^QKAUFOefc &* x^vt. 9 g i => U II I ! r U-l ^IOS ANGELA 4 -OF-C IV irl ^EU " ) ; ce I v THE DUTIES OK THE JEWISH PASTOR IN THE PRESENT AGE. A SERMON DELIVERED IX THE FRENCH LANGUAGE, BY THE REV. PROFESSOR B. ARTOM, IS THE of ijje jspanisjj mA |)0rtuguese Congregation, aB>n ny&? p*p ON THE OCCASION OF HIS INSTALLATION AS HAHAM (ECCLESIASTICAL HEAD) OF THIS COXGREGATIOX, ON THE STH TEBET, 5627 DECEMBER 16TH, 1866. translation. i;ii,i; x /,,ii !>>/ direction <>/' fhr }\'n pa D' nyi nx DSI *f?n aiia D niax 'n min f n : infiD mm pnv a i^a* mini nan ain MY DEAR BRETHREN, Do you see that noble hoary-headed figure rising before our mind's eyes from the mists of antiquity ; those illumined features which inspire us with mingled feelings of reverence, admiration and sympathy ? It is the historical figure of an aged man, who, oppressed by cares and sorrow and overwhelmed with fatigue, is yet hurrying his steps onwards and onwards to an unseen goal. All around him is solitude, all as gloomy as a desert. He has not as yet come to the burning sand of Arabia cast up into destructive clouds by the terrific Simoom, but to a desolate plain which leads to it. No green sward to rejoice the eye, no flower to perfume the air ; all that can be seen is a stunted shrub here and there, lifeless and sad. The venerable old man, hardly able to walk any farther, looks about for shelter from the fiery rays of the sun ; he discovers a juniper tree from a distance and hastens to it ; and there, over- come by lassitude, he falls asleep. But soon an Angel appears, who touches him and says, " Arise and eat." The sounds of the heavenly voice awaken the traveller, and behold ! bread and water are before him. He eats and quenches his thirst ; 2071624 but he still feels so overpowered by fatigue that he again lies down and falls asleep. Then the Angel touches him again, and, with an irresistible voice, bids him "Arise and eat, for the journey thou hast to perform is too great for thee." TDK Dip pin *pa :n o Who is, then, that wondrous man whom Angels feed and heavenly Messengers cheer on ? No doubt, you have recog- nised him already, my Brethren ; he is Elijah, the Prophet Elijah, who had just achieved one of those wonderful deeds, the influence of which is felt throughout all ages. He had caused a fickle, unsteady and rebellious people to acknowledge and proclaim, in the most solemn manner, the Lord God of Israel as the Only, True and Eternal God ; he had confounded the idolators and their priests ; he had delivered his country from the abominations of the worship of Baal, and compelled a faithless king to bow to truth, and to acknowledge that with Providence alone rested the power of fertilising the earth or withholding the rain. Yet Elijah feels weary and dispirited ; he sees that in his mission, not yet fulfilled, he will have numberless obstacles to encounter. He is surrounded by powerful enemies, while his friends are cold and unnerved. His confidence and courage begin to fail ; and, whilst a prey to doubts and hesitations, and to sad reflections caused by a true love for his people, he flees to the desert, where, through exhaustion, he falls asleep. But the Angel arouses him, infuses into him a new spirit, a new life. "Arise and eat" are but few short words, but they are pregnant with meaning and thoughts such as the following "Consider the loftiness, the sacredness of the cause committed unto thee ; do thou draw from it fresh courage and zeal ; this is the spiritual food that shall sustain thee : thou canst not abandon the career on which thou hast entered, whatever be its length, its difficulties, its struggles ; for thou art a messenger of God unto His people. The more thou perseverest in thy path of duty, the greater shall be thy merit." Elijah obeys ; and we see him again on the march. His obedience is at once rewarded. The nourishment the spiritual nourishment just received imparts to him strength and power to travel forty days and nights, until he arrives at the holy mountain of Horeb. There, he is visited with a sublime vision, such as his great master, Moses, was familiar with. He sees a storm rending the mountains and breaking the rocks ; an earth- quake shaking the globe to its very foundations ; then a fire following with its train of destruction. But in none of these was the Lord. At last he hears a " still, small voice," a sweet and tender call, by which he is greatly touched, and he wraps his face in his mantle. The voice asks, " "What doest thou here, Elijah ?" To which the Prophet replies, " I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts," etc. TDN'1 Sip vStf PtiPH "im mxax *rhx '"h *nwp &OD T2n vrt ns ^ no Be not surprised, my Brethren, if, on an occasion so solemn and affecting as the present, I have recalled to your memory an ancient epoch, since which many centuries have rolled through the sands of time. In this episode of the sacred Scripture there are points which naturally apply to the Jewish Pastor, whose career should be a shadow of the life of a Prophet. The duties of that