Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1870-06-20

The Synagogue, on Elghtu s1iuVN ~, 49,. - |
was crowded TO its utmost capacity on satur,
day. the occasion being Of more than usual
interest, viz the FIRST appearance Of Dr. II:
Raar formerly of Liverpool who has Just
been called TO take charge OF the congrega-
.tion. .,--....-.- II. -. ....,,,,, a.,
Introduce this eloquent divine TO our people.
Before proceeding with his sermon, the lee
turer thus addressed his audicncei
Brethren, II Il not without feelings Of great
hesitation and tlmidity that venture to address
YOU this morning from this holy place for II
consider that am stranger amongst you; that
have TO express myself In alanguage which
Il not that OF my native country and that
like an uprooted tree torn from the ground,
have come amongst you 70 try the fertility OF
your blessed soili II ] reflect on all this, my
heart tremblcs and my mind is agitated. III, |
on the other hand, however, look at that |
warm reception which you have accorded me, |
Al that great confidence which you have
placed In my humble capacities, and at that
sacred mission with which you have entrusted
me TO work In your mldst-M l ponder on
this, my spirit receives new courage, my hopes
new wings, aud my energies new elasticity
and life. Strengthened by these thoughts and
sentiments | will not tarry any longer TO enter
this morning upon the duties which are at
tached to my new sphere of activity, and In
requesting you 10 favor me for few moments
with your Kind attention, Twill try to point
out TO you In this hour Of solemn reflection In
what spirit and manner the jewish clergy
man ought to work for the benefit and welfare
Of his congregation.
i take my text for this purpose from the
Mishna, (Ethics Of the Fathcrs.)
Hillel used to say BE Of the disciples OF
Aaron; that IL, love peace and pursue peace,
love mankind and bring them nearer to the
| TorA," Qaw.)
In the first place, love and pursue peace.
My brethren, what opinion sOeyer each OF
/ ~ haa - Aaron tho hiuli-DFipat
| whether we think him Inferior In mental
power to his great brother Moses, or whether
/ We consider him rather q little too oyer-ln-
dulgcnt towards his own family and too yield
ing towards the weaknesses OF his own people,
stu In one point We have 10 place him upon
| the highest pinnacle Of virtue and merit and
that Is In tho love Of peace which peryaded
| his whole life. Peace was Abe Sro~Sa-eo ,'e
i which wont through his family mes ~ was
| that magical link which connected hlm In love
,VIh IiS onsl.eut I,otlsoI aud sister; II was al
| last the enchanting power which assisted him
/ In the discharge OF his congregational duties.
And, impressed with Aaron's dignihed charac-
ter, l have como among You, my brethren, 70
speak In the words Of the prophet mot with
great physical power and strength, but In the
spirit Of God to promote the blessing oil
peace"
Peace will 10 the commencement and peace
the end Of my labors. It will be tho comfort
which | will carry into your houses, the solace
1
which l will plant In your synagogue, the
divine watchword upon which will base the
future prosperity OF your school; and like
Aaron, ~ Scripture tells Us, stood between
the living and the dead TO stay the plague, so
il will also be my principal study and endcayor
TO reconcile apparent contrasts with each
other; that il, to form link Of harmony be-
| tween different religious opinions, between
| passion and calmless of soul, between zeal
and Indifference, between seihshness oil mind
and the more noble impulses OF the heart.
You will be perhaps astOnished TO sec In me
such an advocate and enthusiast of peace,
knowing that one Of the greatest principles OF
| humanity the vlndlcation OF mans personal
dignity, was fixed and decided BY tody Of
sIoord upon the battlc-helds Of this great re
public. In answer 10 this point, however, we
must not forget that great events OF history
which form a neto era In the civilization OF
mankind will always be decided by the pOthey
| Of TIE sibOrd whilst the great moral and re.
ligiOus truths upon which society Is built and
which make man a masterpiece OF the croa-
ton surely will be best promoted and doyel-
oped by a united congregational life, by q
! united family spirit-in short, by every united
| sentiment which Ia able TO connect man with
God and his iellow-brothor.
Secondly. The great Hilol said ''loyc man.
