Sabbath hours : thoughts
Adler, Liebman, 1812-1892
rsrst ■1 ss /t>< Sabbath hours 01^?^ CLcLSG SABBATH HOURS THOUGHTS BY LIEBMAN ADLER THE JEWISH I'UBLICAXIpN i^OCl^TY OF' AMERICA^ Copyright, 1893, By the Jewish Publication Society of America. Edward' sVern 1S7 C(V PHILADELPHXA. • * , » « < * *. • « FAITHFUL KEEPERS OF THE PERPETUAL LIGHT OP JEWISH FEELING AND PRACTICE, XTbe 5ewi6b llClomen, THIS WORK IS DEDICATED. PKEFACE. The following fifty-four sermons, one for each Sabbath of the year, with two additional for leap years, were culled from two volumes of German sermons on texts from the Pentateuch, published by the late Kabbi Lieb- man Adler, of Chicago. The author, in his preface, speaks of how, in days gone by, " when, on Friday, all the preparations for the beloved Sabbath had been completed, and the Sabbath garments had been donned, the Jewish mother began to read, attentively and devoutly, the Pentateuchal and Prophetical portions assigned to that Sabbath, continuing until it was time for the evening service at the syna- gogue, and finishing whatever she failed to read then, on the afternoon of the Sabbath." It is hoped that this collection of modern sermons on every-day problems may take the place, with the daugh- ters of Zion, of the old-time book of Biblical readings, and therefore it is dedicated first and foremost to the use of the women in Israel. Through all the vicissitudes of this century, the sanctity of the Jewish home has been well maintained, and with it the influence of woman over Jewish religious life. By right of inheritance, she occupies vantage-ground, from whose height she can shape the future. She it is that can keep alive the ancient fervor, and promote an intelligent view of V VI PREFACE. Judaism and its practices. To equip her with needed knowledge is the purpose of this collection of Biblical discussions, which are conducted from the point of view of modern thought, and with rare lucidity, illustrate the universality and present timeliness of our ancient sacred literature. Through these same characteristics, our book may come to have another use. There are many towns and settle- ments in the United States wholly cut off from Jewish teaching, and such communities may welcome these ser- mons as a source of devotion and as a guide to the study of the Sacred Scriptures, the fount of Jewish inspira- tion. Indeed, the book will yield its virtue only to him who, with each sermon, will read, in the Holy Book itself, the chapter from which the text marked under the title is selected. Such earnestness alone can restore to us our former distinction, the knowledge of the Law, which must continue to be our wisdom and our under- standing before the eyes of the nations. The Editor. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.* Liebman Adler was born on the twenty-fourth day of Tebeth, 5572 (January 9, 1812), at Lengsfeld, Grand Duchy of Saxe- Weimar, Germany. He received his first instruction in the school of the Jewish congregation and from the rabbi of the town, and continued his Hebrew studies with R. Kunreuther, at Gehihausen, and afterward in the Jewish seminary at Frankfurt, under R. Solomon Trier and R. Aaron Fuld. He then passed through a two years' course in the Teachers' Institute at Weimar, and accepted a position in the Jewish congregational school of his native town. A secular school having been established, mainly through his efforts, he became its principal in 1849. But five years later, Adler left Germany, in the hope that America might afford a better career for his children. Soon he was made the teacher and preacher of the Jew- ish congregation at Detroit, Mich., where his memory is still affectionately and reverently cherished. In 1861, a call came to him from the Kehillath Amhe Ma'arahh of Chicago, with which his name was connected until the day of his death, January 29, 1892. In Chicago his work was varied and laborious. The fulfilment of his duties required strength, perseverance * Adapted and translated, with the permission of the author, from "Liebman Adler, Eine Gedenkrede, gehalten am 14 Februar, 1892, im Tempel der K. A. M. in Chicago, von B. Felsenthal."— [Ed,] vii Vlll BIOORAnilCAL SKETCH. and courage, and Liebman Adler was strong, tenacious and honest. Hence, his harvest in Chicago, as in Detroit, was appreciation, reverence and love. After the lapse of years, his congregation matle his work less onerous, and during almost the whole of the last decade of his life, he was relieved of all his official duties. Two phases of his public activity deserve special men- tion ; he was a true patriot, and in the best sense of the word, a successful, religious teacher. " Five Addresses to the K. A. M." are on patriotic themes, are anti-slavery in sentiment, and express strong feeling with clear, swift utterance. His deeds affirmed the sincerity of his con- victions. It was he that induced his oldest son to risk life, if need be, in the service of the Union Army. In his religious work, he stood upon a conservative platform, clinging to inherited customs and ceremonies, which to him seemed fraught with inspiration. But his orthodoxy was not the uncompromising rigidity of pre- judice. He was a clear, unbiased thinker, and a student of Jewish history, who saw in Judaism a living, pro- gressive force. The best exposition of his attitude we have in his ser- mons, of which we happily possess three volumes. They are pervaded by a tranquil spirit, peculiarly character- istic of his mind and life. In simple, cordial language, he has laid down in them the highest wisdom of noble living. They are wholly free from every blemish of polemics, are in no sense dogmatic, or clouded by mys- ticism. In a word, they are genuinely popular. In the Jewish homiletic literature of our day, they should, along with David Einhorn's and Michael Sachs' sermons, be accounted our treasures. