The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-10-19
MAINTAIN IDEALS.


For the maintenance and PRONUNCIATION
of these ideals the synagogue is nsces-
sary as necessary rs is bread for ths
maintenance of physical existence. But
that is far short of true life which does
nothing more than seek its bread and is
satisfied when bread is put into its mouth.
Man does not live by bread alone" The
brute is living its life when it has found
it's food. and then with glutted stomach
sleeps till hunger. shall cause it to seek
its food again. Is our life to be lived
only for the food that stlstains it, and
there be no thought, no hope. no IDEAL
higher than .he qualification of material
desires? There are some human beings
that 50 think and act. but | can see no
place for them in the economy OF human
progress except to remind us OF what we
should not be. Tire are those. similarly,
who think that their full duty in religious
life is done when they. so to speak, pro-
vide its food. They conceive that their
whole task is performed when they heio
maintain the synagogue. when they pay
their dues and their pew rent. when they
occasionally attend the service. and may
hap send their children to the Sunday
school. Beyond this they feel no moral
obligation no religious responsibility. no
spiritual accounsableness, no perscnat
amenability to conscience or to the laws
of truth or honor or justice or righteous
ness.
You -eproach them that they are not
doing their full duty as Jews when they
live their life thus, upon low. sordid
and sensual level They are indignant.
Not true Jews? Why. do they not pay
their dues? Do they not even condeseend
to come occasionally TO the service?
What if they do find iife's fullest meas
ure in the pursuit of sensual pleasure?
Do they not help to maintain the sy,nt-
gogue? This is synasogism. But it IS not
Judaism.
Judaism is more Than Institutional It
is personal. II is for more than one day
in the week. 1t is for every hour of con-
scious life. 1t is more than worship by
ritual. 1t is the worship of conduct *
is a service that has no stated hour or
place, but should be performed at ell
hours and in every place. in business
pleasure and rest. Il is the santitication
of life as service unto God. 1t is aie
sautiticatiou OF the name of God by nobta
conduct done in Els name. Isaiah v. i6
says: God. the Holy One, is sanctifietf
by righteousness. Prof. LaZa rus in hfa
Ethics of Judaism (vol. IL. page. l5) sag
that this thought of "the sanctisicatio.
OF Sod, the Holiest Being. through man.
may be called absolutely the most AUDI
ciotis, the most exalted. $ . the subIimese
, notion of the human mind" And this fa
Judaism-this sanctifieation OF life. this
rule of conduct that is framed and guild d
by the thought of God.
A man may be good and honorable IND
righteous or purely ethical even utiI:ta-s
rian grounds. So he can, but Gas Prof.
Lazarus exemplidsdI IL every act OF his
is performed with the thought OF his par
ents ever present-ta give then, pleasure,
to honor them. TO show gratitude to them,
his deeds may remain unchanged. bar
they have a ncbier meaning. q dner value.
EhyfS f1 ar fer F1spr rtasS-G 10
life ennobled and giorified with tha
thought of God. For thus is God TO BIO {
sanctitied through Israel before the eyes
Of the nations-not by ritual nor lengthy
ceremonial. nor elaborate liturgy. bur by
the sanetifcation OF life. the ennobta-s
mert OF conduct. the enriehmost * ehAN
actas. Tax isis - Juasi&eA