Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-01-04
Jewish Reform-Lecture by the Rev.
DIR. ID, EiuhOrn.


Rabbi Einhorn lectured on Saturday,
December 25tb, at the Temple Adath
Jeshurun, New York, before large and
refined congregation, on the recent Rab-
binical Conference in Philadelphia.
The main fusctions, the lecturer said,
of the Aaronic priests consisted in carry.
ing out the precepts of the sacrificial
rites, the instruction of the people in the
law of God, and especially in deciding
between the sacred and profane, the
clean and unclean. They further exer'
cised the chief judicial power in all civil
and criminal cases, and they were con-
manded to bless the people. To these
functions we're annexed certain duties
and privileges, as, for instance, the share
in portions of animals offered as sacri-
fees, the prohibition of intoxicating
beverages, Of tearing their clothes in
cases of mourning, the contamination OF
corpses, and the marriage with certain
classes.
On what rested this distinction of q
class among oil people that claimed to
be q nation of priests2 Though the Tai
mud answers simply with the validity OF
the Mosaic behest, we yet find in Jewish
history an intense struggle against the
priestly aristocrecy which finally re-
suited in reducing the priestly privileges
to the merest shadow. OF the priestly
functions the sacrifices have forever
ceased. The great Sauhedrim consisted
of men not of the Levitic tribe. The
priests were not exclusively the teachers
Of the people, but all those learned in the
law. Even in blessing the people they
repeated what the reader pronounced.
And 80 have all their other privileges
been reduced 60 nsught. The rational
spirit could never be suppressed in Jada-
ism, and It was this spirit which made the
congregation say to the High Priest, you
are our messenger" not privileged
middler between God and US. In this
spirit the Talmud said: "a scholar,
though he be o bastard, stands higher
than an illiterste high priest.
The aristocracy of birth receded farther
and farther with the Jews, and only the
moral obligations of the priests remained,
and these we're transferred on ell the
people. We are in no greater opposi-
ton to the dead letter doctrine than the
old sages in doing away with the poor
remnants of priesthood. Israel had
originally the mission to be a coDgrega.
ton Of priests; therefore the sacrifice OF
the Easter lamb, the Offering of the first
born sons. But the people showed in
the worship of the Golden Gale that they
were not ripe yet for the Divine idea I;
hence the selection of the Levites as the
priests, instructors and teachers of the
people. The barrier bstween the people
of cd was ouly moral barrier, and this
alone answers the question raised by the
Talmud, how the non-Aaroniles, 70 their
un6tness to offer sacrifices, could EN-
power the Aaronites to do it for them.
If the privileges Of the priesthood were
permanent the question would be perth
nent. but, in the true spirit OF the Mosaic
doctrine, they we're only chosen for q
time. and with the destruction Of the
second temple their mission ceased.
The priesthood has passed on all Israel
ties. and when We pronounce the
Aarouic blessing we invoke it in
bebaf of the whole human family.
Is there any other form against which tie
old prophets Numbered like the sacrih-
cial cult7 They ever proclaim God de-
sires truth, righteousness, mercy, 90
hn..hIe heass ard 2 mind Of recttnde,
not incense and sacrifices. L is nov
eighteen hundred years since Israel vss
delivered Of this originally pagan Gus
tom. snd we should uphold it as The pan
acea of the future. Not the blood OF IN
pocent animals otones before Gcd, bit
singly sad solely the c0nseerstion OF the
blood tbs. rolls and circBlAtes in our