
 P. The seventh commandment is: 
 . jwn vh 
 
 "Thou shall not commit adultery" 
 
 T. What is the meaning of this precept? 
 
 P. We violate this commandment by every species 
 of dishonourable conduct, in unchaste words or ac- 
 tions, which we should be ashamed to let our parents, 
 teachers, or other persons hear or see. 
 
 T. He who is licentious in thoughts, words or 
 actions, is bold and shameless, fears not to break by 
 his vices the divine bonds of matrimony, robs him- 
 self of every pure virtuous enjoyment, draws on 
 
 . \y rocip rupT nna ^Burn i 
 
 If you revel in licentiousness, premature old age will fasten 
 upon you. Talm. Shabbath, page clii. 
 
147 
 
 himself shame and contempt, destroys his health, and 
 is brought to an early grave. 
 
 24. "To keep thee from the evil woman, from 
 the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. 
 
 25. "Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; 
 neither let her take thee with her eyelids. 
 
 26. "For by means of an abandoned woman a 
 man is brought to piece of bread: and the adulter- 
 ess will hunt for the precious life. 
 
 27. "Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his 
 clothes not be burned? 
 
 28. "Can one go upon hot coals and his feet not 
 be burnt? 
 
 29. "So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; 
 whosever toucheth her shall not be innocent." 
 Prov. vi. 
 
 T. What is the eighth commandment? 
 
 . 3JJD N 1 ? 
 
 P. "Thou shall not steal. 7 ' 
 
 T. What is meant by stealing? 
 
 P. We steal when we appropriate to ourselves 
 by unjust means, that which is the property of 
 another. 
 
 T. By what action would this precept be violated? 
 
 P. This divine precept is violated not only by 
 forcible robbery, or by secret breaking into another 
 person's house (burglary); but also by concealing a 
 theft committed by others, by cheating in our com- 
 mercial transactions, by secreting what we have 
 
148 
 
 found, by inconsiderately contracting debts, and by 
 every action by which we acquire any advantage by 
 unlawful means. 
 
 T. The best means of avoiding the manifold 
 temptations to the commission of these sins, is to 
 learn some productive business in our youth, that 
 we may ever afterwards be able to earn an honour- 
 able livelihood. 
 
 He who builds a house with unjustly acquired 
 wealth, piles up, as it were, stones for his grave. 
 The ill-gotten wealth of the ungodly, is like a cloud 
 which consists of watery and sulphureous vapours 
 and of air: the watery vapour is lost in falling rain, 
 the sulphurous is consumed in lightning, and the 
 air is lost in the atmosphere, and thus the whole is 
 dissipated. Lev. xix. 35; xxv. 14; Prov. xii. 5; 
 xvi. 8, 11; Ben Syra xxi. 9; xli. 11 14. 
 P. The ninth commandment is: 
 
 . myn N 1 ? 
 
 "Thou shall not bear false witness against thy 
 neighbour" 
 
 T. What duties does this precept require of us? 
 P. Candour, veracity, and faithfulness. 
 T. And when do we sin against it] 
 P. When we speak otherwise than is dictated by 
 the simple truth, when we make unjust demands or 
 prefer false accusations; or when we, upon being 
 accused, deny the justice of an honest claim; when 
 as witnesses we testify to that as true, which is not 
 
149 
 
 true; and finally, when we, as judges, sentence the 
 innocent and acquit the guilty. 
 
 T. Well comprehended! But do violations of 
 this nature only take place in judicial transactions? 
 
 P. They take place in every uncharitable use of 
 language which we indulge in to the disadvantage 
 of others; as lies, slander, false promises, the re- 
 vealing of confidential secrets and the like. 
 
 T. "Love thy neighbour as thyself," Lev. xix. 
 IS; and then you will never be tempted to sin in 
 any such manner. Assist all those around you by 
 strict honesty, occasional and disinterested loans and 
 encouragement in their lawful pursuits.* For true 
 
 * Love of our neighbour is either love from approbation or 
 love from benevolence. The former is aesthetic, and arises 
 from our delight in the perfection of others, and is involuntary, i. 
 e. cannot be commanded to us as a duty. The latter \spractical, 
 arising from the desire to do good to others, and can be the ob- 
 ject of a commandment. The moral rule, therefore, "Love thy 
 neighbour as thyself," demands the extensive duty of doing 
 good, and that towards all men without distinction, and with- 
 out regarding whether we love them, or even hate them, 
 though hatred is itself an unlawful feeling. The duty of active 
 benevolence extends to all mankind; for the God of love dis- 
 approves of hatred. Love in us produces love in others. 
 These general principles embrace the particular principles of 
 duty which are obligatory on us in peculiar and more limited 
 circumstances. In regard to these it may justly be said, every 
 one is the nearest to himself. I therefore may, and do love my 
 parents, my brothers and sisters, my benefactors, more than I 
 love others. 
 14* 
 
150 
 
 justice and love are the principal pillars of human 
 happiness. Every deviation dishonours the dignity 
 of man. Deut. xxiii. 24. 
 
 5. "But if a man be just, and do that which is law- 
 ful and right, 
 
 7. "And has not oppressed any, but has restored 
 to the debtor his pledge, hath spoiled none by vio- 
 lence, hath given his bread to the hungry; and hath 
 covered the naked with a garment; 
 
 9. "Hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept 
 
 The law even limits my charity, and forbids me to sacri- 
 fice what I really and truly need for my own use to the benefit 
 of others. For example: 
 
 "Let him who is liberal in his charities, give no more than 
 the fifth part of his income, that he may not himself need the 
 assistance of others. Talm. Kduboth, 1. 1. 
 
 All the particular principles of duty arise from this general 
 maxim, but they are distinguished as to the degree of benevo- 
 lence which they make it our duty tp bestow, on account of 
 peculiar circumstances of the different cases presented for ac- 
 tion. Universal love of man is not violated by the various de- 
 grees of benevolence. As regards quality, or the same manner 
 as we wish to be loved ourselves by all, we can love all men 
 alike; but in respect to quantity, or the degree of love which we 
 may be inclined to bestow, we do and can love our fellow-men 
 only so far as particular circumstances demand our regard and 
 affection. 
 
 The folly of that man, to whom all men are alike, i. e. who 
 bestows the same degree of love upon all, without regard to 
 peculiar circumstances, is incurable. Miphchar Hapeninim. 
 
151 
 
 my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall 
 surely live, saith the Lord God." 
 
 22. "All his transgressions that he has committed, 
 they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his right- 
 eousness that he hath done he shall live. 
 
 24. "But when the righteous turns away from his 
 righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and does 
 according to all the abominations that the wicked 
 man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness 
 that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his 
 trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that 
 he has sinned, in them shall he die." Ezek xviii. 
 Psalm xxxvii. 2532; Prov. xii. 13, 14.* 
 
 P. The tenth commandment is: 
 . icnn >6 
 
 " Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, 
 thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his 
 man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, 
 nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neigh- 
 bour's" Compare Deut. v. 6 18. 
 
 T. What are we taught by this precept? 
 
 P. This precept teaches us not to permit our de- 
 sires to impel us to unjust actions, to guard against 
 avarice and envy, to be cheerful and contented, and 
 to feel delight in the prosperity of our fellow-man, 
 as though it were our own. 
 
 "False witnesses is an abominable commodity." Dav. 
 Kimchi ex Talm. Sanhedrin xxix. 1. 
 
152 
 
 T. A human legislator could only have prohi- 
 bited the deed, but not the desire: the divine Law- 
 giver, however, can interdict the desire also; for He 
 searches and directs the heart. Human laws can 
 rule only our actions and words, for that which 
 transpires in the heart is not subject to the power of 
 man; but the laws instituted by our Creator take a 
 wider range, and have an effect on our most secret 
 thoughts; and as they thus cut off the root of vice, 
 they confer the stamp of perfection upon laws 
 emanating from men even; that is to say, the enact- 
 ments of society for mutual protection and security 
 receive the greatest assistance if the citizens are 
 imbued with truly religious feelings. The cardinal 
 command to love our neighbours, is also the foun- 
 dation of this, inasmuch as it enjoins the honourable 
 combat with our inward foes, our desires and pas- 
 sions, whenever they might militate against our 
 duties to others. <ftnd to be victorious here is to 
 win all. "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for 
 out of it are the issues of life." Prov. iv. 23; 
 Psalm cxxv. 3, 4; Ben Syra v. 2, 3; xix. 1, 2. 
 From this you perceive, my dear child, how truly 
 the great commentator, Rashi, remarks (Exod. vi. 
 9), "The law is a hard rock, from which assiduity 
 strikes many beneficial sparks.' 7 * 
 
 * Resh Lakish declares: (Chagiga, chap, ii., speaking of 
 Micha vii. 5, 7,) "Should an evil desire tempt you to do this 
 
153 
 
 P. So also we read in the book of Psalms: 
 
 8. "The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoic- 
 ing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is 
 pure, enlightening the eyes. 
 
 9. " The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for 
 ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righte- 
 ous altogether. 
 
 10. "More to be desired are they than gold, yea, 
 than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and 
 the honeycomb. 
 
 11. "Moreover, by them is thy servant warned: 
 and in keeping of them there is great reward. 
 
 or that sinful deed, because God is gracious and will forgive 
 you you should by all means resist the desire, for the heart 
 of man is evil from his youth. (Gen. vi. 5; viii. 21.) And if 
 man should say: No one sees me, who will testify against me 1 ? 
 Then reflect that the stones, the timber, the curtains of thy 
 house will testify against thee; for it is written: 
 
 "For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of 
 the timber shall answer it." (Habakkuk ii. 11.) 
 
 Rabbi Schila says: "Two angels of God which accompany 
 thee (reason and conscience) testify against thee," for it is 
 said: 
 
 "For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee 
 in all thy ways." (Psalm xci. 11.) 
 
 HND mStP ir\'yz Nina' "oS SN zw rh iS IINI 'n nx-p 2niB> nSa Bty ID 
 . rura&o nitypS i 1 ? a"i rmcm minn a^p 1 ? in"? 3 nVnzpJi na"pn 
 
 "He in whose heart is planted the fear of God, ought to feel 
 that he is in this world as a messenger of God, to practise the 
 law and precepts with honesty and faithfulness." Kad Hake- 
 much viii. 2. 
 
154 
 
 12. "Who can understand his errors? cleanse 
 thou me from secret faults." Psalm xix. 
 
 ARTICLES or FAITH. 
 
 T. How many articles of faith are contained in 
 the Mosaic Law? 
 
 P. Thirteen, which are all comprehended in the 
 following three fundamental articles: 
 
 1. mSx niNixn Belief in the existence of God. 
 
 2. jwuj niNixn Belief in a divine revelation. 
 
 3. oiNn trcj nvnxj Belief in the imortality of the 
 soul. 
 
 T. What particular articles of faith are embraced 
 in the first principal article, the belief in the exist- 
 ence of God? 
 