> kind, and In pronOuncing such sentence OF
worldwide import and meaning the eminent
Rabbi has contributed large link to tho
p great chain Of human brotherhood. II ont
thing more than another characterlzcs thu
+ iSirtE'I llIcih " us. .pre9d Of humanity
tons on the globe connected b" TIE ... ma
souS hpefitions OF the human mind approach
each other more and more, and the CONNER
eial spirit, this great cipiliSer Of the wO-u,
bears the Tag OF mutual understandable, and
friendly feelings to all cllmos and zoTS,s-and
It Is particularly tho Jewish clcr1men who
ought to hall with joy every attempt to draw
nations and people closer and F,oser TO each
i other. Have t,..f, .flh lpaa
liberty enjoyed the Hospitality OF nearly all
the nationsl Have we Isrselites, not with that
lhrge-hcartedness which l. peculiar to our
u 6,so,. I6a iiS.ssss n Jni in every MT
| yidual member Of the large family Of man
kindl Have we Israelltes not tried every
where TO keep up In the bestspirit possible the
i most dmtcdble relations between man and
man, brother and brother, between one human
| being and the other7 And 10 extend this spirit
/ of mutual brotherhood will be my chieJest care
| and most ardent wish.
Although in q religious point OF view ! GER
talnly differ from my brother, the nOn-Israel-
| Ito, still our moral code IL the sans, and a.
tuated by that great beqnest % Muses., Love
| thy neIghbOT ~ thyaeIEe shall not cease 10
i advocate In my I'~sluOn as minister the kind
est and moss friendly feelings between our
people aud other religious bodies; nay, 1t will
owe lie one OF my prOudest moments II l
should succeed In remoyingeVery prejudice and
btgOted notion from aecidridn minds and
thus contribute 10 effect that good upderstdld-
ing and social concord which, after all, Is the
real test and sweetest fruit of genuine religion;
and II one country Ia adapted more than
another TO become the high school Of human
lily, none, let me assure you Ia more 1t for
this sacred mission than the great republic,
or the land you live In. Do not meet here
all the people Of tho various natiOnalties to-
gether to try what great blessings they m1g
derive from hard but rewarded labor7 Do
not the golden rays oLhope--so necessary for |
our enterprise and success-after they have |
vanished from our face on the other side of |
the ocean, rise again and again her0 with I'M
WOnted splendOr and bIlghtnessp Do not
upon these free shores, the tre.rhedI-Out arms
OF humanity receive the restless pilgrim and the
weary family father the aih-bound citizen
and the youthful laborer the ship-wrecked
trader and the perseccned thinker; In short,
each honest mind wRirh longs for a suitable
sphere OF activity IN which u may develop Its
particular Ia. ellfs and capabnitiesi Let me,
therelore, repeat il; love to mankind will be
inc secCJnd link which will bind me 10 my
olnc'y; and Us no other country In the world
MS -TIeh an opportunity for the spread OF hu-
manly u this one, l entreat you, and every
generous mind with you, To assist me In my
endeayOr to strengthen the feelings Of human
brotherhood more and more amongst our fel-
lOw-nen and iriendB, The cultivation of such
feelings is the safest means Of checking that
spirit OF brutal Intolerance which lately has
Deen manifested lOWhfus our poor brethren |
In RoumAnla- lam sure II only the smallest
portion Of that ill-glldOd population hadbeel
impressed with Hillel's words, "LOye mai
kind, our age would have been spared Of
seeing acts perpetrated over which humanity
and compassion, thosol twin-sisters Of love,
must shed tears Of deep sorrow and RfillctiOn.
Therefore, my brethren, let us pray that Hill
Icls words, like fertilizing showers, may very
soon fall upon nat lOuc-bdrren oOuniry OIL
persecution, In order that spirit may grow |
up which Is more In harmony with the die
tates Of ciyiliEing humanity.
Thirdly. The last and most di1lcult thing |
which the great Hillel recommends, Is, that
we shall bring mankind nearer 10 De TOrd
But how can we affect his Shall we use per-
coercion or perhaps employ the
mO'lcm method Of oORUerting persons by out !
,odri means 10 an iHi0drd falth2 No, my
brethren, that was not the meaning 0I hs
Earned Rabbi. Hlllel, one ollie meekest Of
Ne meek, meant 10 say that by the kiRdesi and c
most gentle means We should bring Lsrasl In
particular and mankind In general under the