The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-03-22
THIRTY-EOURTH STREET SYNAGOGUE.
DIR. Vidaver Deploring the Lack OF Do
votiOn in Jewish SynngOgues-Heart
Worship VS.. Ceremonials.


Worship VS.. Ceremonials.
Yesterday a congregation Of more than ordinary
numbers gathered In the synag ogue in Thirty
fourth street, west OF Sixth avenue, to whom DIR.
Vidaver preached upon the value and significance
OF ancient temple sacrifices. What did these
mean, he asked, to ancient Israeli DID they form
any integral part of Judaism Werc they In any
way part or parcel Of lsraes faith II they were
then the destruction OF Israers affairs must
have produced chasm in Israel which cannot be
filed up. Or were they mere forms and shells
which covered kernel OF divine faith These
first queries the Doctor answered negatively;
the last atirmatively. The loss or gain of sacrt-
fees by no means affects the existence OF Judaism.
The institution of sacrifices, he remarked, Is CO.
eval with mankind. In the very first pages OF
Genesis we find sacrinces brought to the Most
High and wherever we look IN antiquity we fnd
the priest the altar and the sacrifice they were
heather they meant idolatry. He brought sacri-
flee to propitate and reconcile sullen and angry
sanl,cance to jewish sacrifices. h v israelites
did not bring sacrifices to appease an angry God.
The Lord himself declares by the prophet thatn1e
never commanded Israel to bring Him sacrlhces.
1t was not, therefore, q divine institution. The
Almighty tolerated, but did not command. The
Hebrews had become welded to the Offering OF
sacrifices In Egypt, and the Lord suffered them to
continue offering in their own land. AS to
PACIFYING AN ANGRY GOD,
we are taught that His anger endureth blu, little
while; His love is never-endng. Men need not
bring sacrifices to be reconclled to Him who Is
God OF love. But while sacrifices were allowed III
Israel all heather institutions were panished from
their midst. This became an emblem OF the divine
doctrines 1t taught se-abnegation and devotion
in prayer. The sacrifice IN Israel was an external
means leading TO virtue. The source or all piety IS
sefabnegatlon. God can't dwell in the heart
where seli-lOve regus. 1t must be Danlshed from
the heart and unless it Is the man can't hold
communion with God, who is a spirit, and must be
worshipped with the spirit and with the heart
The fire of faith must be enkindled In his heart ere
he can approach God. Now, though zion was
an ana not perish r9 are israel nT
and mothers after tue dispersion : the Doctor
asked They were our priests d,s , AND priest priest
own hearts, he replied. se!l-abnegatlon Is
one Of the most glorious virtues that adorns our
race. The jewish heart that could lay itself on the
altar OF humanity lives still, though the temple
and sacrifice have been abolished. The sacrifice ID
no more, but the necessity for prayer remains,
and the Lord Is nigh unto those who call upon
HIM in truth. He will hear their cry also and win
help them. The ceremonial OF sacrifice Is gone bue
Its soul Is immortal and can never perish. Israel
Is nation OF self-sacrihcers, but
VERY LITTLE RELIGIOUS DEVOTION
have we now. 1t was different ages ago. But our
ancestors forgot the meaning Of the sacrifice. and
hence they sunk into ldolatry. They offered offer
prayers, to be sure, but they were only the service
wicked hearts and full Of meanhess and iniquity:
their SACRIFICES. God wants not your sacrifices,
but your hearts. In our own day men are
seeking 10 Institute OeVOClOu Ill tuc SyudBO8uo
by the addition OF fine music vocal and instru-
mental but have they succeededs They have said,
snow we shall stir up devotion" But these ex-
ternal means have failed to accomplish what they
designed TO effect Just as little as the sacrk
flee OF the temple was calculated to awaken devO-
ton IN the hearts OF ancient Israel just SO little
have these modern adjuncts OF worship awakened
devotion in the worshippers of to-day. Solomon
tells US that the sleep OF u laborlng man Is sweet,
but 1t is bad sign when we have to take Opiates
to induce Sleep And so 1t Is spiritually with these
ceremOnas OF the synagogue. where true rellX-
ion exists in the synagogue devotion Will spring
up like well Of water. only lie who still believes
In God can still pray 10 Him. Others may pray
with their lips while their hearts are far from Him.
Can you, he asked, expect devotion from The hosts
OF those young men who come to our synagOgueS
and who have been trained in scepticism aud ind
deity? You can't klndle the spark OF devotion In
sucn hearts.
OUR FATHERS COULD PRAY-wE CAN'T.
Why is 1t? We have enlightened minds, but not
believing hearts. Hence there is no devotion In
this temple nor in any other in this city. What We
need Is TO train our young people IN true religion
and less in superstition mans sense OF love
mind and heart. What we want is to teach every
man and woman that We are all responsible for
every act and word TO God, whose eye watches
over us day and night. Then shall we have men
and women devoted to God. These
NEwFANGLED THEORIES
are harsh and un1n lsned, but Gods word remains
forever the same. Ii saves men; and when Israel
shall come to that realization we shall be able 10
pray and be united to our Father in heaven. Then
shall we be glad when they say unto us, "Let US 90
unto the house OF the Lord"