The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-04-16
THE HEBREWS.
HOW THEY DIFFEn A. 70 FAITH AND
PRACTICE.
A Religion Of the Nome Rather Than Of
the Synagogue.
Nav York Sun. I

4 Religion Of the Nome Rather Than o
the Synagogue.
Now York SUM-
| Iii not generally known outside ofthe Hebrew
community that remarkable revolution has
century In their ritual. and. Keeping pace with
their political and social development. Is still ~
progress While always Jealous for the dogms
Of Judaism tho attachment Of the Israelite to Its
| forms may be said to decrease proportionately
| with his need OF them as source q eons9iation
| under oppression. In England and her colonies
and the United States. whore he u allowed the
| full rights Of q citizen, the reform movement
Fpread fap al5 N Tn Il hs wssrs he
ever IN his orthodoxy. The exception is to be
| found In Holland. where no remains orthodox
There il little. ii any, difference in regard to
dogma between orthodox and reformed yuda-
those which affect the Talmudfe canons as to
ritual practice. Mendelssohn, the greatest
modern Jewish theo!Iogian. pointing &c. the fact
single preeept which says. Thou shalt believe
this or that or thou shalt not believe It,, gives.
as his opinion. that Judaism has not 50 much as
an idea OF articles or oaths OF religion. The re-
formed Jews deny the authority Of the Talmud
and maintain that the Bible H. O.. the Old Tesla
b + s " the yss d ss
BOOKS as historical 9 fhs doctrine ef the Anal
toration, so dear and conf ring to them during
the dark period Of their sHfferings and persecu-
ton. is generally ignored by them now that they
are prosperous. and enjoy the full rights OF eiti
zens. The reformers have abolished all fasts,
festivals and observances Of rabbinieal origin,
and for which the bible gives no authority. They
have shortened the synagogue service. intro
duced an organ and female voices in the choir.
and have Instituted the rite Of confirmation
equally for boys and girls.
liza ia vie pt f.f hp rolf nd hu
the Jews OF England and her colonies. Like
their orthodox brethren. they believe in the i'm
mortality Of the soul that there Is no such thing
as material hell or personal devil. They
hold that the moral law OK Moses Is binding at
all times. and that the. dietary and ceremonial
Of Palestine They keep tho sabbath and festivals
strictly, doing no work on those days. and insist
upon the performance OF tho rite Of cireum-
cision. They also retain some Of the old i'm
ported Oriental customs. to which age has
given religious Significance. such covering
the head while at prayer, and dividing the mon
and women OF the congregation. The more nd
vanced Jews Of Germany and America do not
obey the dietary laws. do not refrain from work
on The Sabbath are often indifferent as to the
worship.
WHAT THE ORTHODOX JEw BELIEVES.
The orthodox Jew believes that when God gave
Moses the law on Mount Sanai. lie gave him also
the Interpretation OF It, which Moses repeated TO
Joshua. Joshua to the elders who succeeded
peated 1t to each other. and SO II came down TO
Jeremiah. who delivered 1t % Barneh: Baruoh
gave il to Ezra. who transmitted It 70 the elders
Simon the Just. who gave it TO his successor,
and so on until it came to Gamaliel 1.-THE teacher
Of It; PAUL.; through Gamallels children. grand,
to Rabbi Judah Hakkadosch. After forty years
Of labor u abb judah wrote it in the book called
the Mishna or repetition Of the law. This book
became the subject Of learned discussions in the
Jewish academies Of Judea and Babylonia. and
the minutes OF the debates were collected between
the fifth and ninth centuries and added to the
Mishna ms the Gemar8 or complement. The Je-
rusaem Gemara with the Mishna. is known as
the Jerusalem Taimud, and the Babylonian
Gemara. with the Mishna, is called the Baby
lonian Talmud The two Talmuds form a work
of nearly 5000 folio pages. containing much that
is wise and not little that = triing and inco.a
Of subjects. including the moral and the Ger
monial law. political economy. mathematics.
nammare ce aed agrienIture For thousand
years the Talmud has been the special object of
among the Jews and almost their
ular knowledge. and, as religious work OF
equal importance with the Bible itself. Among
the Russo Polish Jews, who are the ultra ortho-
dox party. 1t Is the final authority in all matters
Of dispute, both religious and secular, and an
appeal from its decision to the civil authorities
would subject the offender t2 the dreaded pen
Is the court by which it is administered. There
ats as a Beth Medrash. or a House Of
earning where the Taimud is expounded to |
sunh as Contribute triting sum to the support
II the school The teachers are generally ped |
Hers riazieTs or small storekeepers by day and
If nirht and on Sabbath and other holidays they
Ion The rabbjnica gown Although usually
unorsnt If everything else. the Polish jew is
,ften a profound Biblical and Talmudicai
,aholar mike the English or American re-
-ormad lew who. while almost Invariably well
,ducatad, knows next to nothing Of Hebrew
He has little in common with the enlightened |
orthodox German or Portuguese Jew and still |
ess with the reformed jew, whom he regards |
"a not mueh better than an apostate The big |
TRY and ignorance OF tho Baxter or Bayard |
street Jew are due to the degradation and cruel |
persecution to which he Is subjected in the coun-
nv Of his birth where he is confined in a sauaid |
ybet0 and ia prohibited from following the more |
,nnobIinp pursuits Of life After arriving in this
,onntry. he generally lives for the rest Of his |
lie in self enforced ostracism in the Jewish
1uarter Of some large city, and peaeeabiy sub |
nts to the arbitrary authority of synagogai |
,ourts either insensbe or indifferent to the fact
hat he ia entitled to the same rights and protec- |
ion as his Christian neighbor. There are. OF /
course. many educated and enlightened Polish /
Jews In the community who are in every respect |
i orthy of being classed among its best citizens
out these are mostly mon who have left their |
,wn country at an early age.
THE JEwrsH MARRIAGE CEREMONY
- II r;.,;,aI -. ,.o,,4.u