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. IX His published works form one tangible legacy that our revered rabbi has left us. Another and a greater is the memory of his beautiful character. Unassuming and childlike, he loathed all pomp and artificiality, and was content with his own lot in life. As becomes a son of Aaron, he loved and promoted peace, and his lips always and everywhere kept knowledge. The true philosophy which he expounded to others, rendered his own life joyous, prevented every taint of pessimism, and taught him to meet death without dread. Besides the proof of his patriotism and the statement of his creed, he has left us, in his will, a record of his lovable traits as a man. According to a fine old Jewish fashion, he gives his children directions for their spirit- ual guidance : " My children ! Keep together in frater- nal union. Let no sacrifice be too great to ensure your mutual helpfulness and the continuance of your broth- erly feelings. Every act of love that you show unto one another will do my soul good. The example of eleven children of one father, standing together in love and faithfulness, will be a more beautiful adornment of his grave than the most elaborate floral decoration, which I would rather not have, though I do not wdsh to control your desires in that matter. " The little property that I leave behind, will become yours only after the death of your mother. I know^ you ; I can trust you, you will not show yourselves unfilial in its possession and use. The inheritance, however, which you possess even now is a good name and a training as good as I could give you. It seems that not one of you is destined to grow rich. Let that not disturb you. Only remain honest, true, industrious and eco- X BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. nomical. Do not speculate. Even when speculation is successful, no blessing rests upon it. Put your whole energy into the conduct of your chosen calling. Serve God, and have him always before your eyes. With men, be amiable, courteous and modest, and all will go well with you even without riches. My last word to you is : Honor your mother! Brighten her sad widowhood. Do not disturb her in the enjoyment of her small estate, and supply the deficiencies in her income. " Farewell, wife and children ! One thing more, my children : I know well that if you would, you cannot practise Judaism according to my conception, and as I practised it. But remain Jews, and live as Jews in the best manner of your times, not only for yourselves, as individuals, but also for the welfare of the community." These w^ords ring out, and re-echo beyond the walls of his own home. "His image," says one of his chosen friends, "stands before us in clearest outlines, and we look up to it with fervent love and deep reverence. . . , As often as we look upon it, may we renew within us the resolve to walk in his footsteps, and thus grow into the light of a noble life." TABLE OF CONTENTS. Preface. Biographical Sketch. Sermons : The Story of the Creation, 1 The First Verse of the Bible, 8 The So-called Fall of Man, ........ 13 The Sense of Shame, 21 Cain and Abel, 29 The Book, 35 Praise and Blame, 42 Religion and the Moral Law, 48 Be Content to Live in the Land of Thy Birth, 55 The Tower of Babel, 60 Learning and Forgetting, 68 The Masses Follow a Few Thinkers, .... 75 Vicissitudes of Fortune, 81 Fear Not that You May Suffer by Doing Good, 86 Offspring of the House and Offspring of the Spirit, 93 Religion and Ethics, 99 A Revelation at the Threshold, 105 How Can Ten Righteous Men Save a City from Destruction ? Ill xi Xll CONTENTS. " I Thought, Surely, there is uo Fear of God in this Place," 119 Educational Influences, 126 " Lead Us not into Temptation," 133 Conflict of Duties, 139 Temperament, 144 Does Man Naturally Improve with Age ? . . 150 Humility, 155 Tolerance, 161 Belated Education, 171 The Importance of Little Things, 178 " Death and Life are in the Power of the Tongue," 184 Home Influence, 190 Existence and Life, 196 Immortality, , 202 The Death of the Father, 210 Gratitude, 216 Righteous Indignation, 221 The Sabbath, 228 Moses and His Mission, 234 Offering and Sacrifice, 239 Providence or Chance, 246 Individuality, 252 Forgetting and not Learning, 257 Equality, . . 264 The Meaning of the Word " Holy," .... 270 Self-respect, 275 Success and Failure, 281 "Let thy Brother Live with Thee!" .... 286 Know Thyself, 292 Character Sketches from the Bible, .... 