 P. The belief in the existence of God embraces 
 the following six articles: 
 
 1. The belief that God always did and ever will 
 exist. 
 
 2. In the unity of the Creator. 
 
 3. That God has no corporeal existence. 
 
 4. That God created every thing existing in 
 nature. 
 
 5. That we are to worship Him, the Creator, 
 alone. 
 
 6. That God knows every action and thought of 
 man. 
 
155 
 
 T. What doctrines are embraced in the second 
 principal article of faith? 
 
 P. The belief in a divine revelation embraces the 
 following articles: 
 
 7. The belief that all the words of the prophet 
 are true. 
 
 8. That Moses was the greatest of all the pro- 
 phets. 
 
 9. That the whole law, which we still possess, 
 was given by God to Moses. 
 
 10. That this law never will be changed, and that 
 no other law will ever be given by the Creator, to 
 whose name be praise for everlasting. 
 
 T. What articles of faith are embraced in the 
 belief of the immortality of the soul? 
 P. The following three: 
 
 11. That God rewards those who obey his laws, 
 and punishes those who transgress them. 
 
 12. That God in the time which He has appoint- 
 ed, and which He alone knows, will send us the 
 Messiah. 
 
 13. That the soul is immortal, and that God will 
 at one time recall the dead to life and pronounce 
 judgment on them.* 
 
 * This sketch agrees with Maimonides' method of teaching 
 the thirteen articles of faith. I have presented the collective 
 thirteen articles of faith in three divisions, not only because in 
 instructing youth a survey arranged according to the various 
 
156 
 
 T. You have convinced me by what you have 
 just said, that you comprehend the principles of our 
 religion, not only in regard to their outlines, but 
 also to their highly important nature. Impress 
 them on your mind, my dear child; let them, ac- 
 cording to the instruction of the immortal servant 
 of God, Moses, be engraven on the tablet of your 
 heart, and embodied in all the actions of the future 
 career of your life. Acknowledge this obligation 
 to the Omnipresent and Most Holy. Vow it with 
 a deep consciousness of the importance of the 
 
 contents is unavoidably necessary, for awakening thought and 
 strengthening the memory, but also because the Rabbi Joseph 
 Albo, (see his onppn iflD published in Florence, 1425,) who is 
 held in equal regard with Maimonides, afforded me a powerful 
 aid for arranging them in this manner. It must be admitted that 
 the above-named celebrated work contains a vehement dispute 
 on the thirteen Articles of Faith of Maimonides, and that they 
 are reduced by Rabbi Simon Cairo in his mSnJ nwtoi nco to 
 one single article, namely, the belief in the existence of God, 
 which is called Diets* ninSa rtap . But it would be unbecoming 
 in me to offer a decision of my own between these great con- 
 tending learned men. In the investigations, therefore, which it 
 is my duty to make on the highly important concerns of reli- 
 gion, I shall ever gladly accept of information, and feel myself 
 bound to make a return for it, by the most heartfelt thankful- 
 ness. 
 
 "Give, receive, desire what is good, and do what is pleasing 
 to God." Yalkut. 
 
157 
 
 subject, and the sacredness of the obligation which 
 you assume. 
 
 CONFESSION OP FAITH. 
 
 P. The instruction in the doctrines of the holy 
 Law, and the kind advice you have afforded me, 
 have deeply moved my spirit, and enabled me to 
 appreciate the dignity and object of my appoint- 
 ment on earth; and have also taught me to compre- 
 hend more fully what I am and why I was created, 
 by admonishing me to reflect on the unlimited 
 mercy of God, and to institute at all times a careful 
 examination of my own feelings and inclinations. 
 Thus prepared, I now declare solemnly, in the pre- 
 sence of the Most High, that 
 
 I. / believe in the Creator of the Universe. 
 
 1. The God, in whom I believe, is eternal; He 
 never began to exist, and shall never cease to be! 
 Time limits not his existence: no boundaries confine 
 Him, no form represents Him. He was before 
 any earthly creatures filled the world. He is, and 
 rules over all with boundless paternal care. He is 
 invisible to my eyes, nevertheless his being is 
 clearly perceptible within and without me. He 
 will be; and when all things through His holy will 
 shall have perished, He yet will be God, ever the 
 same, through endless time. 
 15 
 
158 
 
 10. "Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and 
 my servant, whom I have chosen: that ye may 
 know and believe me, and understand that I am he: 
 before me there was no God formed, neither shall 
 there be after me. 
 
 11. "I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there 
 is no saviour. 
 
 1 3. "Yea, before the day was I am he; and there 
 is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, 
 and who shall let it." Isaiah xliii. 
 
 "Behold God is great, and we know him not, 
 neither can the number of his years be searched 
 out" Job xxxvi. 26. See also Exod. iii. 14; 
 Psalms xc. 1, 2. 
 
 2. He is God alone: there is no other God con- 
 ceivable. He is one and alone in regard to power; 
 there is no other being of equal perfection. He is 
 simple, and one in his essence; He consists not of 
 parts or members. 
 
 Sole and eternal Being! grant me power and 
 strength; so that with a sinless mind, I may con- 
 tinually comprehend Thee more fully, and serve 
 Thee daily with a more holy zeal. 
 
 "But ye that did cleave unto the Lord your 
 God are alive every one of you this day." Dent, 
 vi. 4. 
 
 "0 Lord our God, other lords beside thee have 
 had dominion over us: but by thee only will we 
 
159 
 
 make mention of thy name. Isaiah xxvi. 13; See 
 Isaiah xlv. 5, 6; Psalm Ixxxvi. 8.* 
 
 3. The God in whom I believe is incorporeal, and 
 has nothing in common with corporeal things. In 
 thinking of his omnipotent attributes, I cannot 
 imagine them to be incident to Him, as is the case 
 with the capacities and qualities of bodily beings, 
 but as constituting his essence. Apart from them, 
 I can form no idea of God which could be worthy 
 of Him. The union of the highest perfections con- 
 stitutes his holy being. 
 
 6. "Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, 
 Lord; thou art great, and thy name is great in 
 might. 
 
 7. "Who would not fear thee, King of nations? 
 for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among 
 all the wise men of the nations, and in all their 
 kingdoms, there is none like unto thee. 
 
 8. "But they are altogether brutish and foolish: 
 the stock is a doctrine of vanities. 
 
 9. "Silver spread into plates is brought from 
 Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the 
 workman, and of the hands of the founder: blue and 
 purple is their clothing: they are all the work of 
 cunning men." Jeremiah x. 
 
 ?up no up N"? N-I 'hon nn up NT * 
 
 If thou hast attained this knowledge, what dost thou need? 
 if thou hast not attained it, what hast thou] Talm. Nederxl. I. 
 
160 
 
 4. The almighty will of the God whom I 
 adore, created the universe. The occurrences 
 of thousands of years, and the phenomena of 
 the moment, are alike the workings of His unlimit- 
 ed spirit. 
 
 12. "Who hath measured the waters in the hol- 
 low of his hand, and meted out heaven with the 
 span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a 
 measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and 
 the hills in a balance? 
 
 13. "Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, 
 or being his counsellor who taught him? 
 
 14. "With whom took he counsel, and who in- 
 structed him, and taught him in the path of judg- 
 ment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to 
 him the way of understanding? 
 
 15. "Behold the nations are as a drop of a bucket, 
 and are counted as the small dust of the balance: 
 behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing." 
 Isaiah xl. 
 
 I rejoice in His works; a glance into the wide 
 creation opens to me the temple of wisdom, shows 
 me the visible marks of the almighty Creator's 
 love, and urges me on to adore Him. The author of 
 Meshal Hakadmoni, (xlviii. 1) says truly: "Let 
 the creation convince you of the exaltedness of God, 
 then worship Him." 
 
 5. The one God , (for there is no other in the 
 
161 
 
 realms of space, or beyond them,*) is alone worthy 
 of adoration. Praised be the name of our glorious 
 Sovereign throughout eternity. 
 
 "Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy 
 God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his 
 statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, 
 and to hearken unto his voice." Dent, xxvi. 17. 
 
 "To whom then will ye liken God? or what like- 
 ness will ye compare to him. Isaiah xl. 18. See 
 Psalm cxxxv. 19, 20. 
 
 6. My God, my Creator, and the creator of all 
 other beings, perceives equally what is great and 
 what is small, and knows my deeds, my words, and 
 the most secret emotions of my heart. How then can 
 I permit myself to sin, knowing that I can never, for 
 a moment, hide myself from the all-seeing eye of 
 God? I will walk blamelessly before Him. I will 
 not only appear , I will be what it is laudable to be. 
 Sir. i. 26 29. I will speak what I think, appear 
 what I am, not merely to please men, but my hea- 
 venly Father, Sir. iv. 21, 26 29, and endeavour to 
 live, so that outward righteousness, hypocrisy, du- 
 plicity, and deceit be banished from my soul. 
 
 27. "Why sayest thou, Jacob, and speakest, 
 
 AH that we comprehend of Thee, our God! is that we cannot 
 comprehend Thee. Bechinoth Olam. 
 15* 
 
162 
 
 Israel, My way is hid from the Lord, and my judg- 
 ment is passed over from my God? 
 
 28. "Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, 
 that the everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of 
 the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? 
 there is no searching of his understanding. Isaiah 
 Ixx. See Jer. ix. 5, 8; Psalm xiv. 2; Sir. ii. 14. 
 
 II. / believe in a Divine Revelation. 
 
 7. All the words of the prophets are infallible 
 truths; the messages delivered by men, who lived 
 in God, and according to the commands of God, are 
 the true words of the Lord, and are therefore ema- 
 nations of the purest love and the most exalted jus- 
 tice. Exod. vii. 1; 1 Sam. x. 6, 7. I honour these 
 prophetic writings, and regard them holy because 
 of their instructive contents, and because they pro- 
 ceed from the great Giver of all blessings. Their 
 sublime earnestness and fervour inspire me with the 
 desire to practise virtuous deeds; their expressive 
 simplicity fills my wavering heart with confidence; 
 their constant reference to God removes from my 
 spirit the fetters which would bind it to mere earthly 
 things, and renders me strong in the Lord, so that 
 I am enabled to believe even where I cannot see 
 clearly by the light of my own reason. Jer. i. 6 8; 
 Ps. xix. 8 12; cxviii. 8; Prov. iii. 5, 6. 
 
 8. Moses was the greatest of all the prophets. 
 He was in a wonderful manner rescued from 
 
 among thousands, to be the rescuer of thousands. 
 
163 
 
 Exod. ii. 1. It was he, who, after having broken 
 the iron yoke of the most cruel tyranny, and with 
 Heaven's blessing achieved bodily freedom for those 
 who were innocently suffering, gave at the com- 
 mand of God a new book of laws, which cannot be 
 sufficiently admired. All the attributes of a great 
 prophet are clearly seen therein. 
 
 Wisdom was his compass. He lyiew the exalt- 
 edness of God, his, to us, incomprehensible being, 
 and lived in Him. And in the same degree that his 
 life was the nearest approach to divine perfection, so 
 were his laws words of the covenant between God 
 and man. 0, that we might fully comprehend these 
 laws! Deut. xxviii. 69; xxix. 3. He knew men 
 according to their possible perfections and actual 
 defects, and strove to exalt them by means of true 
 piety. He knew nature, and walked by her side 
 with a firm step in the pursuit of the end of his 
 mission. 
 
 Heroic courage was his helm. He assumed the 
 task of combating against ignorance and its daughter, 
 blindness, the two most dreadful foes of the human 
 race; and he conquered. The fiery pillar of his 
 zeal beamed forth in the dark wilderness of prevail- 
 ing prejudices. Humbly he denied his own merits. 
 Exod. iii. 11. Magnanimously he bore and forgave 
 many offences against his person and fair fame. 
 Exod. x. 11. 
 
