The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-09-27
1.-THE JEWISH IDEA
OF JUDGMENT DAY"
Or. NeWfeId Delivers Interest
ing New Years Discourse
THE BAY Is EVER PRESENT
Rabbi Points Out How Rosh Hashonah
Spells Awe to the Soul of the Jew.
breaches at Temple
Emanuel.
THE BAY is EVER PRESENT

choir director, had trained double quar-
tet composed as follows: Mrs. e. G.
Chandler and Miss Everett Mcguire So
pranos; Mrs Morris Newfield and Miss
Ida Nunnally, altos; A. Gels and B. L.
Michaelson, tenors; Mr.. Posner and
Wyatt Heflin, bassos In addition to
the above Glen 0. F'riermood had the
part of baritone soloist On Friday night
the musical service was sung in this
order:
ESQ Enai, Schlesinger.
Into the Tomb" Schlesinger.
1.-THE Lord Hath Wonders" Hitler.
Song of Miriam Rubinstein.
Baritone solo, Patiently Have /
Waited for the Lord Saint Saens.
praise the Lord" Randeggar.
EN- Keahenu," Schlesinger.
All the music was fine but the piece
that was said to have been notably beau
! tiful was the "Song of Miriam" rendered
by Mrs. Chandler and the double quar-
tet. Mrs Chandler was never more artist
like or musicianly and the ensemble of
the choir was singuarly strong Ind fin
! ished
The same double quartet will be heard
ming Sunday evening, October 4.
Rabbi Newfield at the services yester-
day morning, took as his theme, 1.-THE
Jewish Idea of Judgment Day." DR.. New
field spoke as follows:
Our American poet-Prophet Emerson
said: Our faith comes in moments, our
vice is habitual.' Such a moment of
holy faith ara WE axnariapcinp nou Tn
the traditional language of our religion,
the day is called One of the Awful Days
and indeed, it is day that spells awe
to the soul of the Jew. Not that there
is anything racial, provincial or secta-
rian in the sublime significance Of Rosh
Hashonah. If our New Year day Is any
thing, it is universal; it is inclusive of all
humanity; 1T sounds the deepest notes
of the universally human and hence
evokes the highest tones of the Divine
in us. In this respect our New Year
day is unlike the historic festivals of
Judaism, which, while emphasizing prin-
ciples universal, are still intimately con-
nected with the racial development of
Israel. No so Rosh Hashonah our Day
of Judgment. 1t Is response of the
individual human soul to the call of the
Soul Universal.
ut emphasizes the appeal and rela-
tionship Of the Divine, to the human 1t
is for this reason that this day meets
with such quick response on the part of
all reared in a Jewish household and
trained In the exercise Of our Jewish con-
seriousness. This Day of Awe or Day of
Judgment therefore exercises peculiar
ly profound unique influence over the
Jewish heart and mind. 1t Is the day
above all days when conscience is per-
mitted to cast its searchlights into the
recesses of our SOUL disclosing to us, In
the silence of self-scrutiny, whatever of
good or evil, noble or ignoble, helpful or
harmful, had entered into our life It
may be argued that such self-scrutiny
can be exercised at any time. and indeed,
any moment may lend itself as vantage
point, to enter into a searching self-ex-
animation, disclosing to us how stupid,
base sinful may have been our lives:
how little redeemed by virtues of self
sacrifice, self-restraint, or philanthropy.
But what is the concern of every day
runs the danger of not being exercised
any day. And through lack Of emphasis,
our conscience may never speak to us.
For here too, the universal love of ma
ture is applicable: An organ which is
not used will become atrophied and ul-
timately disappear. Herein lies the dan
ger. We are SO strenuously occupied
with our business during the day and
are so intense in our chase after amuse-
ment during the night that our conscience
never gets the time nor the opportunity
to speak to our soul. Therefore, has Ju-
daism instituted this soul festival, this
New Years day and has made 1t the
vitalizer of our conscience, the reminder
that there is judgment day.
YEA, there is a judgment day, is the
all overshadowing thought Of our New
Year. 1t is expressed in the ritualism of
the day; it is summed up in the declara-
ton of the prophet so applicable to the
basic thought which occupies our minds
at this season. God is our Judge, God
our law-giver. He will save u.s." Qsaiah)
'If God is our judge it logically fol-
lows, that He the judge of all the earth
must do justice; no wrong can go I'M
punished no iniquity will remain unre-
Quilted, no wickedness can escape the
searching eye of the universal judge
who sets in Judgment over each individual
soul.
"The imagery of judge Weighing in
the balance the acts of men, spells a
most awful and profoundly philosophic
truth. 1t means that in a world where
justice prevails, judgment day can neith-
er be postponed nor avoided Year. there
is Judgment day. 1t is here and now!
For us Jews it is a profoundly helpful
conceit that we have universal judg-
ment day on Rosh Hashouoh. 1t is help
full for us because it is morally educa-
tive in the best conception of what con-
stitutes judgment day. And so l say,
that God verify sits in judgment today
even as we are hidden to sit In judgment
and let our conscience pronounce the
yerdict-a verdict to be registered in the
court Of the eternal.
And so it is that Rosh Hashonah i'm
presses us with the profound truth that
not only is there Judgment and justice
in the universe, but what is still more
important that there is judgment day and
Justice today, and now. Our sages very
ovtyxr cold ss,,oan is iudped every day."