Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-09-14
JEWISH NEW YEAR.
,r nay or AToNEMENT BEGAN
At SUNSET YESTERDAY.
SERMON By REV. DR.. /. N. CALISCH.
,b,c EGort at Retb Ahaba syn"-
,oeuc-SerVIces ut Ncneseth ~
.ot-. uofy-Day of Fasting and
prayer.
fort nj ncth Ahaba Synn-


.......r began az sunset yesterday end
,.n last until sunset to-day.
visa period OF prayer and fasting in
7-,r 10 is time when cares OF the
..,,f and ,ho affairs OF this life are laid
...s. and The hours are spent In prayer
.-f meditation. Business is laid aside,
.-5 .r The chamber Of penltence the de-
,.s. of ihc Hebrew faith will spend to-
CAST
There viii be services throughout the
a., at the Richmond synagogues. The
,rai of devotion began at Beth Ahaba
eoeuo last night with a sermon by
r.u =. " Calisch. The beautiful syna-
e was packed 10 the doors. The ser
ra was one of surprising eloQuence.
Ile seryices were Of the most solemn and
oppressive character
THE SERMON OF DIR. CATISCH.
ur. Calisch's text was: Il will be like
Size dew 20 Israel. and he shall blossom
I,e the rose, and strike root Ike the
c..ars OF Lebanon" Dr. Calisch said;
The iengthening shadows bring 10 us
solcmn message. as they herald the or
coming Of the evenings hush. Ihese ivuI
and twenty hours now beginning 90 hOiu
FOR us the sacrosauct period or year
devotion. The wcstcrng sun hnBer3u, as
with parting kiss upon the faulant lips OF
the horizon. and then gave way TO the
soffenine influence Of the twilight and the
carly stars. The solemn stiffness Of the
rlehi viii soon hold sway. and the work
irc world VIII be- 40 rest. Herein is SYM
io. for u.s. gathered in our house Of
prayer. We have come together 10 give
ourselves over to the sanctfyng impulse
C.. Che atoncmcnt eve. The garish light
o. worldly ambitions worldly thought
and worldly avocc ions has faded from
our v.ew and the solemn stiffness Of de-
SOD, meditation holds us in its embrace.
"Tbo chamber OF penltence into which
$50 sre entering can be trod only by feet
tilt age shod with honesty and with the
sincere and fervent desire for atOnement
T.t that chamber is shrouded in dark
ness And he who would walk therein
re bear with him a light. or he will
are in blindness and stumble and fall
al what is the light that one may hear,
rs. .he way may be lit before him, ana
tsrsv see 20 go?
sclu we place reliance upon our deeds
M walk in the light Of their achieve
mems. 10. as We cali in solemn review
fta deeds that We have done and took
them over with the calm and earnest
vision OF impartial Judgment. we find
th.t indeed, their light has faded from
them. their glittering is gone. The tri-
umphs that seemed SO splendid in the
view 0f worldly Judgment have become
ia.k-ustre and overcast with the shadow
q. impure motive. The brilliant -epa~.ee
r1w has become witless and dull in the
presence nj the pain il sent into a lro-
M
tce That we so Rloried in: OH how il
las become darkened and Swallowed Icy
tt cloud of selfishness that enveloped it,
And that bold business venture we made
ar.splendelt victory. was it not then, but
row how the heavy gloom of unworthy
0l INSCRIPTIONS action hangs over it,
s these be our guides 10 illumine the
rr. 20 guard our stumbling feet in the
suuled chamber of penitence?
THE REAL STRENGTH.
"Nay hardly so. The real strength Of
us les not in the seen, but in the unseen;
i0f 10 The material but the spiritual
What Ue shall look 10 now is not the
l. sl much as the motive Of the deed.
a spoken word and q deed that is done
Ore 'hiugs like yesterday-fOrever beyond
la.aI The arrow flies from the bow, ard
OIL. an the strength of Sampson nor all
ght. or with certainty forecast its land
.s-place. Our words and deeds are ar
lows that we shoot from the culver Of
le We cannot know how they fall, or
when, or where: we only know how we
aimed them; what We intended them TO
Arrows may be tipped with poison.
end such are words and deeds that are
sgd with heartless selfshness. with sin
purpose. or unrighteous motive. Ii
.-sn happens, IN the wisdom of God,
l- The plan most skifully cOntrived to
benefit ourselves and TO hurt an enemy
l-oss. TO be a boomerang and recoils TO
"l-k us damage and pain. And again,
o.r nIblest intentions are often PERM
ls n their accomplishment. Yet, in
Goo latter instance. we have the solace OF
a- hllwledge Of our pure motive, while
in ihs former there is the added pang OF
me consclOusness Of guilt. And / tell you
Gear friends, that that consciousness is
zee cole source Of strength or Of weak
ie'a 20 us in all the critical and strenu-
, hours Of life. IN the great tragedy
, has been played upon the stage Of
france. 10 was the consciousness Of suit
4 drove one man 10 the cowarily re-
0f self-destruction: it was the con-
slslcss Of innocence that sustained
L victim through the infamy of his de-
t-.ttl0n and the years OF his diabOiical
torture 1t is the consciousness Of your
gum or innocence that makes you trem-
,e or be calm as you face the tribunal
o., judgment
a TRIBUNAL OF JUDGMENT.
'It is "a tribunal Of judgment that YOU
az facing tonight, and one that in
Gres not into the deed but into the
motive Of II. That tribunal is your own
cience-your own knowledge OF the
motives OF your conduct. You cannot
Deceive yourself. no more than YOU can
cfceive the All-Secing Eve Of Omniscient
G1d. No matter how the deed resulted.
sou know what you wanted 10 do; no
On tier what effect that speech OF yours
taught about, you know what you
wanted 10 do. And I'm this solemn and
awful hour Of judgment, when YOU stand
is in the shadow OF ihe presence Of
c.afh with all earthly pomp shOrn from
Fnlrance. all your understanding as
tolrh 10 had never existed. what
Strength have you 10 sustain you?
aefein IS the source Of power to up
L..1 y0u2
'Our truest life Is our inner life, and
y. thoughts and ideals become our rich
t blessings, IL We direct them In the
oD, channels. AS that. which IN IT'S
i-i-s, form. IS love, chaste and beautiful
Ue divine, may become in LIS impure
I'm mere lust and passion 30 our giits
mind and heart may become mes
Ntefs or heavenly beauty and comfort,
ihehlals W heliish ugliness and discon-
tNl according as we direct them. Ard
.Htiein Is the value Of our devotion that
. bulofs OUR thoughts and longings into
", avenues Of the beautifui and the
4he prophet says: God shall be
u'" unto Israel. and he shall blossom
iie rose and strike root as the Leba-
GOD FROM WITHIN.
AN InrIfah ecf..ffrt ,-..1...t.. ..a.....o1J