The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-05-24
FESTIVAL OF THE Law
ISRAEL WILL KEEP A FEAST AT
UNDoWNTHURsDAY
Homily on the Ten Commandments IN
Which Rabbi Edelman Explains
What the Day Means

One of the greatest events which ever
hammered in the world was the revelation
of God on S.nais Mount, on which occa-
sion the ten commandments were pro-
claimed in the presence of hundreds of
Israelites. says Rabbi A. W. Edelman.
These ten commandments which, accord
ing to a traditional account, were given to
Israel on the sixth day Of the third month
of the civil year Jour Shabuoth festivai
day., form the spirit and essence OF all
moral and religious thought
Whatever we may think Of the ancient
and modern nations who have largely con-
trIbuted to promote the great work OF CIV
ilization and humanity. it cannot be DIS
puted that the Hebrew race, by the pro-
mitigation of the ten commandments, mas
rendered more service to the world ano
mankind than all the ancient and modern
nations combined. Little as these ten are,
they contain more moral teaching than
whole library full of precious books. They
have made their journey through the whole
world; they are known everywhere, and
whichever synagogue, chapel, church or
other place of worship man attends, the
ten commandments are there and form the
main pillar Of religious and moral life.
These ten little words proclaim one great
God, they denounce every kind of idolatry
and superstition, they command the strict
est utterance of truthfulness, they enforce
the sanctification Of the Sabbath, they de-
mand that children should honor and re-
we're father and mother, they impress upon
every individual the strict duty to keep
sacred human life, to guard holy human
property, they enjolu upon us to keep up
in the purest spirit the intimate ties Of
our domestic sphere, not to bear false testi-
mony against thH good name and standing
of our neighbor; they ask Of us to be con-
tent and happy with the little we have, and
last but not least, not to envy or covet
anything that belongs to our neighbor.
Tradition tells US that these ten COM
mandments are written upon two tablets.
and that the writing was the writing Of
God to render them imperishable. He en-
graved the precepts opposite each other,
that each might In illustration refer to its
neighbor; he arranged them and inscribed
them five against five.
In pleasant accents he first proclaimed:
IT am the Lord thy God, who brought thee
out Of the land Of Egypt 'and opposite 1t
he said "Thou shalt not commit murder"
that one might make the other fully I'M
derstood. When human beings stumble
and commit boodshed, it Is as IL they pre-
sumptuously destroyed the likeness Of God;
for in the image Of God he made man.
In the second He inscribed: "Thou shalt
have no other gods before me-" And on
the other side he admonished, saying:
Thou shalt not commit adultery" So ap-
propriately was each word spoken, indi-
eating thereby, that they who deny God
resemble those that commit adultery. In
the third he commanded: "Thou shalt not
take in vain the name OF him who search
eth the hearts Of all men," and opposite
He admonished by saying: 'Thou shalt
not steal,' to aggrandize myself: for he
that will steal, murder and commit adulte-
ry, will surely end by false swearing.
In the fourth commandment He said:
Remember the sababth day to keep II
holy" and opposite He admonished them
by saying: "rhou shalt not bear false wit
ness against thy neighbor." Thus reading
one against the other, It pronounces the
Judgment that they who wlllfully profane
the holy Sabbath are as though they bore
false witness against the Lord. But when
man observes the Sabbath. and doth not
profane It, he beareth witness that the
world was perfected in six days; for We are
my witnesses, said the Lord, that am the
Eternal.
In the fifth commandment He recorded
that everlasting precept, Honor thy IA
Their and thy mother" and on the opposite
He said: "Thou shalt not covet anything
which belongs to thy neighbor." This pre-
1ot,
whoever stumbles through covetousness is
destined to have rebellous children who
will curse and disgrace their parents.
Thousands Of years have passed away
since the ten commandments were first pro-
claimed upon Mount Sinai, and to the great
credit OF Israel II must be said That they
have remained true to the covenant made
by God with their forefathers. And
though we have since that distant day,
again and again experienced all kinds Of
oppression and persecution, yet, did we not
submit to the dictates of either church or
state, to give the inalienable rights Of men.
The more Israel was depressed the more
they chung to its observance. They were
like the traveller in the fable, who, the
stronger the wind blew against him, held
more firmly to the cloak that gave him
comfort. And they succeeded. Indeed,
they could not fail. The divine prediction
had pronounced 1t should be so, and II could
not be altered.
Let US remain true to the observance of
these ten commandments; let US cling to
them with all our hearts. and bequeath
them untarnished to our children, for 1t is
through them that God will accept the