Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-09-23
Teaching the Law


IL was Nehemiah who organized the returned ex-
lies and rebuilt the walls Of Jerusalem. which had
been broken down BY the soldiers OF Nebuchadnezzar
almost $50 years before.
But even after the city walls had been rebuilt. and
Jerusalem thereby rendered comparatively safe from
the attack Of swarming enemies. there was need for
rebuilding another wall.
This was the wall OF the law. which. separating
the people Of Judah from al other nations. made rf
the jews q peculiar people and gave to them their
national unity.
The law had been ignored for more than . rem
fury and was all but forgotten by the people.
The 10 years Of exile had been most disastrous to
the law Of Moses. During those long years Of associa-
ton with alien people the exiles naturally had ac-
quired many Of the habits Of Babylon and ut the
same time lost many Of their own ideals.
: Temple worship was impossible and that genera
ton which had never seen the temple lost all inter-
est in the temple. Public study Of the law was al
most impossible and probably its exercise was dan
eerous. Home study Of the written law was neglect
ed and soon suspended.
In many respects, the people Of Judah became
similar TO the people OF the land In which they lived
as exiles.
A dozen years after the return OF zerubbabel there
were Jews so years Of age who had never heard .
public reading of the law.
TO rebuild the broken wall Of the law became he
task Of Ezra. Even before Nehemiah came mp from
Babylon TO rebuild the fallen walls OF the THY -A
had come to reestabish the ceremonial law In the
temple.
Then Ezra passed from the pages OF the story foi
n wears there was no written mention OF his name
What he was doing during that period Is mere con-
lecture: we do not know where he was or how ne was
engaged.
ant AZ last he reappeared and began his program
Of educating the people in the law once delivered y
their fathers.
II was the missio nof Ezra to revive the Legally re-
ouired custom OF publicly reading the Scriptures %
the assembled people. Eut the narrow streets OF tne
r,tv afforded no adequate meeting place for the multi
tude. A TT meeting place was found, however at tne
p.ter cate. through which the people brought 10
upoter frcr the valley Of Gihom. Here the multitude
assembled and here Ezra. with Is assistants. spent q
half dav reading clearly and distinctly the written "a"
Of the Hebrew race.
The results Of this first public reading OF the law
were manifold. The people were stirred 10 tears
when they remembered their sins and how they naa
forgotten the law of their God. They hasteneo 70
renew the covenant into which God had entered Win
their fathers. but which had passed from their mem
cries during the years Of exile.
From the reading. they acquired q revelation OF
new duties. which they were eager to perform. They
became eager to hear more Of the law read ana ex-
ulained. and from this long deferred reading OF the
Mosaic law came a number Of wholesome reforms IN
their local government.
Ezra. athe Babylonian Hebrew is one Of the
greatest names Of Israel. He was profoundly versed
in the law he expounded and by voice and pen exer-