The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-04-14
THE LAST DAY
OF THE PASSOVER
Observed at Beth Ahaba With In
pressive Services,
DR., CALISCH'S FINE SERMON
lie Delivered an Eloquent Discourse
on "Thc Parting Guest )" and Spoke
Especially of the Passover fcs-
tiyal and Its Influence.

morning the last day OF the Passover was
observed with interesting services. kcV'
Dr. Z. y Caiisch preached an eloquent
sermon on The Parting Guest
lie compared the festivals Of the faith
OF his church 20 guests which abode for a
longer or shorter period and then depart
Cd. lie spoke especially OF the IassOver
festival. whose influence more. than all
others Is seen and felt In the home.
THE SERMON.
he said IN part:
The rabbis Of old compared the festivals
of our faith 10 guests, who come 20 US
in our homes abide wit1 us for longer
OF shorter period and then depart The
real point Of lhis comparison lies in the
fact that the festivals are 10 como into
our homes and be associated with the
most tender and sacred Of our human rel
ativcs Especially is this true of the
Passover festival whose influence more
than an others is seen and felt in the
home. Not only does 81 begin with Il
home service. In which the family is the
congregation. and the father the oiiiciat-
ing priest but throughout all the week.
whenever the family assemblies around
the sustaining board there is palpablc
ovj fence Of the presence Of the fcstal
guest.
And now when our guest is 10 part from
US. We have gathered here IN our commu-
ma home 90 speed his going.
Before Ne part. let us. however rs we
arc wont 20 do with guests. recall the
pieasantness OF the visit. and lis incidents.
Let MS emphasize the truths which the
Passover festival calls 10 mind.
The first great lesson Of the Passover
is that Of freedom. But freedom means
obedience 70 law and obedience TO law
necessitates knowledge of the law Lib
erty and light arc Synonymous When
under the spell Of Gods creative fiat the
world was redeemed from chaos. It's hrst
Gift from the Creators hand was light.
God said. Let there be light. We speak
Of day breaking forth from the prison of
night We associate dungeons with dark
ness and liberty with light. 10 ia sig
nihcant item that the ninth plague. the
last but one before the great emancipa-
tion. was one wherein darkness spread
over EGyprs land. but there was light
in.tho dwellings OF the children Of Israel
Exodus S.. 30
As c'oscly ass these two thoughts OF
light and liberty are associated in the
physical world no less so are they inter-
twined iu the mental and spiritual. There
can be- no mental freedom whore there IS
the darkness Of ignorance. there can be
no'spiritual liberty where the night Of SUI
perstition has not been driven away by
tho radiance Of "a reasoning and reason
able faith. How emphaucally has tho
history of Judaism demonstrated this
truth With but few exceptions every age
and Every generation Of Israel have found
fits teachers and saRes enjoying the widest
.atitude I'm religious investigation, the
fullest freedom in all religious discussion.
From tho very dawn Of its self-conscious
existence have the leaders Of Judaism
felt free 10 search and inquire, TO deve
and dig and To bring TO light the knowl-
edge and the treasures Of the faith. We
would be false TO the whole spirit Of our
teachings did we deny 10 any the right
10 know edge the right 10 be free the
right 30 possess the light Let others
hide any mysufy let others hold things
inviQlable by scrutiny. but for US let there
be liberty and light; the widest liberty TO
know and understand the brightest light
which the lamp Of learning can shed.
a DUTY. TOO.
Nsy, more Not only is this a privilege;
IL is q duty. The rabbis taught AN ig-
norant man cannot be a completely pious
one. There are many duties he does not
perform because he does not know them.
Ignorance is a blemsh and religious ig-
norance q sin. Therefore the first great
sentiment accumulated now in the parting
Of the Passover is that we shall bend
ourselves 10 obtain q deeper knowledge
OF our faith. that we may have fuller
freedom in our lives. Trim the torch 0,
the Torah that It's light may ilumine
your homes may radlate throughout your
daily lives. may make bright the path for
you where your feet do daily tread.
The second thought 10 be again empha-
sized Is that Of faith being home pos
nehcent and most beautiful strength in
the home worship. There is no pedagogy,
whether from desk or pulpit. that can
compare in effectiveness, with the in
Etruction that is given in the home. No
preacher. however gifted, and no pastor
however eloquent can claim the heart
as does the parent. There is no peda-
gogic system. however scientific, that i'm
presses the waxen tablets OF childhood.
as does the tradition that is handed down
IN the hearthstonCs circle. IL was with
his Enthusiastically keen insight into
human nature that the law-giVer ordain-
cd the service for each house hold 50 that
when your children shall see this SER
vice and ask YOU what YOU mean there
by Exodus xii. 2O then each father
shall explain. And what salaried official
could ever chain the child's attentive ear
as can the father?
.Nol Only the follofloAS lNrAfNfAf'u -
the most powerful, but what the child
unVltiingly obsorhs goes further still
Environment is a most puissant factor
and al the more potent because being
unconscious. fl Is unreslsted. TIE atmos-
phere Of reverence the benign influence
OF the spiritual communion of a loving
household these are the things that will
Inner like The fragrance OF crushed
rose long after the action that produced
them shall have ceased.
A further Injunction our speeding guest
thus gives US 10 make faith a domestic
possession. Let every home be a sane
tuaiy. every near hstorc an altar. every
father an officiating priest
The final lesson 10 be accentuated IS
that OF hope for the future. That Pass
over ritual IS a Story Of the past. II
deals With history made. But ever and
anon the refrain OF hope is heard sound
Ing joyous note for moro glorious
future. LCshauah habooh"-"the year
that Is 20 come claims our attention.
Whatever demands the buried ages may
make upon our unfOrgetting loyalty, how
ever deep our pride In our peerless past.
let Us not give 20 IL all Of our energy.
it IL a pleasant thing To be able 10 point
with pride TO an heroic ancestry. bu. *
is q nobler deed 90 DO sonnet hing TO make
yourself worthy Of that ancestry-sO 20
conduct your ne that your descendants
IL L. ..H.N