San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-09-21
WHEN THOU CONTEST IN.

evening by DR.. M. Rosenstein rabbi
of the congregation:
These words of great import and
meaning were read in the Bible.
a NJ, Oh. 20. When, as l told
you, certain moral responsibility
is attached to our going out"
then a responsibility of not less
importance is attached to our
coming in. There are people who
are extremely aimable, dutiful and
we'll behaved outside of the house
but as soon as they cross the
threshold of their homes or habi-
tations, they throw at once the
frebrand of strife and dissension
in every direction. Our home is
like an altar, upon which the offer
ings of peace and goodwill toward
each other should be placed.
Again, some are glad and rejoice
when they can and do stir up strife
and dissension, and dissatisfaction
in the congregation or elsewhere,
and rejoice therein instead of taking
to heart the maxim of the prophet:
Keep far from evil and do the
good only; seek peace and pursue
it." which is the sacred mission
and the duty of the congregation
and its individual members. But
congregations, as we'll as individ-
uals, who live in strife and act
wrong, cannot stand and last and
prosper, they go from bad to worse
and in their failings they fall and
disappear.
Only the good is lasting. God
alone is everlasting, because he is
exalted goodness, justice, love and
mercy, almighty and all wise, and
these qualities, of course, in much
smaller degree, in man, are alone
eternal. Evil is not eternal, and
therefore man disposed to do evil
will see his destruction In the
portion of the Bible in which our
text is found, we are told that in
building the sacrifcial altar, Orion
tool should be used. Why not
iron tools? Because, iron is the
| emblem of war and hostility, and
in forming affairs for our home and
devotional life, everything should
be avoided that in the slightest
way could disturb the desired har-
| mony. when you come in says
our text, that is, when you enter
your homes or your business, in
private and public, in domestic life
and in your political or other
spheres, we should try to live with
everyone on peacable terms; we
| should act together in a friendly
unanimous spirit to promote the
prosperity of the house and of the
individuals thereof, and in order to
benefit the whole, we have to
bring many sacrifices.
think it was Benjamin Frank
lin, who, in his excellent book,
Poor Richards Almanac" says:
Gas often as / entered a new place
and I did not enter many, / felt the
moral pulse of all those around me,
and according to the symptoms 1
found out, gave way, but, of
course without damaging my
own individuality, to the wishes,
tempers, fancies, likes and dislikes
of my fellowmen. (Most of the
diseases of man, and the worst ones
at that, are treated symptomatical-
ly.) In other words, he tried to be
kind to all and please them.
Thus it came that Franklin, identi-
flying himself with the peculiar
natures of the human species, was
so much honored, liked and be-
loved by all. Let us be guided
then in our going out of the old
and coming in of the new year by
the strictest fulfllment Of our
moral duties and obligations, and
in doing so only we will be bless
ing to ourselves and other people.
In this spirit let US live, and ac-
according to'it, let us act in this
year $3.50. May it bring comfort
and relief to families and houses.
May it throw the rays of joy and
cheerfulness into lonesome and
desolate hearts; may it raise and
encourage the downcast and hard
tried; may it remove every silent
grief and doleful sorrow from the
habitations of man; may it at last