The herald., 1897-04-15
HOM|LY ON israel 5 PASSOVER
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The annual celebration of Israel's
Passover, which begins on the fifteenth
day of Nissan. corresponding with Fri
day evening, the 18th of April, is mat
ter of the highest Importance, not for
the Jew only, but to every one who builds
his hopes on the divine inspiration of
the Holy Bible.
Every Jew assembled on this day in
any of their places of worship bears
strong and unimpeachable testimony to
the marvellous redemption which was
wrought for his ancestors in Egypt. The
Passover is exclusively regarded by the
Jews as The Festival of Freedom as
the institution that proclaimed liberty of
thought and action. For many hum
dreds of years it was the unhappy lot of
their ancestors to have the Passover
presented to them as cruel mockery,
when they found themselves in posi-
tion that offered no choice between apos-
tacy from their ancient creed or the en-
durance of the most calling and system
attic persecution.
Year after year, the recurrence OF the
Passover came to remind them OF the
perfect liberty which that sacred festi-
val conferred upon the human race; but
to Israel that liberty was known as the
ory only. Today, thanks be to God, in
all civilized countries Israel is placed on
a footing of equality with the rest of his
fellow w-countrymen.
The exodus from Egypt was recog-
nized and acknowledged by the great
legislator, Moses, as the foundation of
a
commanded, saying:
when thy son asketh thee, in time to
come, saying, What mean these testi-
monies, these statutes and these juds-
ments, which the Lord our God hath
commanded you then shalt thou say
unto thy son, we were bondsmen to
Pharoah in Egypt, and the Lord brought
us out from there with his mighty
hand" Deut. vi:20-22.
In other words: When the Jews are
asked by their children why the Pass
over was instituted, they relate the his
tory Of the deliverance of their fathers
from slavery and impress upon them
that the object of the emancipation was
that they might know their God. per-
form his will and live and act as good
men and women, as worthy and useful
citizens. always obeying the divine law
and asserting its supremacy.
AS the object of the Passover was to
proclaim liberty as the birthright OF
man, the Jews are admonished to avail
themselves of the means which civil
rights confer upon them. TO stand forth
In every instance as the true advocates
of liberty and freedom, as the friends of
all who are oppressed and as earnest
supporters of every measure that tends
to promote knowledge, to enlarge the
sphere of human action and TO secure
the well-being of all classes of men. AS
the Passover was intended to make
them exemplary in all the social duties
proper to their nature, as we'll as in all
the relations in which they might be
placed, so emancipation should prove to
the world that they are Jews whose 10y
atty to the Stars and Stripes, obedience
to the laws and attachment to the ma
tional institutions are admitted by all.
AS the Passover was the signal for the
banishment of darkness and the diffu-
sion of light, their civil emancipation
encourages them TO labor assiduous;y
in the cause of education. so that the
generation now advancing to manhood
may take their place, not merely at the
bar and in the senate, but in every walk
of life where Jews mingle with their
Christian fellow citizens, equal in sci
ence, in art, in letters and in every
branch of useful knowledge.
Lastly, as the Passover was the pre-
cursor of the revelation at Sinai, the
most important event that ever oc-
Cured in the annals of mankind. and as
the liberty accorded to the Jews, as men,
was intended to train and to qualify
them for their duties to God as faithful
Israelites, the Passover emancipation
should impress them with this profound
conviction, that II civil freedom is to
bring them credit and honor, If 1t Is to
prove to them real and permanent
blessing, and to become the means Gas
under Gods blessing 1t assuredly Will
of paving the way for the liberty OF theiI
fellow believers in some parts of contl'
mental Europe, and in most of the re-
gions of Asia and Africa. where the
hand of oppression is still heavy upon
them; in a word if the Passover enamel
patton is to call down upon them the su
preme blessing of God, they must hold
firm to their ancient faith and belief and
not permit themselves to be corrupte,
by prosperity nor to sacrifice any prin'
cipal observance of that faith at the
shrine of a mean and unworthy ambi
ton. They should rather place their re-
ligious principles and their solemn OBJ
servances before the world, as they were
enjoined unto Israel by Moses and th'
prophets. The maxim which the He
brews have maintained amongst them
selves and taught to their children Il
that the principles Of Judaism harmon
ize completely with all the duties propel
to a good subject and worthy citizen
and they have only to act upon this max
I'm in relation to the civil rights which
they have now acquired, in order to car
ry conviction to every one whose secta
rian prejudices are not so inveterate al
to discredit the evidences of his senses
that a true Israelite must of all neces
sity prove good and devoted patriot.
A. w. e.