The herald., 1897-10-05
SERVICES AT THE TEMPLE
WHAT THE RABBIS SAY OF THE
GREAT HOLIDAY
Special Program of Music at B'nai
B'rith-Rabbi Edelman at Ma
sonic Hall

unit, tomorrow at the same time" says
Rabbi Solomon, lis one of the oldest
as we'll as the holiest of the Jewish holi-
days, or more properly, holy days. 1t
falls on the 10th of the seventh month,
according to the Hebrew calendar, was
commanded in Exodus and has been OBJ
served by the Jews ever since.
Its central thought is summed up in
the three words, Repentance, prayer
and charity and the three combined
are believed to annul the evil decree
1t is therefore purely religious in char
acter, and has no connection with any
historical event. The Jewish New Year
marks the beginning of this penitential
period, which extends to and through
the Day of Atonement, and its signiti-
canoe is to be reconciled to ones self,
to ones fellow man, and to God.
The atonement sought by the Jews a t
this time is not atonement in the sense
of the Christian religion There is no
mediation in the Jewish religion; every
one has to atone for himself, and the
fact of taking part in prayer and other
ceremonial is of nc avail unless one is
reconciled to himself and his fellow
men. Pardon cannot otherwise be OBJ
tanned on that day, and the day only
atones for the sins between ones self
and God; not between ones self and
his fellow unless the three-fold rec
orciliation take place"
The Atonement Day services will be-
gin this evening at the Temple B'nai
Birth at $50 At 1880 Rabbi NJ. G. Solo
mon will lecture on The Hearts Re gu
lator-Conscience." Wednesday serv-
ices will be held at the temple all day,
commencing at 1890 a. m. The morn
ing service will last until 1880, when
the noon, or additional, service will be
held, and Rabbi Solomon will preach
from the prophet Jonah, referring to
his answer. Il Am Hebrew" At 2:30
the afternoon service will commence;
at 4:90 the memorial service, and at 5
o'clock the concluding service of the day.
Special, elaborate and difficult music
has been prepared for the occasion un-
der the direction of Frederick Steven
son, the temple organist and choirmas
ter, and it will be rendered by the
double quartet choir which is as fol-
lows: Sopranos, Mrs. Shelley Tolhurst
and Miss Grace Longley; contraltos,
Miss Alice Eaton and Miss Lillian Scan
lon; tenors, j. A. Osgood and j. b.
Eaton; basses. F. H. Lockyer and Frank
Wallace. j. A. Osgood will act as can
tor. The music, which is only used on
Atonement Day, is most Of it traditional
and is arranged and adapted by Mr..
Goldstein. The words for the most part
are in Hebrew, and the whole is made
up of hymns, responses and declama-
tory numbers, of which there are one
hundred in ALL and which will be inter-
spersed at intervals through the whole
of the services tonight and tomorrow.
Rabbi A. w. Edelman has this to say
on the Day Of Atonement: "Of all the
sacred, days Of the year, the Day of
Atonement is the greatest and the rich
est in beauty and in holiness. 1t thrills
the millions of the Jews all over the
globe with an awe and sublime joy
such as no other day in the religious CAL
erdar of the world Satan himself, our
good fathers used to say, is shorn of his
power on Yom Kippur, THE Day of
Atom ement.'
What is the mighty spell Of this day
which even the most self-righteous, the
On this Day of Atonement Judaism
holds forth its loftiest and highest
truths. On it religion exercises it's ex-
alted privilege, it grants pardon, it offers
forgiveness and it announces peace to
every troubled soul.
THE great historian Tacitus relates
that when Pompey, the Roman general,
had forced his way into Jerusalem s.
holy of holies, he was struck at finding
no statue or image of the God, worshiped
by the Jews. Our God is the spirit of AL
spirits, and we worship him in spirit
| only God is our father and we invoke
his forgivng mercy as his children, with
out mediator and without priest. There
| is none to atone for US except each his
own self; our conscien ce is the high priest
and our heart is the holy of holes
Herein consist the Importance of this
great day.
When I have done wrong none can
pay the penalty of suffering for me. No
saint can cleanse my conscience from
guilt. Did harm or wrong my neighbor,
it is his pardon alone that can wash me
clean. And If / have sinnedl against
God, then I must fee to him and ask his
forgiveness.
I'VE must guard against any decep-
ton that we can set ourselves right
again with God and man by mere show;
that is, by mere prayer and fasting and
by staying in the house of worship from
| morning till evening. This is only the
slightest part Of our devotional eXer-
cises; the other more important one con-
sists of the most scrutinous examination
which we have to undergo during the
Day of Atonemen with ourselves
I'VE must return to God with better
feelings, with stronger and more right
eous hearts, with loftier ideals and with
higher purposes. One good resolution
formed this day and solemnly kept one
well meant promise to alter our ways
I and to mend our character, one sincere
and heartfelt pledge to our God and
Maker, Is worth more than ali the
prayers we utter the fasting we do and
the solemn exercises we listen to- These
are the feelings that must dominate the
hearts and souls and minds of those
who wish to observe the DAY Of Atone
ment" in the spirit in which it was in
stituted."
Rev. A. w. Edelman will conduct the
Atonement service at Masonic hall, 125
South Spring street, this evening, al g. 80
and will preach on the subject, rs
Death Amihilation Subject tomor-
lrow q Z o'clock p. m, Return to the