mission, before which the greatest Prophets, including even Moses himself, hesitated and trembled, and from which they wished to be relieved, as from a task exceeding their powers, seem to be vividly characterised by the fears, the flight and the discouragement of the Prophet Elijah. How much greater then must be the trepidation, the terror of a very humble and unworthy teacher like myself, who accepts the burden of the divine service, though in a limited sphere ! I hear within the deepest recesses of my soul the echo of a mysterious voice crying "pin "]&D m ^ 71DK Dip : "Arise and eat, for the journey thou hast to perform is too great for thee. Prepare thyself, by a solid moral and intellectual nourishment, to carry out worthily the high func- tions to which thou hast been called." Yet, to-day, I feel agitated and oppressed by fear and confusion in contemplating the heavy duties before me. I ask myself whether my deeds will rise to a level with the elevated position to which the inscrutable designs of Providence seem to have called me; whether they will afford advantage to others, and comfort to myself. However, I may say that, together with the doubts and hesitations, some hopes and joy also find access into my heart. I feel the need of lifting my thanks to God, who has deigned to look with mercy and favour upon His humble servant, and who, under His kind protection, led him on to pre- side over this noble community of His children ; a community among whom religion is respected and observed, and Jewish tradition, with its treasures of morals and science, is held in honour and defended from unjust attacks. And I shall exclaim with David, after he heard from Nathan all the benefits which God had been pleased to confer upon him, QTPtf 'Pi "O^tf *& DiSn iy 'jnK'nn ^ wa ai " who am i, o Lord God, and what is my house, that Thou hast brought me hitherto ?" I have also to thank Thee, my God, for having permitted me to fulfil the most ardent wish of my lamented father, who, alas ! left me when I was yet too young and friendless, and who, on his death-bed, desired me to devote myself to Thy holy service. On laying on my head his cold hands, as he blessed me, he said, almost as if with a voice of inspiration, that he saw me in a vista of the future at the head of a great congregation in Israel, and that such a vision made him quit life more happy. I thank Thee, my God, for having given me at least the virtue of filial obedience and love ! And to you, my dear Brethren, I must offer my apologies, for the digression to which my feelings have impelled me, and I crave your pardon for an involuntary emotion that has crept on me, and to which, on a day and an occasion like the present, I could not resist. And now, my dear Brethren, what shall be the subject of my discourse ? On what can I touch more appropriately than on the duties, the gra-ve and solemn duties, imposed on the Jewish Pastor in modern times duties in which, alas! so many dis- appointments may be involved, but which may yield a harvest of so much glory ? You, who among this congregation may understand the language in which I am speaking, I entreat you to listen to me attentively. My words are of importance to us all ; for you may judge from what I say all that you may expect of me all that I ought to do in order that I may enjoy the happiness which attends the practice of virtue 7iS^1 |H XX/&1 DTK 1 ! DTfat 'J'jn 31tD " to find grace in the eyes of God and man." And may He who hath said, 0*1X7 Pl3 D> 1 , be with me while I speak, and graciously inspire my humble words, lending them that force which human power alone can seldom attain. I believe, my dear Brethren, that there are few vocations or missions more solemn and more difficult than that of a Rabbi in the nineteenth century. Permit me to examine the nature of this mission, and of its various duties, and to enquire into the history of the rabbinical vocation from early times. For this purpose I propose to cast a glance on the annals of the past on history, the mother of wisdom and the light of truth. When the hour had at last arrived, at which the prophecies of the seers were unhappily about to be fulfilled by the chas- tisement of the people of Israel the race that had sinned again and again and had been as often forgiven ; when Jeru- salem was taken, the altar overthrown, the Temple consumed, and the priests and sacrifices disappeared with all the rites of the glorious form of worship on which all nations of the earth looked in wonder ; when exile had become the fate of the people from whom wearied heaven had at length withdrawn its smile, though only for a short time, as the Prophet Isaiah had said, "pHDiy P^p W^ > when, by one sad blow, their ancient joys were shattered, and around them loomed hatred 8 and contempt, oppression and persecution, they still found one refuge, one consolation amid all their cares and troubles one source of peaceful happiness when the arduous labour of the day was past, and the hour of rest had come. This refuge v this comfort, lay in the study