The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-07-13
LEXINGTON AVENUE SYNAGOGUE.
Biblical Sanitary Laws-Suggesttons
for the Board of Health-Thefr Need OF
Biblical study-Discourse by Rev. DR..
Huehach.

for the Board of Hea1th-Thetr Need OF
Biblical Study-Discourse by Rev. DIR.
Huebsch.
Yesterday Rev. Dr.. Huebsch, in lieu of regular
sermon, gave his people practical talk on SAM
tary matters, basing his remarks upon Leviticus
xiv, 34-36-"When we be come into the land OF Ca
naan, which give you for possession, and put
the plague Of eprosy in house OF the land OF your
possession, and he that owneth the house shall
come and tell the priest, saying 1t seemeth to me
there Is as it were plague in the house, then the
priest shall command that they empty the house
before the priest 60 into 1t to the plague that
all that is in the house be not made unclean; and
afterward the priest shall go in to see the house,
Many persons the Doctor said, may deem
it inappropriate to speak about this text
before a modern audience. The subject be-
longs to the hoary past, aud Is out
Of time and place here; 1t Is applicable solely to
the land OF Canaan. But while this objection is in
sense true and proper, there is higher sense in
which this like every other command OF the Lord
stretches beyond time and locality, and Is appli-
cable always and everywhere The connection be-
tween this ordinance and the preced ding prescrip-
tons shows the never ceasing Importance of its
bearing This section of the law begins with an
enumeration OF several diseases incident to the hu-
man body; then follow directions touching I'M
healthy or leprOus garments, concluding with the
regulations concern ng plagued dwellings. The sum
densed into single phrase is that cleanliness Is
the mother OF health. Uncean garments, damp
and musty dwellings undermine the health of tho
body. The taste for decent dress and comfortable
abodes Is peculiar to the jewish race, and this inc
ma ion and taste is not the product Of their atey
improved social position nor the result of modern
culture. 1t was characteristic trait In the Jew
ish people even In those dark days when the light
OF freedom and modern civilization had not begun
TO dawn. Until recent times the Jews were not
allowed to live in the spacious and airy streets OF
European cities; they were pressed and confined
damn
and still 1t Is a remarkable fact that when pes
naratyey few 'G s nhaban te ad their suye
ventive. careful choice in food, cleanliness in
dress and dwelling shielded them against an other
wise inevitable destruction. Many a knight, when
compelled by his financial embarrassment TO enter
what ne imagined the dark den OF the despised and
neat and attractive surroundings betoSenng do
nestle peace and happiness. This taste was the con-
sequence OF their religious training; the much read
and revered Talmud kept it alive in their hearts.
Some specimens OF Its golden rules in this respect,
which tue Doctor gave, may not be out OF place:
'Be parsimOnious as to eating and drinking and
liberal as to thy dwelling. Expend more for thy
garments than for thy food. Let thy table be less
costly than thou canst AFFORD; thy dress In accord
ance with thy means: In character keep thy vile
and children always above thy means" Worldly
comfort, the Doctor continued depends, according
to the 1aimnd, on the following three subects:-
wife worthy OF love, a neat house and decent
dress. Ihe Talmudicai teachers were not original
the spirit OF the Bible. BY enforcing the regu-
lation of the text in matters of cleanliness
ance OF piece OF Occident thrown into the Orient,
while the utter neglect OF this commandment
makes many street in the capital of a western
region New York for example) look as a piece or
Orient thrown over sea to the boundaries OF far
most Occident / wish. said the Doctor,
our Health and Street Commissioners would give
themselves little more TO the study or
this department OF the Bible; they would learn
therein that their Office is priesty function, and
that IL Is religious duty which Is devolved upon
them to make vanish all hotbeds OF sickness and to-
restore occidental cleanliness even to the orentat
part OF our city. The Doctor then proceeded to
snow by the intimate connection between the
inner and outer man how true the old saying is,
Cleanliness leadeth to purity. and purity to holi-
ness" Clean surroundings In promoting ana pro-
tecting bodily health exert q great influence ON
our spiritual welfare. Luxury Is not the child or
cleanllness IL Is In most cases glowworm gltter-
ing In a moor. Morality is light; the purer the
atmosphere the brighter It shines. The Doctor
then exhorted his audience TO live In the salutary
spirit of divine law, to watch over the purity OF
their houses, to notice and to heal, as faithful
priests every evil In person or surroundings, thar
their camp may be holy aud that the Lord God
might dwell among them