The Jewish outlook., 1908-07-03
The Home as a Preservative
Of Judaism

uOIIlc nave Ill StoTc lOT tHclT
Is it to be wondered that there are
many young Jewish people who have
no Jewish ideals to pursue. no knowl-
edge of their past history and no def
mite conceptions of any religious prin-
ciples. who are neither Jews in faith
nor of any other religion. but whom.
by more historical and racial associa-
ton. we can at best describe as jew
ish infdels. 1t is pleasing to know. on
the other hand that many an indif1er-
ent Jew has. on his marriage to a
piolis woman. been brought in closer
communion with his people and Juda-
ism than he had been before and has
been induced to attend school. per-
form his domestic devotions. comply
with all the duties en- joined by the
faith and the result has been that in
this home Judaism has been especially
strengthened and preserved. But,
when from the first. both husband and
wife have been true and faithful
Jews. then the results have been to
absolutely preserve Judaism. by the
influence of their examples to not only
their own children. but to their des-
ccndants after them That the inhu
ence of the home is great in the pre-
scrvatiOn of Judaism may be inferred
from the fact that our Rabbis have al
ways associated a pious life with early
marriages. Thus one Rabbi declared
that his extensive knowledge of the
Torah was due to the influence of his
wife. and he added. that had he mar
ried earlier his acquaintance in its
study had been greater and so was
Luther. that Christian rcformer. of
the same opinion that early marriage
was conducive to pious life.
But woman as mother claims our
highest praise for the influence she
is able to exercise in the preservation
of Judaism in the home and for her
making the home the preservation of
Judaism. 1t is she who is chiefly the
instrumental i'm teaching the young
idea how to shoot.
1t is the mother who bends lovingly
over the cradle of the infant and
guides its wandering gaze and gives
il the first lesson of religious faith. 1t
is the mother who directs the little
uciTt anu CIiS'S W.
gethcr i'm attitude of prayer and it is
she who draws forth the earnest lisp
ing accents of the Shcmang and thus
early teaches it the first principle of
faith. 1t is the mother who lovingly
dons her child with the Arbong Kan
fouth and thus gives it the first out
ward symbol of the inwardly pious
thoughts. of Cod S sovereignty over
the four corners of the universe and
of the blue heavens. and finally it is
the mother who aids the father in
their joint endeavors to train their
children in the path of Righteousness
and by their pious examples in their
home-life. their observance of the min
ute details of the Dietary laws. the
home devotions and personal pure
lives. give their children the best
dowry it is possible for parents to Of
fer and which will ensure and remain
for all time. So that when in the
course of events they are brought to
the Chuppa they carry into their new
homes the virtues of true piety, faith
ful observance of religious ceremOn-
ials and temperate lives and when. as
in human destiny it must be. that the
old die giving place to the new genera
tions. with what affection and rever-
cnve will these long remember the
pio,ls lives and examples of those. and
whose memory shall be preserved ever