Book: Hebraic Literature; Translations from the Talmud, Midrashim and

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Who hath sorrow? Who hath woe?

He who leaves much wealth to his heirs, and takes with him to the grave
a burden of sins. He who gathers wealth without justice. "He that
gathereth riches and not by right in the midst of his days shall he
leave them." To the portals of eternity his gold and his silver cannot
accompany the soul of man; good deeds and trust in God must be his
directing spirits.

Although God is merciful and pardons the sins of man against Himself, he
who has wronged his neighbor must gain that neighbor's forgiveness
before he can claim the mercy of the Lord. "This must ye do," said Rabbi
Eleazer, "that ye may be clean from all your sins before the Lord. The
Day of Atonement may gain pardon for the sins of man against his Maker,
but not for those against his fellow-man, till every wrong done is
satisfied."

If a man is called upon to pardon his fellow, freely he must do it; else
how can he dare, on the Day of Atonement, to ask pardon for his sins
against the Eternal? It is customary on this day for a man to thoroughly
cleanse himself bodily and spiritually, and to array himself in white
fresh clothing, to typify the words of Isaiah, "Though your sins should
be as scarlet, they shall become white as snow."

* * * * *

It happened that the mayor of a city once sent his servant to the market
to purchase some fish. When he reached the place of sale he found that
all the fish save one had been sold, and this one a Jewish tailor was
about purchasing. Said the mayor's servant, "I will give one gold piece
for it;" said the tailor, "I will give two." The mayor's messenger then
expressed his willingness to pay three gold pieces for it, but the
tailor claimed the fish, and said he would not lose it though he should
be obliged to pay ten gold pieces for it. The mayor's servant then
returned home, and in anger related the circumstance to his master. The
mayor sent for his subject, and when the latter appeared before him
asked:--

"What is thy occupation?"

"A tailor, sir," replied the man.

"Then how canst thou afford to pay so great a price for a fish, and how
dare degrade my dignity by offering for it a larger sum than that
offered by my servant?"

"I fast to-morrow," replied the tailor, "and I wished the fish to eat
to-day, that I might have strength to do so. I would not have lost it
even for ten pieces of gold."

"What is to-morrow more than any other day?" asked the mayor.

"Why art thou more than any other man?" returned the other.

"Because the king hath appointed me to this office."

"Well," replied the tailor, "the King of kings hath appointed this day
to be holier than all other days, for on this day we hope that God will
pardon our transgressions."

"If this be the case thou wert right," answered the mayor, and the
Israelite departed in peace.

Thus if a person's intention is to obey God, nothing can hinder its
accomplishment. On this day God commanded His children to fast, but they
must strengthen their bodies to obey Him by eating on the day before. It
is a person's duty to sanctify himself, bodily and spiritually, for the
approach of this great day. He should be ready to enter at any moment
into the Fearful Presence with repentance and good deeds as his
companions.

A certain man had three friends. One of these he loved dearly; the
second he loved also, but not as intensely as the first; but toward the
third one he was quite indifferently disposed.

Now the king of the country sent an officer to this man, commanding his
immediate appearance before the throne. Greatly terrified was the man at
this summons. He thought that somebody had been speaking evil of him, or
probably accusing him falsely before his sovereign, and being afraid to
appear unaccompanied before the royal presence, he resolved to ask one
of his friends to go with him. First he naturally applied to his dearest
friend, but he at once declined to go, giving no reason and no excuse
for his lack of friendliness. So the man applied to his second friend,
who said to him:--

"I will go with thee as far as the palace gates, but I will not enter
with thee before the king."

In desperation the man applied to his third friend, the one whom he had
neglected, but who replied to him at once:--

"Fear not; I will go with thee, and I will speak in thy defense. I will
not leave thee until thou art delivered from thy trouble."

The "first friend" is a man's wealth, which he must leave behind him
when he dies. The "second friend" is typified by the relatives who
follow him to the grave and leave him when the earth has covered his
remains. The "third friend," he who entered with him into the presence
of the king, is as the good deeds of a man's life, which never desert,
but accompany him to plead his cause before the King of kings, who
regardeth not person nor taketh bribery.

Thus taught Rabbi Eleazer:--

"On this great and tearful day the angel Samal finds no blots, no sins
on Israel." Thus he addresses the Most High:--

"'O Sovereign Lord, upon the earth this day one nation pure and innocent
exists. Even as the angels is Israel on this Atonement Day. As peace
exists in heaven, so rests it now upon this people, praying to Thy Holy
Name.'

"God hears this testimony of His angel, and pardon's all His people's
sins."