 "And they said unto Moses, because there were 
 
164 
 
 no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die 
 in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus 
 with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? 
 
 "Is not this the word that we did tell thee in 
 Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the 
 Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the 
 Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilder- 
 ness." Exod, xiv. 11, 12. 
 
 Mildly he admonished the people to be mindful 
 of justice and duty, Exod. xiv. 13; and nobly he 
 implored God to spare the sinners and lead them 
 from their evil ways. 
 
 11. "And Moses besought the Lord his God and 
 said. Lord, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy 
 people, which thou hast brought forth out of the 
 land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty 
 hand? 
 
 12. "Wherefore should the Egyptians speak and 
 say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay 
 them in the mountains, and to consume them from 
 the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, 
 and repent of this evil against thy people. 
 
 13. "Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy 
 servants, to whom thou swearest by thine own self, 
 and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as 
 the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have 
 spoken of, will I give unto your seed, and they shall 
 inherit it for ever. Exod. xxxii. 
 
 5. "And the Lord descended in the cloud; and 
 
165 
 
 stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of 
 the Lord. 
 
 6. "And the Lord passed by before him, and pro- 
 claimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful, and 
 gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness 
 and truth. 
 
 7. "Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving ini- 
 quity and transgression and sin, and that will by no 
 means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the 
 fathers upon the children, and upon the children's 
 children, unto the third and to the fourth genera- 
 tion. 
 
 8. "And Moses made haste, and bowed his head 
 toward the earth, and worshipped. 
 
 9. "And he said, If now I have found grace in 
 thy sight, Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go 
 among us; for it is a stiff-necked people; and par- 
 don our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine 
 inheritance. 
 
 10. "And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: 
 before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have 
 not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: 
 and all the people among which thou art, shall seek 
 the work of the Lord: for it is a terrible thing that 
 I will do with thee." Exod. xxxiv. 
 
 His immovable conlidence in Him, whose mes- 
 senger he was, protected him, and gave him weapons 
 to overcome the most formidable foes. He was 
 
166 
 
 without reproach, and therefore without fear. Num. 
 xvi. 1 23; xxi. 59. 
 
 Riches were his plumb-line. The chosen of God 
 makes but sparing use of worldly things, needs little, 
 dispenses willingly with superfluities, desires with 
 modest caution, demands with moderation; God is 
 his staff of life. And this was the wealth of Moses, 
 which enabled him to acquire true virtue. Pure 
 truth and impartial justice, based on genuine love 
 for the truly good, constituted this inward trea- 
 sure which gave him power to chastise with the 
 sword of his words the powerful even, when inno- 
 cence required protection. 
 
 18. "Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in 
 all thy gates, which the Lord thy God giveth thee, 
 throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the peo- 
 ple with just judgment. 
 
 19. "Thou shalt not wrest 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. 
 
 20. "That which is altogether just shalt thou fol- 
 low, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which 
 the Lord thy God giveth thee." Deut. xvi. 
 
 Jind cheerfulness was his haven. The manifold 
 calamities and adversities of life cannot bow down 
 the virtuous hearts of those servants of God who are 
 deserving to be the leaders of mankind. They live 
 to become worthy of the land of perfection by the 
 
167 
 
 pursuit of virtue, and would live so, though the way 
 were full of thorns.* 
 
 "And the Lord said unto Moses, Speak unto the 
 priests the sons of Aaron, and say unto them, There 
 shall none be defiled for the dead among his peo- 
 ple: 
 
 * Difficult as it ever is to understand the peculiarities of 
 mankind in general, and of those who have lived thousands of 
 years ago in particular; and great as the circumspection is, it 
 may require to distinguish what part of their doings and omis- 
 sions was owing to times and circumstances, and what should 
 be ascribed to them as the traits of their characters: still the ex- 
 alted soul of Moses is fully exhibited in his desire, as found in 
 Numbers: "And Moses said unto him, 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." 
 
 The whole human family constitutes the people of the Lord; each 
 individual is an integral part of the whole. Ml were created by 
 one God, all bear His image, and hence all should acknowledge 
 Him, live in Him, and increase in the righteousness of his law. 
 O, that this wish, which emanated from the noblest of hearts, 
 thousands of years ago, might be realized! that all would be 
 endowed with the light of the Lord, be equally inspired with 
 love, with zeal for what is good to everlasting then would 
 nothing remain to be desired here below. 
 J7JTOH wn IJN ONI nSiiJi "ip^ v)puyn nn nj V?ra nns >*?TU ^J?D ON 
 
 . i 1 ? jnn no ^nVx 'n miton rnana amn >JDB 
 
 If my thoughts rob me of my glory and darken my light, 
 what avail me the dignity and greatness I have received? 
 and if I myself reject the blessings which might be mine, what 
 shall I profit, God and Lord! by the multitude of benefits 
 which thou bestowest on me? Bechinoth Olam, chap. xiii. 
 
168 
 
 "They shall not make baldness upon their head, 
 neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, 
 nor make any cuttings in their flesh." 
 
 "They shall be holy unto their God, and not pro- 
 fane the name of their God: for the offerings of the 
 Lord made by fire, and the bread of their God, they 
 do offer; therefore they shall be holy. Lev. xxi. 
 1, 5, 6. 
 
 9. "/?// the precepts which we now possess, were 
 received by Moses from God." 
 
 God is good, gracious and merciful. Love is his 
 essence, and the diffusion of happiness the work He 
 delights in. But more than all other creatures does 
 He love mankind, and therefore does He confer 
 on them such exceeding great blessings; therefore 
 did He bestow on them, beside so many advantages 
 of body and soul, the holy law which announces to 
 us the way of salvation; and which gave our fathers 
 the promise of reward for their faith, and pointed 
 out to those who went astray the cause of their suf- 
 ferings. I will profit by this holy law; it shall guide 
 me through life, point out my way to heaven, and 
 teach me to be sedulous in devoting myself to a God- 
 pleasing life. Gen. xv. 6; xviii. 19; Exod. xv. 26; 
 Lev. xxvi. 3. 
 
 3. "Hear, therefore, Israel, and observe to do 
 it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may 
 increase mightily, a,s the Lord God of thy fathers 
 
169 
 
 hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with 
 milk and honey. 
 
 4. "Hear, Israel! the Lord our God is one 
 Lord. 
 
 5. "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with 
 all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all 
 thy might. 
 
 6. "And these words, which I command thee this 
 day, shall be in thine heart:" Deut. vi. 
 
 10. "God will never revoke nor alter this holy 
 law. 7 ' 
 
 As God is, so is his word eternal. What the 
 Most Holy calls good, can never be otherwise. 
 Fallible man only often sees on the morrow," how 
 imperfectly he thought and acted to-day. Happy 
 indeed will he be who discerns his error, and im- 
 proves where he sees defects. (But there are by far 
 too many who deem themselves in perfect moral 
 health, while they are struggling with death!) God, 
 however, is not a man, that He should consider, 
 nor a son of man, that He should regret. He is 
 unchangingly the same to everlasting. Only the 
 things which are subject to accidents, only human 
 institutions, can change, must change. 
 
 "Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this 
 people draw near me with their mouth, and with 
 their lips do honour me, but have removed their 
 heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught 
 by the precept of men: 
 16 
 
170 
 
 "Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a mar- 
 vellous work among this people, even a marvellous 
 work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise 
 men shall perish, and the understanding of their 
 prudent men shall be hid." Isaiah xxix. 13, 14. 
 
 This holy law, therefore, free from human ad- 
 mixture, shall ever be, according to the will of God, 
 my guiding principle, not a chain to bind my un- 
 willing spirit. 
 
 "And all the people shall know, even Ephraim, 
 and the inhabitants of Samaria, that say in the pride 
 and stoutness of heart." Isaiah ix. 9. 
 
 "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the 
 word of our God shall stand forever." Ibid. xl. 8. 
 
 III. "/ believe that the human soul is im- 
 mortal." 
 
 11. The earth can resume only what it gave, the 
 body. And though all its component parts are ex- 
 cellent in their nature, and pre-eminently adapted 
 for their use; they are means only for the attain- 
 ment of a higher object. As soon as the Creator 
 wills it, the body perishes. 
 
 "Seeing his days are determined, the number of 
 his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his 
 bounds that he cannot pass." Job xiv. 5. 
 
 Not so my true self my spirit. Time limits not 
 its existence, and has no power over it. 
 
 "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: 
 
171 
 
 and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it." 
 Ecclesiastes xii. 7. 
 
 It too will return to its native home when its mis- 
 sion is completed. It will then be rewarded for the 
 good it did perform here below, with eternal joy, 
 with peace in God. In the consciousness of having 
 exercised whatever virtue was within its reach, new 
 and unexperienced bliss will constantly be opened 
 for its enjoyment. Its true, imperishable life com- 
 mences when it is permitted to behold the promised 
 glory, and when it is reunited with the Most Holy. 
 
 "Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy pre- 
 sence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them 
 secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues." 
 Ps. xxxi. 20. 
 
 But it will also be punished for sin committed, by 
 being placed at a painful distance from the object of 
 its most ardent desires. A prey to the gnawing re- 
 proaches of conscience, it finds itself without joy, 
 deprived of divine glory, and sighing over the pain- 
 ful consequences of committed sins. 
 
 1. "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, 
 that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it 
 cannot hear. 
 
 2. "But your iniquities have separated between 
 you and your God, and your sins have hid Ms face 
 from you, that he will not hear. 
 
 3. "For your hands are defiled with blood, and 
 
172 
 
 your fingers with iniquity, your lips have spoken 
 lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. 
 
 4. "None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for 
 truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they con- 
 ceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity. 
 
 5. "They hatch cockatrice' eggs, and weave the 
 spider's web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and 
 that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper. 
 
 6. "Their webs shall not become garments, neither 
 shall they cover themselves with their works of 
 iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands. 
 Isaiah lix. 
 
 12. "/ confide in the Messiah whom God has 
 promised." 
 
 This fairest of my hopes is founded on my child- 
 like pious faith. The branch from the stem of Jesse, 
 whom God has promised, will flourish to promote 
 the happiness of all mankind. 
 
 "The people that walked in darkness have seen a 
 great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow 
 of death, upon them hath the light shined. Isaiah 
 ix. 2. 
 
 1. "And there shall come forth a rod out of the 
 stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his 
 roots: 
 
 2. "And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon 
 him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding; the 
 spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge 
 and the fear of the Lord; 
 
173 
 
 3. "And shall make him of quick understanding 
 in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after 
 the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hear- 
 ing of his ears: 
 
 4. "But with righteousness shall he judge the 
 poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the 
 earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of 
 his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he 
 slay the wicked. 
 
 5. "And righteousness shall be thfe girdle of his 
 loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins." Ibid. 
 xi. 
 
 Grant me thy assistance, 0, Father in heaven! 
 that my spirit may embrace thy words, and my 
 heart may believe them.* Guard me from pride 
 and presumption, that my heart may adhere to Thee 
 in simplicity, obey Thee faithfully, so that the hap- 
 py time may soon approach,! when man shall no 
 longer find the demon of discord amidst his fellow- 
 men, when the earth shall be full of the knowledge 
 of God, and all shall speak one language; have one 
 
 When will the Messiah come 1 ? To-day, if you will obey 
 the voice of God. Talm. Sanhedrin ii. 
 
 nnn >DJ iS:w ij? NO in p ps f 
 The son of David will not appear till the pride of Israel shall 
 cease. Ibid. 
 16* 
 
174 
 
 end to attain, one love, one will, one God; when 
 the Lord* shall be ONE, and his name ONE. 
 