297 CONTENTS. Xlll "People of the Lord," 304 Quality and Quantity, 309 The Testimony of our Law A mong the Nations, 3 1 5 Neither Add Thereto nor Diminish There- from, 320 Competition, 325 Chivalry, 330 THE STORY OF THE CREATION. (lEN. I; 1. In the Jerusalem Targiim " in the beginning " is ren- dered l)y " in wisdom." Truly, in the very first word of Holy Writ there is wisdom, since it begins with "the beginning," and leaves untouched all that goes before. Among the ruins of Nineveh, a library of inscribed stone-flags was discovered. "When deciphered, they were found, among other things, to contain a tale of the creation and the story of a flood, which, in many par- ticulars, coincide with the Biblical tales. These ancient accounts from Nineveh may be older than those of the Bible, but the latter excel the former, even as the laconic speech of an experienced sage eclipses the con- fused bombast of a thoughtless chatterer. Whereas the Bible is content to begin with the "beginning," the Nineveh document supplies the un- known preceding the beginning with fables and tales of the gods, wildly fantastic and unresthetic. The ancients have propounded the question : " Why does it say, ' in the beginning God created,' why not, 'God created in the beginning?' God, the subject, ought to take precedence." The query was considered worthy of various replies, and, with the same idea in mind, the Greek translators have taken the liberty of 2 1 Z SABBATH HOURS. changing the text. But even when thus transposed, there is wisdom in the words. The Bible wishes to give man a story of the creation of the earth which he inhabits ; it wishes to speak of the " beginning " and not, as does the Nineveh docu- ment, tell a tale of the God-head, a theogony. For this reason, "in the beginning " should be more accentuated than " God." The ancients furthermore ask why the Bible com- mences with :i in n^i^kS"):], instead of with N, as do the ten commandments. The question is scarcely a brilliant one, but the reply is very clever. The letter 2 is closed on all sides but one. This signifies that we must not too deej^ly investigate, we must not permit our thoughts to betray us to the heights of heaven or into the depths of hell ; they should not lose them- selves in speculation, either about prehistoric ages, or about a future world. Therefore, the Torah begins with neither philosophy nor hypothesis concerning the nature of the God-head, but with heaven and earth. Portions of the Bible do not meet with universal approval. But we are apt to forget that its wisdom does not consist merely in what it says, but equally, if not more, in w^hat it leaves untouched. Strictly speaking, it contains no theology, no metaphysics, no mysticism, no heaven, no hell, no angels, no devils, nothing of another world. The Bible, according to its contents, may be divided into natural history, history, laws and ethics. " In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." This verse brings the Bible into harmony with the most advanced science. When was the beginning? That is not explained; perhaps millions, perhaps an THE STORY OF THE CREATION. 3 utterly inconceivable number of years ago. Whence was the earth evolved? From fire? From water? Or from both ? The Bible itself is silent on that point. It leaves to science full sway to investigate and decide the question. The ancients inquire : " Why does Scripture say D'Dtyn nx and ]nj<n nxi. These words nx are appar- ently superfluous; it would be just as correct to say: pNi D'roiy Q-nSx Nnn n^u^Nnn." And they think that these words signify that heaven and all that is included in the idea of heaven, and the earth with all its potentialities were created on the first day, i. e., indefinite ages ago, but that on earth these forces proved their existence gradually, each one acting in its own time. We may consider the story of the creation of the universe told completely in the first verse. The further narrative deals exclusively with the earth which we inhabit ; not with its creation, but with its development, its evolution. It is no cosmogony, but purely geogony. On the first day, or in the first stage of development, light found its way through the dense vapor shrouding the earth. And there was light ! But there was not yet discernible a body whence light emanated. In the second stage of development, the fluid element was divided into actual water and the vapor that fills the atmosphere. In the third stage, the last, mighty upheavals of the earth took place. The crust of the earth was sprung open, mountains arose from the depths, while other parts fell into abysses, were filled with water, and formed the seas. And upon the newly-made dry land appeared the earliest vegetation. 4 SABBATH HOURS. lu the fourth stage, the atmosphere had become so clear that the sun, the moon and the stars were visible. Finally, in the fifth and sixth stages appeared life, rising from its lowest forms to its highest development in man. To-day, as on each Sabbath, we have solemnly taken the Torali from its case, and have thanked God aloud for blessing us with it ; the congregation, Bible in hand, devoutly follows the reading of the portion, and at its close, once more gives thanks to God for bestowing upon us the treasure of the Torah. And what is this that we have read ? It is what in science is known as geogony, the doctrine of the forma- tion of the earth, a branch of natural science. Science — this is the distinction — deals with the creation only, regardless of the Creator ; whereas the Torah men- tions the Creator : " God said, God created, God made," etc. What could be more potent in urging the Israelite to investigate and acquaint himself with Nature, than the fact that the Torah, his Holy of holies, opens with a chapter of natural science ? It does not begin like our catechisms with, " What is religion ?" but it tells God's people how the earth developed under God's omnipo- tence. Man's earthly weal, his fairest, chastest joys, and his pure, sincere piety are the results of this study. The psalmist, in the 104th Psalm, loses himself in con- templation of Nature, and then his surcharged heart breaks forth into the words : " O Lord, how manifold are thy works ! in w isdom has thou made them all : the earth is full of thy riches." If, thousands upon thousands of years ago, in the THE STORY OF THE CREATION. 