Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-04-10
VALUE OF SYMBOLS.
MEDIA USED TO GIVE EXPRESSION
TO RELIGIOUS INSTINCT.
ONLY HELPS TO NOBLER THOUGHTS.
The Worth of Religious Form ana
Ceremony Lies Not Ina Its Ob-
servance, but I'm the Thought
Which II SymbO1izcs.

Rabbi e. N. Calisch spoke at Beth
Ahaba Synagogue, last night on "The
Value of Symbols He said that of all
religious phenomena, none is more inte-
resting than the media used TO convey
the expression of the religious instinct.
Man is born believing. HE bears be-
lief" says Emerson, ''as tree bears
fruit" The most primitive peoples, no
matter how crude their religious notions,
had, nevertheless, their consecrated
places, persons, objects. and forms, for
the purpose of worship, which is the
first and simplest of religious express
sions. Finding language inadequate to
convey his sense of submission to the
Deity, man prostrated himself to the
earth, that this act might be a symbol of
his humility. Words being too few for
his gratitude. man built altars and threw
thereon a portion of his wealth, as evi-
dence OF his recognition of the gift and
the Giver.
SYMBOLS OF MANS FEELINGS.
From these crude beginnings man de-
veloped the various symbols of his feel
ings as they are seen to-day in cathedral,
mosque, church, and synagogue, in
the numberless rites, customs, ceremo-
nies. holidays, and observances that are
the accomplishments of the various wor-
ships of the world. AS kings and princes
spent vast fortunes in the rearing Of
palaces as symbols of their royal dig
nifty. so man has spent years and years
In the slow upbullding of cathedrals and
consecrated houses Of devotion.
The Rabbi then touched upon the
Cathedral of st. Peters at Rome; of the
one at Cologne, of the Notre Dame at
Paris, spoke Of the time occupied in their
building, of the vast treasures Of
art and skill and genius embodied in
them-all TO be a symbol Of mans reve-
renee for his God.
Judaism. however. because of the rab-
binical Interpretation of the Second Com
mandment against the making of
images, had turned Its symbolzation
away from the channels OF the plastic
arts. and had constructed an elaborated
ritual with an almost endless detail Of
minutiae of benedictions, forms, and
ceremonials, for both public and private
worship With the Jew, every act of
life. every phenomenon Of nature be-
came consecrated by a benediction and
an association with the Omnipotent
Creator and His oyerruling providence.
IL was q beautiful thought that thus
made the doctrines of faith to be taught
by tangible symbols, and in great
measure 1t was the spiritual salvation
of the Jewish people. His mind and his
heart would have followed In the de-
graduation Of his body had not they been
uplifted my these tokens Of redeeming
faith.
JEWISH OBSERVANCES.
The speaker then touched upon num-
ber of Jewish observances, spoke OF their
beauty. and said that much, however
had been done away with, because the
people began TO mistake the means for
the end. 1t got to be so that the OBJ
servance of the ceremony began 10 be
more considered than the thought for
which the ceremony stood. The value
of n ceremony lies not in its observance,
but in the thought OF whicn II Is a
symbol; we must realize that the symbol
is only the helper to nobler thoughts
and kinder deeds, not the chief end IN
itself. 1t is the vehicle of conveyance
not the Journeys end, and symDol IS
svaluable as far as 1t IS thus understood