 * 2. "And it shall come to pass in the last days that the 
 mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of 
 the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all 
 nations shall flow unto it. 
 
 3. "And many people shall go and say, Come ye and let us 
 go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of 
 Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in 
 his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word 
 of the Lord from Jerusalem. 
 
 4. "And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke 
 many people: and they shall beat their swords into plough- 
 shares, and their spears into pruning-hooks: nation shall not 
 lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any 
 more." Isaiah ii. 2 5. 
 
 11. "And the vision of all is become unto you as the words 
 of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learn- 
 ed, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it 
 is sealed. 
 
 12. "And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, 
 saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned. 
 
 18. "And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the 
 book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and 
 out of darkness. 
 
 19. "The meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord, and 
 the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. 
 
 20. "For the terrible one is brought to nought, and scorner is 
 consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off." Ibid. 
 xxix. 
 
 28. "And it shall come to pass, that like as I have watched 
 over them, to pluck up, and to break down, and to destroy, and 
 
175 
 
 13.7 believe also, that God will call the dead 
 again into life, at the time it may be his will to 
 do so. 
 
 to afflict; so will I watch them, to build, and to plant, saith 
 the Lord. 
 
 29. "In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have 
 eaten a sour grape, and the children's teeth are set on edge. 
 
 32. "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, 
 though I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord:) 
 
 33. "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. 
 
 34. "And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, 
 and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they 
 shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of 
 them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I 
 will remember their sin'no more. 
 
 35. "Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light 
 by day, and the ordinances of the rnoon and the stars for a light 
 by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; 
 The Lord of hosts is his name; 
 
 36. "If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the Lord, 
 then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation be- 
 fore me for ever. 
 
 37. "Thus saith the Lord; If heaven above can be measured, 
 and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will 
 also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, 
 saith the Lord." Jeremiah xxxi. 
 
 1. "But in the last days it shall come to pass that themoun- 
 
176 
 
 When the discordant notes of this life shall have 
 ceased, when this world's empire, so long contended 
 against and yet desired, shall have come to its close: 
 then will the omnipotence of God awaken those, 
 who slumber in the dust; in order to destine the 
 good unto imperishable bliss, and bring those unfor- 
 tunate beings, the wicked, to judgment. 
 
 11. "I said, I shall not see the Lord, even the 
 Lord, in the land of the living: I shall behold man 
 no more with the inhabitants of the world. 
 
 16. "0 Lord, by these things men live, and in 
 
 tain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of 
 the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and the 
 people shall flow unto it. 
 
 2. "And many nations shall come, and say, Come and let us 
 go to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of 
 Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways; and we will walk in 
 his paths; for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of 
 the Lord from Jerusalem. 
 
 3. "And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke 
 strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into 
 ploughshares, and their spears intopruning-hooks: nation shall 
 not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war 
 any more. 
 
 4. "But they shall sit every man under his vine and under 
 his fig-tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of 
 the Lord of hosts hath spoken it." Micah iv. 1 5. 
 
 "And the Lord shall be King over all the earth: in that day 
 shall there be one Lord, and his name one." Zechariah xiv. 9. 
 Compare Maimon. Sect, xii.; Mbo, Chap. iv. 
 
177 
 
 all these things is the life of my spirit: so wilt thou 
 recover me, and make me to live/' Isaiah xxxviii. 
 
 This view has a decisive bearing on my life; 
 since it ought naturally to be different if it belongs 
 to heaven, from what it would be if it were destined 
 to perish here in the dust. 
 
 This view gives me the only true, directing prin- 
 ciple, the assurance that even my body will only 
 be dissolved in order to have a more glorious birth. 
 
 "Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead 
 body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that 
 dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, 
 and the earth shall cast out the dead. Isaiah xxvi. 
 19. 
 
 "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the 
 earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some 
 to shame and everlasting contempt. 
 
 "And they that be wise shall shine as the bright- 
 ness of the firmament; and they that turn many to 
 righteousness as the stars for ever and ever." 
 Dan. xii. 2, 3. 
 
 To this faith, to this hope, will I devote my life; 
 and disengaged from the leading-strings of child- 
 hood, I, with this day's declaration, enter my state 
 of responsibility, a free agent in the active sphere of 
 human life. 
 
 Lord and Father! grant me thy assistance that 
 I may devote my youth and my riper years to 
 Thee and the destiny for which I was created. 
 
178 
 
 that I may avoid every sin, and escape from every 
 transgression. I will strive zealously ever to in- 
 crease my store of good deeds, to appreciate duly 
 my happy lot, to employ it usefully, and ever 
 hallow it by virtuous actions and the pursuit of 
 righteousness. 
 
 To thee, blest virtue! faith I swear, 
 
 To thee will I be ever true, 
 And spirits high the oath shall hear, 
 
 And my deeds with pleasure view. 
 
 With hand on heart, and eyes on high, 
 
 To thee I consecrate my days; 
 Apart from worldly noise and strife, 
 
 I'll follow e'er thy peaceful ways. 
 
 Thy worth my soul has ever felt, 
 
 Thy light has through my spirit shone, 
 
 To thee alone my song is raised, 
 Thee only hath my heart e'er known: 
 
 Known as dispensing genuine joy 
 
 As every worthy soul's reward, 
 As comforting in sorrow's hour, 
 * O'er us throwing the heav'nly guard! 
 
 From thee my spirit's quickening draughts, 
 
 In pleasure's chalice I obtain; 
 When on my path the sun hath sunk, 
 
 And courage. in me ceased to reign. 
 
179 
 
 Thou givest pinions to our hope, 
 
 Dost happiness on all bestow, 
 And pointest through futurity, 
 
 To where the living palm-trees grow. 
 
 And thee shall I not ever praise 
 
 With blameless and with hallowed mind! 
 Shouldst thou by me dishonoured be, 
 
 Thou, ever be by me resigned? 
 
 Not for the treasures of the earth, 
 
 And not for crowned royalty! 
 How gladly we obey the laws, 
 
 When wisdom we receive from Thee. 
 
 In vain does sinful power allure 
 And my destruction wait to see; 
 
 I will not follow Syren songs 
 On flowery declivity. 
 
 I will not in my heart confide, 
 
 Though long thy temple it has been; 
 
 Thee we may only forfeit once, 
 
 Thee, whom no price could ever win. 
 
 To God I pray, who thy sweet flowers 
 To me in boundless goodness gave, 
 
 That angels may preserve them ever, 
 That they may deck at last my grave. 
 
 Still may I more the charm enjoy, 
 Which, virtue! thy disciples know; 
 
 Still more with heavenly spirits join, 
 And sever every tie below. 
 
180 
 
 May virtue like a thriving tree 
 That grows upon a fertile field, 
 
 For me and others, every day 
 
 Fruits rich and in abundance yield. 
 
 From every pleasure I will fly 
 Which but the sensual can enjoy, 
 
 And only fix my mind on such 
 As time and change cannot destroy. 
 
 My heart shall at deceivers laugh, 
 And help to the deceived impart, 
 
 To make them happy, innocent 
 This only shall delight my heart. 
 
 It never will severely judge 
 Will even faults of foes forget, 
 
 And never cause or wish them harm 
 And favours granted ne'er regret. 
 
 And though no crown may ours be here, 
 Though even thorns, in glory's stead, 
 
 May seem our virtue to reward, 
 
 Shall we ne'er higher regions tread? 
 
 Are not the fairest flowers of vice 
 Soon withered in a poison'd blast 1 ? 
 
 Is not his mind, who sin commits, 
 On restless waves of anguish cast? 
 
 And will not in that awful hour, 
 
 When even vice shall shuddering flee, 
 
 Not even vice speak loudly of 
 Neglected virtue's injury? 
 
181 
 
 And shall I then the bond avoid, 
 Shall I not ever faithful be? 
 
 I will for wisdom teaches me 
 To dedicate my life to thee! 
 
 CONVERSATION VI. 
 
 WORSHIP of God, considered as the chief object 
 of our existence in the steady increase of our simili- 
 tude to the Deity. 
 
 "Sanctify yourselves, therefore, and be holy: for I am the 
 Lord your God." Lev. xx. 7; xxii. 32. 
 
 Teacher. We have now, my dear child, in what 
 we have taught, a comprehensive view of the Cre- 
 ator in His immeasurable exaltedness, and of man 
 in his high calling as far as the extent of his weak 
 capacities will permit him to attain. Let us con- 
 sider a few more useful applications of what we have 
 learned, and may God bless our labours. In com- 
 menting on the ninth commandment, we spoke of 
 the pillars of real human prosperity; do you still 
 remember them? 
 17 
 
182 
 
 P. Yes; they are Truth, Justice, and Love. 
 
 T. Very true; but why do we call them the pil- 
 lars of human prosperity? 
 
 P. Because, if we continually act in accordance 
 with Truth, Justice, and Love, we secure in the 
 best possible way our temporal and eternal happi- 
 ness. 
 
 T. What do you call acting in accordance with 
 truth? 
 
 P. To act in accordance with truth is to act 
 agreeably to reason and the holy Scriptures, and 
 consequently to do that which is pleasing to God 
 the Most Holy. 
 
 T. And it is of the highest importance to act 
 always in this manner; nothing should ever induce us 
 to do otherwise, though a world were to be gained. 
 Truth may be circumscribed and fettered, but not 
 conquered. But suppose that the majority should 
 deviate from the truth? 
 
 P. Truth would then be content with the small 
 number of those who revere her; but the multitude 
 of her foes would not frighten her to swerve from 
 the path of right. 
 
 T. But suppose that through the pursuit of the 
 truth angry feelings should be roused? 
 
 P. Even then it would be more salutary to let 
 contention raise its head than that the truth should 
 perish. 
 
183 
 
 Dl?^ TID' flDNn >3 
 
 . inn iwj ~ na 001 
 
 "Choose the truth in thy words, and on no ac- 
 count let a falsehood escape thee; for the truth is the 
 foundation of peace, and falsehood the source of 
 quarrel." 
 
 T. How should we act not to offend against jus- 
 tice? 
 
 P. We are bound to leave every man or creature 
 in the undisturbed possession of what is lawfully his 
 own; or in other words, we should do justice to 
 every one. 
 
 T. What is the general principle which incul- 
 cates this justice? 
 
 P. It is: What thou requirest of others thou must 
 accord to them, if thou desirest to be beloved and 
 happy. 
 
 T. The word justice includes the idea of all vir- 
 tues. It is a generally acknowledged truth, that a 
 ray is reflected in the same angle in which it strikes 
 an object. Practise justice, and justice will be done 
 to you. 
 
 Let your words, your actions, your measures, 
 your weights, all be regulated by the strictest stand- 
 ard of justice; for injustice is an abomination unto 
 the Eternal. 
 
 "In the way of righteousness is life; and in the 
 
184 
 
 pathway thereof there is no death." Prov. xii. 
 28. 
 
