The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-04-26
THERTY-FOURTH STREET SYNAGOGUE.

Holiness and Temperance Cardinal Doc-
trines OF Judaism-NO Temperance So
cieties Among Isra elites-sernion by
Rev. DR.. Vidavcr.
The Congregation Bnai Jeshurun yesterday read
the nineteenth chapter OF Levltcus, IRON the sec
ond verse Of which DR.. Vidaver subsequently
preached. 1t reads thus :-"Speak unto all the
congregation OF the children OF Israel and say unto
them. We shall be holy. for the Lord your God am
holy.n
This chapter the Doctor said, contains the whole
substance oil our religion. Had our fathers left us
nothing more OF the wreck OF their ancient glory
than this one chapter we should stin have enough
for the whole human race. Each sentence in it
contains sy stem OF pure ethics and morality and
the very first verse in 1t reveals to us religion In
It's purest light. "Be ye holyln Holiness Is the
very lie OF religion. 1t Is the perennial
source OF all our peace and happiness here
and OF our joy and bliss in heaven. But bow are
we to ascend this mountain OF hollness-how reach
this lofty altitude OF ialth anu lover How may we
obtain this treasure which is above prices BY
obedience to the will Of the Lord our God. BY
what means does that charming flower In your
garden blossom and bloom and send forth tho
doors OF hcavens. BY obedience to the law OF
nature-the law OF It's being. xOhedieuce brings
with 1t beauty and Joy and peace. and In Ike man
ner do tue human flowers loo II In the garden OIL
Goa. the law OF God IS the purest expression OF
good here and hereafter. And obedience
to this dlvne Will manlestS Itself In lie OIL love,
anu love Is as conducive TO bliss and peace here as
the obedience OF the plant or dover Is to produce
harmony anu beauty In nature.
BUT WHAT Is HOLINESS
Has the Divine Legislator left IN the dark as to
tins No he goes on n TINS chapter to tell us
us that holiness consists In purity OF lie and OF
character-a purity thai can De obtained only by
the Submission OF our will to the Will OF Father
In heaven. VINO Is the Tree manS He VINO ObeyB
the law. And ne VINO would rule must first learn to
obey; he who would reign IN heaven must learn to
govern his own spirit and nature here. TO be
nOiy III the jewish sense OF The word means not to
separate ones from the world and to shut one's
sell up in some cIoisler or convent. No; rather
IL means 10 ave with others and Tor others; TO be
able to present bold front 10 the enemies OF
truth and religion that may come against us. 1t
means to wrestie as Jacob did with the unseen
Toe, and to triumph over him by faith; to feel the
to trample 1t under your ieet To be holy In the
Je wish sense does not mean that man must
atict his soul. No, no. Il means that the
mau should enjoy life and the blessings which
to i've sooa from MS fellow bu q nSs
among them and enjoy life with them. True wis
nc f. ea g the LORD w make
and morose or melancholy Referring to the tenn
perance movement, the Doctor said that he who,
without sufcient cause, abstans from wine Is q
sinner. IA committee or ladies should wait on
the Doctor at once and pray him into Bible temper
wine, and snail man then prohibit 1t ? fne right
e0us man enjoys these things as from Cod
JUDAISM NEVER HAD TEMPERANCE SOCIETIES.
because the Jews did not need them. They have
the divine law which tells them TO enjoy those
things which God has given TO mankind. Tbe
Doctor referred TO the Essences, VINO existed at the
time OF the second temple, and who were so ex-
tremely pious and temperate that they separated
themselves from the 0tner Jews, and in time lost
the spirit o. Judaism. Indeed they were TOO pious
to be good Jews. The Nazarites were another sect
OF abstainers. They would drink neither vino
nor strong drink and vet the Bible does not praise
this. On tine contrary, when the NazarItes VOW
expired ne was obliged to offer up o sin 0nering
for himself because he had despised the blessings
OF God. RaDD Joshua, one Of tue gres test Jewish
commentators, asks why they did not abstain from
bread and water as well as from wine. Be not an
ascetc, bat be as all men in the Jewish sense arc
temperate. lie who can control his passions, who
can use she plummet OF iaith 10 sounding the
depths OF life, he Is the molly here and he VIII
be the nrst angel IN heaven. He VINO lives iiio
active and pure here will 1--we holy Die In heaven:
Let 10 I'll Try to live thus and know how to enjoy
and OBEY God and ali Ills creature alta TO ~ VA