of the Law and the traditions of the fathers ! In those days every man received a religious education. The head of every household became a teacher of the faith, and every home became a school, and at the head of all was the spiritual chief the teacher of the teachers. His mission was truly a holy one ; and, when to the zeal of faith he added wisdom and learning, his task was easy. When he spoke all listened. He was understood and obeyed. Then religion reigned supreme ; on her hallowed breast the weary exile rested and was comforted ! There he found the peace of mind which was doubly grateful to him since all other peace had fled. And when, at one time, the sanguinary Roman emperors who feared our faith, because it taught its votaries to be patriots and heroes sought to crush it by cruel threats, and pronounced the penalty of death on the Rabbi who taught the Law, the Rabbi's mission became more perilous than before, but its nature was unchanged. He remained still the teacher of the people. He had no foes except those who were without the pale of his communion : foes whom he could confront and resist. He had no need to fear apostasy, no suspicion of artful snares, of enticing attempts on his flock, through the condition described by DiTB^D TOT*) D'UQ Iliym, for a wide abyss yawned between the oppressed and the oppressor, between the captive and his ruler ! And when at length Christianity, dis- covering that spiritual sway alone was not sufficient to secure to her dominion, grasped the sceptre of temporal power ; when the creed of Islam arose, sword in hand, and usurped the mo- ralities of Judaism, though its doctrine of fatalism separated it impassably from the law of Sinai, the condition of our people became still more distressing ; for though contact with the gentler manners of the south had softened the fierce- 9 ness of the northern hordes, and the nameless cruelties of barbaric times had ceased, yet a new and still more terrible enemy arose I mean Fanaticism ! Fanaticism, which distorts the true feelings of humanity, and blights liberty of thought with the scaffold and the rack. Thenceforward the Rabbi's task became more arduous ; he saw his flock imperilled by a new danger, a danger with which it was difficult to grapple, for tho last-threatened malediction of Moses was fulfilled ! Ititi *f? D*K&n "pH Vm " and thy life shall hang in doubt before thee." It was then that the sword of Mahomet in Asia and Africa, and the Inquisition in Europe, made fatal havoc amid the ranks of our exiled people. Yet, persecutions such as these, far from repressing their attachment to their ancient faith, added fuel to the flame of their pious enthusiasm. Our fathers suffered, but they would not yield. They perished readily in the agonies of martyrdom, but they perished without a murmur, without a cry ! ^V HlbS DEO VS PinS' *6l Pity} Kim BE3 vfi r\r\& *b\ naSjo mm vsh Srra And still, in those heroic days, the Pastor remained the father of the faithful, and to him his brethren turned their tear- fraught eyes for justice, for comfort, and for the hopes and promises of religion. His task in those days was full of peril ; but yet it was an easy duty, for his words were welcomed with reverence and with submission. But with the fifteenth century a great change, brought about by remarkable public events, affected the social condition of the civilised world. The discovery of America and the Refor- mation imparted a new direction to the minds of men. Liberty of conscience awoke to life in the Netherlands, and beneath its incipient influence our fathers at once looked forward to safer and brighter days. Their hopes were not frustrated, and from this epoch the position of our people gradually became amelio- rated, until this happy age, in which, as regards our social 10 position, civil emancipation and equality form the rule, and oppression and suffering the exception. Yet, singular as it may appear, the duty of the Jewish Pastor became more difficult as the civil, social, and political condition of our people improved. Alas ! that firm union of heart and mind, which is a safeguard to the oppressed, vanished with the chains which had bound them in their days of sor- row ! The religious ardour which inflamed our fathers' breasts, and afforded them so much consolation in their adversity, passed away with the persecutions of an intolerant age. That blind obedience to the master's voice which has preserved the sacred heirloom of the Law and tradition intact through centu- ries, gave place to a new-born spirit of enquiry and cavil a spirit which is so perilous only because it is too often tainted with malevolence and disingenuousness. The old anxious and general desire to acquire a knowledge of our national language, and, through it, of the majestic productions of the genius and learning of our great authors and teachers, yielded to a craving for the thousand superficial trifles which constitute the glitter- ing surface-education of modern days. It became the evident duty of the Jewish Pastor to resist, to check the threatened danger the tendency which menaces with ruin our national literature, national sentiment, and national bond. And this is still his task ! Perhaps, the mission is beyond his restricted powers. But no ! this cannot be ; for religion fires the heart with fervour, and endows the mind with a force which shapes into practicability aims that seem impossible at first ! This fervour, this force, inspired and animated the Prophets of old, who dared to correct and to denounce the proud monarchs of the earth. i For the blessed spirit of God was with them ! ^y T\ PlTl " The spirit of God is on me," cried Isaiah : and, thus armed, thus protected, he defied all human dangers and beat down every human foe ! 