The San Francisco call., 1897-08-16
LETTERS Of A
SACRED SCROLL
DR.. Voorsanger Ayers That
He Is Not an Enemy Of
Orthodox Judaism.
Only an Enemy Of Those Who
Profess to Be Orthodox Jews
and Are Not.
The Finishing of a New sepher Torah
of the Congregation Beth Mena-
chin Streisand.

The ceremony of dedicating ana finish
ing a new Sepher Torah for the Congrega-
ton Beth Menachim Streisand on Minna
street, near Fourth, yesterday afternoon
was rendered decidedly interesting by
some plain talk from Rev. Jacob Voor.
sanger, D. D. After prelude by the An
spacher band of the Pacific Hebrew Or
phan Asylum, Mr.. Voorsanger addressed
the large congregation. He read from the
Hebrew text, Now. Oh Israel. listen to
the statutes and judgments" He spoke
of the Torah of olden times which was
given to the children of Israel as a guide
of proper conduct when entering the land
which God had promised them. There
was the written law, he said, and also the
oral law. Moses in his appeal to the Is
raelltes held that they sh ould not add to
ordiminlsh the law as taught.
Dr Voorsanger said that generations of
teachers had added to the law, and the
law with those additions had been trans
u ltted from one generation to another.
docs the text mean tnat the law is i'm
mutable and Interchangeable? he con-
.lnued. "Does it n can that the constitu-
ton of Palestine should govern under
changed conditions of the world2 That
cannot be. Additions have been made
that are binding on the Je wish people. 1
appeal to you that there must be differ
ent Interpretation. The sages of Israel
understood that there were certain pro-
visions Of the law that could be suspended
according to the needs of the people The
law may be changed or suspended, but
the spirit of religion involved in the law
of God is Interchangeable. Humanity can
nt tadd 90 n limit oh hn cr,ir rif 0f Gnd
The Torah is the standard of human con-
duct fashioned by divine influence as
guide throughout the ages.
II do not inquire, said DR.. Voorsauger,
whether this ceremony to-day involves
a little commercial speculation in order to
get few dollars, but what l desire to
know is whether you in your individual
capacity, not as a congregation, stand
ready 10 swear allegiance to the Torah in
your daily life-to accept it as guide for
human conduct. That is pretty orthodox.
You have often heard 1t said that | am
an enemy OF orthodox Judaism, but. that
is not true. | am an enemy Of those who
profess to be orthodox Jews but who do
not live up TO the orthodox standard.
They do not make God their own inherit
ance. They want to make God the in
herltance of another man. The question
to be answered is, DO you live consist
ent lives? How do l know that you are
adherents of the Torah? How dc know
that you are worshipers OF living God?
Am | to know it because you call your
selves orthodox 1t is saying in Cali
fornia that talk is cheap"
DR.. Voorsanger quoted the ancient decree
that whoever should sacrifice himself for
the Torah should deserve honor and
greatness. He mentioned the devoted
services performed since 1850 by Charles
Hess. In closing he expressed the hope
hot hn Af h.. - Ii
observed and that the day would come
when the whole world would be filled
with the knowledge Of God.
l. Baer, president OF the board of trus-
tees of the con gregation, then announced
that he had been selected as auctioneer
TO sell the letters for sentences in the un-
finished scroll to the highest bidder. He
would have the privilege of bidding.
Many letters were sold for 81 each,
and ladies' were purchasers in several in
stances.
The altar was dressed in white, as it Is
on the most sacred days. The candles
were Lighted at the beginning Of the ser.
vice. The scroll was unrolled in the pres
ence of the congreg ation.
Ii word should be required to fill an
unfinished sentence of the Torah. whic
word should begin with the letter SIS.
then 1t would be appropriate that a man
named Saunders or Smith should bid for
the privilege of the letter
The following order of exercises was OBJ
served yesterday:
Prelude Anspacher Band of P. H. o. A. ;
address, Rev. Jacob Voorsanger, DID. !;
music, Anspacher Band of P. Fl. o. A.;
address, Rev. DR.. Isido Meyers, B.A |
finishing OF the writing of the Sepher
Torah, participated in by the congrega-
ton; music. Anspacher Band of P. H. o.
A. "Opening of the Ark" Cantor H. Sam
uelson and choir; music, Anspacher Band
of P. II. o. A. Adon Olam.