The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-01-02
RABBI CALISCH'S THEME.
An Eloquent Discourse on The SaLc'
tlfyins Power Of Love"
ITS GREAT INFLUENCE IN HUMAN LIFE.
IL Is the Essence of Existence and Rules
the WoIld-A strong Appeal To
Young Men to Follow the Paths
OF righteousness.

Rabbi Il. y. Calisch spoke last night IN
Beth Ahaba synagogue on the "Sanctify-
ing Power Of Love, being q discourse on
the Song OF solomon. lie said ia part:
The book. Song OK Solomon. or 'Canu-
cles, has been d sore puzzle TO many
plous commentators OK the Bible, because
Of its irreievancy to all things intended
for reproof, instruction and righteous
ness. 1t shares with the Book OF Esther
the distinction OF having tAe nan.c VI
God unmenUoned within lts pases. nos
oven an implied references " Lcsty peins
present
aIious reasons. both learned and Inge-
nlO-s, have OCea gwen -, ~ WHY IL
should have Dcen retained within the
canon or tie scriptures, Tor q fact, oil
is said and done, IL stlll remains iose
STORY, an erOtlc pccIA pure aud simple.
refreshing III It's nalvete, delightful In It's
unt elicd aruor, touching ia it5 uncvn-
sllO-s freedom from all prudlsn COnvosl-
NOA. but the world Ia gratelui mat IL
has been preserved, and the wise ulon Ok
O4d Oullded better than perhaps tney
knew when they bound this strins OK
tue heart richest music across the aArp
ol nan s ucllest heritage. ana added lnis
IG4o nOio 10 the meiooy of the sDitha1a-
MUM tnat celebrated me nuptials of hu-
man aspiration and divine mercy.
NOl NRlIlLN B1 SOLOMON.
solomon. cannot DO considered as hay-
ins been written Uy nlIn, unless IL might
perhaps have been at the end or his life,
when. having tasted the lees and dreg3
Ct lustful pleasures, from whose cup he
had 50 deeply drunk, he realized the fcll<
and frultlessnoss oI all that Is impure
and lnAOly 10 might rather have been
wTung from some righteous soul that
stood agAast at the eXCcsscs OF the King.
ana A. Written as q protest against has
mode OF life, possibly by q woman. as
the exquisite passages OF tenderness
The speaker here gave an epitcme OF
tho book and continued.
"IneOiosians. ancient and modern. have
tried 10 ulg hidden truths ana deeper
meanings out OF Do, but all To no pur-
pose. III might possibly nave been intend
ed as "a moral support 10 the people at
large, encouraging them 10 resist the
oiaila ishileilts or SENSUAL pssanism and
remain faithful 90 the simple virtues or
clinical mOnOtnelam as embodied IN tns
worship OF the God OF Israel. This Is It's
enurety. No single passage or verse can
be taken 10 refer 20 auY particular doc
trine or tenet, nor does it f0rcshadow any
new relation between Israel and God.
/ Tho ideal OF conJIeN union as existing
between God and Israel WAS always be-
fore uIe writer's OF The Ola Testament.
among the prophets Hosea gives voice
90 lt in bis beautiful passage. chapter l..
verses a and -. aud in this sense God
! is spoken sf in the second commandment
as being Jealous God
TOUCHES HUMAN LIFE.
However. let tho dOctrinal value Of the
/ song be what 10 may one thing Sc dd
Z know. hat u touches the handspring q
human life in the theme upon which II
I dweils. Love Is the essence OF oxisteace
/ the one thing superior a. all things OK
fefnal. thf one thing flff car ru'
/ bright sun in a darkonod sly. and nel0io
I in the hlackest nGht the sllverod radianos
/ ot the nightly orb attended bv her train
/ Cf shining stars. Re the love that Of
/ husband and wife or OF parents and chill.
orcn Whero there is pure Affection n II
/ as constant az the northern star invul
! nerahle % decay and ineIuctahle by time
! To can gift "a clown with grace. plant
! beauty in tho homeliost llnc9mcnts. make
/ q hero N coward. and turn "a vicious
I heart 20 purity. To has n cOnsccratinG
power that lifts 10 nohlest things W.
say that love ia blind " is not F0. f.ys
! i7 the keencr eye tho sixth sense tTu
/ perceives 800 tho object loved scnle nohlt
I quality. some trait or Characteristic hid.
I den 10 the duler vision ~ the world"
WOMAN'S LOVE.
! Tho speaker hero touched upon The
1 greater emotional capacitv ~ woman.
/ Mans love is n mans life a thing apart
/ IT'S woman's whole existence"
lle heart or o. WHO or mother 10
/ never sounded 1y tno pllmlAct "a reason
/ There l5 simply tie iatAOIA4ess depth v
/ uicCuou, and 10 tne object thereof ncvei
/ e1 unworthy lu tAe eyes OF tho WCrlu
]
The speaker then said how that love
7 causes a man 10 flee from evil and Il
/ sAlu Wrous, or lt not thus powerful, Il
/ causes hlM t0 hide his evil deeds from
/ those who love him. as the young mas
/ caught doing wrong bess that it be Ald.
/ 4eu from Als family.
/ "Ol. my brothers, he said, TO whom
/ has been given a noble ana scif-denyins
+ l.Fe-al whose knock tie doors Of "a wO.
D mama helrt have opened and there cam,
/ forth flood az absorbing anectlOu-Wll
/ SOU uot ae worthy Of tlat love- vii
/ you 500 aCt tLar you must deceive anc
/ knlW Wlelse Of your real self tarnish ant
dlsIslie the ideal which love has bull
/ about youf
APPEAL TO YOUNG MEN.
/ "Oh. young men, % whom, uayhap
/ this holy happiness has not yet been given
/ YOU hlre a5 fond and faithful "a Friend
! in tlo heart of your mother as ever 2
| mlu can have You DO not kndw. an(
| never can know. with what pain and
| agony she bare you, with what tender
! ness she loif v0u as 70 helpless infant Dr.
the refuge OF her bosom. with what anxi-
ETY. and s.eeuIn-H care sno NnNtl'd over
| your crib. with what joy she repeated
/ v0ur childish words and spcke again and
| again your clrn -y ard inchoate wit. row
/ she marveilsd in your growth OF mind
/ and hCdv and how tho unutferahle depth
/ ~ her love surrounds even now vOur
/ head with n halo that blinds her eye 20
| every defect and dulls her ear 10 ever
/ evil word. And viii YOU drown the love-
! light in those eyes with q fond ~ evil
| doa1r and beat AZ the portals Of her ears
Tho speaker closed with n beautiful ap-
] a frs ff q