11 II. And now, my dear Brethren, let us examine what duties in these days belong to the Jewish Pastor. The condition of the human mind, which, as time advanced, became more and more impressed with the tendencies of truth, has attained a stand- point which offers a striking aspect to a reflective spirit. Perhaps at no previous time has there been so much religious indifference, yet never has there been so much written on religious questions. Philosophers first kindled the spark of liberty of judgment, and governments have been obliged to follow in their wake in affairs of public policy ; and at length the minds of the masses awoke to a terrible doubt, doubt in matters of religious belief. Much of that which men believed infallible has lost the halo which rendered it divine. Dogmas to which men bowed in blind obedience, seem no more immaculate to the questioning eyes of criticism. The religion which pretentiously asserted itself to be the successor of Judaism, assailed by the spirit of enquiry, trembles under the attacks of reason and well it may ; for beneath that searching light it has all to lose ! And even its sister faith, which protested against Catholicism, quivers on the brink of a precipice on the brink of an abyss which itself prepared. It is a force which has been able to destroy, but which cannot rebuild. And as in all things in which the original fount has spread into less pure channels, men go back to the source from which they sprung, so in the question of religion, men look back inquiringly into the original faith the simplest and purest of all the creed of Sinai. And thus Judaism again becomes a subject of anxious studies. At no former period of their career was it ever more than at present needful for the Jewish people to be well instructed in, and thoroughly acquainted with, the principles and practice of their faith, in order to be able to teach them and to defend them. This duty is especially the mission of the Rabbi, who should strain every nerve to expel religious ignorance from the Congregation which he guides and this task has been truly described in the Talmud, PiniJO DnS |'K DWn H^H. "Eeligious teachers can aspire to no repose." Unfortunately, among our people, religious instruction does not receive the attention which it merits. Instead of its being considered as a main element of education, it has become, even in our schools, but especially in our families, a mere subsidiary insulated branch, and is at the best held as equal though more usually inferior to other branches of study. Yet religious instruction, rightly understood, should be the nucleus, the centre of activity and power, whither all other studies con- verge, and whence they should derive their strength and vitality. In this matter, school and home should work hand in hand ; school and home influences should aid and strengthen each other. Our children should hear in their schools the elucidation of principles first instilled into their young minds at home ; and they should see at home the rigid practice and observance of the laws and rules of conduct inculcated at school. Combined action, and unison of feeling and responsi- bility, would thus impart increased authority both to parent and to teacher. Thus, religion would permeate the heart of youth, and build itself an impregnable bulwark against temp- tation and corruption. Alas ! this golden age of Judaism is but a dream. It has no real existence anywhere I suspect, not even in your own community, in which the meritorious endeavours of so many are directed to the preservation of religion. The want of this respect to religious instruction, and of united action of home and school, is, in my opinion, the true cause of the scepticism, indifference, superstition and mate- rialism which prevail. But it is vain to deplore the evil. Let us rather try to remedy it. And this is one of the duties of the Jewish Pastor. 