5 infancy of mankind, long before there was any idea of natural science; before the telescope had brought within mortal vision spheres millions of miles away ; before the microscope had disclosed a new microscopic world ; before the magnet had pointed the path over the seas; before air and water had been analyzed in the crucible ; and thousands of other means had brought light and order into the dark bowels of Nature, and revealed a world full of marvels — if, at that early period. Nature was held iu such esteem that the holy l)ook, the Bible, was opened with a contemplation upon it ; if, at that time, sages and poets, gazing about them and up at the starry firmament, drew thence the inspiration which impelled them to immortal verses and songs of wisdom ; how far advanced must we be, we children of the nineteenth century, in which science, with its innumerable dis- coveries and inventions, has opened so many windows admitting light into the awful depths of Nature ! Alas, we are indeed children of the nineteenth century ! The ordinary individual — I mean one of the masses of to- day—is a child in matters of natural science. Yes, we have retrograded. We have, it is true, cast off an im- mense number of superstitions, of absurd explanations and prejudices held by the ancients concerning the phenomena of Nature. But this is not due to intelli- gence ; there is a diiferent reason for it. The ancients inquired into the causes of things, and if a rational answer was not at hand, the query was silenced with a fable. We do not inquire; we are, therefore, safe from all misuuderstanding, but neither do we arrive at an understanding of these causes. We imagine that we have advanced ; we have advanced, but it is not pro- 6 SABBATH HOURS. gress ; we are prodded by comparatively few thinkers. Ask the masses about any ordinary phenomena of Nature and their causes — about thunder-storms, earth- quakes, cyclones, shooting stars, volcanoes, eclipses of the sun or moon. For every one of these, the ancients had an explanatory reply ; but were you to repeat that reply to one of the masses of to-day, his education would lead him to deride the credulity of the ancients ; yet no better ans\ver is forthcoming ; none is needed, since none is asked for. In social intercourse there is nothing more unbearable than an inquisitive person ; but in the intercourse with Nature, the Nature in and about man, everyone ought to be inquisitive, particularly the Israelite ; and sound and reliable answers can be drawn from the wells that have been dug and made accessible to all — from a rich, popular literature. Ah, how wofully has religious thought gone astray ! Religion and natural science, which, in the first chapter of the most ancient record of religion, went hand-in-hand, and appeared to possess one heart and one soul, now regard each other inimically, and, like Jacob and Esau, quarrel about the rights of the first-born. Jacob must bow down seven times before Esau embraces him; and when Esau says, " Now let us go forth together like brothers," Jacob trembles at the thought of such close companionship, and answers, " We may not go together, for my flocks might sufler ; go thou first, and I Avill follow." And when Esau says, " Then shall some of my people remain with thee to guide and j^rotect thee," Jacob replies, "Wherefore? I need it not." Judaism ought not to countenance this unbrotherly relation 'twixt religion and science. The Bible is science THE STORY OF THE CREATION. 7 natural science, history, law and ethics. The Talmud, despite the objections and warnings interposed by some of the rabbis, discusses all the branches of science known in those times, as do the best rabbinical writings of tlie brilliant Spanish school. Only the German and Slavonic rabbinical schools, during times of unutterable oppression, became alienated from science, as also African and Asiatic Judaism has become estranged. I am addressing an educated, enlightened congregation, one certainly not accustomed to unctuous sermons from its present preacher. Yet, were I to bring a flower into the pulpit instead of a Bible-text, and attempt to prove the omnipotence of God by showing the structure of the stem, the leaves, the calyx, the corolla, the stamens and pistils, the cells and veins; were I to show that the goodness and Avisdom of the Creator are manifest in the drop of honey at the bottom of the cup, attracting the insect, which in its intrusion is covered with pollen, carries the pollen to other flowers, and so fecundates them, etc., you would not be greatly edified. You would say, " Such matters are out of place in the temple of God!" This is the true reform at which we must aim : we must consecrate both history and natural science, by regarding them as integral parts of religion ;— n'i!;i<-^3* considered as natural science, must be held equally sacred with Xoah,* considered as history. * "In the beginning," the name of the first of the fifty-four weekly portions into which the Pentateuch is divided. Noah is the name of the second portion.