But though the Almighty thus forgives our sins, we may not repeat them
with impunity, for "to such a one as saith, 'I will commit a sin and
repent,' there can be no forgiveness, no repentance."


FEAST OF TABERNACLES


The Feast of Tabernacles begins on the fifteenth day of the seventh
month, _Tishri_ (October), and during its continuance, seven days, the
Israelites are commanded to dwell in tabernacles or booths. This is
designed to keep fresh in their memory the tents with formed their homes
during their forty years' sojourn in the wilderness. The symbols of the
festival are branches of the palm, bound with sprigs of myrtle and
willow, and a citron.

The Lord said, "This is not to be to you a fast as the Day of Atonement;
eat, drink, be merry, and sacrifice peace-offerings thereon." The Bible
says, "Seven days unto the Lord"; therefore we should in all our
merriment devote a few serious thoughts to Him.

The Feast of Tabernacles is held in the autumn, after the fruits of the
field have been garnered in the storehouses, according to the words of
the Bible, "The Feast of Tabernacles shalt thou hold for thyself seven
days when thou hast gathered in the produce of thy thresh-floor and thy
wine-press."

This dwelling in booths is also to bring to mind the manner in which the
Israelites lived for forty years after they left Egypt. With merely
temporary walls to protect them from summer's heat and winter's cold,
from wind and storm. God was with them through all their generations,
and they were protected from all evil.

According to the opinion of some of the Rabbis, the Israelites did not
really dwell in booths in the wilderness, but were surrounded by
clouds--by seven clouds. Four clouds, one at each of the four sides; a
fifth, a shadow, to protect them from the hot rays of the sun; the
sixth, a pillar of fire to give them light by night (they being able to
see as clearly by night as by day); and the seventh, to precede their
journeying and direct their way.

The children of Israel departed from Egypt in _Nissan_ (April), and
obtained immediately these booths, which they made use of for forty
years. Thus they were in booths during the entire cycle of the year, and
we could as easily commemorate this fact in the spring as in the fall,
in the summer as in the winter. Why, then, has God made autumn, and
neither spring nor summer, the season of observance? Because if we dwelt
in booths in the summer, it would be a question whether we did so in
obedience to God's behest or for our own gratification; for many people
seek airy retreats during this season; but in the fall, when the trees
lose their leaves, and the air grows cold and chilling, and it is the
time to fix our houses for the winter, then by inhabiting these
temporary residences, we display our desire to do as our Creator has
bidden us.

The Feast of Tabernacles is also the Feast of Ingathering, when we
should thank God for the kindness shown us and the treasure with which
He has blessed us. When the Eternal has provided man with his
sustenance, in the long evenings which follow he should meditate and
study his Bible, and make this indeed a "feast to the Lord," and not
entirely for personal gratification.

The four species belonging to the vegetable kingdom which we use in this
festival, are designed to remind us of the four elements of nature,
which work under the direction and approval of the Most High, and
without which all things would cease to exist. Therefore the Bible
commands us on this "feast of the Lord," to give thanks, and bring
before Him these four species, each typifying one of the elements.

"Ye shall take for yourselves the fruit of the tree _hadar_" (the
citron). Its color is high yellow and resembles fire. The second species
is the palm branch (Heb. _Lulab_). The palm is a high tree, growing up
straight in the air, and its fruit is sweet and delicious to the taste;
this then represents the second element, air. The third is the bough of
the myrtle, one of the lowliest of trees, growing close to the ground;
its nature, cold and dry as earth, fits it to represent that element.
The fourth is "the willow of the brook," which grows in perfection close
beside the water, dropping its branches into the stream, and symbolizing
thus the last element, water.

The Bible teaches us that for each of these four elements we owe special
thanks to God.

The citron we hold in the left hand, and the other three we grasp
together in the right. This we do because the citron contains in itself
all that the others represent. The outside skin is yellow, fire; the
inside skin is white and damp, air; the pulp is watery, water; and the
seeds are dry, earth. It is taken into the left hand, because the right
hand is strongest, and the citron is but one, while the other emblems
are three.

These four emblems represent likewise the four principal members of the
human body. The citron is shaped somewhat like a heart, without which we
could not live, and with which man should serve his fellows; the palm
branch represents the spine, which is the foundation of the human frame,
in front of which the heart lies; this signifies that we should serve
God with our entire body. The branches of the myrtle resemble a human
eye, with which man recognizes the deeds of his fellows, and with which
he may obtain a knowledge of the law. The leaves of the willow represent
the lips, with which man may serve the Eternal and thank Him. The myrtle
is mentioned in the Bible before the willow, because we are able to see
and know a thing before we can call its name with our lips; man is able
to look into the Bible before he can study the same. Therefore, with
these four principal parts of the human frame should we praise the
Creator, as David said, "All my bones shall say, O Lord, who is like
unto Thee?"