7K1B>* jvj? "pHfO PlSIX. " I make thee guardian of the house of Israel," said the Lord to Ezekiel. Yes, the Pastor should be, in truth, a warder of the holy trust 13 confided to his guardianship. In the homes, in which he should strive to be an ever welcome guest by reason of his sacred calling and of his spotless life in these homes he should watch these holy interests, and be ever ready to counsel and guide parents of families in the religious training of their children : he should help them, by his influence, to place their little ones on the righteous path ! It is his duty to urge the firm, inseparable connection of moral, secular and religious education. If these be divided, the true aim of neither will be attained in the Israelite. Your education should be such as to train a child to become, at the same time, a good man, a good citizen, and a good Jew. But if secular instruction be the sole object of attention, the boy thus taught will become a heartless man a man cold to all the higher sentiments of our nature a man who will easily repudiate his faith, his nation- ality, the past glories and the future promise of his race ! From the home the Pastor's way lies to the school ; there his duty is to supervise education, and encourage master and pupil to guide the teacher, who must be not only a good Jew, but an educated Jew ; for the creed of our fathers is not taught alone by the dry maxims of the Catechism ! From all the treasures of knowledge, but more especially from the mine of history, he should bring to light the immortal truths of our faith, and its glorious morality, which is the source of the moral teachings of all later creeds. He will urge the most careful attention to the education of young girls, for it especially depends on woman to render home a hallowed temple. While enjoying the happy position of civil equality, which we have attained by the advance of civilisation and the progress of political freedom, let us never be unmindful of the glories of our past. We are citizens, and let us by all means act as good citizens ; but we must not forget that we are Jews also ; nay, Jews before all above all other titles and qualifi- cations. Then let us strive earnestly to fulfil the twofold duty 14 which is laid upon us. Believe me when I tell you that the world will only respect us so long as we accept our sacred mission so long as we are the faithful custodians of our nationality ! But if we would in truth retain our nationality, we must assuredly retain our oral law the law which teaches us in detail all the domestic and social virtues, and the mode of application of the general principles inculcated in the dispensation of Sinai. That law we must respect in its entirety. It is a chain whose links are closely welded together, and if we attempt to break but one link, we imperil the whole. And if we would retain our nationality, we must also retain our sacred, our national language the language which has been for centuries our bond of union which, though for ages we have been scattered over the broad face of the earth, has kept us together, and welded our dispersed masses into one family, one people, one heart ; separated by clime and distance, but united by one hope, one promise, one sacred aspiration ! in. I have hitherto referred to the education of our young children, but the duties of a Jewish Pastor do not end at this point. There are among us men and women who have attained years of maturity, but whose youth may unhappily have been deprived of the blessings of a spiritual education. They know their religion but in its material aspect only. They are acquainted with its forms and ceremonies, conversant with its practical observances, but there their religious knowledge ends. They know not the spirit of the practice the significa- tion of the rites which they perform the true intent of the laws which they obey. Hence their hearts are cold to the true consolations which spring from intelligent faith ; their minds are devoid of the sublime thoughts which rise from religion spiritualized. When their young children crave for the 15 knowledge they would willingly impart, alas ! they must be mute in their young presence, for they themselves have all to learn. There are many, too, who, in the cares and struggles and changes of varied and troublous life, have forgotten the lessons of their youth, and would willingly hear again the truths which still are dear to them the lessons which are borne again to their manhood laden with many a tender memory of childhood. Again, there are some who go to Synagogue with sorrowing or heavy hearts, seeking comfort and instruc- tion from the living lips of a preacher, which they are unable to find in a mere Prayer-book, the lofty expressions of which they perhaps do not understand. For all these the Rabbi has many and serious duties to fulfil. All these demand his care and anxious energy. My dear Brethren, when I speak of preaching, I mean that religious instruction which is, in effect, of all ages the instruction which dates from the days of the Prophets, and the imparting of which was almost their only mission at least it was the mission in which they shone so gloriously. " Go," said the Lord to Isaiah " Go, preach ! cry out ! fear nothing ; raise thy voice with a sound loud as the trumpet, and reveal to my people its transgressions, and to the house of Israel its iniquities." But God laid a still heavier duty on Ezekiel, and therefore on all future ministers of