Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-04-27
THE PASSOVER.
Rabbi KaIisch's Concluding Festival
Sermon.


Sermon.
Rev. DR.. Isidor Kalisch preached yester
| day a very instructive sermon 10 a fair anl
intelligent audience, on the Divine wOr
Of the Prophet Ezekiel, 81 shall give m,
| spirit in you and you shall live"
The Doctor said: The Jewish PaSsove
Festival is taken by our sages from tim,
immemOrial as feast Of the resurrection
Of Israel. This is proved by the fact tha
the sages introduced the custom of reading
Ezekiel, chapter xxxvii., at the SATURDAY
service during the week Of Passover.
The Prophet says, in the name of God
that the Babylonian captivity of the Israe-
lites is called a grave and their redemp-
ton from il a resurrection.
Now, was not the Egyptian bondage Of a
still deeper and more hOrrid grave thar
that Of Babylon. The Babylonian exile
lasted only seventy years, and the gloomy
tomb of Egypt seven times seventy years
Hence, let US consider at the close of our
festival the grand prOphetical vision Of
Ezekiel concerning the resurrection Of Is
rael. The Rabbi then gave an eloquent
and lucid explanation Of Ezekiels prophet
ical vision. He next said, in spring,
when nature is just arising from the silent,
wintry grave, exelaiming, 81 shall not
die, shall live, and proclaim the Won
derful works of God" the passover festi-
val reminds Israel also of its rising once
from the death Of Egyptian slavery and
BabylOnian exile to live in freedom. Il
strengthens our hope and makes us eagerly
listen to the divine words: 81 will give
my spirit in you, and YOU shall live IS
sfrfu uFt la Faf g .
followers, and the disgrace which befell
these in many countries hundreds of years
AGO, was also transferred to that. When the
Jews we're given up to tyranny and malice
Judaism was treated in the same way and
manner, and the hatred that was enter
tanned against the Jews made people blind
concerning their faith and confession.
Some saw in the dispersion of the Jews
nothing but dry bones, which are wanting
of the spirit of life. Others judged of re-
ligious belief which filled the Jewish hearts
by the mortified and down-cast appearance
Of the Jews. Israel exclaimed in vain,
with the words of King Solomon, 90 Ye
daughters Of Jerusalem" ye nations, why
do you regard and treat me so disdainfully,
that am black; do you not know that the
fire burned me? Are you not aware that
nv mothers children are angry with me?
Some cannot find bad, mean, cOndemnible
things enough with which they are pleased
to charge Judaism. A religion which
thousands Of years ago, while national
prejudicieS, narrOw-mindedness and burn
ing heretics alive were prevailing supreme,
taught "LOve the stranger like yourself"
vas nevertheless blamed for un-
Charitableness. IIhe Talmud which teaches
in its first pages, 'rPray to God that cir
and not the sinners may vanish and be ex-
terminated was decried in spite of such
noble principle anj called baTbarous. A
religion whose venerable teachers taught,
ado not say will study the law that may
become rich, that l may be distinguished
by the title Rabbi, that l may gain future
reward" No, il reads. "ThOu shalt love
thy God, !" meaning whatever thou art de-
ing, do it with a pure, unselfish devotion to
God. After dwelling with much
zeal OF these ideas, lie concluded
by saying that AZ Ouf enlightened
time when science and reason reign su-
preme, when justice is done TO Israels
proper claims by our Christian brethren
and no difficulties are in our way to per-
form our duties, God viii, as the prophet
says, open the graves Of the past, aud those
they thought worn out and deaf, will res
urrect and be rejuyenated. They will be
crowned with the halo OF human progress
and eXclaim with the psalmist, II shall not
die, no, shall live and proclaim in all the
world the wonderful divine deeds" The
Rabbi then closed his discourse with fer
vent prayer.