Intermountain Jewish news., 1926-02-04
Faith and Ideals of the
Jewish People

Genealogical Society
by RABBI T.. VI. BlRSTEIN
Rabbi of Montefiore Synagog.
Salt Lake City
(Reported by Joseph Anderson)
(Continuation)
Truth, Justice and Peace
Is not the fundamental social teach
ing of Christianity: "Thou shalt love
thy neighbor as thyself," is not that
product of ancient lsrael's ideal
ism? Haven't our prophets shouted
from the housetops religion based
upon truth, upon justice and upon
peace? Has any other prophet cried
or proclaimed earlier or louder than
Amos, the truth that any religion
which pretends to serve God, but for
gets mans obligation to his fellow
man, is nothing but downright des-
picable idolatry? Has any human
mouth uttered the prophecies of our
Isaiah concerning the fatherhood Of
God and the brotherhood of man, con-
cerning an eternal, everlasting peace,
with more emphatic. more thrilling
more inspiring words than he?
But, that aside. l merely wish to
state in bringing these statements,
that much as he has been maligned
for being Grass materialist, or an
impractical dreamer, the Jew is like
every other person, human being
with human ideals, human aspira-
tions, human strivings. Some one
might be tempted to ask if that is
so, why should we be different, why
are we different from other peoples
Wherein does the difference lie be-
tween the Jew and any other people !?
Do we not all have the same ethical
code? Do we not all serve the same
Father in heaven? Granted, / say.
All, but we have our own way of
worshipping that God, for we have
built up and established an elaborate
system of customs and ceremonies
both for the home and the synagogue,
and this is the chief distinction be-
tween us and other peoples.
Then some one might be tempted
to ask: Well, why should we have
such distinction? Why should we
have those ceremonies and customs
that are different from those of other
peoples? And answer, because it is
inevitable. Every group, just like
every individual, has certain ways of
worshiping and certain ways of act
ing that are pleasing to that group
and the group is just like the indi-
vidual, who usually is more interested
in his avocation than in his vocation
in the little things that come into his
, life rather than in his great work
his great pursuit. He loves tc
decorate his home, he loves to deco
rate his faith, he loves to decorate his
, religion with decorations, with rib
bons, so to speak, that are pleasing
to him.
Beautifers of Life
} And so he puts festive clothing
/, around his festivals; he hangs jewels
, on his faith, and he loves to paint il
} romantic colors the cold gray facts OF
life. And the beauty that the human
/, being sees in these external coverings
) of these great lessons behind then
: make more enchanting, make mor'
3 inspiring, enhance the love that tn,
d individual has for the very object
: they cover, and that is why we hav,
} our customs and our ceremonies-be
! cause they are the beautitiers Of life
/, because they are the pictures we low
} to look at in order to comprehend thu
, deep meaning behind them, because
they are the historical wells that lent
enchantment and mystery to the sou
, of people.
| am going to tell you of some o
our ceremonies and let you judge o
their religious value to us, and o
, their beauty. am going to take yo,
with me into Jewish home tomor
: row night, for as you know, perhaps
, tomorrow night begins our Passover
, our annual festival commonwealth,
the deliverance of the 1sraelites on
of the hands of the cruelest task mas
ters of history, the task-masters o
Egypt. But | am going to take yo
with me to witness the special servic
that we have in the home on tina