The herald., 1894-06-08
PEN TEcosT.


Edelman will 'conduct services ct Ma
sonic hall, l25 South Spring street, on
which occasion Master Leo Barnett,
grandson Of Mr.. Edelmsn. will attain
his thirteenth birthday and will be
made "Bar-Mitzvah." Services will
also be held ON Sunday morning at 10
O'Clock sharp. Rev. Edelmsn has pre-
pared the following paper on the occa-
sion:
Tomorrow evening, the 9th OF June,
corresponding with the 9th OF Swan,
1904 A. M. the Jewish FESTIVAL OF
Shebuoth" will be celebrated all over
the globe, and Israel will once more
listen to the inspiring words which our
ancestors exclaimed in the desert Of
Arabia, when they stood ct the foot OF
Mount Sinai: "Na'aeeh Venishmab,"
hear the summons OF God and we will
In ancient time, when the temple yet
stood In Jerusalem, when the Israslites
were mostly farmers, engaged in agrl-
cultural pursuits, cultivating their
fields, orchards and vineyards, the
Shebuoth festival had quite another
meaning 1t was then celebrated % the
harvest feast OF the fret ripe fruit.
As we read in the Bible ''And ON
the day Of the first fruits, when ye
bring O new meat-oferlng unto the
Lord, after your seven weeks are out, ys
shall have holy convocation; ye shall
do no servile work :" B. M. 26. But in
the course Of time the feast changed ito
character, andit Ia now chiefly solemn
lied as q day OF commemoration Of the
law given on Mount Sinai. And in con-
alteration OF that eventful occurrence,
the chapter OF the Bible containing the
Ten Com mandmcnts are solemnly read
in every congregation in Isreal.
Shebuoth will forever be the incest
holyday OF the jewish religion and OF tine
Jewish race, and it 10 to DO hoped. that
in the course Of time Of the whole hu-
mon race.
On the morning OF that day, truth,
religious truth, was for the first time
proclaimed on earth. Idolatry was de-
creed as q fatal error; the worship OF
nature and OF the celestial bodies de-
clared to be o mistake; the idols of gold
aud silver, made by the hands Of men,
trembled on their costly pedestals, and
the pillars OF their gigantic temples
shook as II an earthquake were shaking
their rocky foundation, when it re-
sounded from Horsb with laundering
voice: II am the Lord thy God. |, and
there ia none beside me; alone the
Lord, the Father, the Savior and Re-
deemer of the whole human race. /,
the Father, and ye all are my children.
|, the fountain head OF love, of grace
and mercy, will bring them all near and
nearer to me. l, the source OF all wis-
dom. will educate all according to my
A. -,
Aud Therefore: Thou shalt not make
unto myself an image or figure whatso-
ever to be the object OF divine worship"
The Bible is right when it says that
fire encircled the heights of Sinai, when
these words were spoken, for they con-
sumed like flames the figures of gods
and goddesses Of Basl and Astarte and
a new light. bright az the dawning
morning. was kindled, by which the
human race was through centuries to
march onward and forward. till, united
aud reconciled, they would reach the
eternal temple OF ''the common father
hood of God, and the common brother
hood of men,"
We invite all to celebrate with US the
"Shebuoth'' feast at the foot OF Mount
Sinai, and listen with US to the DEATH
less words OF revelation. BOW down in
deep-felt humility before this everlast-
ing truth cling to 1t with all the tibers
Of the heart, and live up to it with
every thought OF thy immortal soul.
"Stand firm, and you shall see the
salvation Of the Lord" were the words
which Moses addressed to the delivered
people Of Israel, and still today We hear
him uttering the same inspiring and
hopeful words, "Stand frm."
Our fathers chung to this sublime adj
monition. IL was their motto in times
OF cloud and sunshine. 1t Was the BAN
ner which they followed and for which
they readily offered their blood and
lives. They would not surrender the
flag which bore the glorious inscription,
Jehovah Nissi''-"The Lord 10 my
banner" They were firm in the hope
that truth would aud must conquer.
And you, my dear Jewish children,
you, too, must stand arm in your creed
and faith. Lit up the old bag OF our
holy religion, which was pierced by
sword and spear and shot by bullet and
cannon upon the battlefield for the past
thousands of years. Be true to God,
true to your religion, true to your mia-
sion, so that upon you, like upon your
fathers, the words Of the Bible may be
keep my covenant then shall ye be
unto me kingdom of priests"
Fulfill it like Amen, like Israelites--
live up to it, and the day of the heaven
ly kingdom will and must dawn; the
day OF which prophets and psalmists
say and sing: Then will the Lord be
king over the whole earth; on that day
will the Eternal be acknowledged One
and hie name One." And men will live
together in brotherly love, in peace and
in everlasting harmony.