— [Tr.] THE FIRST VERSE OF THE BIBLE. ' In the beginniug God created the heaven and the earth."— Gen. 1 : 1. Heathens can accept not even the first words of Holy AYrit, for, according to their ideas, " in the beginning " the gods were created. The Torahs of the heathens do not begin with cosmogony, the history of the creation of the world, but Avith theogony, the account of the crea- tion of the gods, and of how one god begat another. After that, how many generations may have come and gone, ere the spirit of research awoke in man, leading him to investigate the origin of each individual crea- tion, and then of the sum of things, the universe, that is to say, ere he reached the idea contained in the words "he created!" For these words also are beyond the conception of the heathen ; he would say " they created." We have revised our prayer-book, substituting " salvation " for " Savior." But a far greater, a far more important and more influential change at the time was that from " they created" to "he created." Nor, indeed, could the heathen say " they created." " Created " signifies the formation of something from nothing, and the power to do this the heathen does not accord to his gods, who may oiily give form to pre-existing matter. These first words of our Torah, " In the beginning God created," which express a complete revolution in the w^orld of 8 THE FIRST VERSE OF THE BIBLE. \) thought, have been giveii to humanity by Judaism, nor have they yet taken root anywhere but in the soil of Judaism and her daughter-religions. How long, then, may it have been before the human intellect was suffi- ciently strong and disciplined to sum up manifold crea- tion in two concepts, and to give expression to these in two words : heaven and earth ! Then, for thousands of years, this first vei-se of the Torah expressing, as it does, a spiritual conquest, was conned by mankind. But in the course of those years, its imperfections have been remedied, and its misconcep- tions righted. Divine truth can never be clearly enough understood, and much less clothed in words, because, for the divine, we have but a human method of expression. This is shown in the very first verse of Holy Writ, in our text. " Elohim," which is the concentration of the blind, heartless forces of Nature, supposed to have been divided among all the gods, was later transformed into "Adonai," a single Creator, Preserver of the world and Controller of human destinies, an eternal, omnipotent, just and merciful God, a God that is Providence, an all-providing Father, a holy, superior, intelligent Being, free from all faults and passions, asking no service for himself, demanding only that we seek the light of truth, and abide in virtue. Thus, in the course of time, the incomplete designation of a supreme power, " Elohim," gave way to the more comprehensive "Adonai." So, too, have misunderstandings been dispelled. Isaiah's prophecy has been fulfilled with regard to the word " heavens :" " The heavens are vanished like smoke." Heaven, as the ancients understood it, no longer exists for us, not one, much less seven heavens. At the time, it 10 SABBATH HOURS. was an enormous triumph of the mind to bring all crea- tion under two heads ; as time went on, the mind included all creation in a single conception, and expressed it in a single word : universe, or the even more forcible cosmos. AYhen we raise our eyes to the glorious azure, which the ancients called heaven, we, with our modern con- ception thereof, are none the less disposed to reverential wonderment, our souls are none the less attuned to joy- ous adoration, when we think of the Creator of these glories, of this ether, which at night is illumined by innumerable lustrous worlds, and in which our earth floats like a feather. Yea, this azure awakens in us, as did the heaven of the ancients in them, worship and adoration of the Kuler of the universe, even though the azure no longer represents to us a solid edifice, the better half of creation, the habitation of superior beings. The word of God is everlasting, but its interpretation varies. The word " Shomayim" signifies to us what is beyond human conception, the supernatural, which the mind sees as in a vision, the inexpressible which the heart dimly feels. The animal part of man belongs to the earth. But his higher thoughts and aspirations, his world of ideas, and all that is beyond animal pleasures : thought, hope, the consolation of immortality, the belief in one God, the constant striving better to understand his being and his will, to live and act accordingly — these constitute our heaven. To earn what we require is earthly ; but to earn it honestly and fairly under the most trying circumstances, so to limit our wants that we may not jeopardize honesty and rectitude, tJiat is heav- enly. To live in wedlock is earthly ; but for man and woman to live together in love and faith, in peace and THE FIRST VERSE OF THE BIBLE. 