religion. If he, who would be a warder of the faith, sees the anger of God about to burst on His people, and the sword about to descend, and if he fail to sound the alarm, then he shall be account- able for the blood of him on whom the sword may fall ! Dpi 'isiGn ypn xi HNS mnn n PKO nbi uiya KID ^ Dna npni mn N^ni Tin From this awful warning we may judge of the solemn importance of the preacher's duty ; for it is the PREACHER who henceforth must sound the trumpet of warning in the hour of a sinful people's peril ; it is the preacher who must call the 16 sinner back to the paths of virtue, who must explain the majesty of religion and denounce the miseries of sin ! But for the power given to the Pastor thus to uplift his voice among the people, his mission would be a vain, a fruitless work. O nsn rw jro 'nss? From the Pastor's lips the truth must go forth to his flock, and it is from the pulpit that he has to declare it to the faithful. For if we appreciate the preacher's mission with intelligence and feeling, surely we must feel that it is a solemn hour that in which he stands amid his silent auditors and utters the message of everlasting truth ; teaching men the ordinances of faith, and the precepts of civil life ; teaching men their duty to their neighbour, and to the fatherland which is so dear to them ; their duty to its sovereign, and the respect due to its laws ; teaching them the rules and precepts which render life happy on earth below, and promise undying happi- ness in the world to come ! From his lips, as the congregation throngs silently around him, must flow words of advice, admo- nition, reproof, and warning, and words of hope, comfort and promise ! The preacher must fulfil his duty fearlessly ; and tell his solemn truths unflinchingly to the rich as well as to the poor, to the powerful as well as to the humble. For God, as Isaiah has told us, will inspire him : every day must he devote to learning and teaching that Law which strengthens his words and strengthens the fallen, the feeble, and the dejected. In obeying the inner voice that calls him to his work, he may unhappily, in the course of his sterner duties, meet with resent- ment, anger, scorn, and obloquy ; but he must not yield nor tremble. God will be with him. He will help him ; and he may cry, with the Prophet, " I shall not be confounded ; I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed " >H22^ p h$ tfcba tih p ^ "Ity* QV^M ^T PUN NT? ^ jn&o p*abn:j ja No, he will never be put to shame, for he is only the inter- preter of the immutable and incontrovertible truths of our Divine Religion ! Yes, my dear Brethren, I firmly believe that preaching is one of the most important duties of the Jewish Pastor ; and that duty I will take earnestly to heart. I bear deeply in mind that I am the spiritual head of a congregation whose glory has long been to have preserved inviolate the inheritance bequeathed to them by their honoured ancestors. I am the firm custodian of our hallowed traditions. I bear in mind that I am the spiritual chief of a congregation which builds a holy joy on the rigorous observance of our ancient rites and festivals ; which devotes much care to the duties of charity, and which extends a maternal affection to all her children even to those who are at a distance from her, and to whom she sends a kindly greeting : M^N mi>N1 ^K *\y\& " Return unto me, and I will return unto you." Assuredly I shall be under- stood when henceforth on this sacred spot I shall deliver the words of religion ; when, seeking instruction from the rich literary treasures of our oral law, I shall endeavour to show how this law harmonises with the various conditions and epochs of social existence, and the varied requirements of humanity, even so as we have been assured, DI^H DH1X n^JT *1^K * D!"O *ni. I shall be understood when I narrate the exemplary lives of the sages of our people, some of whom were friends of kings and emperors, but yet remained strict adherents to our faith; when I explain their precious maxims to love our neighbours as ourselves ; to forgive our enemies ; to be patient and gentle towards the sinner, and to strive to recall him to the pale of faith by tender and affectionate persuasion. And if, by the grace of God, my humble words be received by you with kind- ness and sympathy ; if, on some future occasion, as at this solemn hour, I be honoured by the presence of so many of our beloved brethren of other congregations, among whom I see so many worthy and respected Ministers, and the Reverend Chief Rabbi, whose virtues and talents are so renowned, I shall not 18 be able to forbear from ever appealing heartily and earnestly to the hallowed spirit of love, concord, and brotherhood ! and I will say from the depths of my heart, brethren of the house of Israel, let there never be disunion, never divisions amongst us ! Let us love and cling to each other ! Let us rivet still more closely the links which bind us together ! Let us remain firmly and lovingly united, until the day when we shall be still more