Maimonides, in his work called _Moreh Nebuchim_ ("The Guide of the
Perplexed"), explains that God commanded the Israelites to take these
four emblems during this festival to remind them that they were brought
out from the wilderness, where no fruit grew, and no people lived, into
a land of brooklets, waters, a land flowing with milk and honey. For
this reason did God command us to hold in our hands the precious fruit
of this land while singing praises to Him, the One who wrought miracles
in our behalf, who feeds and supports us from the productiveness of the
earth.

The four emblems are different in taste, appearance, and odor, even as
the sons of men are different in conduct and habits.

The citron is a valuable fruit; it is good for food and has a most
pleasant odor. It is compared to the intelligent man, who is righteous
in his conduct toward God and his fellow-man. The odor of the fruit is
his good deeds; its substance is his learning, on which others may feed.
This is perfect among the emblems, and is, therefore, always mentioned
first, and taken by itself in one hand.

The palm branch brings forth fruit, but is without odor. It is compared
to those people who are learned, but who are wanting in good deeds; they
who know the law, but transgress its mandates.

The myrtle is compared to those people who are naturally good, who act
correctly toward God and man, but who are uneducated.

The willow of the brook has neither fruit nor odor; it is, therefore,
compared to the people who have no knowledge and who perform no good
deeds.

The Rabbis have said that he who has failed to participate in the
keeping of the Tabernacle Festival in Jerusalem has failed to taste real
enjoyment in his life. The first day of the feast was kept with great
solemnity, and the middle days with joy and gladness in various methods
of public amusement.

The Temple in Jerusalem was provided with a gallery for the women, which
was called the apartment of the women, and the men sat below, as is
still the custom of the synagogue. Thither all repaired. The young
priests filled the lamps of the large chandeliers with oil, and lighted
them all, even that the place was so bright that its reflection lighted
the streets of the city. Hymns and praises were chanted by the pious
ones, and the Levites praised the Lord with harps, cornets, trumpets,
flutes, and other instruments of harmony. They stood upon fifteen broad
steps, reaching from the lower floor to the gallery, the court of the
women. And they sang fifteen psalms as they ascended, beginning with "A
song of Degrees," and the large choir joined voices with them. The
ancient Hillel was accustomed to address the assemblages on these
occasions.

"If God's presence dwells here," he was used to say, "then are ye here,
each one of you, the souls of each; but if God should be removed from
your midst through disobedience then which of you could be here?" For
the Lord has said "If thou wilt come to My house, then will I come to
thy house, but if thou refusest to visit My dwelling, I will also
neglect to enter yours;" as it is written, "In every place where I shall
permit My name to be mentioned I will come unto thee and I will bless
thee."

Then some of the people answered:--

"Happy were the days of our youth, for they have not set to blush the
days of our old age." These were men of piety.

Others answered:--

"Happy is our old age, for therein have we atoned for the sins of our
youth." These were repentants.

Then joining together, both parties said:--

"Happy is the one who is free from sin; but ye who have sinned, repent,
return to God, and ye will be forgiven."

The festival was continued during the entire night; for when the
religious exercises concluded the people gave themselves up to innocent
but thorough enjoyment.

This festival was also called the "Festival of Drawing Water."

Because, during the existence of the Temple, wine was offered during the
year for a burnt-offering, but on the Feast of Tabernacles they offered
two drink-offerings, one of wine and one of water. Of the other they
made a special festival on the second day of the Tabernacle assemblage,
calling it the Feast of Drawing the Water. It was founded upon the words
of the prophet:--

"And ye shall draw water with joy from the fountains of salvation."


HANNUKAH


This festival is observed for eight days during the ninth month _Kislev_
(December), and commemorates the dedication of the Temple after it had
been defiled by Antiochus Epiphanes, whose armies were overthrown by the
valiant Maccabees, Hashmoneans.

The Most Holy One has frequently wrought wonders in behalf of his
children in their hour of need, and thereby displayed His supreme power
to the nations of the world. These should prevent man from growing
infidel and ascribing all happiness to the course of nature. The God who
created the world from naught, may change at His will the nature which
He established. When the Hashmoneans gained, with the aid of God, their
great victory, and restored peace and harmony to their land, their first
act was to cleanse and dedicate the Temple, which had been defiled, and
on the twenty-fifth day of _Kislev_, in obedience to the teachings of
the Rabbis, we inaugurate the "Dedication Feast" by lighting the lamps
or candles prepared expressly for this occasion. The first night we
light one, and then an additional one each succeeding night of its
continuance. We also celebrate it by hymns of thanksgiving and
hallelujahs.

