The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-06-18
SYNAGOGUE WORSHIP.

oIN&A0O0O1 Oholl1.
WHY IsRAELITEs WEAR BORDERS TO THEIR
GAnMENTs-IEv. MIR. JACOBS GIVES THE
REASON.
There fair attendance In tho synagogue in
Thirty-fourh street yesterday The music vocal and
Instrumental was excellent and tho devotion good
Rev. Mr.. Jabobs began his discourse by saying that
question has often been raised with seeming show OF
pausibty us thcro religion possible without long
array OF cercmonias and al those forms that
taehcd TO religion ~ Now. tho question in this
shape Is put in ingenious manner. You have 10
answer 1t anrmatlvey. And yet there is another
side OF the question, and If We will view 1t
from another standpoint wo shall ind that all
systems have thoir forms and ceremonies,
which seem 10 be necessary adjuncts; aud in
Judaism this seems 10 be essential These core
symbolic essential traits national char
and help combine together and keep us one
people Judaism has been charged by its antagonists
with being nero code OF forms and ceremonies with
little else beside But this charge unreasonable and
will stand the test experience II Judaism was
thing OF mere form and ceremony It would never have
lived the Lille that 1t has lived and u would not have
deserved 10 1--we. But II is something more and
stronger and better than this and Its ceremonies
designed To propagate the higher forms OF spiritual lie.
There are however mary socaiied ceremonies that
Objectionable They belong 10 dark agcs and times
religious oppression aud don't deserve recog
milton among us at tins day but on the other hand,
can u make wholesale assault on our forms and
ceremonies they are intended merely as
ADJUNCrs RELIGION,
and they only such when they possess tho spirit OF
true religion and are IN .onsonancc with common
Those laws that spring directly IRON tho Holy
Scriptures OF value, aud ia this statement, til.
speaker remarked l Include one tu-day-nameiy the
law relating fringes and borders garments.
II has purpose aud meaning and Is not scnsclcss
statute. II has u peculiar meaning to the MUD OF
jew you will find in Numbers. where Is recorded
that these borders and frnses designed 10 help
to remember the commandments oil God and make US
mnndments IRON the Importance Of the Scriptures
when we say that this may have been an artiicial
means to remind Us OF spiritual things. Mr. Jacobs
here referred TO the udcn times when learn
ing was confined TO the few and when object
teaching prevailed extensively among men. IL
highly probable, he remarked, that wncn writing
WINS unknown-though Cudmus Is supposed bv
to have been contemporary with Moses-arti-
ncisi uids 10 memory such as those borders and
frinaes necessary. But you say we have
need OF such aids But are we prompt to
member Gods provIdences 10 Us now without some
means remind Us that NO are mvrtals ana under
the eye OF One who mctes out justice without dis
examination to all. Have We not often forgotten tho
strong arm that Is over usy Go to history, and tell
me- to said, how often Israel has forgotten God.
though He had done much for herr But, thank
God, We have not forgotten HIM who has conc such
great things Tor us! We ought often 10 recall those
great things that lie has tor US, memory
tells that He WAS our strength and support III the
time Of our sore trouble. There are memories doep
hcarts that need be excited aud 10 feel
that God has guided from hrs; being unto this
day. We are now IN life and our homes are IN peace,
Dut cant We winch ohJcCts utaf 10 Us Wcrc
stricken down when you yourself perhaps were ald on
bed OF sickness when you hardly expected To
up again. and will you tel me now that you need
no arlilcai aids to memory 10 remind you OF these
tkingsy You need DC reminded day by day and
hour by hour OF that one who has carried you safely
through all your sickness and trouble Do you not
think that your children arc blessing AS well re-
sponsibilty TO you. And when the young people
stand before the altar in marriage, do they think or
do their parents think that II was God who madc
them happy in each othc Is lover These borders
garments have lessons which too many OF US
prone to forget Their purpose IL 10 help Us TO rcilem
Der those things that all OF prone to forget,
and that ye may do the commandments Of the Lord
ana
HOLY rSrO YOUR GoD.
II Is memory that looks toward useful ends-obe
dicDcc to God-nnd this is the end to which graft
tudc lite should be directed, even 10 Him VINO
things not be regarded with supcrsttous rover
encc, they by too many lsraclstes who KISS the
frnges OF their garments they possessed peculiar
charm or virtue JUDAISM has "A sensible and right
purpose; but such superst,ous kissing without
and purposclcss. and therefore opposed 10 tho
spirit OF tho Word Of Goa.
Mr. Jacobs failed TO tell his congregation why II
irngcs ana borders such important aids 70 memory
jewish ladies' do not wear them. Are Their memories
much better than their husbands fathers sons
that they don need suCn rcmndersy Or Is their obc
dicnco ceremonial law VI little importance that
they ignore this oney II would seem to Gcntio
that, IL lrugc and border over mans dress
necessary 10 remind him oI his obligations 10 Goa
they would be equally, II not more necessary. Tor
But the truth Is very evident that those
irngcs borders fading away and passing out OF
gon these periodical decuccs but their funeral