The New York herald., 1871-02-19

fathers-usages which centuries nave proved to be
the fttest safeguard OF the morality IN which even
reformers believe as well as ourselves"
"But there are certain laws which even the con-
servatiyes have abandoned-ths laws relating to
sacrifice and the priesthood. for exampler
,.Oi course; those laws passed away with the oe-
structiOn Oh the Temple. But Inc orthodox Jew be-
ieves IN their revival Wnen rne House OF David Is
Holy CITY. The laws, therefore, are At present sim
ply In allowance; they are not abrogated."
''Doesnt such q belief prevent Jews ever being,
IN SOBER EARNEST, PATRIOTIC
to the land in which they dwell"
81 am sure il has no influence whatever upon their
patriotism. Don't you remember Macaulay's cele.
brated answer 10 that same oDlectionY Ne
sd ne has ne ana also oeeed
revision OF all existing governments, but that no
on that ground locked upon them as bad citizens.
III WAS true they hoped TO become citizens OF the New
Jerusalem, but until the Messiah came they were
perfectly loyal to the government under which they
they are good Americans. When their hopes are
realized there VIII be an entire change Of the whole
Palestine Before Inc coming OF the MESSIAH % ao few
do so now, perhaps; but the rest are also
Tree TO do 30. and many Of them have money enough
10 Duy themselves homes there, ana influence enough
TO secure the best European protection. Still they
don't seem inclined rs yet 10 migrate. This belef
IN the Messiah is religious, no. political behef.
Practically 1t Is clear that the Jew clings to his
adopted land devotedly and is willing to make as
many sacrifices for II as any other native or natu-
ralzed cltzenn
"How 40 you feel, Doctor, in regard to the
PUNISHMENT OF MEN AFTER DEATH
eternal mlserysn
certainly not; the Rabbnical doctrine Is very
very different from that. All our wisest teachers in
Israel have held that a man will be judged by his
deeds, not by his speculative opnlons and that the
good men OF all religons-even good ldolaters-
Will DC saved. And would rather net discuss the
question OF the eternity OF punishment. The Bible
simply says tnat we snail be rgnteously Judged and
that Is all know or care to ask about the subectn
This reform movement is altogether new one,
isn't H. Doctor-pecullar to the nineteenth centurys
'In some respects, yes. The rcformers are not
the first, however, to reject the authority OF the
Ialmud There Is an ancient anu very ianatical sect
In the Crimea and southern Russia called
THE CARAITES
who also refuse to accept the Talmud. But the
Caralres believe at least IN the plenary and verbal
out every one OF its provisions literally-which
need scarcely tell you involves them IN many abb
everything except what they Judge to be conform.
aoie to the light OF TO give you an idea Of
mand lii reference to OF the festivals, that thou
shalt lot kinde any fire in thine house, TO the very
haG aa @ ~ az ~ o te n G we rs on sae haX %
compunction In letting Gentle do 1t for u.s."
"lou believe in the binding force OF
THE DIETARY LAWSN'
'Certainly. Those laws, in addition to their
divine origin, are in my opinion, wise and beneh-
cent ana have great sanitary value. Even as
matter OF TASTE regard most OF them as important.
No doubt however many conservative Jews are
very careless observing them. That is unfortu-
nate and sad, but they do not go the length OF
the reiormeIs and agrantly and openly disre-
gard them. These dietary laws, too, illustrate
very forclby the value OF the Talmud. The pro-
visions IN the Bible are clear as to the general char
acter OF what is clean and what Is unclean food.
But there are many exceptional cases III which,
without the authority OF the RabDlnieal law, we
should most probably go astray."
.lou regard then, the
SEPARATION OF JEW AND GENTLE
as eternalrn
with the coming W The Messiah. And such separa-
ton is not great misfortune is represented.
IL Is a separation upon what are comparatively
trivial points, and does not involve social or polit
cal eXclusiyeness. Although ] believe In the i'm
portance OF the distinctive usages Of JUDAISM, do
not enforce them so frequently as the great general
truths OF morality. Very frequently, assure you,
l have Christian ministers among my audience, and
only last Saturday one OF them assured me that
there was no single point which ! had en-
forced IN the sermon had Just delivered IN
a e enre e c,a ps han se nrsssn re o
1t would have proved TO them how much religiously
the Jew and the Gentlle resemble each other.
very rarely wander III my sermons into the realms
OF dogmatic theology. And for that matter. we
insist, like the reiormers, only upon three
existence Of revelation and the reality Of
rewards and punishnents after death. The
monides are IL is true received easily by all conser.
vative Jews but the three l have stated are really
the fundamental truths OF Ju1aism.''
..0ne more question, Doctor. You said, some time
ago, you thought you were
than the extreme orthodox; does that mean that
You consider the practices preserved by the latter as
inInical to the purity OF judaismY"
'.ies Some OF our brethren cling to what are
undoubtedly superstitious usages opposed TO the
genus OF faith, ana not OF Jewish origin, but
winch have been imbbed during ages of ignorance.
from the people by whom they were surrounded.
We right back In our ritual to the grand Old faith
OF the primitive ages. Some OF the prayers we re-
clte-or instance, the eighteen benedictons-are az
least two thousand years old. AND we believe that
the accepted Tamudlcal Interpretation OF the Bible
j. just binding upon Us as the law 1t explains.
The two, indeed, are ndlssoluby joined together"
An Extreme RefOrmer.
Leaving DR.. Vidaver, the representative OF the
I n
natl, temporarily staying in the city, and well
known alike FOR his researches as student and his
advanced opinions as o. Jew
After travelling over much the same ground as in
the last two interviews, and receiving upon most
points, In perhaps Slightly more decided form
responses similar In spirit to those given by Dr..