The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-10-03

the city, ana one of the most holy
days in the Hebrew calendar celebrat-
ed. Services began last night and will
be conducted until 6 o'clock this even
ing.
The day is known by the Hebrew
names of Yom Kippur and Yom Hak-
kipurim, and is the last Of the ten sa-
cred days of which New Year or Rosh
Hashhonah is the first.
As its name implies, the holiday is
one of penitence and atonement, Of re-
pentance and prayer for the sins Of the
past year, and resolutions for better
deeds during the days to come.
Throughout the world the Jewish peo-
pie observe this day by prayer through
out the entire day. and a most rigid
fast, not the least nourishment of any
kind being supposed to pass the lips
of any Hebrew during the twenty
four hours during which the sacred day
is observed. The more devout also
spend the entire morning and after
noon in temple, and then by earnest
prayer, endeavor to erase all short
comings and faults of the days now
past.
Last nights services in the Linden
Street synagogue were begun at 7.30
o'clock with Mr.. Foster, the rabbinical
student from the Hebrew Union COL
lege at Cincinnati, in the pulpit. Mr..
Foster is the same young man who
was in charge of the New Year services
and who is a former resident Of this
city. His sermon last night was con-
else and thoughtful and thoroughly in
accordance with the spirit of the Day
of Atonement. In the course Of it he
sead:
MIR. FOSTERS SERMON.
Experience is a wise teacher II is mans &C.
cumulatcd knowledge of himself, his surround.
ings and their reciprocal influences, Throughout.
the centuries. Stored away in the rccesses OF
every brain is complete. authentic account
OF the doings and hopes Of the human race. No
lore Of ancient times can e'er be lost, though
it take centuries to unearth it. No hope
that ever swaycd the breast of primitive man,
that made him long for better things, though
better things to him be bad for us, achieve.
lnent of early days car be hidden from us. In
proportion as advance, can we peer with under.
standing into the past.
As we ransack in these modern days the store.
houses of all the knowledge Of the ages ourselves
o. this generation, do we bring to light the
treasures of the infant world, though far re.
moved. To understand self, the miniature crea.
ticn, the embodiment of all the forces, the re.
Election Of all the laws of the universe, is to
know what God is, and all. The more the in
dividual knows himself, the more willing is he
to guard the trust of past eras.
That most important bequest to man from
antiquity, we can feel it in ourselves, is his
desire to guide his actions by, or attempt to re.
concilc them with, his ideals. This often un.
conscious trait of human nature has been Of
inestmable value to civilization. What does it
mean, this pursuit Of ideals?
1t is the search for the moral life which man
considers most important and most worthy of
attainment. He has experimental many times
with many PHILOSOPHERS, and every one that has
not put as its first and foremost law, the neces
sty of the moral life has passed or is passing,
unwept and disgraced, into its grave. Whatever
may be their theologies, men must be moral.
They must regulate their conduct in the world
by the principles Of truth, generosity and right.
eousness. The spirit of this ideal Of morality
has been handed down to us from time i'm.
though the expressions Of it have
differed at various times. Man has put forth his
noblest effort in its attainment to reach it.
THEY CANNOT GO HENCE.
With that moral life which each man reaches
in the world will he vndicate himself before
God. Riches and honor cannot accompany him
hence. Our faithful friend, our only guide il
the consciousness OF having made our act and
our ideal one To prepare to face the Eternal,
we must harmonize our thoughts and deeds. to
''meet" our God; we must harmonizc our ideals
and our conduct. We cannot halt between two
opinions. II the Eternal be our God, il He be
our inspiration, we must follow Him. "Pre.
pare to meet thy God, o Israeli
As With individuals, races and nations must
''mcet" God, must realize in their life their
ideals of conduct. In so far as they fail to har.
me nize act and thought, do they perish forever.
Where the ideals are low destruction cometh
the speedier. Emerson somewhere says that the
ideals of one race in contact with another, be
The latter the victor or the vanquished, sur
render only to higher ideals. Rome studied
Greek thought, but could not feel to live Greek
life, so few Grecian slaves made mighty Rome
Grccan. Yet only SO far could Greek culture
reach as Greek thought and Greek life harmon.
lied. "Prepare to meet thy God, o Israel"
Search thy heart, Israel; consider thy ways,
D Jeshurun, whose prophets and teachers have
for many centuries ideals of life
which have guided the human family. Art thou
1t peace with thy God? 1t is proper for thee,
of all peoples, to ''meet' thy God. Thou, Is.
rael, art nation Of priests.
Privilege implies responsibility. God does not
love Israel more than He does any Of His chill
lren. God regards every man and woman, every
child, every created thing as Ills own "IIave
We not all one Father? Hath not one God ere.
,ted MS? Why then should we deal treacherously
'ne man with the other?" But Israel, by virtue
If His peculiar gift to humanity, is held more
esponsible for Ills trust than Is any other race.
IN manner incomprehcnsible to mortas, Israel
mas evolved from His consciousness the cearest
conceptions of Righteousness and Justice To
he very dawn Of history can be traced the
growth OF His religious ideas and ideals The
,randest contribution to the culture and civil.
,ation Of the human race is the Hebrews Bible.