The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-07-18
THE DALLAS DAILY. HERALD,
JEWISH SECTS.
From n Jewish StandpOint-A Series
of Lectures Delivered AT the Tenn
pie Emanuel, Dallas, Texas,
by Rabbi IL. VI. Bien.

THE Sftls'
1t Is meet and lit to hereby publicly nc
knowledge the uniform kindness and attention
the press in general and that of Dallas in
particular, extends TO intellectual efforts.
This great lever of civilization, though not
without its faults, makes error, prejudice
and perversion of truth, such as | am here
combating, an impossibiity. The rostrum
and pulpit owe it special thanks for securing
them outside of their immediate hearers an
auditorium wherever man can read and ap.
preciate the value of newspapers, | dis.
charge but pleasant duty by here express
ing sincere thanks for the attention shown
me on all occasions, where, rs u Jewish
preacher and teacher representing the re-
ligion ofmy people, had to say ought that
might claim publicity outside the walls of
the temple.
As connecting link 10 the previous re-
marks on the subject under present consider
alton arises the question;
WHO AND WHAT WERE THE JEWISH sECTs
Theirs is story not to be grasped in a
few minutes. The growth and upshot of
nigh three centuries, arising from peoples
inner life when in their glory, spreading as
il were by attrition in contact, which soon
came with other nations, eliminating final
ly in the downfall and overthrow of lsrael's
marrow boundaries for worldwide mission
among all the peoples Of the earth--such
theme, fraught with the highest importance
in the annals of the world, they require from
the lover of justice and truth, u patient,
thorough and calm investigation for ra-
tional and Just comprehension. Tiresome MS
it may be to dive and deye into the dark
abysses of past ages, for finding that particu.
lar recess which holds the treasure, when
once discovered all the labors and trials are
fully repaid by the costly pearl of truth,
thereby forwarded to the light of day.
When by the death of alexander the
Great" his vast empire, conquered and sub
dued, was divided among his generals, Judea
fell to the lot of Antiochus who styled himself
the "Epiphanes, the glorious" while his peo-
pie and all, who by misfortune came into cor
tact with the tyrant, titled him by the
name of Epiphanes the mad. He
like some latter ruling spiritual monomauiacs
conceived the crazy passion of modelling all
human consciences after the peculiar fashion
in which his own conception grasped creed
and faith. Such efforts, whenever and wher-
ever attempted, have been the curse of the
human race, and while unattainable and con-
trary to the laws and nature of mankind's
mate disposition have always ended in the
overthrow and demolition of such powers
no matter how mighty and strong. Who
could now, in our days, attempt to establish
one sole and single church over the. bound
less, diversified, dramatically colored and
generally obstinate opinions Judaism, up
to this calamitous time, had suffered already
in its political as well as its spiritual exist
ence great sorrows and trials, but the at
tack direct on lite innermost sacredotal life
was death threatening blow aimed directly
at the heart. To be, or not to be that was
the question There was no choice; the
clash of arms, resistance and bloody war had
TO GOMEZ
At the head of the Hebrew nation there
stood the priests, the descendants of Zadock.
Then, MS ever, this craft endeavorcd to nego.
tiate truce by craft They fancied to be
able of overcoming the enemy by rhetoric
and quiet the rising storm with concessions
The statue of "Zeus" was ordered to be
erected in the temple-they consented
Contributions for building the temple O.
Hercules were demanded-they were given
Gladiatorial Gyminasia were command
ed TO be established-it was done. Coward
ice and pusianmous obedience were t
still the danger and avert the wrath; tn,
willy priests by their tricks and cunning onl,
added fuel to the brand. But the peopl
arose in their majesty, goaded TO despair
under the leadership of one priestly famil,
who remained true to their God, their alta
and their nation. The family of the alas
monean,' they smote the enemy hip an,
thigh, and drove the invader from the land
Priests, as a class, before and ever after tn
war with the Syrians, considered themsevc
the nobility of the nation. BY inheritance
entrusted with the highest services and pre-
negatives of the temple, q ring inside of th
ring of Gods chosen people, they ker
themselves aloof from the rest of the ma
ton and claimed privileges and rights {
royal dimensions for which they called then
selves the "Zadoki,es," while the peopl
nick-named them the Sadducees. Sue
was their origin. Latte on different W.T.
ters,whom prominently appears, "Josephus,
endeavored to make this sect appear as tn
friends of Greece, and even Rome, who's
civilization and philosophical tenets they ar
said to have adopted and fostered anon
their own peope-traitors TO their own n,
tOnsi institutions, worldly minded peopl,
epicures and even debauchees-while other
ranked them with the stoics. The fact, how
ever, is that for a long epoch of time the
were true representatives of Jewish nations
lite and the center of their religious POUNDS
ton. By degrees, however, their lofty pos
ton crumbled just in progression as they a:
sumed to place themselves above the peopl
instead of with them; they lost their hig
standpoint simultaneous with their efforts /
use it for aggrandizing their persons an
personal interests. Enjoying all that WI
good, desirable and enjoyable through the
favored position in this world, they separate
themselves still more from public opinion b
the peculiar tenet they held of denying
future life, and ergo, rewards and punisl
ment hereafter. Thus arose the origin, d,
velopment and existence of the sect of h
Ssdduces the priesily nobility among h
people OF Israel. God pity the nation tbs
comesunder the sway Of priests.
But the people would not broo
any such arrogant presumption. The spir
- >ef democracy, of freedom and social equalit
has been one of the life-fountains ,
the sons OF Jacob. Mainly perhaps for th
oause-and it is certainly no small one
when crowns and mitres held humanity
their iron claws of absolute power during Il
middle ages, the Jews and their doctrine
the laws of Moses and the prophets BEGAN
obstacles, eye'sores and standing. threads
church and state, who combined tooeth,
throughout their dark sway of holding Il
Hebrew down and setting their feet unor q,
H.. ...A I'll