firmly, still more lovingly united in our own land, whither we shall be gathered as one people under the sceptre of one only King ! TQ pJO inK ttS DHIX JYOTBB *toh -ny ixrr vb\ Such, then, I believe to be the mission of the Jewish Pastor in our days. If he fulfils his duty, the pulpit will be to him a source of glory and consolation, for it will enable him to carry religion triumphantly and victoriously through the ranks of her enemies ; to labour zealously for the welfare of his flock, for the instruction of his brethren ; to give joy to the righteous, and to win back the sinner. According to the words of the Prophet, which our sages have interpreted so admirably, it should be said of him : " The law of truth was in his mouth, there was no iniquity found on his lips ; he walked with me in peace and righteousness, and brought many sinners back from their transgression." HK NEtD *&W UTSa PlJVn HSK n oi.!:n But if, on the one hand, there is no radical reform necessary in our religion, there is, on the other hand, yet much to be done. There is much ignorance to be destroyed, and a religious senti- ment to be rekindled by a true Jewish education. Our mode of worship may be rendered more dignified and conformable to its purpose, by conducting it with order and reverence which com- 19 mand respect. It is the Rabbi's duty to initiate all improvements, to remove all abuses, if he would indeed honour the Holy Name before the world, if he would be D'3*a IfiG? HK PHpfi. And with God's help I will strive to do these things ; and all my powers I will place in my work ; for, indeed, I ardently hope that this congregation may be true to its holy title and bear it bravely before the world, so that it may be truly said D^l^n Tl^ nn D'nStf m DN *D n? p " This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." Let us so act that our brethren who dwell in foreign coun- tries, that our fellow citizens of other creeds, may commend us for the manner in which we conduct our worship and celebrate our rites ; let us retain the holy charm of religious song the vocal harmonies with which the Temple of Jerusalem was replete, and which give a heavenly beauty to the words of prayer. It is, moreover, the Rabbi's duty to superintend all works of public charity, the accomplishment of which will render him " the father of the orphan, and protector of the widow " niJDStf pi! D'&IJT ^X. The Pastor should be ever open to the appeal of the poor and wretched, the distressed father of a family who may have fallen low, whether by his own fault, or by the force of circumstances the unhappy woman who may have been deserted, despite her innocence, or by reason of her guilt. He must not shrink from contact with misery and squalor, from the abode of poverty and the house of suf- fering ; he must not shrink from any spectacle of pain or grief from the pallet of the dying, or the infec- tion of disease. These sights and sounds may lacerate Lis heart, but they shall not keep him from his duty. As he feels no repulsion from the hovel of the indigent, so he shall feel no attraction for the mansion of the wealthy. And if at times his steps lead him to the gilded halls of wealth and luxury, he shall go thither, not for the sake of joining in their revels and their banquets, but to extend his hand to ask for help for the poor, or to give hope and comfort in the hour of pain and sorrow, from which neither wealth nor grandeur can protect. He shall seek to soften every grief, to wipe away every tear. He must be the friend of every family, of every home ; he must seek out the sufferer, if the sufferer does not come to seek him ; he must try to discover the hidden source of discord, the concealed injustice and secret wrong, and strive to remedy the evil. He must be ready to give advice and counsel ; he must promote good works, and be the living link between the rich and the poor, and thus main- tain the loving spirit which has rendered the Jewish character the type of true charity. But when he helps the poor, he shall not encourage idleness, but urge self-reliance and in- dustrious exertions on those who are capable of them. All works and institutions of beneficence and philanthropy shall find support, help and protection from him. He must be the most ardent and zealous to promote and to support all that can tend to the moral and religious benefit and progress of his congregation. In the words of prophecy, " He must open the eyes of the blind, release the captive from his bonds, and deliver those who are plunged in darkness !" D^^ PlpS7 xhi rvnD TDK ^DBD wwr\h rmiy My dear Brethren, my imperfect and too recent acquaintance with your language has compelled me on this solemn occasion to express my thoughts in a tongue foreign to you. I have, therefore, to crave your kind indulgence and pardon, hoping that this defect on my part shall not be of long duration. But before leaving the sacred spot on which I stand, I will venture to address you a few words in English, also, however im- perfectly they may be expressed ; they will at least be