 "Better is a little with righteousness, than great 
 revenues without right." Prov. xvi. 8. 
 
 See Lev. xix. 14, 16, 18; xxiv. 11, 12, 32; Deut. 
 xxiv. 14; xxv. 13 16; Sir. xxi. 9; xli. 11 14; 
 Talm. Sota xiv.; Schab. xxxi. 
 
 P- VDI iu>x hy 
 
 . jnnn p*< VD> 
 
 We enter but for gold the strife 
 Meanwhile forgetting even life; 
 But soon we find that gold is vain, 
 And wasted days come not again. 
 
 T. The measure wherewith you measure, will be 
 meted out unto you by others. But suppose we 
 ourselves do not receive justice at once when we 
 act rightly? 
 
 P. This must not deter us from the exercise of 
 justice: it is better to suffer than to do wrong.* 
 
 T. In what does love consist? 
 
 P. It consists in a heartfelt desire of conferring 
 benefits, and in a striving to promote happiness 
 around us. 
 
 T. And why is love so important in life? 
 
 View the errors of mankind in as pardonable a light as thou 
 canst or mayst. Miphchar Hapeninim. 
 
185 
 
 P. Because it is, as it were, the soul of life. 
 Without it, every action, every intention, be it ever 
 so good, has no value. 
 
 T. You are right. The most exalted prototype 
 for mortal man is God, the purest LOVE, whose be- 
 neficence is extended to all creatures. Love alone 
 should therefore be the motive of our actions, or if 
 need be, of our inactivity. Should a man's love 
 then be confined to the human race? 
 
 P. No, but it should embrace love to all other 
 creatures, to animals, plants, and minerals. 
 
 T. But how can we commit a sin against animals. 
 by a want of love, seeing that God has subjected 
 them to us, and even given us permission to slaughter 
 them? 
 
 P. Though we may kill those animals whose life 
 might be injurious, or whose death may be useful to 
 us, we should nevertheless let love prevail, and shun 
 all needless cruelty and barbarity. 
 
 T. But plants and minerals are void of feeling; 
 how is it possible to apply love in regard to them? 
 
 P. In speaking of those things, which are sub- 
 jected to man, we are not to regard the thing itself 
 so much as ourselves. To abuse and mutilate any 
 thing from a mere mischievous desire to destroy, 
 dishonours man, is unworthy of him, and is justly 
 deserving of censure.* 
 
 yvvr st^ni nvon FIN 
 Whoever does not love his fellow-creatures, and yet imagines 
 17* 
 
186 
 
 T. Very true; though our reason may not recog- 
 nise any obligations to be observed toward any 
 thing that is not endowed with reason, duty to our- 
 selves nevertheless requires that all our acts should, 
 in all relations, be strictly humane, and consequently 
 excludes all inhumanity, whatever may be the ob- 
 ject on which it would fall. Love alone ought to be 
 the main-spring of all our actions. Love attracts; 
 Hate repels. Love conceals from us many of our 
 neighbour's faults. If we have that true love of our 
 fellow-beings which covers their faults and forgives 
 them, God will cover and forgive our faults. But 
 suppose that, as sometimes happens in life, a course 
 of conduct marked by indiscriminate kind demean- 
 our should bring upon us scorn, pain, and sorrow? 
 
 P. Such an injury is but transitory, and should 
 the less withdraw us from the path pointed out 
 by virtue, as by such a return, the disinterested- 
 ness of our love is more fully proved, and its value 
 enhanced. 
 
 T. Excellent, my dear child, excellent! the pains 
 attending on love are temporal, its bliss is eternal. 
 
 himself wise, is guilty of a double folly. (Yalkut liv. 2.) 
 Compare Ker. viii. 2, which passage is thus commented upon: 
 In vain do we flatter ourselves upon the possession of much 
 knowledge. If our knowledge be not guided by love, we re- 
 main ignorant, because we then do not know the practical use 
 and the object of our knowledge, which should be directed 
 solely for the benefit of our neighbour. 
 
187 
 
 Love and bliss remain there unsevered, like the 
 flame and its light; in yonder life 
 
 Where loudly swells the jubilee, 
 And light from light is springing; 
 
 Where bliss rolls on unceasingly, 
 And love its joys are flinging. 
 
 He who remains stationary in love, retrogrades. 
 Love must continually be drawn from the source 
 of love, must be expended in loving and acknow- 
 ledging the good we receive. 
 
 To strive and live for truth, justice, and love, is 
 to walk in the paths of religion; is so to conduct 
 ourselves, that we may attain a resemblance to God 
 in holiness. A reference to God in all things is 
 the soul of our holy Scriptures, the essence of reli- 
 gion. 
 
 We must regard all things with a sincere and 
 simple feeling of love; and we should never deny 
 this feeling to inanimate nature even, to ourselves, 
 to our fellow-men, to God, to the universe. The 
 sun of righteousness ought to be the centre round 
 which our whole being, our life, and our exertions, 
 should revolve in the search of truth; this is what 
 religion commands. 
 
 In vain you bring your tissues rare, 
 
 In vain your altars decorate, 
 Unless io honour heaven's King, 
 
 An upright heart you dedicate. 
 
188 
 
 Vain are your golden candlesticks, 
 Your thousand tapers burning dim; 
 
 God only views the inmost heart, 
 Naught but devotion pleases Him. 
 
 Gold, silver-work and diamonds 
 Are in our Maker's eyes but dust; 
 
 Devotion pure, is incense rare: 
 Then put, O man! in God thy trust. 
 
 Pure hearts and pure morality, 
 
 Are what lh' eternal God will prize; 
 
 The lisp of th' innocent is heard, 
 
 By Him who numbers all their sighs. 
 
 What, though your hymns you raise on high, 
 And gild the temple's very floor, 
 
 If still your guilty hand is red, 
 
 With bloody tears of suff 'ring poor, 
 
 If you are faithless to your God, 
 To mock at all His goodness dare; 
 
 And never speak a kindly word, 
 
 And will not hear the orphan's prayer, 
 
 If truth, if righteousness be not 
 Along the path of life your guide, 
 
 If love do not your joy, your bliss, 
 Your Eden's flowery walks provide, 
 
 Ye, wand'rers! is it God's command, 
 
 His temple thus to desecrate"? 
 No, in your hearts his altars build, 
 
 And there your voices elevate. 
 
189 
 
 Forgive your foes, your brethren love, 
 And to the temple then return; 
 
 When you have all your duties done, 
 Let then devotion's incense burn. 
 
 Various Observations on duties, and maxims of 
 wisdom for youths on entering active life.* 
 
 1. IF you desire, my dear child, to find the 
 never-failing fountain of contentment, examine 
 yourself. Prove with strictness, with impartiality, 
 and with sincerity, the degree of your moral per- 
 fection. Search deep into your heart, and see 
 whether the moving principle of your thoughts and 
 actions be good or evil. A correct knowledge, as 
 far as this is attainable, of your own self, will banish 
 all fanatical contempt of self, as well as self-com- 
 
 twj a 1 ? TJJM nyoa DN-V N"? >mnj> DUWJ mow ISDN WWK iprn rua * 
 
 . ujnjnn vh rmn Ss vnumojo 
 
 As a house which stands on firm ground fears no overthrow 
 from the storm; so no danger can cause that heart to tremble 
 which acts according to fixed principles. Sepher Chasidim, 
 xviii. 2. 
 
190 
 
 placent egotism. You carry your most valuable 
 treasure, the nobility of your soul, in a perishable 
 vessel. Your most dangerous foe is in yourself it 
 is your natural inclination to evil, your sensuality, 
 which paints sin so attractive as to cause you to 
 forget God, and all that should prevent you from 
 sinning. * Suppress the first desires for evil as soon 
 as they arise. Tread out the spark at once before it 
 spreads. Forsake the place, the person, the object 
 which is dangerous to you, and follow with careful 
 fidelity, your inward feelings, the warning voice of 
 your conscience, f 
 
 nne ntpx "?:> D'mVnn D^D"? yixwr NDXS oSipn rwpaa oVipn VPDI * 
 
 . WDX TDV DHD 
 
 The world in its sensual pursuits may be aptly compared to 
 a man who should desire to quench his thirst by drinking brine; 
 the more he drinks, the more thirsty he must feel. Miphchar 
 Hapeninim. 
 
 rty DICB> *nin TV mytso ncn aSiy ifiV f 
 Because the heart is soft as wax, the fear of God should 
 bind it.Talm. Moth, i. Bereshit Rabba, Sect. Ixv. 
 
 11. "Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep 
 thee: 
 
 12. "To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the 
 man that speaketh froward things; 
 
 13. "Who leave the path of uprightness, to walk in the ways 
 of darkness; 
 
 14. "Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness 
 of the wicked: 
 
 15. "Whose ways are crooked, and who are froward in their 
 paths." Prov. ii. 
 
191 
 
 2. Be frequently engaged in studying the holy 
 Scriptures; they are the hand with which God leads 
 his children, the sons of man. Read them for your 
 instruction and edification, with an unprejudiced 
 faith, humility, and a desire to be informed. Let 
 them lead you with childlike innocence, let your 
 conduct accord with their precepts, and be careful 
 not to mix up with them any profane views gather- 
 ed from human life.* If you have not the necessary 
 strength, pray to God for assistance, and you will 
 be answered if you are sincere. No man is lost 
 who can still pray.t 
 
 Examine honestly your course of life, trace out 
 carefully your faults and imperfections, and be 
 heartily penitent; that is, regret, confess, and amend 
 your defects.J Beware of excessive mental appli- 
 
 iWBMa 3>xi jpr rvnxty HD rwx on uunpw IID xnpx mx -IDX^ x 1 ? * 
 
 Let no man say: I will learn, that I may be honoured as a 
 sage; or I will study, that I may have the principal seat among 
 the learned: but let thy motive be love for study and the per- 
 formance of thy duty, the honour will follow of itself. Chobath 
 Hallebaboth v. 2. 
 
 xS 1*6 DXI V?flm n 1 ? nx ps 1 ? hw ON mvy nx D*IX iin^ D^ij? 1 ? f 
 Examine thyself before thou prayest; if thy heart can be at- 
 tentive, then pray, otherwise not. Talm. Berachoth, xxx. 2. 
 
 rnnnsD b rD ^h non DOW o^pn . ?^xi nmn ia viv DIX t 
 
 ?DJD> *]^x iS non x 1 ? nvjw^nn mnnsDi nvD'jen 
 A man who indeed knows the law, but does not regulate his 
 
192 
 
 cation; let your labour be followed by proportionate 
 rest, and your rest by proportionate bodily exertion; 
 you will thus be able to persevere in doing good, 
 and escape the danger of becoming a deep-thinking 
 dreamer.* Watch constantly over your heart and 
 conscience, in order that no hurtful desires may 
 attack the root of your modest self-contentment; and 
 such a proper, modest satisfaction with yourself can 
 only result from a conscientious pursuit of duty. 
 Eradicate all vain and ambitious views from 
 your mind, and endeavour to replace them with 
 contentment and cheerfulness. j* 
 
 3. It is due to the dignity of our race, which we 
 should endeavour never to degrade, that every one 
 should strive to become a useful member of the 
 human family. Choose, therefore, with due caution, 
 according as you have more or less capacity and in- 
 clination for one or the other calling, your future 
 sphere of action, and never leave it; for it is, so 
 
 conduct accordingly, is like one who has the keys to the inner 
 chambers, hut not to the outer; how can he enter? Sepher Cha- 
 sidim, xii. 2. 
 
