Oriental Religious Faiths, I: Historical Judaism

ORIENTAL RELIGIOUS FAITHS. I.

HISTORICAL JUDAISM.

BY REV. DR. H. PEREIRA MENDES, NEW YORK.

— Our history may be divided into three eras, ^first, the Biblical era; second, the era from the close of the Bible record to the present day; third, the future. The first is the era of the announcement of those ideals which are essential for mankind's happiness and progress. The Bible contains for us and for humanity all ideals worthy of human effort to attain. I make no exception.

The attitude of historical Judaism is to hold up these ideals for mankind's inspiration and for all men to pattern life accordingly. The first divine message to Abraham contains the ideal of righteous Altruism— "Be a source of blessing." And in the message announcing the Covenant is the ideal of righteous egoism, "Walk before me and be perfect;" "Recognize me, God; be a blessing to thy fellow-man; be perfect thyself!" Could religion ever be more strikingly summed up? The life of Abraham, as we have it recorded, is a logical response, despite any human failing. Thus he refused booty he had captured. It was an ideal of warfare not yet realized—that to the victor the spoils do not necessarily belong. Childless and old, he believed God's promise that his descendants should be numerous as the stars. It was an ideal faith! That also, and more, was his

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readiness to sacrifice Isaac, —a sacrifice ordered to make more pub-

lic his God's condemnation of Canaanite child sacrifice. It revealed

an ideal God, who would not allow religion to cloak outrage upon holy sentiments of humanity. To Moses next were high ideals imparted for mankind to aim On the very threshold of his mission the ideal of "the fatherat.

hood of God" was announced, — "Israel is my son, my first born," implying that other nations are also his children. Then at Sinai were given those ten ideals of human conduct, which, called the " Ten Commandments," receive the allegiance of the great nations

of to-day. Magnificent ideals! Yes, but not so magnificent as the three ideals of God revealed to him, — first, God is Mercy! second, God is Love! third, God is Holiness! "The Lord thy God loveth thee!" The echoes of this are the commands to the Hebrews and to the world: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy might;" "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." "Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart; ye shall love the stranger." God is Holiness! "Be holy! for I am holy;" it is God calling to man to participate in His divine nature. To the essayist on Moses belongs the setting forth of other ideals associated with him. The historian may dwell upon his "Proclaim freedom throughout the land to its inhabitants." It is written on that Liberty Bell, which announced "Free America!" The politician may ponder upon his land-tenure system; his declaration that the poor have rights; his limitation of individual wealth; the relation he established between church and state. The preacher may dilate upon that Mosaic ideal, so bright with hope and faith, — wings of the human soul as it flies forth to find God, that God is the God of the spirits of all flesh! It is a flash-light of immortality

upon the storm-tossed waters of human life. The physician may elaborate his dietary and health laws, designed to prolong life and render man more able to do his full duty to society. The moralist may point to the ideal of personal responsibility. The exponent of natural law in the spiritual world is anticipated by his "Not by bread alone does man live, but by obedience to divine law," The lecturer on ethics may enlarge on moral impulses, their correlation, free will, and such like ideas; it is Moses who

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teaches that the quickening cause of all is God's revelation "our wisdom and our understanding," and who sets before us "Life and death, blessing and blighting," to choose either, though he advises "choose the life." Tenderness to brute creation, equiality of aliens, kindness to servants, justice to the employed! What code of ethics has brighter gems of ideals than those which make glorious the law of Moses? As for our other prophets, we can only glance at their ideals of purity in social life, in business life, in personal life, in political life, and in religious life. We need no Bryce to tell us how much or how little they obtain in our commonwealth to-day. So, also, if we only mention the ideal relation which they hold up for ruler and people, that the former "should be servant to the latter," it is only in view of its tremendous results in history. For these very words licensed the English revolution. From that very chapter of the Bible the cry, "To your tents, Israel," was taken up by the Puritans who fought with the Bible in one hand. Child of that English revolt, which soon consummated English liberty, America was born, herself the parent of the French Revolution, which has made so many kings the servants of their peoples. English liberty! America's birth! French Revolution! Three tremendous results truly! Let us, however, set even these aside, great as they are, and mark those three grand ideals which our prophets were the first to preach. First, universal peace, or settlement of national disputes by arbitration. When Micah and Isaiah announced the ideal of universal peace, it was the age of war, of despotism. They may have been regarded as lunatics. Now all true men desire it, all good men pray for it. And bright among the jewels of Chicago's coronet in 1893, was her Universal Peace Convention. Second, universal brotherhood. If Israel is God's first-bom, and other nations are therefore his children, Malachi's "Have we not all one Father?" does not surprise us. The ideal is recognized to-day. It is prayed for by Catholics, by Protestants, by Hebrews,

by all men. Third, universal happiness. This is the greatest. For the ideal of universal happiness includes both universal peace and universal brotherhood. It adds being at peace with God, for without

