The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-12-16
THE HEREAFTER.
Rabbi Levy Speaks on the Souls
immortality.

u6Te WAS very laTgo auultHCt III lue
Geary-street Temple last evening when
Rabbi Levy READ the fourth chapter of the
Ethics of the Fathers, which ended with
the words, "FOr against thy will vast thou
formed and against thy will vast thou
born and against thy will dost thou live
and against thy will wilt thou die and
against thy will must thou hereafter render
an account and receive Judgment in the
presence of the Supreme King of Kings,
the Holy God. Blessed is he"
Rabbi Jacob" said the preacher, has
said that this world should be compared 10
a courtyard to prepare ourselves for the
world to come. This preparation in the
ante-chamber should be so complete that
we may be received into the palace of our
heavenly father.
at will be the duty of the future his
tOran to write his impressions of the his
tory made by the men and women of to-
day. No one can describe what the nature
of this history will be, but one thing he is
certain TO do. namely, TO describe the latter
part of the nineteenth century as the DAYS
when materlalsm was king. BY material
ism | mean the indulgence Of the senses
and OF all that IS aSSociat ted with sentiment.
Few will gaiDsay that the beautiful sim
plcity of our fathers lives is not repro
duced in ours; their adOring devotion. high
patriotism, earnestlove Of hearth and ONE
and faith are sadly wanting now. The
prominent thing In modern life seems to be
what to eat and wear, how to enjoy our
selves and make money quickly. Self
Improvement, the elevation of the young
the feeding of the flame OF piety and
these are hidden under the
heap of materialism. Philosophers say
this is the result Of the fight for wealth.
which 1eadens the sensibilities and throt-
1aa hinhn hi nd
slres. Man is like the racehorse inspired
only with the sentiment of distancing com.
petltors. This condition Is due to the uni
versal question, What is the good of it -
which Is applied to every noble and virtn-
Gus movement. Rarely is 1t asked. What
is the good in il? 1t Is so in religion.
Religion says, BE charitable, kind, just
and forgivlng.' The spirit of the age asks,
w hat is the good of it" Religion says,
Overcome evil with good, subdue pain by
endurance, add to righteousness Ma
terialism asks. What is the good of it?'
''And so with immortality. Reason may
affirm 1T, science may point to its possibil-
ity. human nature may demand II, men of
heart may appeal and long for it, but the
question is still asked. What is the good
of il. what is the purpose Of believing in
it?'
The first answer which | make is that
life after death proves that man has an
3
possibilities of good. | cannot believe
that the only possibility of life is food,
drink and dress, and that after death
everything ends. Your hopes and ambi-
tons, your lodgings and dissatisfied feel
ings dsprove II, and their answer is that
the soul of man is immortal.
Everything in creation has an object
If there be n o hereafter what is the object
of mans existence? Surely not the object
that obtains in this world. Take the case
Of the poor laborer who works hard for a
morse! of bread, with few enjoymentS and
comforts. His children may love, honor
and cherish him, but as he ages the world
has fewer attractions. He no longer loves
the music of the children's voices his
sight fails: he only wishes to sit by the fire
and think. And is that the only reward
for that mans honest labor? Take the
public man who has worked TO i'm
prove his fellow-creat lures. His serv-
and the Injuries of life. Is he happy !?
lie grows old and can scarcely walk.
From lips that Numbered in eloQuence
issues piping voice. his burdens become
tuo heavy and he sits alone 10 think. Is
this the goal OF his ambition, the end of
all? And this is a favorable case. Most
of us are strugglers, uDfortunates whose
hopes are seldom realized. One lengs for
| riches, attains them, but is not happy.
Another longs for knowledge. gets it. and
| the one lesson learned is that the more he
knows the more there is TO know. And
| he too Is not happy. And so with every
! earthly ambition; at distance IL is happi-
ness; attained, something Is always want
ing:
This shows that if happiness be the
wages of life, the wages are not paid in
/ this life. Does not our failing power of
enjoyment indicate that the great store
! house OF happiness is the palace Of God q,
/ and fhie world the nranarQtinD fOr the i'm
mortality OF the world to come. Does not
| the fact that perfect happiness cannot be
! found in this world show that our wages
/ will be paid in world beyond this.
But you may ask what is the value Of
! believing in the souls Immortality? Be-
cause by it we are able to solve the ridd lie
! of life. Otherwise life is an unfinished
operation, harp without strings, glove
without hand in it.
Yet more. Immortality is necessary
| for the order of the World. it is the brains,
sinews and muscles of religion: the moral
fabric OF society. Take away the idea of
| Immortality and religion has lost its power.
| Then selfishness becomes the only law. and
earthly enjoyment the only good.
Immortality is necessary as the sup
| port to effort and the Inspiration of inn
! provement. All have SORROWS and trials,
| hrobbng headaches. aching nerves and
sleepless nights. Have any of us perfect
| health. regulations unattached? Is there
a household whose graves are not scat
tered, a father that has not sorrowed for
his child, a mother whose hearth has not
been desolated by death, parents who have
not suffered from children's ingratitude or
who have dreaded to leave their loved
ones to the cruel pity Of this world? How
| many might say with the poet: Alas, ]
have no hope in life. nor peace or con-
tent. Others there are whom these sur
round. They live and call life pleasure.
There are SORROWS in life to " hich this is
positive happiness. Ii death ends life and
all this misery has no reward then this
world is an ever-yawning grave in which
God bures his children in hopeless sorrow.
hooking their love and hope and every at
tribute Of his own nature.
Add to this consideration the peculiari-
ties we meet in life and you will see the
| use of believing in Immortality. The