 . nnen mnna 
 
 A firmly locked door cannot be very quickly opened. Talm. 
 Bdba Kama, Ixxx. 2. 
 
 13DD Kin X^N VU3D DIN b& VMpD N 1 ? f 
 
 The station does not honour the man, but the man should, by 
 honesty of conduct, honour the station. 
 
193 
 
 to say, the world which you have created for 
 yourself, from which your peace and your prosperity 
 must be derived. Banish the pernicious prejudice, 
 that a business requiring labour is not honourable, 
 or that it is even disgraceful. Nothing can be more 
 honourable to a man, than his seeking to support 
 himself by a labour which is beneficial to the com- 
 munity.* There is no trade which may not be made 
 useful to society, and be pleasing to God.t 
 
 Pursue then the trade which you have learned 
 with all diligence, even if it be not originally 
 your own choice. Rest not satisfied with the prin- 
 ciples of your trade already known,J but spend some 
 thought yourself, and strive to raise your art to the 
 highest degree of perfection, and to impart to it a 
 greater field of applicability^ 
 
 JPJ^D rurun Snj * 
 The man who supports himself by the labour of his hands, 
 has more merit than he who remains idle and merely trusts in 
 God. Berachoth, iv. 
 
 "pn V? no^ new inx "73 t 
 Before God every occupation is beautiful, (that is, to God 
 every occupation of general usefulness is pleasing.) Ib. xliii. 2. 
 
 Every artizan ought continually to develope farther the art 
 which he has learned. Nachlath Moth, cciv. 2. 
 
 At a general assembly (la regeneration des Israelites) in 
 France, I proposed, that all parents should endeavour to give 
 18 
 
194 
 
 4. First of all take care of yourself before you 
 
 take care of others. 
 
 their boys a trade, even where they intend to devote themselves 
 to scientific, mercantile, or other pursuits. It would give me 
 great pleasure to see this proposal carried into effect in every 
 place. That this advice deserves particular consideration, and 
 perfectly agrees with the principles of our religious instructors 
 of former ages, is proved, not only by passages occasionally 
 cited in these pages, even from the HIDJ, the number of which 
 might he much increased, but also by the actual examples af- 
 forded by the most celebrated talmudists themselves; for Rabbi 
 Hillel was a hewer of wood; Rabbi Joseph was a carpenter; 
 Rabbi Jehuda was a smith; Rabbi Simon was a weaver; Rabbi 
 Jochanan was a sandal-maker; and Kama, a very celebrated 
 judge in the promised land, supported himself by drawing 
 water. When parties appeared with a case to be decided, he 
 said, "Procure me first some one to draw water for me, that I 
 may not receive my day-wages without earning them, (at 
 that time the learned took not the least pay for their most im- 
 portant services,) then I will decide your case." Rabbi Joseph 
 supported himself by carrying wood; "I am fortunate in the 
 choice of a trade," he was accustomed to say, "it gives me food 
 and warmth at the same time." 
 
 When these men went out they carried the implements of 
 their trade with them, and boasted in the words: 
 
 "Great is the worth of a trade, it honours the master." 
 If we now consider the manifold sad consequences which 
 must result from the fact, that every one to obtain a living, is 
 gnawing in some manner the single bone of traffic, (not com- 
 merce,) we must regard 'the praiseworthy efforts which some 
 benevolent individuals have lately made for the improvement 
 
195 
 
 This rule is important, very important, apply it 
 as you may. Without means, no object is attained. 
 If you have neglected the years which should have 
 been devoted to education, and not employed your 
 youth conscientiously in the due developement of 
 your mental faculties, how can you have the confi- 
 dence to assume, in later years, an office, and fill it 
 with honour?* 
 
 of the condition of their companions in faith, as a real triumph of 
 civilization over the giant power of prejudice. Let us acknow- 
 ledge this benefit and be thankful, though the good effects are 
 not yet felt. Let us place our children at a distance from the 
 dangerous rock of degrading traffic, and ponder on what our 
 learned men thought and taught on this subject. 
 
 . -Jlp'? "DID fO HDID p pX 1 ? pN ^3 "VpS IITO 
 
 As a nail to be fixed in a wall must be driven between two 
 adjoining stones, so natural is deception between seller and 
 buyer. Talm. ex Ben Syra. 
 
 . rop 1 ? Dijax DJVD on? Wo irva run 
 
 To build one's house with the wealth of others, is to collect 
 stones for one's grave. Midrash. 
 
 . XJN N^n N-OJ) NJN NJHD TOW *6l N1JIX "?pBM pO Xn'jOJ BWfl 
 
 Take the hide from a dead beast in the public market place, 
 and take the pay for this labour; rather than say, "I am a 
 priest, a great man." Talm. Pesachim, cxiii. 1. 
 
 The usurer loses more than he gains, and his penitence is no 
 penitence. Talm. Baba Kama, chap, viii.; Maim. chap, iii.; 
 Talm. Kidushin, xxix. xxx.; and the commentary of Raschi on 
 this passage. 
 
 Instruct thyself before thou instructest others. Sanhedrin, 
 xviii. 1. 
 
196 
 
 Do not believe that when the state, or a community 
 invest you with an office, their sole object is to pro- 
 vide for you; no, their object is to provide through 
 you a proper person for their office; hence, it should 
 be your chief concern to manage it in the best man- 
 ner possible.* If you have not learned your busi- 
 ness perfectly, how can you give satisfaction to your 
 employers? How can your art recommend you? 
 How can you render yourself satisfied and happy, 
 if you are conscious of the imperfect state of your 
 acquirements?! 
 
 5. Observe modesty in your dress, gait, attitudes, 
 gestures, looks, words, and actions; and let this pious 
 feeling be seated in the deepest recess of your heart. J 
 Strive to lead not a shining, but a useful life; think 
 oftener and more of your weakness and imperfec- 
 tions, than of any advantages you may possess. 
 
 ."WOD "?vu ixton warm 
 The greater a man is, the greater are his sins, (if he violates 
 any duties.) Cbsrz, xlii. 6; Men Ezra ad Gen. xxxii. 8. 
 
 . rutryvN 1 ?) am jnnp ->DD IDI jn p f 
 
 No reproach is so hard and bitter to man as to know the 
 good, and not to practise it. Sepher Hamaaloth, Ixxxvii. 
 
 n"apn IDXJ? rvajcn 'JDI inojn na"pn IDXJ; S^fl^nn hi 
 God exalts him who humbles himself; and He humbles him 
 who exalts himself. Erubin, xiii. 2. 
 
 If wisdom lends thy, head a crown, modesty will supply 
 thy foot with a stool. Cosrz, xiii. 2. 
 
197 
 
 Contemplate the greatness of the merit which others 
 have attained in your department, and endeavour to 
 equal or to surpass them; in this manner you will 
 escape the error of self-sufficiency, and avoid at the 
 same time the opposite fault of a silly bashfulness 
 and the debasing fear of man.* Strive to obtain 
 the approbation of the good; and if even you cannot 
 serve all men, show at least by a gentle, kind, cour- 
 teous, and so far as duty will permit, a conciliatory 
 bearing, that you are not unworthy of the esteem 
 and honour of all your fellow-creatures.t 
 
 6. Be moderate in your wishes; expect not too 
 much of men; hope for no enduring happiness in 
 this world. Accustom yourself to the thought that 
 your fondest hopes are liable to disappointment, and 
 your surest possessions to loss and destruction; and 
 in short, do not adhere too closely to things of this 
 earth.! Seek for contentment with yourself in the 
 
 N^D n^fltyn niDipnn ants* ICD a^Don &uy an * 
 Most of the modest are wise, even as most vales are well 
 watered. Sepher Hamaaloth, Iviii. 5. 
 
 . rnnan pa -ttWD Nn>2> no nvnan nanS D-IX bina" cSip 1 ? f 
 A man should always try to honour his fellow-men, that he 
 may be honoured by them. Mussar, xxxv. 2. 
 
 When man comes into the world his hands are tightly 
 closed, as if he meant to say thereby: "Mine is the whole world, 
 I will conquer it." When he leaves the world, his hands are 
 relaxed and open, as if he meant to say: "Of things belonging 
 to this world I have conquered for myself nothing." Kad 
 Hakemach, vi. 4. 
 18* 
 
198 
 
 observance of the principles of religion; this will 
 be your best support in every condition of life. 
 Regard what is agreeable and good in every thing, 
 and receive even the lesser joys of life with gratitude 
 to God.* If chance seems to favour you, if earthly 
 goods fall unexpectedly to your share; then have 
 more regard to their vanity than to their value, and 
 make such use of them as reason ought to dictate. 
 And consider that a man often bears every thing 
 more easily and becomingly than prosperity.f 
 
 7. Form your taste by a contemplation of what 
 is sublime, beautiful, and useful in nature and art, 
 for thus you will obtain a rich fountain of pure 
 pleasures. You will thereby escape ill-humour and 
 melancholy reflections, and be always able to find 
 easy and agreeable means of recreation. J Be serene 
 and of good cheer, particularly in society. Cheer- 
 fulness opens to us the hearts of others, and procures 
 us an introduction to their good will; moroseness 
 closes them against us. The former disposition is 
 ready to overlook offences, dissipates misunder- 
 
 If thou dost commit all thy affairs to God, thou wilt ever find 
 the best path. Miphchar Hapeninim. 
 
 . na"pnS "?w V?o naia t6a m"yr\ p rurun So f 
 He who enjoys the goods of this world without thankfulness, 
 robs God. Berackoth, xxxv. 2; Sanhedrin, cii. 1. 
 
 The heart of the wise sees what fools cannot see. 
 
199 
 
 standings, and creates sympathy in others; the latter 
 is like tinder which is readily ignited by the most 
 insignificant movement.* 
 
 Do not abuse your wit to offend others, much less 
 to cast ridicule upon what is venerable.f 
 
 Tolerate the faults of others without justifying 
 them. Be neither affected, nor embarrassed^ nor ab- 
 sent in society. J Avoid anger: cool reflection can 
 only take place when you are calm. Avoid imperti- 
 nent curiosity. Do not make an excessive display of 
 politeness; but do not neglect it on the other hand.|| 
 
 8. If you go to your work, collect, first of all, 
 
 * It is the duty of humanity to feel a constant desire to pro- 
 mote reciprocal benevolence in society. Misanthropy, which 
 is the vice diametrically opposed to philanthropy, however, 
 consists of envy, ingratitude, and malice. 
 
 If I hear evil spoken, I do not listen: why? because I might 
 construe it worse than it really is. Miphchar Hapeninim. 
 
 . DTty N-VP pi-pa in vSj? &>> nnx "?D f 
 
 He who obtains the favour of (good) men, certainly fears 
 God. Succah, xlix. 2. 
 
 o? rvn moj 12 EB> mx D 
 The proud man draws humiliation upon himself at last. 
 Sota, v. 1. 
 
 No one ought to pray if his mind is not in a tranquil state. 
 
 Erubin, Ixv. 1. 
 
 . n^nn 1 ? Tnn -ptaxntp mo 1 ? n 1 ? MN || 
 It is a sad condition to be constantly obliged to ask pardon. 
 