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that happiness is impossible. Hence the prophet's bright ideal that one day "All shall know the Lord from the greatest to the least," "Earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea," and "All nations shall come and bow down before God and honor his name." Add to these prophet ideals, those of our philosophers. The "Seek wisdom" of Solomon, of which the "Know thyself" of Socrates is but a partial echo; Job's "Let not the finite creature attempt to fathom the infinite Creator;" David's reaching after God! and then let it be clearly understood that these and all ideals of the

Bible era are but a prelude, an overture. How grand, then, must be the music of the next era which now claims our attention! The era from Bible days to these. This is the era of the formation of religious and philosophic systems throughout the east and the classic world. What grand harmonies, but what crashing discords, sound through these ages! Melting and swelling in mighty diapason, they come to us to-day as the music which once swayed men's souls, now lifting them with holy emotion, now mocking, now soothing, now exciting. Above them all rang the voice of historical Judaism, clear and lasting, while other sounds blended or were lost. Sometimes the voice was in harmony; most often it was discordant as it clashed with the dominant note of the day. For it sometimes met sweet and elevating strains of morality, of beauty, but more often it met with the debasing sounds of immorality and error. Thus historical Judaism would harmonize with Confucius' insistence of belief in a Supreme Being, filial duty, his famous "What you do not like when done to you, do not unto others," and with the Buddhistic teachings of universal peace. But against what is contrary to Bible ideal, it would protest, and from it it would hold separate. If future research should ever reveal an influence of Jewish thought on the three great Oriental faiths, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism and Confucianism, all originally holding beautiful thoughts, however later ages have obscured them, would it not be partial fulfillment of the prophecy, so far as concerns the East "that Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the earth with fruit?" In the West, as in the East, historical Judaism was in harmony

with any ideals of classic philosophy which echoed those of the Bible. It protested where they failed to do so, and because it

failed most often, historical Judaism remained separate. Thus, as Dr. Drummond remarks, Socrates was "in a certain sense monotheistic, and in distinction from the other gods, mentions Him who

orders and holds together the entire Kosmos;" "in whom all things beautiful are good;" "who from the beginning makes men." Historical Judaism commends. Again Plato, his disciple, taught that God is good, or that the planets rise from the reason and understanding of God. Historical Judaism is in accord with its ideal "God is good," so oft repeated, and its thought hymned in the almost identical words, "Good are the luminaries which our God created. He formed them with knowledge, understanding, and skill." But when Plato condemns studies, except as mental training, and desires no practical results; when he even rebukes Arytas for inventing machines on mathematical principles, declaring it was worthy only of carpenters and wheelwrights; and when his master, Socrates, says, "It amuses me to see how afraid you are lest the common herd accuse you of — recommending useless studies" the useless study in question being — astronomy historical Judaism is opposed and protests. For it holds that every earnest man is filled with the Spirit of God. It

bids us study astronomy to learn of God thereby. "Lift up your eyes on high and see who hath created these things, who bringeth out their host by number. He calleth them all by name, by the greatness of His might, for He is strong in power, not one faileth;" even as later sages practically teach the dignity of labor by themselves engaging in it. And when Macaulay remarks, "From the testimony of friends as well as of foes, from the confessions of Epictetus and Seneca ^s well as from the sneers of Lucian and the invectives of Juvenal, it is plain that these teachers of virtue had all the vices of their neighbors with the additional one of hypocrisy," it is easy to understand the relation of historical Judaism to these, with its ideal, "Be perfect." Similarly the sophist school declared, "There is no truth, no virtue, no justice, no blasphemy, for there are no gods; right and wrong are conventional terms." The sceptic school proclaimed, "We have no criterion of action or judgment, we cannot know the

