The Jewish advance., 1880-01-30


German paraphrase, instead of Onkelos'
Aramaic, they would stone you for apos-
tacy And yet they would profit more
by the former than by tie latter, for
they understood the German better than
the Aramaic language The ordinance
of the ancient rabbins was given for the
purpose of having the reader go through
the original text, take the explanations
thereof by the paraphraser. and repeat
the text again with full knowledge of
the explanation. The pious souls would
not think of that. 1t was said twice
the reading and once the Targum," and
from the literal meaning of the ordi-
nance they would not deviate. Thus
the study of the weekly portion of the
Pentateuch has been turned from ra-
tional injunction into meaningless per-
formance.
The same is the case with the recita-
tion of the mour1ers prayer in the syn
agogues, the v'7P | mean. tits a beau
tiful prayer, or, rather, expression of
confidence and reliance " in the provi-
dence of God even in time of trouble
1t opens view into eternity even in
the sight of death. 1t was composed on
the principle that mans duty is to
bless for trouble and in trouble, as we'll
as he blesses for good and in the enjoy
ment of good" And blessings to the
Eternal and to mankind the Kdddish
contains-nothing else But how many
Of those who recite this composition in
the synagogue understand this ? How
many understand the Aramaic language
in which it is recited =? For aught we
know, superstitious persons may believe
that this really sublime recitation is an
appeal in behalf Of the departed souls
and helps them on to get along better
in the unknown world. For aught we
know ?'-no, indeed I'VE do know that
the superstitious MEef prevails that
the recitation of Kdddish helps the de-
parted, in whose behalf it is recited, out
of hell into paradise. We do know that
many persons donate funds to the poor
Of Jerusalem in order that these poor
may recite Kaddishin their behalf; for
the efficacy of the recitation at Jerusa-
lem is greater than anywhere else. Why,
then, should not the KuddiM be recited
in language which the masses. under
stand, and the meaning thereof made
popularly known, as it is indeed calcu-
lated to elevate and ennoble Touch
this question, and you will hear haloo
and cry that you desire to destroy Ju-.
daism. With all our radical reforms we
have not brought it so far yet as to re-
store the recitation of the sublime
Kaddish to it's original meaning and
purport. Our reformers have courage
enough to demonstrate that the Patri-
archs were only mythical heroes that
all the accounts of the Bible are myths;
that the unspeakable Name was only
heathenish conception of a fre-spitting
monster-they have courage to recon-
struct the text Of the Bible and to Gre
ate hypothesis on the all important
question whetherithe savages Of Austria
lasia believed or did not believe in the
same things as the Aztecs and the Hot
tentots did They have courage for al
most anything.-But they have not the
courage to touch 4 popular superstition.
For their lives, for their love of high
and exalted positions they would not
venture to make the real meaning of
the Kaddish popular, they would not
recite it in the language which is gen
orally understood.
But here [ mu apologize. Speaking
of the Kaddish, j have quite forgotten
that talmudical rabbi has given the
reason why it should be recited in the
Aramaic language 1t is because =" the
angels do not understand that language"
and cannot play the devil with the reci-
tation. The same is the reason why
another sublime prayer beginning with
the words nnv ri which our orthodox
"