This feast is foreshadowed in the Book of Numbers. When Aaron observed
the offerings of the princes of each of the tribes and their great
liberality, he was conscious of a feeling of regret, because he and his
tribe were unable to join with them. But these words were spoken to
comfort him, "Aaron, thy merit is greater than theirs, for thou lightest
and fixest the holy lamps."

When were these words spoken?

When he was charged with the blessing to be found in Numbers 6:23, as
will be found in the Book of Maccabees in the Apocrypha.

The Lord said unto Moses, "Thus say unto Aaron. In the generations to
come, there will be another dedication and lighting of the lamps, and
through thy descendants shall the service be performed. Miracles and
wonders will accompany this dedication. Fear not for the greatness of
the princes of thy tribe; during the existence of the Temple thou shalt
sacrifice, but the lighting of the lamps shall be forever, and the
blessing with which I have charged thee to bless the people shall also
exist forever. Through the destruction of the Temple the sacrifices will
be abolished, but the lighting of the dedication of the Hashmoneans will
never cease."

The Rabbis have ordained this celebration by lighting of lamps, to make
God's miracle known to all coming generations, and it is our duty to
light the same in the synagogues and in our homes.

Although the Lord afflicted Israel on account of iniquities, He still
showed mercy, and allowed not a complete destruction, and to this
festival do the Rabbis again apply the verse in Leviticus 26:44:--

"And yet for all that, though they be in the land of their enemies, will
I not cast them away, neither will I loathe them to destroy them
utterly, to break my covenant with them, for I am the Lord their God."

And thus do the Rabbis explain the same:--"Will I not cast them away."
In the time of the Chaldeans I appointed Daniel and his companions to
deliver them.

"Neither will I loathe them." In the time of the Assyrians I gave them
Matthias, his sons and their comrades, to serve them.

"To destroy them." In the time of Haman I sent Mordecai and Esther to
rescue them.

"To break my covenant with them." In the time of the Romans I appointed
Rabbi Judah and his associates to work their salvation.

"For I am the Eternal, your God." In the future no nation shall rule
over Israel, and the descendants of Abraham shall be restored to their
independent state.

The dedication commemorated by Hannukah occurred in the year 3632--129
B.C.E.


PURIM


This festival, occurring on the fourteenth day of the twelfth month,
_Adar_ (March), is to commemorate the deliverance of the Hebrews from
the wiles of Haman, through the God-aided means of Mordecai and Esther.

Although the Holy One threatens the Israelites, in order that they may
repent of their sins, He has also tempted them, in order to increase
their reward.

For instance, a father who loves his son, and desires him to improve his
conduct, must punish him for his misdeeds, but it is a punishment
induced by affection which he bestows.

A certain apostate once said to Rabbi Saphra:--

"It is written, 'Because I know you more than all the nations of the
earth, therefore I visit upon you your iniquities;' how is this? If a
person has a wild horse, is it likely that he would put his dearest
friend upon it, that he might be thrown and hurt?"

Rabbi Saphra answered:--

"Suppose a man lends money to two persons; one of these is his friend,
the other his enemy. He will allow his friend to repay him in
installments, that the discharge of the debt may not prove onerous; but
from his enemy he will require the amount in full. The verse you quote
will apply in the same manner, 'I love you, therefore will I visit upon
you your iniquities;' meaning, 'I will punish you for them as they
occur, little by little, by which means you may have quittance and
happiness in the world to come.'"

The action of the king in delivering his signet ring to Haman had more
effect upon the Jews than the precepts and warnings of forty-eight
prophets who lectured to them early and late. They clothed themselves in
sackcloth, and repented truly with tears and fasting, and God had
compassion upon them and destroyed Haman.

Although the reading of the Book of Esther (_Megilah_) on Purim is not a
precept of the Pentateuch, 'tis nevertheless binding upon us and our
descendants. Therefore the day is appointed as one of feasting and
gladness, and interchange of presents, and also of gifts to the poor,
that they too may rejoice. As in the decree of Haman, no distinction was
made between rich and poor, as all alike were doomed to destruction, it
is proper that all should have equal cause to feel joyful, and therefore
in all generations the poor should be liberally remembered on this day.

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