sincere, and convey to you the innermost thoughts of my heart. I have attempted to give you a sketch of what I conceive the duties of a Rabbi to be in the present age, for he is now not only the apostle of religious truth, but also of every other truth which can be useful to mankind ; he is a moving spring in the great moral machine, which works always in the same direction and towards the same end human improvement and happiness. I wish I could have made myself fully understood by you, my dear Brethren, for I want your assistance in the work before me. I am here in the presence of my new con- gregation, of my new flock, which I must endeavour to lead to a good pasture ground. I am here in the sacred house of the God of Israel, of the Almighty Himself, who hears the words of men, and sees at the same time the innermost recesses of their hearts. And in this place, and in this moment, which is, perhaps, the most solemn in my life, I hesitate not to promise to devote all my thoughts, all my attention to the great work, for the performance of which I was elected, though young and unworthy. I will spare no effort, and shrink from no labour, for the moral benefit of this congregation. I will work to pro- mote our holy religion, that Judaism, so often misunderstood through ignorance or malignity. I will venture to repeat on my part what Judah said to Jacob when the patriarch refused to let his dear Benjamin depart for Egypt, i D^&Tl 7D T? " I will be surety for him ; of my hand shalt thou require him ; if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever." But, as I told you, I shall require your assistance. In all human concerns union gives strength and procures the success of great undertakings. It is necessary that labourers in this holy field should aid and animate each other ; fiN J^tf pin TON* Vn^Sl nty' injn "They helped every one his neighbour, and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage." From you, principally, who are the educators and teachers of our children, I must crave help and support that we may work together. The rising generation ought to be imbued 22 with a strong Jewish feeling, and no exertion should be too great to attain so noble an end. The human mind is now eager to acquire extended knowledge. Let us direct these favourable tendencies in the good path, and towards the loftiest aims, and we shall triumph. And you, who lead this congre- gation with your influence and wisdom, you also, I trust, will assist and encourage with your aid your Pastor, who is yet inexperienced in his new field of duties. You will find me ever willing, but your example will strengthen my hands. Be my friends and brethren, all you around me, and I will be to you both a friend and a brother. To-day I ask from you only a word, the word which the elders of our nation enunciated to Ezra, when he undertook the re- establishment of our nationality, n&j>yi pin -py umxi nnn *phy "3 Dip " Arise, for this matter belongs unto thee ; we also will be with thee : be of good courage, and do it." O my Brethren, repeat to me this word, and all fear and hesitation will vanish, and the hope of success will gladden my heart ! But unto thee, O Lord, I raise my eyes with all my soul, for the ways of man are only strengthened by thee H^VD TUB 1333 *O3. I pray Thy Divine Providence to assist me in my holy mission, to grant me an eloquent and persuasive tongue, to bestow upon me the power of convincing of their error those who transgress, and to crown with success my efforts for my brethren's welfare and for the glorification of Thy holy name. O Lord, my God, and God of my fathers, bless this country and its Sovereign ; bless this free people, which gives such glorious examples of toleration and religious liberty, and vene- rates the Jewish faith as the mother of the creed of the most civilised nations. May He, who blessed our ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, bless this holy congregation and all the Jewish com- munity ; they, their wives, their children, and all belonging to them ; bless those who establish oratories for prayer, and those who go thither to pray ; the pious men who contribute with their 23 offerings to the lustre of Thy worship ; those who administer food to poor pilgrims, and liberal alms to the indigent ; bless the venerable and noble philanthropist who so often endan- gered his own precious life to accomplish the holiest works of brotherly love and charity. May God protect those who devote themselves faithfully and piously to the welfare of their congregation ; may He reward them, forgive their sins and heal their wounds. May He grant success to the work of our hands. May He bestow happiness upon all the children of Israel our brethren, and extend His mercy to all mankind. : px Dis?a isy nx *p nr n pv v$ ny n Wcrtieimer, Le and Co- Printers, Circus Place, Finabury Circus. r^- OC I University of California SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024-1388 Return this material to the library from which it was borrowed. RYQr AW! o g" A 000 066 388