, 1879-08-03

TEE JEWISH SABBATH.
DR.. H1KscH's ARGUMENTS FOR SUNDAY SERVICES.
In recent numpel Of the .]eaosh Recortf DR..
Samuel Hirsch replies to some structures on his
views on the Jewish Sabbath, from the pen Of
an orthodox writer over the signature OF
"Jewish ucart." He says:
assert that in order TO celebrate the Sabbath
it is equally necessary to work six days as not
to work on the seventh day. The meaning OF
the fourth word is not '4Six Gays thou maycst
or thou 1uayest not work." The meaning is
ssSix days thou shalt labor" We're the mean-
ing "you may or mag not work." the whole
sentence would become needless. 1t should
then read, Remember the Sabbath-Day to
keep it holy; on it thou shalt not do apr work."
Why the words, Six days thou shalt work''!
maintain that soorGttg IS religion, according
to the Bible, and in accordance with the true
idea OF the Sabbath and with the whole OF
Judaism. God put man into the Garden OF
Eden to till it and to keep it. "Till the earth
and saba,u it," is the first blessing, the first
watchword given to mankind. Nun, do work
because God worketh; work in imitation OF thy
God. "N'alE in the ways OF thy God" Oeut.,
<, l2) In fact, what il judaism! What is the
idea OF believing in one Coda Heathenism had
plurality Of gods, therefore selfish, needy
gods. Man must, in adoring his particular god,
lIclD the sane against the attacks OF another
god, and his god must in acknowledgment OF
these services, assist man. Seifshness is the
signal Of heathenism. Judaism acknowledges
only the One. the Eternal. &c needs nothing,
all things belongs to Him, are forever and
ever in His possession; aud nevertheless
"He sleeps and slun1bcrs not, the preserycr OF
Israeli He elcyateS the humblest, He is al
ways our Guardian, our Father; He acorteth
out Of lore, and so shall man work. Our facul-
ties, our abilities, do not belong to us. We
not to use them at I'LL; they belong to mankind.
We are bound, By principle and out OF religion,
10 employ ali our faculties for the good ol man-
kind. Therefore, working six days, not for
and therefore do not work on the one day.
Through ''thy not working on this day." even
If rcfr2iuing from work results in pecuniary
loss, you exercise yourself to work on the six
days Tor duty's sake and not 1oz gam. Tint IS
the true idea Of t.hu Satuarn.
Certainly it is an easy thing for me to exhort,
to clamor, "kcep the Sabbath" But why
don't you ask hoW it comes that the Sabbath is
not kept, all our preaching Notwithstanding?
As long as the Jews lived together in Palcs-
tine, the observance Of Saturday as the Sabbath
was easy. During the Middle Ages, the same.
The Jews we1c desDised and oppressed. Every
calling wcs forbidden to them except occupa-
tions thought SO contea1ptible thai no Chris
tiau would undertake them. The Jews, having
consequently monopoly in those callings,
could Keep the Sabbath. To-day, thank God,
every field Of labor is ooen to us, and, as said
above, our religion teaches us to employ our
faculties for the purpose God gave them to us.
Let us take all example. We take mauufact-.
urer. He giVes bread to hundreds OF working
men. Do you deny bis work is religion! That
religion and judaism exact OF him to do what
he does! Shall he give work only five DAYS and
pay 10! six! How long, in that case, before
his employees without worka Or should his
workmen ba satisfied with five days. work
anu five days. pays Would that be fair. or even
possible! Shall he force his non-Jcwish en-
pfoIes to act against their consciencc5 by maxi
ing them work on Sundays These arc the cx-
igcncies and principles involved which ! mcn-
toned before the Convention in New York.
hare done with 'tJewsh Hcart,' but not
with the Sabbath question. Every thinking man
will concedc that this question did not and does
Delegates OF Hebrew Congregations. Either it
is question Of individual conviction, aud Amer
lean Judaism, like Judaism in general {those
Portuguese excepted who prosecuted Uricl Acosta,
spinoza: and others; who forced D'lsracli father
to educate his sou, to-day Lord Beaconsleld,
outside the Dalc of Judaism), acknowledges
full liberty of conscience, or it is question of
publs service, aud tie Constitution OF the u.
4. a. =. t0rDlue to interfere with the
service Of any congregation. Nevertheless
the question needs solution. But let us ask
for whom that solution is needed! There qrc
many Of us observing Saturday IS the Sabbath;
certainly nobody would interfere with them.
But there are Others, the largest number, who
are forced By circumstances (not from leyity) to
mork on Saturday. They have already trans
ferrcd their Sabbath to the day Of rest OF the
as they do not work On Sunday.
But theirs is a Sabbath Of idIeucss, not devoted
to bigncr aims. Where would be the harm j.
Tor these there existed ! public and Solemn |
service in our synagogues, bringing near to them
he true principles Of Judaismz The prayers |
devoted to that day would not call it Sabbath; !
t would only be solemn service. As is prob /
IDLY known in this city, was the first to try. !
confess it was q failure; whys Because the |
line Was not come. To be sure it will come
when famine is seat in the land: not fan- |
ne for bread, nor thirst for water, but to |
lear tue words of the Lord,'' and then, and |
,n1y then, the Sabbath question will find its ]
olution. |
WOMEN AND WORSHIP.
RIIuALlsM AS DIVERSION AND 4 soLACE.
koEdon World. July 16.
Fancy fairs, sensational murder trials, funeral |
ageants and discussions in Convocation on the
'earing Of ecclesiastical vestments, duly re-
orted in the columns OF the daily press, have
iven lady newspaper-rcaders more OF interest