 Nedarira. 
 
200 
 
 your thoughts; consider what you have to do, and do 
 every thing as well as you possibly can.* Take 
 care not to be always engaged in work, be not too 
 active; for he who tries to do too much, does 
 nothing.! 
 
 If you have a tedious, uninteresting work to exe- 
 cute, ctonpt suffer yourself to be affected by despon- 
 dency arid ill humour.J Occupy fully your circle 
 of action; for every one is bound to be as useful as 
 possible in the world, and this in his own sphere, 
 which is, so to say, his own peculiar world. In- 
 troduce order and a reasonable variation in your 
 pursuits; for in this way you will always have plea- 
 sure in your exertions.)] Guard against too great a 
 desire for recreation, or else you will lose all plea- 
 sure and love for labour, and waste your precious 
 time. Shun all frivolous conversation, and the 
 
 * It is worth much to avoid precipitation in any under- 
 taking. Berachoth, xx. 1. 
 
 
 
 Many leaves little fruit. Yalkut. 
 
 ^ A person's mind displays itself in his conduct. Miphchar 
 Hapeninim. 
 
 Thy own deeds will carry thee to a distance, (cause injury,) 
 and thy own deeds will advance thee. Mesachet Edioth, chap. 
 v. 7. 
 
 II A well regulated manner of living is equal to half a man's 
 i ncome. Midrash. 
 
201 
 
 reading of such books as corrupt, instead of improv- 
 ing the mind."* Do not accustom yourself to ambi- 
 guous phrases, and avoid particularly all improper 
 or unchaste expressions; for they indicate a defi- 
 ciency of moral feeling, and often mislead innocent 
 persons to the commission of evil;f and if at any 
 time you do make use of such expressions inadver- 
 tently, repair the evil as soon as you can. Never 
 be ashamed of blushing: it is the favourite colour 
 of virtu e4 
 
 9. Thrust yourself not into the society of distin- 
 guished people, or of such as consider themselves 
 more distinguished than you are, and be not very fa- 
 miliar with them without great encouragement.^ If 
 you have enemies, strive to remove the cause of the 
 difference between you: do not-irritate, nor despise, 
 nor fear them.|| Give your companion opportunities 
 
 . nijnn nnn rupn njn misn ro*>a * 
 
 Intercourse with the wicked, produces wickedness. Miph- 
 char Hapeninim. 
 
 j- A man should always express himself in becoming lan- 
 guage. Pesachim, iii. 1. 
 
 . ntm Si? -nniD nSi-u nna $ 
 
 O, how great is the worth of shamefacedness. Gittin, 
 xxvii. 1. 
 
 Let a man choose his associates only from among the 
 good. Talm. Baba Kama, cix. 2. 
 
 || Do not feel indifferent about the contempt of even ordinary 
 people. Megilla, xv. 1. 
 
202 
 
 of speaking of that with which he is best acquainted, 
 even though it were but to please his self-love.* 
 Guard against the disposition to contradict, when 
 duty and conscience do not incite you to gainsay 
 the assertions of others. Speak boldly and reso- 
 lutely, if the public good, duty and conscience re- 
 quire it, without the least hesitation; and in such a 
 case, fear not any injury your speaking might occa- 
 sion you.f In all other cases, when the object of 
 the dispute is merely to establish who is right, 
 you had better yield the point, however certain you 
 may be of the correctness of what you have ad- 
 vanced. J And when you contradict, you should 
 praise whatever good ideas have been advanced by 
 your opponent, and never turn what he says into 
 ridicule. Do not make an improper use of your 
 superiority in wit and understanding; these gifts are 
 
 . Dn^y D'oaiD rnViysn "wt? a>aap >JB> on jniom fix-in * 
 Desire and aversion are two poles around which all human 
 actions revolve. JLkedat Yitzchak, cxcv. 1. 
 
 f Every, controversy which is conducted for justice, and 
 from a fear of God, will at last prevail. Moth, v. 
 
 NTP 
 
 A man should always be yielding, like the reed, but not un- 
 bending, like the cedar. Taanith, xx. 1. 
 
 Let thy ear be a mine of good, and thy heart the seat of 
 benevolence. Chagiga, iii. 2. 
 
203 
 
 a knife with which you are to cut bread for the 
 needy, but which you are not to plunge into his 
 heart. * 
 
 10. If you are not in cool blood, form no resolu- 
 tion, and leave nothing untried to overcome your 
 excitement. Never entrust another with secrets 
 without necessity. So long as you alone know 
 them, they are your prisoners, your slaves; when 
 others know them, you are their prisoner, their 
 slave.f Choose your friends with foresight from 
 among the honest, and do all you can to retain 
 them.J Anticipate their desires, and be courteous 
 towards them, but do no wrong for the sake of 
 pleasing them. Reprove them in kindness when 
 they do wrong, and overlook readily any little of- 
 fences which are committed against you. Be 
 
 * Rubbing the eye produces tears; touching the heart, ex- 
 cites wrath. Ben Syra* 
 
 f If thou hast heard aught, let it die with thee; then it will 
 not hurt thee, be assured. Ben Syra. 
 
 "A tale bearer revealeth secrets: but he that is a faithful 
 spirit concealeth the matter." Prov. xi. 13. 
 
 . -on 
 
 The best steed needs the bridle, and the most prudent man 
 his friend's advice. Nachloth Moth, xxx. 2. 
 
 If thou blowest the spark, it produces flame; if thou spit- 
 test thereon, it is extinguished: and yet both these effects issue 
 from the mouth. Midrash. 
 
204 
 
 watchful in your intercourse with others. Love 
 honour without being ambitious. Be not indifferent 
 to an injury against your outward honour, that is, 
 your honest reputation; yet know that no one ex- 
 cept yourself can injure your inward honour.* 
 Avoid unnecessary quarrels and lawsuits, and give 
 no one cause for offence. t 
 
 Be cautious with people who affect much out- 
 ward friendship and kindness towards you; and 
 generally speaking, with people who obtrude their 
 friendship without being acquainted with you; for 
 one may smile and smile and yet be a knave.J 
 
 11. Be satisfied with what you have, and do not 
 look out for presents. Be economical and make good 
 use of every trifle. Lay your money out judiciously. 
 Shun parsimony and avarice on the one hand, and 
 carelessness and extravagance on the other.|| If you 
 
 If thou forgivest not the trespass of thy neighbour, how canst 
 thou ask forgiveness of God. Midrash. 
 
 f If thou seest persons quarrelling, say: Here is wood, 
 here is fire. Emmanuel xxxiii. 1. 
 
 Heartfelt sympathy wakens the spirit. Kimchi. 
 
 If thou dost not walk, thou wilt never arrive at thy place 
 of destination; and if thou dost not seek, thou wilt not find. 
 Midrash. 
 
 || The benevolent man is esteemed, the penurious despised. 
 Ben Syra. 
 
205 
 
 have the care of another's money, employ it in no 
 case for your own behalf:* imagine that you have 
 it not. Be industrious, and seek to increase the 
 value of your possessions through your own exer- 
 tions.f Be not anxious to buy every thing that is 
 offered to you; place not too high a value on earthly 
 possessions; neither be proud of possessing them, 
 nor envious of those who possess them. Be orderly 
 in all your business, and do not dash heedlessly 
 along on the road of life. A man's character may 
 be known in the manner of employing his means, 
 in his drinking, and his anger.J 
 
 12. If you are conscious of an inclination which 
 you could not reveal to any one without shame, be 
 on your guard, and obey the warning voice of your 
 conscience. Beware that you excite not the enemy 
 of your virtue, the animal passions inherent to man, 
 by the expression of the eyes, listening to immoral 
 words and songs, or by reading wanton books. 
 
 * Every one is bound not only willingly, but gratefully to 
 return whatever has been lent him. Baba Metzia, Ixxv. 2. 
 icy aiynnty i^ini m t ?i:nn ncy mpnrup rrom nwp Nunts> nxjjyn f 
 
 . nNim anV J>N ni'jxyn icy nannnti' nVni rupin 
 
 Hatred united with envy; a society in which calumny pre- 
 vails; sickness coupled with old age; poverty accompanied 
 with idleness, are all incurable disorders. Emmanuel, xciii. 1. 
 
 ^ Wealth without a judicious application, is food without 
 salt. Miphchar Hapeninim, xxiv. 2. 
 
 Eyes and heart are two recruiting officers of sin. Talm. 
 Hieros. Berachoth, i. 3, 2. 
 19 
 
206 
 
 Abhor coarse jokes, they generally degenerate into 
 immorality.* Be serious in whatever you do; and 
 consider nothing as a trifle which in the least mili- 
 tates against decency.j- Think not "Just in this 
 will I indulge, just so >far and no farther; for sinning 
 will render you daily bolder, more negligent, more 
 exposed, and withdraw you more and more from 
 God.J Do therefore not trust yourself; for you 
 may fall sooner and deeper than you imagine.^ Be 
 respectful, modest, and decent in your person, even 
 when you are entirely alone. || Do nothing of which 
 you would have to be ashamed before the all-seeing 
 eye of God. Practise self-denial even in early 
 youth. Learn to conquer yourself in things even 
 that are allowed, that you may be able to overcome 
 your inclination when it is more difficult, though 
 
 * To profane one's lips with unchaste expressions, is like 
 bringing swine into the holy of holies. 
 
 . hnnj xipj 'riiy? jap KEPI f 
 
 Even a small sin is great in him who is great. Orchotk 
 Chayim, xii. 1. 
 
 . JVDJ fT"? IDXJ? nX NI 
 
 Man should take care not to place himself in the power of 
 temptation. Talm. Sankedrin, xx.; Kelt Yakar, ccxcii. 
 
 A giant is often killed by a fly. Emmanuel, Iv. 2. 
 
 njpn inn 
 
 j| He only is truly modest who can feel ashamed when alone. 
 Miphchar Hapenin im . 
 
207 
 
 necessary When you ought to deny yourself a for- 
 bidden pleasure. Resist immediately at its begin- 
 ning every temptation, or else it will be too late; 
 for you will be too weak, and will be lost.* 
 
 13. Avoid idleness as being the parent of vice.j 
 Do not spend more time in bed than is required for 
 sleep. 1 If you cannot sleep, try to employ your 
 reason more than the imagination. Think of God, 
 of the destiny of man, and pray. Avoid the dan- 
 gerous opportunity to sin. To expose one's-self 
 voluntarily to danger, is also a sin. Flee from 
 wicked company; it is more dangerous and infec- 
 tious than the plague. 
 
 "My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. 
 My son, walk not in the way with them; refrain 
 thy foot from their path: 
 
 "And they lay wait for their own blood; they 
 lurk privily for their own lives." Prov. i. 10, 15, 18. 
 
 Most of the young who are corrupt were made so 
 
 . i? mrnn r\3 man m-op DIN 
 If a person accustoms himself to transgressions, they will 
 appear to him as if unforbidden. Sota, i. 
 
 | Forest trees rustle more than those which bear fruit. 
 Yalkut. 
 
 This is worthy of the particular attention of parents and 
 guardians who have the welfare of their children and wards at 
 heart: it is, with justice, called by the learned Pedagogue, 
 "the bed of sin." 
 