11 harmony, even though it necessitate daily and hourly sacrifices, that is heavenly. To be father and mother is earthly ; but to use every endeavor, shunning no sacri- fice, not merely to rear children, but to bring them up in the fear of God and on the path of virtue, not. only to regard them as the sunshine of the home, a natural delight to the eyes of the parents, but to be ever con- scious of the sacred duty to make good, useful men and women of them, that is heavenly. To live for one's self and one's fiimily is earthly ; but to deny one's self pleasures in order that others may enjoy, to exert one's self that other exhausted ones may rest, to care for others and save them care, and even to risk one's life for that of others, that is heavenly. To drift with the tide is earthly, but to stand against the current in the defence of truth and conviction, to stand alone for the right, firm as a rock, even though the tide of public opinion toss and swell around one, and principles totter and sway, that is heavenly. Earnest attention to tem- poral needs is earthly ; but to think of the eternal, and to sacrifice momentary good for the sake of eternity, that is heavenly. This heav^enly spirit was created as was the earthly. It was the creation of the first day. And in the account of the five days following the first one of creation, we are told of the development of this crea- tion in matters of the earth as well as of heaven. Thy heaven, oh man, thou earnest within thy mind and within thy heart! Some have only a bit of it, others, all the seven heavens of the ancients : with some, it is clouded o'er, sombre and threatenino: ; with others, radiant in its brilliancy. Kabbi Akiba died a martyr, 12 SABBATH HOURS. after indescribable torture, yet seven heavens ^vere in his heart. Hadrian's life closed with the blackest skies within his heart, though as Akiba's emperor, he was apparently enjoying the greatest earthly prosperity. God created the heaven and the earth ; but just as the earth became known to man by degrees, a large portion of it being discovered after thousands of years, and much still remaining to be discovered, so it is with heaven, the heaven in the mind, in the heart, and in social life. It must be sought and found. Progress means ever to discover new heavens within us, heavens of knowledge and of culture of heart and mind, patience and fraternity, peaceful and harmonious existence in social life, as well as in the intercourse of countiies and nations. This is the sevenfold light, these are the new heavens which the prophet of Messianic times has promised us ; and to approach nearer and ever nearer to them is the task of our mundane existence. THE SO-CALLED FALL OF MAN. Gen. III. The Bible suffers from two opposing parties — on the one hand, from the simple piety of those that pay it unquestioning homage ; on the other, from its enemies. Both accept the words of Holy Writ in their literal sense, even in those portions that are narrative and not legislative. The one class takes it very ill, if we say, " The word has a meaning, but word and meaning are as different as body and soul ;" that they consider the most pro- nounced heresy. The others say, " What absurdity I and that is supposed to be Holy Writ I" We believe that when the Bible commands and for- bids, there is no room for subtle interpretations ; there the words embody the full meaning to be conveyed, and whoever attempts to wrest the sense to suit himself, acts dishonestly by the book. But when the Bible clothes its teachings in tales and j^arables, we agree with Rashi that the words themselves cry out, "Explain me!" With regard to the verse, mxn m'7in -i£3D nr "This is the book of the generations of Adam," our sages say : " So far as the story of the creation and all that is con- nected with it is concerned, the honor of Holy Writ demands that we take a hidden meaning for granted ; but further on, where questions of practical life are involved, the honor of the Scriptures demands an exact and literal interpretation of its contents." 13 14 SABBATH HOURS. Thus do we appronch the task that we have set our- selves for to-day's discourse, the explanation of those portions of the Bible that treat of the " fall." (Gen. II : 15-17 ; III : 1-7.) Let us say at once Avhat meaning they convey to us. The first human beings lived their appointed time in happy innocence. Then they began to think, and their innocence was destroyed. Doubt, discord between head and heart, took the place of a calm spirit and serene content. There is a way of thinking that but reflects the thoughts of others. A child thinks as its parents think ; a pupil thinks as the teacher has taught him to think ; an individual thinks as those about him think. There is a kind of thought that subordinates itself to the wishes of the heart, "the wish is father to the thought !" There is a kind of thought that will make no conces- sions to the feelings, but would rule as an autocrat ; it says to the heart : Repress thy desires, they do not please me. Speculation makes unquestioning enjoyment of life an impossibility. Speculative thought banishes innocence. The child is innocent so long as it follows the instincts of its heart, and thinks the thoughts of others. But no sooner does it begin to think independently, than its actions become good or evil, it can no longer be called innocent. So what is told of Adam is the natural course of man's life. Every human being, for a time, lives in innocence, in pleasant unconsciousness of right and wrong ; if left at liberty, he acts according to the dictates of his heart, and enjoys his