The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-07-18

ming trusted TO my teachings rely little
| longer upon me; you will find what is writ
ten needs its comment, in order 10 be under
stood and appreciated" This pupil, too,
became devout Israelite. When the three
proseIytes meet for the first time they wer"
unanimous in acknowledging that the sever,
ity of Shammay nearly drove them from their
sacred purpose, while the gentleness Of Hilell
"bas attracted US to the belief in one tru'
God"
AS we finally leave the presence
of Shammay sentence like a
parting word passes from his mouth,
ringing in our ears all the way, Let the let
ter of the lw be maintained and obeyed,
till we enter the house of Hillel, whence greet
US the welcome
"Not the letter, but the spirit, is the law Of
the Lord "
Listen to few decisions given under this
influence: No modern reform Rabbi, no lib
eral philosopher ofthe present age could sur.
pass tha free-thought that lives in these, MS
well AS most of his dcta
1t is biblical command that house inside
of city wall, if sold, may be reieemed one
year after the sale Often eSery effort WAS
made to the last day of the term by some
impoverished person to raise the require
money, but in many instances, when success
full at the last moment, he would find the
house locked and the purchaser absent. So
the property could MT then be released.
Such was the letter of the law. "No," decides
Hillel, "if the purchaser wilfully absents
himself, break open the door, or bring the
price into the temple the law in favor Of the
poor was not made to be evaded." What
do you think of this?
a still more severe test case is the follow
ing: According to the scrip.
ture every debt was legally annuled
in the seventh year. 1t was grand, noble
law, conceived in spirit of true charity,
when the needy only asked for loans, and the
wealthy FIRE ly gave. But bye and bye com
merce WAS developed, and business demand
ed credit. Then the law Of the seventh
year acted as wilful bankrupt act, and all
credit under The provisions came to an end
There was the letter of the law can there
be no help? Shall trade and commerce die
because the lender may be cheated Mt will.
Shall charity md benevolence have nc
further claim because the law of Moses binds
the hand? "NUm decides Hllel-such i.
not the meaning of the statute. In future
contracts may be made before the courts
when the privilege of the seventh year i:
waived. So it was ruled against the letter
but in the true spirit of the commandment
There you have reform, true reform, Ossitiet
law against life and principle, prejudice ar
rogance and superstition against enlighten
ment, progress, thought the dark pas
against the living present, the Saducee Sham
may AZ ,inst Phsrisee hllel. And Hlllel'.
decisions in most instances became the &C
cepted law and their spirit will remain so il
the houses Of lslael and the realms Of man
kind till time shall be no more.
1t still remains for lis in future lecture tC
consider the sects of Essences and the Zealots
nor can we dismiss the subject without re
view OF the rise, development and progres
Of that creed which emanated from Nazaretl
the great daughter-religon sprung from
the loins Of Israel. This will form certainl,
a fit thGme for our next meeting on the evt
of the Sabbath ensuing, which is called tn,
Sabbah Nachmoh that Of
Console On cons la ye my people