The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-09-20
LETTERS TO EDITOR
Rabbi Mendelsohn's Sermon

To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
 Little better, perhaps, than a publican, the writer went into the temple to pray" last Sunday evening. with the Jews, on the solemn feast of the making the law. and he then and there heard a sermon from the lips of Rabbi Men delsohn, the infinite depth and expan- sbility of which must needs be appre- ciated by Jew and non-Jew. Explain ing the occasion in terms which are familiar to all the rabbi for himself publicly asked of the congregation for giveness of his transgressions against them; but, conceiving that such general profession of contrition and sorrow was of small worth, and but cheap article of piety, he went further and prayed of the individual members of the assembly. that if any of them had aught against him for anything he had done or said, shat that member would tell him of his fault, and that he would not only ask forgiveness of him whom he had offend ed but that he would return to the pull pit from which he was speaking; make DuDllC acKnOWleuStHlclll Ol iilS lddil, and in the presence of all. would ask forgiveness of him whom he had wounded.
 He admonished his hearers of course that by virtue of the duties of his of- flee he was called upon on occasion to say many things which. but for the obligations resting upon him as pastor of the flock, he would pass by unnoticed, and he urged upon them that they weigh well
 t..e dtltt in n " tenuat!on of his offenses; but he disclaim- ed perfectness, of judgment and frankly admitted that he might have ovestepped the bounds of his obligations in his over zeal. but that even such pastoral ex- cesses were culpable, and that therein would lie his fault, and that for any such excess he was perfectly willing. then and there in the presence Of all to make atonement
 He then urged upon the members or the congregation the duty resting on them to TO likewise, urging upon them the es- necial obligation in this behalf on the occasion. and reasoned with them, most impressively, that sif from their hearts, they forgave the transgresslon or thelr brothers, that God must needs forgive them. as it was not possible that they could exceed God in mercy, Justice, or forgiveness, and that though the opil- cations resting OH thSii o'i 'iii' wv" sion 10 forgive all who had offended them. there would result that atonement with Cod for which the solemn feast was ordained, and the offerings under the law were made for all the people.
 The rabbi's comparison of this great country of ours with Father Abraham exnedition against the robber kings wht had captured his brother Lot, was very happy. .h .nifsst and nrofansed unselfishness of Abraham and his beholdingness to God only when heinz urged by the King of Sodom te fake to himself all the goods when ne had taken in the expedition, Abraham refused to take thread, or shoe- latched or anything, lest the King oi Sodom should be able to say that ne had made Abraham rich. NO, AprahaH health. and his wealth, ana ms pros, ner;tv were of God and not Of man, ana tho rabbi likened our country Tn us par ticipation in the great world-war Tor tne ,iheration of our brothers who nave fallen into the hands of robper Kings te Abraham and prayed the blessings ol God upon it's emulation Of the noDis and the yirtuous example of Abraham. In the language of. Sir Phillip sidney here is sweet food of sweetly uttered | knowledge.
 l Birmingham, September 1s, 1918.