The Topeka state journal., 1913-08-09
BY WILLIAM T. ELLISO

strange SlSnl. III lAAC SAAONNS0S
Warsaw and London and New York,
in the mud houses of Bagdad and
MosuI and in the remote ARABIA n
province of the Yeamen, there IS helu
a mysterious celebration. But II u
not confined to the dwellings, OF lts, tus
poor. In the palaces of the WorIo ;
richest bankers, in the Iuxurlous
homes of great jurists and schoIdts,
exactly the same kind of observance
may be seem =
the Passover, which for more than
three thousand years has been main an
tanned after the same faShloh. w
marvel at the pyramids of stone Win
their long life but they are only
stone-IifelesS things which the dry
air of Egypt preserves Here IN the
Passover is living custom, Whlch IS
carried through with the same tense
human feeling today as three thou
sand years ago. Here are herbs as
then. the roast lamb as then, the un-
Ieavened bread, and the househOIu
girt as for travel.
which has been unshaken by the
crashing to ruin OF all the eInplieS
that have lived since Moses flrst IN
stituted the ceremony, is marNel OF
history The Passover has lived
through the rise and fall of all the
world cOnquerors- 1t mas seen oI..1 pm
osophy and science transfor1neu- y.
Marvellous inventions, in contlnehtS
lndreamed of at its birth, have not
affected the Passover. 1t was old be
fore Buddha or Confucius was porH'
1t is more ancient than the Chrlsll'th Chr
era. All venerable things seem SouAS
alongside of this vitalized rite Whlch
today is kept over the whole earth-
The ChiId's Question.
Once a year. wherever devout Jews
keep the Passover, the children ASK:
Then the head of the house tells the
marvellous story of that dread Egyp-
tian night, when the CHOSEN Feople
were delivered and their oppressors
were punished by the supreme Vlsl-
tation of heaven. The story Is pest
told in the words of Holy Writ;
Then Moses called for all the
elders of Israel, and said unto them
Draw out, and take you lambs ac-
cording to your families, and Kill the
passover And ye shall take bunch
of hyssop, and dip 1t in the Dloou
that is in the basin, and strike the
Intel and the two side posts Win
the blood that is in the basin; ana
none of you shall go out of the door !
of his house until the morning. foT
Jehovah will pass through TO snlIe
the Egyptians; and when he Seeth |
the blood upon the Intel, and on ;
the two side posts, Jehovah will pass
over the door, and will not suffer /
the destroyer to come in unto your
bouseS to sInite you And We shall
observe this thing for an ordinance
to thee and to thy sons forever Ana
It shall come to pass, When ye are
come to the land which Jehovah
will give YOU. according as he hath
promised, that ye shall keep this ser
vice And it shall come to pass
when your children shall say unto
you, What mean ye by this service
of Jehovah's passover. who passed
over the houses of the chlldren OF
Israel in Egypt, when he smote the
Egvptians, and delivered our houses
=, rOannIa hnwRd the head ana
And the children of
Israel went and did SO; as Jehovah
had commanded Moses and Aaron, so
lid they.
that Jehovah smote all the frst-born
in the land of Egypt, from the hrst-
born of Pharaoh that sat on his
9hrone unto the first-bOrn of the cap
tive that was in the dungeon; and
all the first born of cattle. Ana
Pharaoh rose up in the night, he,
and all his servants, and all the Egyp-
tians: and there was a great cry in
Egvpt; for there was not house
where there was not one dead And
he called for Moses and Aaron by
night. and said. Rise up, get you
forth from among my people. both
go. serve Jehovah as ye have said.
Take both your 1ocks and your !
herds. as ye have said. and be gone
and bless me also. And the Egyp-
IlanS were urgent upOLl NAAC PCOEA0f
to send them out of the land IN
haste: for they said. We are all dead
men. And the people took their :
dough before it was leavened, their :
kneading troughs being bound up IN
their clothes upon their shoulders
And the children of Israel did accord :
ing to the word of Moses; and they
asked of the Egyptians jewels of sill 7
YER. and jewels of gold, and raiment; ,
and Jehovah gave the people favor
in the sight of the Egyptians, so
that they let them have what they
asked And they despoiled the Egyp- =
tians."
\ New Era for Nation.
The sun set that day over a COM
panv of Hebrew bondmen. The next
morning it rose over a free nation
The Passover is the independence day
of the Jew. 1t marks the beginning
of the new era. The observance is ,
good craftsmanship, as well as a wise :
religious observance. Even so do ma :
tions today mark their great days :
and commemorate their great men
The family life of the Jew was
solidified and made sacred by this :
Passover memorial; even as today the =
family altar binds the home into ~
oneness such as is promoted by no :
other single function. But the Pass I
over did more. This common usage, r
a common history ana c
, common delivery, has unified the d
Hebrew people. 1t has been one r
means for the welding together of b
he Jews. who have been called the =
miracle of history" since they have f
maintained their identity through all c
he centuries. This common me-
mortal supper binds the rich and the 2
Door together: it makes the Roths- y
,hilds Of London and Paris one with o
he oppressed Jews in Kishenen. L
The mysterious solidarity of the Y
Tews makes Zionism determining s
actor in all oriental policies As a t
nan from the East said to me the a
- anrnnOS of foolish war [