existence. THE SO-CALLED FALL OF MAN. 15 As the young child need not trouble itself about its sustenance, since it is given to it, so with its thoughts : it thinks whatever is given it to think. A child of a quarrelsome disposition may manifest it at an early age, it is true, and live at variance with those about it; may be easily fretted and angered and excited, but within its heart every child is at peace with itself. No sooner has independent thought asserted itself than heart and reason, inclination and duty, gratification and remorse battle for supremacy. Before thought awakens, we live at peace with ourselves ; but awakening thought drives us out of the paradise of childhood, to which we may never return. This Bible-story does not betray a disturbance in the plan of creation, as if God had had some other inten- tions concerning man, and these had been frustrated by the sinfulness of Adam. It raises the veil, and dis- covers to us the underlying idea of the plan of the Almighty. It is true, it is a great deal pleasanter to abide in ignorance, at peace with ourselves. We live much more calmly, more content with ourselves and the world, when we do not think, or if we think, think as others do. It is much more conducive to peace to know little. Learning and knowledge, inquiry and introspection bring much disquiet into one's own heart and into the world. The Preacher says, "He that increaseth knowledge increaseth pain," and the German prince of poets : " Who thinks not of the morrow, To him life brings its gifts, And yet he's free from sorrow." 16 SABBATH HOURS. The iimoceiice of not thinking, of artlessness is, upon closer consideration, not quite so charming as it would appear. The child is guileless, sweet and good, because it is too weak to do any harm, and because its parents and guardians watch over it that it may not abuse what strength it has. But when the natural innocence of not thinking has grown great and strong, and can no longer be watched, then woe to such simplicity and to its sur- roundings ! Innocence, sentiment, but not reasoning, is the attribute of a savage. The savage is a grown child. The savage, like the child, follows his instincts ; he is not troubled and unsettled by thought. And like the child, the savage is self-satisfied, he may wade in blood, but he feels none the less innocent. Not only those that we call such are savages. Whoever allows himself to be guided only by his feelings and instincts, and has not partaken of the tree of knowledge, is a species of savage. \Yere all men but children, mature only in years, we would have no villages, no towns, — only wig- wams. No ; innocence is becoming only as long as man lacks the power to do harm. As the years go by, bringing strength to man in their flight, thought, the serpent, the symbol of the ancients for eternity and wisdom, rears its head, and man enjoys the fruits of the tree of knowl- edge. He is no longer a child, existing in innocence, not knowing what is good and what evil ; he is a divine being, rising above nature; he knows good from evil, and can regulate his life accordingly. At what period does this change take j^lace ? In our religion, thirteen is the age assumed for the male sex, and twelve for the more rapidly maturing female sex, as THE SO-CALLED FALL OF I\IAN. 17 the boundary between irresponsible innocence, which eschews thought, and the responsibility imposed by the consciousness that independent thought may be exer- cised. Of course, this is only an approximate boundary line, for many a one may grow hoary, nor cast off the innocence of ignorance. Our story draws a picture of the human race at the very dawn of the history of mankind — not its fall, which the Church teaches as a fundamental truth, but on the contrary, its elevation. On the one hand, it dis- closes the paradise of innocence : life without moral restraints, truth without investigation, thoughts with- out thinking, gratification without remorse ; no warn- ing, no prohibitory laws, not even a sense of shame to restrain enjoyment. " Of every tree of the garden thou may est freely eat." But then there is the picture of the tree that man is warned not to touch. This is the tree of thought. If thou partakest of its fruits, thou wilt be like unto a divine being ; thou wilt think independently of parents, of teachers and of the times ; thou wilt know good from evil. But I warn thee, dearly must thou pay for it. Thought gnaws like a worm at all thy pleasures; the innocent child within thee will die, and thou wilt become as a different being ! But of all trees, this very one attracts man mth irre- sistible power. He partakes of the fruit, and pays the penalty. The careless, thoughtless, joyous Adam is dead ; in his place, we see a serious man, upon whose brow earnest thought is mirrored. It was not intended that man's fate should be charac- terized by the unbroken regularity of the development 18 SABBATH HOURS. of the flower of the field, or of the course of the stars in the heavens. Thought and feeling were to battle within him, and thought with thought. The keen edge of reason was to clip the wings of feeling, and the warm heart was to give of its warmth to cold, cruel, uncom- promising Reason, and coax it gently into harmony with life. That which we have lost, the harmony of cliildhood in the years of innocence, we are to And again in the reconciliation of thought