The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-08-04

changes breathe pious spirit and indicate
the prevalence Of a healthy religious sentiment
all over the land
The R.bbinieel EDUCATION auestion--
The Sabbath. =
Our recent article on "Rabbinical Educa-
ton" has attracted the attention that we knew
it would, but beyond some favorable COM
ments in a couple of the Hebrew papers here
we do not know nor do we hear of anything
proposed to supply the lack of ministerial
help there called for. Nor do we expect any
action to be taken by our Jewish people SO
long as the advice of such writer's as H. Abar-
banel and the prosaic editor of the Hebrew
Leader is taken. The former insists that the
Jewish nation stands foremost in point of
education, and that in Europe, the acknowl-
edged seat of learning, they now carry the
sway in almost every branch of art, science
and literature. This is certainly 'thifalutin'"
enough to satisfy the ambition of any de-
scendant of Abraham; but how are we to rec
oncile this statement with the one that follows,
in which we are gravely assured that the
poorest Jewish schoolboy in the most wretched
village in Poland very often knows more Of
theology than many Doctor of Divinity,
although he is capable of delivering his
sermons in English We presume Fl. A. has
reference to Hebrew Doctors of Divinity, since
our article referred only to Rabies. Nor can
we understand why Maimonides College, in
Philadelphia, should fail SO lamentably as it
has done, if, as Mr.. Abarbanel declares 'sthe
charity of the American Jews is proverbial,"
and they are withal 80 much given to educa-
ton and literature. We did not question either
Jewish wealth or Jewish intelligence. We
simply called attention to state of facts that
cannot be declared of any other leading de-
nomination in America. MIR. AbarbaneTs
statement that the college at Finsbury square,
London, produces more than enough for the
British isles, and some for its colonies, we
commend to the Je,cish Messenger, our
authority for stating that supplies for the
American Hebrew pulpit need not be looked
for in Europe. We cannot agree with this
writer that cit makes but little difference to the
Jews OF New York whether their preacher de-
livers his sermon in English Or not" because
they do not all understand other languages as
well as they do that
There are many foolish and absurd things in
this correspondents letter, all Of which the
Hebre,o Leader endorses, not the least of which
is his plea for the Hebrew language because it
is ''the very language which God himself
speaks" As if God were confined to any par
ticular language. We might ask this critic if
God spoke to Abimelech in Hebrew in the days
of Abraham or of Isaac? Or if that was the
language used in His caution to Laban the
Syrian when he pursued his son-in-law Jacob;
or whether Darius the Mede, Cyrus the
Persian, or Nebuchadnezzar the Babylonian
was instructed and warned in his duties and
ways by the use of the Hebrew tongue? For
the rest we refer Mr.. Abarbanel to the Jeacish
Times, where he is answered according to his
folly.
But passing by the other structures of this
critic, who has failed to convince us that we
are sadly mistaken in our belief that American
Israelites want more English preachers and
preaching, we come to speak of the real
cause of complaint for lack of worshippers in
the synagogues on the Sabbath. While the
want of English preachers has much to do
with it, the prime cause is the Sabbath itself.
Israelites are neither pious enough nor rich
enough to be able to spend their own Sabbath
and the Christian Sabbath in devotions. They
cannot do business, except among themselves,
on our Sabbath, but they can buy and sell and
get gain with any person or class on their own
Sabbath. And they very naturally rest on our
Sabbath when they cannot make money and
work on their own when they can. This is the
real trouble, and the rabies know it; but they
are afraid to breach it to their congregations
lest they should be accused of heresy to the
religion of their fathers 1t is believed and
reported, however, that the leading Jewish
rabies of this city are in favor of observing the
Christian Sabbath instead Of their own as being
the only means Of keeping their congregations
together and their synagogues respectfully
filled. They are undoubtedly right. But then
the Sabbath question itself comes up and de-
mands hearing.
Has the Almighty more affection for one
day of the week than another? Or is worship
on Saturday or Sunday more pleasing to Him
than it can be on Monday or Friday9 To
state the questions is to answer them, and we
cannot therefore see wherein we should offend
God were we to abolish the present Jewish and
Christian Sabbaths and substitute any other of
the days of the week for the contemplation of
His character and the worship of His name
and Godhead. To Offset the influences Of the
Christian Sunday schools upon Jewish chill
dren very many if not all Of the
synagogue congregations Of, the city have
their schools open on Sunday, and