The Denver Jewish news., 1923-09-06
Hokn1ath Israel
BY the Rev. M. A. SeEal, M. A.

to the spirit of Judaism. Thus they
created and bequeathed TO future gen
erations that precious collection Of
books known as the Hebrew Bible.
When the same problem appeared again
at the end of whnt may be described as
the Autonomous period in our history.
towards the end of the Antique Ages, n
similar solution was found in the com
pilation and redactiOn of the literary
products of the preceding age, which
thus gave us the Talmnd. We of to-
day must adopt the same solution If we
wish to save Judaism from extinction.
We must carefully compile, preserve
and study those literary monuments
Of the Hebrew genius which in the view
Of our best judge give the truest and
finest expression to the spirit of Juda-
ism. If we can thus succeed in pre-
serving and cultivnting the spirit OF
Judaism in literature. we shall enrich
md ennoble our own life. and. In addi-
tiOn. lay sure foundation for q great
renaissance Of Judaism in life, as well
as in literature. in the new epoch of
national regeneration in Palestine.
Our best minds seemed to have had
an intuition of this important truth at
the very beginning of the present emnn-
cipatiOn period. Early in the nieteenth
century when, as n result of the French
Revolution, the old Ghetto walls in
Western Europe were slowly falling to
pieces. and with them We're crumbling
away. but at more rapid rate. the cid
forms of Jewish life. Leopold Zunz
and his followers themselves the task of
preserving the Jewish spirit by Great
ing the Jewish New Learning. oras
our German scholars like to call 1t. the
Science OF Judaism. They explored
the vast range Of Jewish literature:
they published numerous old forgotten
texts. and made valuable and lasting
contributions to the elucidatiOn of the
history of Jewish life and thought. I'm
fortunately. their work was citiated by
two grave erors which largely nuilified
their undoubted success. Their work
was conceived on academic and strict
ly technical lines. thus making 1t in
ncccsihle to the general rrnder. -Fur-
ther, they wrote their hooks In alien
tongues. with nm eye to the Gentle
students ms much as. If not more than.
l.
thus becnme merely form of ApolOge
tics. 1t failed. therefore. to convince
the Gentle student. just because 1t was
apclogctic in tone and not strictly oh
jective. 1t also failed to strengthen the
Jewish spirit. because. owing to its aca-
demic style and its alien dress. 1t fniled
to reach the Jewish people'. Fortu-
nately, the Hebrew tradition survived
in Eastern Europe. While Zunz and
his disciples were busy in Germany
building up their Science of Judaism
KrochmaI. Rapoport. and Luzzato We're
working in Austria to lay the founda-
ton of the Hebrew New Learning. or
HOkmath Israel.
Z 1t is to the cultivation of Hokmath
Israel the study of our literature In
our Hebrew tongue that we must look
for the preservation of the spirit of
JJudaism in this disruptive age Of tran
sition. Any effort, therefore, which
tends to promote Hokmath Israel and
to population it must receive our hearty
welcome and support. Such an effort
is to be found in the magnificent under
taking recently launched by that in
defatigable scholar and editor, Mr..
Abraham Kahana.