and feeling. This recovered harmony, which is our own merit, even though it be imperfect, is worth far more than the perfect one which was given to us, and which we lost with childhood. We cannot deny that the tenor of the tale in question is suggestive rather of loss than of gain to humanity ; and here, as elsewhere, the wisdom of the people is proved in their proverb : " Not all is gold that glitters." Thought is a double-edged sword, which ofttimes wounds the thinker, and brings misery and unhappiness not only to him, but to the world at large. It can transform rich, luxuriant fields, the scene of joyous existence, into a bleak, barren desert. However, the means to prevent such misfortune is also mentioned. Man is told, "In the sweat of thy brow shalt thou eat bread." When the years of innocence have flown, and thought begins to hold sway, give the boy work, and Avork also thou as long as thou hast strength, even to old age. Labor is a panacea for all ills ; it keeps sound hearts healthy, and heals suffering ones; it keeps thought within bounds, preventing it from straying ofl'into unprofitable regions. Every thinker ought also to be an artisan of some kind, and every laborer a thinker. Woman, too weak physically, too sensitive in nature THE SO-CALLED FALL OF MAN. 19 and disposition, to battle for daily bread in the cruel world, takes upon herself the responsibilities of mother- hood, and the greater part of the cares, troubles and burdens of the home and the bringing up of the chil- dren, Avhich latter, alas ! often entails anxiety and sorrow. She devotes herself to her children, and sacrifices herself for them all her life ; and this complete devotion of heart and soul and thought to her maternal duties prcj- tects her equally from temptations of the heart and from undisciplined thoughts. Intelligent mothers are the greatest blessing of the human race. As our first mother induced the first man to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge ; as once choruses of women animated David to immortal deeds, and drove a king, whom they did not praise, to desj^air ; as the homage of woman Avas the one bright spot and the moral support of the knights in the darkness of the Middle Ages, so even to-day much of what men do that is worth doing can be traced to the importance which they attach to the approval of noble women. Whenever we meet a man who is distinguished in mind and deeds above his fellow-men, we may safely conclude that the spirit of an intelligent mother lives in him, a mother that guided her son to the tree of knowledge. Now, that thought may not completely control man, to the exclusion of heart and feeling, the narrative goes on to say : " And I will put enmity between thee and the serpent, and between thy seed and its seed ; thou shalt bruise its head and it shall bruise thy heel." And what is the world's history but a continuous warfare between wisdom and stupidity, passion and self-control, sound judgment and prejudice, civilization and savage 20 SABBATH HOURS. instincts? How often is the head of wisdom trodden upon, and how often do critical thought and finical deliberation drag upon the heel of noble impulses ! No, it is not a fall of Avhich we read. A being as perfect as is our God would not create an order of things so frail and destructible that the first man could 'lisorganize the entire system. The story is rather a mirror of the noble impulses of man ; of his striving after knowledge and enlightenment ; of his efforts to comprehend the causes of things ; of his attempts to demolish every barrier opposing his progress towards knowledge ; of his desire for possessions that floods cannot wash away and flames cannot consume, and for this we must not blame Adam and Eve, our first parents, but rather praise our God. THE SENSE OF SHAME. Gen. III. It is a matter of course that the owner of a house, which he himself has built, of which he has laid the foundations, and in which he has always lived, knows more about it than any stranger who has merely passed through its rooms ; it is equally self-evident that even an ignorant shepherd-lad is a better guide in his native village than a philosopher from afar ; that a manufac- turer is more familiar with his own productions than all or any of his customers, no matter how expert they may be. The Bible is the holy edifice of the children of Israel ; the forefathers laid its foundations, the sons completed it, and for many centuries, through good and evil days, they have dwelt in it in faith. In this edifice, then, they ought to feel at home. But one day there came the Greeks, the Romans, the Egyptians ; then the Ger- manic tribes, the Goths and Vandals ; and later on the Arabs, tent-dwellers and camel-drivers. The former came from their lecture-halls, their minds full of fan- tastic theories, which, in their schools of philosoj)hy, passed for msdom, and the latter came directly from the superstitions of idolatry. But they all chose our Book as the text-book of their faith, and moreover pre- tended to know an interpretation thereof truer than our 21 22 SABBATH HOURS. own. This explains the difference l)etween our religion and theirs. The new devotees of the Bible, coming from foreign regions of thought, built their new religion upon the old substructure, without a thorough knowledge of the foundations, of the quality of the materials, and of the j)lan. 