The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-03-14
THE FEAST OF PURIM..
Concentrating the Dolivorance
of tho jews.
ESTHER And MORDECAl,7HE jew
Tho Difference between Moral Chnr.
actcr aud Moral Dlsposltion...How
Mordccni, Though Stern, was of n
LovcaDlo Disposition :. Ho Knew
Neither Self Concoit Norsclr Dcsro.
dation.

dation.
Yesterday was tho feast OF Purim,
tho fourteenth day of the month
Of Adar in tho jewish calendar.
This feast ID commemorative OF
tho wonderful dcliverance of tho
Israolites through Mordccai and Esther
from tho wicked devices OF tho proud
and cruel Haman. The celebration
services began Friday and lasted
through Saturday and Sunday. Tho
following sermon was delivered by
Rabbi Bonhhcim: 5aa
MoRDEoAI, THE JEW, TIE MAN OF CHAR
AcTER.
When wo III general life make uso OF
the word character. and apply it as q
distinguishing feature in man, with n
high sense for his duties and an uniat-
tering adherence to hid principles, we
mean to point out the great difference
between haughtiress and clf,humilia-
ton; VIC distinguish between prids and
cringing. 1t isa consciousness based
upon selfesteem, feeling that knows
neither self conceltnorseli degradation;
it is that high and noble bearing which
imposes without hurting or wounding
the feeling Of others, and in this way
We have it often mentioned that such
and such IN ,ono has character or has
none.
A truo and noble character in this
sense means one OF those rare men, in
whom tho sense for moral duty has
become such power that holds sway
over him in his thoughts and actions;
it is so insoparably connected with his
whole being, that it will manifest itself
in every relation and condition OF life,
physically and mentally, religiously and
socially, commercially and politically;
he can not do otherwise than follow
this great power within him, and even
then, when his own interest is put to
question or even damaged, man OF
moral character is by far more than the
man OF mere moral disposition, and he
surpasscs him in lustrc and brightness.
Most every man OF culture and refine
mcnt is moro or less guided by the law
OF morality, but it often escapes from
him in this quick moving world OF ours,
as the bride that drops out OF the hand
OF the rider, especially when he hastens
over the road of greed and egotisln,
having once lost control over the flying
anlnal-it is only in rare cases that he
escapes damage. and thus We see
nowadays SO many men with due
appreciation Of moral duty, but as
soon as
THEIR SELF INTEREST Is'ENDANGERED,
they hang the flag according to the
wind; they yield, they change their
| principle. They arc compared by tho
Psalmist to the "chaff which the wind
driveth away" but tho man Of true
moral character is compared by that
same author to q "a tree planted by the
rivers of water that bringeth forth his
fruit in his season." He stands like a
strong oak tree, deeply rooted in tho
earth, on whose knotty trunkandstronS
branches the storm is trying hisstrength
in vain.
Such a man knows only one way. he
follows only one direction, that is the
path OF right, the road OF justice, even
If his own personal advantage is lying
ct stake. The immortal poet Shakes
pearc describes in few words the great
value OF such a man, when he says
"Thc purcst treasure mortal times afford
| Is-SpotleSs reputation: TINT away
Men are but gilded loan or painted clay,
| AJewel III ten times barr'd up chest y
lsa bold spirit in loyal breast@ "a \
Such man of moral perfection forms
the basis of our Purim feast, heis
MoRDECAI TILE JEW.
We are not proud of him because no
was Jew, but we cherish his memory
as abcneiactcr to our people by his no.
bio. character. Judaism acknowledges
and prizes highly every noble heart and
mind who added his share to the well
fare OF humanity, no matter OF what
creed no may have been Let me say
in this connection, that is about time to
abandon this notion OF race pride or
this fancy Of the "Sechus-Owous"- THE
"AIerits Of our Fathers" No matter
how good and noble man my great
| grandfather has been, the question is
what am, and what good reputation I
have acquired and how l contribute to
the veal Of humanity.
The book OF Esther tellsus that every
citizen in Shushan bent the knee before
Haman, the kings favorite, while Nor
dccai alone makes an exception, and by
this he brings dark and heavy clouds,
not only over his own head, but overall
tho Jews in the Persian Empire. Was
it not rather stubbornness OF NIordccai
to williully disobcy the command OF the
king? Should he not have acted with
q large majority? Or, as tho proverbial
saying is, 'if one is in Rome, lie should
do rs the Romans do" Should he not
have done it ut least to respect tho laws
OF the country? Why should he refuse
such IN innocent actas to extend that
commanded mark OF honor to tho high
est officer OF the king? Why should he
be the only Que 20 make all exception?
Even the TalmudisIs troubled their
heads about this. One OF them ad-
vances the opinion that Haman wore
an idol in the shape OF q jewel and out
of religious scrupes NIardocai refused
to bow before it. Another commentary
lets Mardccai say: ""Ye fools that
| PROSTATE themselves before man. What
| is man, the dustboru? The number OF
| his days is counted; with weeping
| he enters this world and under toll and
care he lives it until he returns unto
dust again, and before such Il being. 4
| y SHALL BEND THE KNEE, SEyEn!"
| No doubt there were thousands Of
Jews in Shushan who thought the same
| as Mordecai did but they obeyed tho
kings command either out of fear or
out OF policy, but rs We see later on this