The Denver Jewish news., 1919-11-19
GEORGE ELIOT ON JEWISH MA
TIONALITY.
(From Daniel Deronda.) J

the type OF obstinate adherence 10 the
superannuated They may show sool
abilities when they take up liberal
ideas, but as a race they have no de-
velopment in them.''
THAT is false !" said Mordecai, lean
ing forward again with his former
cagerness .'Let their history be
known and examined let the seed be
sifted, let its beginning he traced TO
the weed of the wilderness-the more
glorious will be the energy that trans
formed it. Where else is there a M
tion of whom it may be rs truly said
that their religion and law and moral
life mingled us the Stream of blood
in the heart and made one growth
where else people who kept AMI en-
larged their spiritual store at the very
time when they were hunted with Il
hatred as fierce as the forcSt-fires that
chase the wild beast from his covert: !:
There is fable OF the Roman. that,
swimming to save his Life, he held the
roll of his writings between his teeth
and saved them from the waters. l'nt
how much more than that is true OF
our race? They struggled TO keep'
their place among the nations like
hcroes-yea, when the hand was
hacked off, they clung with the teeth;
Tut when the plow and the harrow
aad passed over the fast visible slsns
of their national covenant, and the
fruitfulness of their land was stitlcd
With the blood of the sewers and plant
crs, they said, The spirit is alive, let
us make it Il lasting habitation--last-
ing because movable-so that il may
be carried from generation TO genera
tiOn, and our sons unborn may he rlch
in the things that have Deen. and
possess hope built on an uncianse-
able foundation. 3ney said it and
they wrought it. tho often breathing
with scant life. as in Il coffin, or as
lying wounded amidst Il heap Of slain
Hooted and scared like the uhrwned
aog. the Hebrew made himself enyied-
for his wealth AMI MisdnnI, and was
bled of them to fill the BATH of Ger-
tile luxury; he absorbed knowledge,
lie diffuse1 Il: his dispersed race WAS
II new Phocnicin working. the mines nf
Greece. and carrying their products to
the world. Tiia native spirit Nf onr
tradition was net to stand still. hut
TO use records as n seed, and draw
out the compressed Tirt.tes OF law and
,-ir,irhecy; and viilc the Gentle. WHO
h-d aid, What is yours is ours. and
n, Il ngcr yOurs WI; reading the let
ter of our law as dark inscription.
or as turning it.; rarcinncnis into
shOe-soleS for an army rabiG with luSt
and cruelty. our Masters We're still
cnlarging and illuminating with fresh
fed Interpretation. But the dispersion
was wide. the yoke of oppression was
spiked torture as well as II load: the
exile was forced afar among british
people. where the consciousness of his
race was no clearer TO him than the
light of the sun to our fathers in the
Roman persecution. who had their
hiding place in IA cave, and knew not
that it was day save by the DINNER
burning of their candles. What won
der that multitudes of our people are
ignorant. narrow, superstitious? What
wonder?''
Here Mordecai. whose SCAT was near
the fireplace, rose and leaned his arm
ON the little shelf; his excitement had
risen, tho his voice which had legun
with unusual strength. was getting
boarser.
What wonder? The night is unto
them. that they have no vision III their
darkness they are unable to divine;
the sun is gone down over the prophets,
pnd the day is dark above them: their
ohservances are rs nametess relies. But
which among the chief ot the Genrile
nations has not all ignorant multi
rude? They scorn our peoples Ignorant
ignorant observance; but the most nc-
cursed ignorance is that which has no
observancc--sunkt to the cunning greed
of the fox, to which all law is no
more than n trap or the cry of the
worrying hound. There is n ticarada-
ton deep down below the memory mat
has withercd into superstition. IN the
multitutlcs of the ignorant On three
continents who observe our>rites and
make the confession of the Divine
Unity. the soul of Judaism Is not dead.
Revive the organic centre: let the
unity of Israel which has made the
growth and form of its religion be
an outward reality. Looking toward
Il land and Il poiity. onr dispersed pco-
pie in all ends Of the Garth may share