Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-10-04
Rabbi Tuska'S Reply TO DF.
Ford. Do 11

OkG.
Editors Memphis appeal;
With your consent avail myself oi
the columns OF your journal to explain
those points of my discourse which the
Rev. DR.. Ford, as appears from bis :. re-
view of the same, published IN last
Sundays APPEAL, seems to have mis-
understood. But, first of all, let me
thank the reverend gentleman for the
very fizttering opinions which he, by
way Of Introduction, expressed concern
ing both the people Of my persuasion
and my humble self. l am well satisfied
that his calm, gendemanly . review y
was not prompted by any desire TO begin
a religious CONTROVERSY il these columns.
may, in return, be allowed to assure
the reverend doctor that the object OF
my reply is simply to explaia my own
meaning, where the latter hss not been
fully understood, aud not in order 70 en-
ter into p0lemiea; controversy, the ns-
ture Of which would be little suited to
the tenor Of this journal. m
L. The first statement of the discourse
which Dr. Ford regards as equally "stsrt-
ling AMI clear" Is inst Judaism teaches
no mysteries" BY mystery We mean
any doctrine which cannot stand the test
Of reasOn-s dogma, the belief Of which
would require Us TO do violence TO our
intellect aud common sense. Now, the
creed of Israel Is perfectly free from such
iBeomprehensibls mysteries. AS sn evil
deHce Of this, We herewith sUbjoin the
breed" Of enlightened Israelites, as
derived from the Hebrew scriptures,
viewed Gnd6explained BY the light OF
reason, science sBd history. Il Is as fol-
lows: God is the CreStor, Ruler and
Presarver OF the Universe. he is pure
spirit, one and i7divisible eternal and
imnusRble; sil-poWerful, al-hOly and
al..wfse. He created man iE His divine
likeness, by giving Us spirit endowed
with moral freedom, reason, and lmmor-
-.eiity. God il just snd mercifui, reward
in4 the righteous according 10 their
righteousness, ana punishiUg the wicked
Baeording to their Sicsedness-bOth here
ana heTesf5eT-but forgiviBg those who
return to Him with sincere repent
ance. he revealed His holy
will through Moses and the
Prophets, who teach Us how 20 act, in
order to reach perfection and happiness.
Though IsrSel was the chosen people to
whom this revelstion was first made, yet
ere on Rt0yikiad destined, 10 th5 fulluess
o. Tine, 10 enter into the covenant OF
fI1,d, De rs4semsd from their errors and
e., srsiitions, ei,I realize the MeSstdnio
ags, 80 Oft predicted 10y the Prophets,
when sli the nations shall acknowledge
the only one COG ss their sovereign, and
dwell together IN undisturbed peace Rad
harmony, truth snd justice"
Such is our creed aud for a further
elucidatiOn Of the same We refer to 3
little book entitled " Essence Of Juds-
ism, - By tie weil-knOwn editor OF the
Tsrdelite, the Rev. DE-. Wise, OF Cincin-
natl Now, what is there II this creed
that can be called mystery? Is there
anything iucOmPrshensible, irrational,
+" "mysterious % therein A.? VIII nOtresson
and common sense readily give assent 70
this creed, particularly when explained
aud illustrated, as il easily can be, by the
undisputed facts Of history and the con-
vinei1g arguments Of logic?
But, says Dr.. Ford, referring to
the sC-csiied miracles recorded
in Scripture, are not these mysteries
recurring faith? To this we Snswer
briefly: The miracles sTe no part OF the |
creed OF Israel" Aside from the fact
thst Whist is called miraculous y does /
not necessarily imply the idea OF super /
HdturoE the creed of Judaism does not |
depend upon miracles for support or COB
firmstion. The miracles recorded in the 4
Hebrew Bible are not matters OF faith !
but OF history which do not IN the least |
affect the principles and laws OF the Jew 1
fsb religion. Were there not single |
miraculous event recorded in Scripture, |
the principles or cTeed of Judaism would |
still be tho same as enumerated above /
As matters of-fact the miracles interest /
the ehistorian more thsn the theologisB. It /
matters not whether the hist0Ticsl critic /
believes them or not, OF whether be eX- /
plains them on nIttEGk grounds or not I; 4
the Jewish minister need not feel con- /
cerned, for with the celebrated Jewish 4
au hOrity of the l2th eentugy--the /
learned and pious Maimonides- he drm- |
Iy believes that all the miracles v hich 1
Moses wrought In Egypt and in tine viii |
derness, were intended to meet the tenn
pOrsl wants Of the people, and not in or
der TO prove his divine legation. ( Yes
odehdttOT ria The ignorant mHliit0des /
that twereredesmed from Egypt may have /
looked upon thsse miracles SIS evidence OF /
the veracity and iufslhbiliiy Of Moses; but |
this is no reason why the enlightened /
people of the present sy shouid so regard /
them, when We nave the rational, in
triHsic evidences OF the truth OF the /
Mosaic Law and doctrine. The people Of
that day may have regarded the sigma
and miracles" as supernatural and thus
from their point Of view believed in
a. mysteries; u but the Bible nowhere
demands that the Isrselites Of sH ages
NUT cherish the same views ard senu-
Eoents, respecting matt r. Of history, ss
their ancestors entertained 10 the WIlds I
Of Arabia. DR.. F., in endeavoring TO /
foist the miracles, rs supernatural mys-
teries, upon the faith OF Israel, stsrts out 1
from the premise that " the creed of
IsrRel Is what We denomiaate the Old 4
the writings OF Moses, David
ard the PTOphets,p and hence he regards
the miracles recorded by them ss part
aud parcel OF Israel's creed. Now, If the
Language here used is 10 be taken literally, 4
we wsuId be bound TO incorporate every /
statement contained In Scripture with l
our creed. The word "creedD mean
ing s summary Of the articles Of faith, 4
every miracle, as well as every other
incident related in the Old Tests-
ment, would, according to DR..
Fs proposition, have to constitute e
distinct article Of faith IN the creed OF
Israel. Surely this could not be the
intended by Dr.. +. And yet It
it Is from this premise alone, as stated Ia
his words, that he makes the inference
that /" mysteries, ," in the form Of mira
cles, are taught in Israel's creed. The
doctor evidently meant that
the Old Testament is the source OF Is
raePs creed, and not the creed HseLf. In
this we fully agree With him. For It is
from that source, viewed by the guiding
light of eur GOd-given reason, that we
draw the creed OF our religion, which,
ss We have seen, does. not contain any
nconprehensible t" mystery
III. Let US row proceed to explain the
,ther ststement OF the discourse, viz:
that the Hebrew Scriptures contain 40
Daesaee enforcing belief that there Is
not even a lUord in the Hebrew language
the idea Of g fdithl y or 6elief,
a. tlsed In the Christian creed 1--tsE ~
BY the phrase - fRith, IS used In the
Christian creed, /" we mean that sense Of