The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-09-01
,r.dsc.ion., all eluc.dasins the original

trsdictions. all calculating the original
Biblical text.
The discourss will vary In length from
do not follow the speaker closely it would
som as II the whole were delivered IN
| Hebrew. This IN because 90 great q pro
portion OF the discourse h mado up OF The
biblical and Talmudical quotations. The
thread that unitss with Introduction and
comments the citations b couched In the
Hebrew German jargon. IL IL curious TO
ohe,rye how, when the rabbi begins the
recital Of one or another quotation. many
Of the auditors viii take up the r OF
the quotation and intone II In a low concert
There are a few Of the rabbits downtown
who deliver sermons In German. but these
are not connected with any Beth Hamed-
rash.
There are no definite times or seasons
for the delivery Of these di-couses Us
ually the rabbi will take advantage OF ths
houT between the afternoon and the even
ing service on the sabbath to deliver what
would be deemed a very short one. Then,
again, when the completion OF the rendering
Of a Mdssschfd. one Of the portions into
which the Talmud " divided Is celebrated
by a Cherrd Sehass. companions In Ial-
mudical study, by n Siypm, at which war;
GUS things goodly to the palate are par
taken Of, the rabbi also regales the crle-
bmnu with a Talmudical disquisi,ioh
which frequently takes the form OF a dts
cusslon Of the tractate that has been com
II would be fer from the truth TO sup.
pose hat the purport OF these studies ana
diScou-ss- IL exclusively theological IN the
general acceptance of the term. The lal-
mud. like the old Testa msnt, takes up
the whole duty OF man In all the various
relations of life, and even more than the
Bible enters into the minutest details 70
prescribe the conduct and guide the as
piations Of humankind through all the
..~..l ,lra.tpatau rs. and PNlRenCtfW OF
existence, dwelling moro perhsp~ on the
relations between man and man than upon
those between God and man.
Much of the subject OF study u there,
fore Of the nature Of J~urisprudence, ana
Il 4. strange 10 observe how complete a
body Of law In the modern sense lee EN-
bodied in this great production OF the
Jewish genius whose composition dates
back nearly 1900 years. Take up any
current legal digest and you wiz be able
10 complement nearly all OF tho distinc-
tions and the terminology therein to be
found by equivalents In the Talmud. Nor
"a IL the legal aspect Of things alone that
IL considered Throughout the study there
runs the constant contemplation of the
purely ethical conception OF mans reiA-
lions To human afairs
The most specifically ethical ~ the Jewish
intellectual activity. II perhaps the discourse
OF the Mapoid. the teller. tho preacher, who
must on no account hr c~onfounded with the
rabbi. The latter In his addresses applies
himself 20 what is known ~ the Hdldchic
elements 81 rabbinical literature. that which
Ia devoted 20 the logical. the legal, the in
~terpretstive. The Maggid utilizes the
Miirnshic portions. those which are nara
tive. homilctical. illuminative, a~necdotal.
He appeals 20 the hesrt and the imagins-
ton ~ the people. while the rabbi addree-es
himself to the mind Of the scholar. The
Beth Hamedrash is peculiarly a home Tor
scholars and It's precincts are therefore