208 
 
 by bad company. Lend no ear to vicious people 
 when they say, This or that is no sin. Never suffer 
 ridicule upon innocence and piety to lead you astray; 
 for notwithstanding what the wicked say, they must 
 in their hearts esteem you, and abhor their own 
 vices. Be not misled by evil example; never think 
 "others do it too. 7 '* If others precipitate them- 
 selves into an abyss, should you therefore do so like- 
 wise? Imitate not the great, but always the good 
 alone. There are many little people with the ap- 
 pearance of greatness people whose bodies and 
 outward circumstances are gigantic, but who are 
 cripples in their souls. If you are in a house where 
 you cannot resist or avoid inducements to sin, leave 
 it as soon as possible, whatever sacrifices it may re- 
 quire.f You should of necessity put your trust in 
 God, and He will certainly reward your virtue. 
 
 14. Receive mild reproof from every one with 
 gratitude.;); Suffer no one to trample upon your 
 
 * Seek for distinction only among the honest and pious. 
 Talm. Ketuboth, ciii. 2. 
 
 f 
 
 Ask him who has tasted the thing, (experience of sin,) and 
 you will receive gratuitously what he has dearly bought. 
 Emmanuel, xcv. 1. 
 
 I 1 ? \e\tv -DTO i 1 ? arc IJMBIV r\y htt -pa 1 ? wa inio I 1 ? TJW -on 
 
 . 3nr ~un jpjc^ r\y ^33 
 A friend who, as often as he meets thee, tells thee of 
 
209 
 
 rights with impunity. Never commit any act if 
 you are at all doubtful of its legality or propriety. 
 Accept no favours that you can dispense with.* 
 Complain and groan not greatly on account of pain 
 or worldly losses; for it is unworthy of rational 
 beings, since it shows that they are not masters of 
 themselves. Make the best of every circumstance 
 of life in which you may be placed, and put your 
 trust in Providence. Spare no pains to acquire and 
 retain peace of mind, the greatest of blessings. f 
 The understanding, the will, and the deed should 
 always act in unison. Honour in the persons of 
 your superiors, the representatives of God on earth. 
 Obey their regulations willingly, and resist all evil 
 desires and sensual inclinations which might counsel 
 disobedience. Show to thy parents as long as they 
 live the most reverential tenderness, becoming obe- 
 dience, and effective gratitude.^ 
 
 thy failings in the presence of but four eyes, is better than one 
 who, as often as he meets thee, presents thee with a gold piece. 
 Miphchar Hapeninim. 
 
 * Even in indigence preserve thy honour, and acquire meri- 
 torious deeds for thy portion. Ben Syra. 
 
 j- Patience is the best counsellor, and meekness the best 
 assistant. Emmanuel, Ixxv. 2. 
 
 The fool causes his parents grief, vexation, and suffering. 
 
 His father is like a man who has a superfluous finger, with 
 
 which he knows not what to do; if he cuts it off, it causes him 
 
 pain; if he leaves it, he retains his defect. Emmanuel, xcvii. 1. 
 
 19* 
 
210 
 
 How gladly would you at some future day, when 
 your parents are locked up in the cold bosom of 
 their mother earth, return the love which they have 
 shown, and the sacrifices which they have made for 
 you; but it will then be too late, and it will then be 
 only in your power to reward by your virtuous ac- 
 tions those who have early gone to their glorious 
 home. Remember this equally with regard to all 
 those who provide for your support. 
 
 Ever show reverence to grey hairs! 
 
 Let the, rectitude of your heart be shown by the 
 bed of the sick and suffering, in kindness, forbear- 
 ance, and assiduity to promote their spiritual 
 and bodily welfare* (Happy he who assists the 
 poor! In misfortune the Lord rescues him; the 
 Eternal supports him on a safe resting-place; He 
 smoothes his bed in sickness.) See Biur to Psalm 
 xli. 2, 4. 
 
 In the married state recognise and observe the 
 holy relationship of matrimony, and be faithful to 
 your partner and offspring till death. The husband 
 rules, supports, and protects the household; the wife 
 arranges, attends and cheers it. He manages abroad, 
 she at home. On him depends the great, she over- 
 sees the minute (often the most wearisome) affairs. 
 He bears, she beautifies the whole. He leads gently 
 
 * Leave the weeping not uncomforted, and mourn with the 
 mourner. Ben Syra. 
 
211 
 
 on the way, she willingly follows. He should be 
 her head, she his ornament. 
 
 15. As a master be just, equitable, mild, and 
 grateful, and careful of the well-being of your infe- 
 riors; remember that you too have a Father in 
 heaven. As a servant obey any proper order which 
 is given you; participate in the sorrow and joy of 
 your employers; be modest in your requests, re- 
 spectful in word and deed, and sincere in your pro- 
 mises.* 
 
 As a pupil strive to reward the faithfulness of 
 your teacher, by being desirous of learning,! docile, 
 modest, and grateful.J 
 
 As teacher, be observing, zealous, and patient, 
 
 * He who makes a promise to his neighbour and does not 
 keep it, is deficient in faith. Choshen Hamispat, Art. cciv. 8. 
 
 TOS nn>c> ow mipn "?N f 
 
 Talk not the least in school, incline thy ear, hear the words 
 of thy teacher, and consider nothing unimportant. Orchoth 
 Chayim, vii. 1. 
 
 $. He who deceives people (abuses their confidence) sins as 
 much as if he would deceive God. Midrash. 
 
 Zealous teacher! on this earth where nature formed the 
 first paradise of man, beware of acting the part of the tempter 
 in giving to innocence a knowledge of good and evil; and since 
 you cannot prevent the child from learning by outward ex- 
 amples; limit all your attention to impress these examples on 
 his mind in a form which is suitable to him. Rousseau's Emit, 
 book 2, page 118; from J. B. 
 
212 
 
 and endeavour above all things to influence your 
 pupils by your own example.* Bestow approbation 
 on the meritorious, incite the backward to emula- 
 tion, encourage the timid, reprove the passionate, 
 treat the infirm tenderly, spare the weak, give ad- 
 vice to the unmannerly, direct those who do wrong, 
 sympathize with the wicked, honour those who re- 
 turn to duty, reward those who give, make those 
 glad who must receive, and do not condemn or re- 
 ject any one of your scholars. If you have follies 
 to reprehend, misconduct to correct, crimes to 
 punish, do not yield to the impulses of blind im- 
 petuosity;f but reflect that the guilty too are human 
 beings.J 
 
 Let your anger be solely directed against the sin, 
 but strive to make the sinner better. In youth shun 
 the temptations to which youth is exposed, and as 
 an old man, the weaknesses of age. 
 
 Well sound the words from the lips of those who themselves 
 act in accordance with them. Sepher Hamaaloth, Ixxxvii. 
 
 f "Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furi- 
 ous man thou shalt not go: Lest thou learn his ways, and get a 
 snare to thy soul." Prov. xxii. 24, 25. 
 
 The choleric man is not suitable for the office of teacher. 
 Moth, ii. 
 
 . mSiy nuy ho rvnnNi n&nn ntaap ho nnns ^ 
 Every dispute is followed by regret, and the end of meekness 
 is peace. Talkut. 
 
213 
 
 Be reverential to the aged,* and courteous to the 
 young.f Be obliging towards acquaintances,! kind 
 and hospitable to all men. Be serviceable to 
 your neighbours, and always cultivate peace with 
 them. || Be unassuming towards your fellow-la- 
 bourers;!! and ever display a due public spirit 
 towards your countrymen.** 
 
 * Not only through the laws of nature does the Creator direct 
 us to revere age, but He also commands it expressly in the 
 text of Holy Writ.- Foyi&ra Rabba, Sect, xi., p. 177. 
 
 "Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the 
 face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the Lord. Lev. 
 xix. 32. 
 
 "Then the moon shall be confounded and the sun ashamed, 
 when the Lord of hosts shall reign in Mount Zion, and in Jeru- 
 salem, and before his ancients gloriously." Isaiah, xxiv. 13. 
 
 Compare: Exod. iii. 16, 18; Num. xi. 16, 17; xxiv. 1. 
 
 } Be tender in thy intercourse with youth. Jlboth, iii. 
 Receive every person with friendship. Jlboth,i. 
 
 The pleasure which a man enjoys alone, is not true pleasure. 
 Midrash. 
 
 . jn pp ?jn 
 A bad neighbour is a bad disease. Miphchar Hapeninim. 
 
 UDD npVnon vinsn osn ox trpncn "?:> If 
 
 Whatever man, though wise, is proud towards his fellow- 
 labourers, will be forsaken by wisdom. Pesachim, Ixvi. 2. 
 
 . I? DH11D TOD D1N'tt> 
 
 A man is paid in the measure with which he measures to 
 others. Midrash. 
 
214 
 
 Live in friendship with your.kindred;* yet suffer 
 not the bonds of consanguinity to weaken those of 
 justice. 
 
 Be yielding, though not cringing towards supe- 
 riors, and condescending without familiarity towards 
 all men.f Cling with disinterested fidelity to your 
 friends, whom you should choose only with great 
 caution. J 
 
 Do not regard every one as an enemy who vexes 
 
 Forgive willingly those who grieve you, and seek 
 to weary them with kindness. || 
 Do more than you speak."[j 
 
 . crvj-o mw nmum fN maaSn piSm DJH riNjp "73 * 
 Wherever there is unmerited hatred, (hatred of man is never 
 merited,) and division of hearts, the spirit of God is wanting. 
 
 f Of him who is haughty, the word of God is: I and he 
 cannot dwell in one world. Sota, v. 11. The stranger and the 
 native, the rich and the poor, are honoured only by the fear of 
 God. Ben Syr a. 
 
 \ Look upon that friend who is inconstant in his friendship, 
 as an enemy, and never trust him. Miphchar Hapeninim. 
 
 . mo? *pS DINH * n n ^n 
 
 View the actions of all persons on the favourable side. 
 Moth \. 
 
 |i By what means should a man be revenged on his enemy? 
 By conferring on him many benefits. Miphchar Hapeninim. 
 
 f The righteous promise little and perform much; the wicked 
 promise much, but do not perform a little even. Baba Metzia, 
 Ixxxvii. 1. 
 
215 
 
 View men as they are, not as they should be.* 
 
 Adopt a plan of life founded on religion and vir- 
 tue.f 
 
 Whenever we fall, we fall by sensuality, vanity 
 of our wisdom, and pride.J 
 
 There is but one truth, but error is a thousand- 
 fold. 
 
 Without contest there is no victory; so also there 
 can be no joy without temporary suffering. 
 
 Every thing is bad, which stands in the way of 
 your union with God. \\ 
 
 Every act and thing, and these alone, are good 
 which promote your union with God. 
 
 * If what thou desirest does not happen, then desire what 
 does happen. Zeror Hayagon, vii. 2. 
 
 ott>S vnt T>E>yD So f 
 All thy actions should be performed from pious motives. 
 Jfboih, ii. 
 
 \. If thou hast learned much, then let others enjoy it with 
 thee; because for this thou wast created. JSboth, ii. 
 
 . ton nSiyn tiwj on San wrvu 
 
 Those who suffer with patience in this world are heirs of 
 the future. Emmanuel, xcvi. 2. 
 
 Can a servant transgress his duty without losing his master's 
 favour] Can any one deceive his ruler without becoming the 
 object of his aversion 1 ? Bechinoth Olam, chap. ix. 
 
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