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truth of anything, we assert nothing, not even that we assert nothing; if we have none." religion is belief, The Epicurean school taught pleasure's pursuit. But historical Judaism solemnlyprotested. What are those teachings of our "Sayings of the Fathers," but protests, formally formulated by our religious heads? Said they, "The Torah is the criterion of conduct. Worship instead of doubting. Do philanthropic acts instead of seeking only pleasure — society's safeguards are law, worship, and philanthropy." So preached Simon Hatzadik. "Love labor," preached Shenangia to the votary of Epicurean ease. "Procure thyself an instructor," was Gamaliel's advice to any one in

doubt. "The practical application, not the theory, is the essential," was the cry of Simon, to Platonist or Pyrrhic. "Deed first, then creed." "Yes," added Abtalion, "deed first, then creed, never greed." "Be not like servants who serve their master for price; be like servants who serve without thought of price and let the fear of God be upon you." "Separation and protest" was thus the cry against these thought-vagaries. Brilliant instance of the policy of separation and protest was the glorious Maccabean effort to combat Hellenist philosophy. If but for Charles Martel and Poictiers, Europe would long have been Mohammedan, then but for Judas Maccabeus and Bethoron or Emmaus, Judaism would have been strangled. But no Judaism, no Christianity! Take either faith out of the world and what — would our civilization be ? Christianity was born originally and as designed and declared by its founder, not to change or alter one tittle of the law of Moses. If the Nazarean teacher claimed, tacitly or not, the title, "Son of God," in any sense save that which Moses meant when he said, "Ye are children of your God," can we wonder that there was a Hebrew protest? Presently the crescent of Islam arose. From Bagdad to Granada Hebrews prepared protests which their Christian students carried to ferment in their distant homes. For through the Arabs and Jews the old classics were revived and experimental science was fostered. The misuse of the former made the methods of the Academicians the methods of Scholastic Fathers. But it made Aristotelian philosophy dominant. Experiment widened men's views. The sentiment of protest was imbibed; sentiment against

scholastic argument, against bridling research for practical ends^ against the supposition "that syllogistic reasoning could never conduct men to the discovery of any new principle," or that such discoveries could be made except by induction, as Aristotle held; against official denial of ascertained truth, as for example, earth's rotundity. This protest sentiment in time produced the Reformation. Later it gave that wonderful impulse to thought and effort which has substituted modern civilization with its glorious conquests, for mediaeval semi-darkness. Here the era of the past is becoming the era of the present. Still historical Judaism maintained its attitude. We march in the van of progress, but our hand is always raised, pointing to God. That is the attitude of historical Judaism. And now to sum up; for the future opens before us: 1. The "separatist" thought. Genesis tells us how Abraham obeyed it. Exodus elaborates it: We are "separated from all the people upon the face of the earth" (33: 16). Leviticus proclaims it: "I have separated you from the peoples" (20: 25). "I have

severed you from the peoples" (26). Numbers illustrates it: "Behold the people shall dwell alone" (23: 9). And Deuteronomy declares it: "He hath avouched thee to be His special people" (24: 18). And who are the Hebrews of today, here and in Europe? The descendants of those who preferred to keep separate, and who therefore chose exile or death, or those who yielded and were baptized? The course for historic Judaism is clear. It is to keep-

separate. 2. The protest thought. We must continue to protest against social, religious, or political error with the eloquence of reason —never by the force of violence. No error is too insignificant, none can be too stupendous for us to notice. The cruelty which shoots innocent doves for sport —the crime of duelists who risk life which is not theirs to risk^for it belongs to country, wife, or mother, to child or to society; militarianism of modern nations; the transformation of patriotism, politics, or service of one's country into a business for personal profit — until these and all wrongs be rectified, we Hebrews must keep separate and protest. And we will do so until all error shall be cast to the moles and bats. We are told that Europe's armies amount to twenty-two millions of

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men. Imagine it! Are we not right to protest that arbitration, and not the rule of might should decide ? Yet, let me not cite instances which render protests necessary. "Time would fail, and the tale would not be told," to quote a rabbi. How far separation and protest constitute our historical Jewish policy is evident from what I have said. Apart from this, socially, we unite whole-heartedly and without reservation with our non- Jewish fellow-citizens; we recognize no difference between Hebrew and non-Hebrew. We declare that the attitude of historical Judaism, and, for that matter, of the Reformed School also, is to serve our country as good citizens, to be on the side of law and order and fight anarchy. We are bound to forward every humanitarian movement; where want or pain calls, there must we answer; and condemned by all true men be the Jew who refuses aid because he who needs it is not a Jew. In the intricacies of science, in the pursuit of all that widens human knowledge, in the path of all that benefits humanity, the Jew must walk abreast with non- Jew, except he pass him in generous rivalry. With the non-Jew we must press onward, but for all men and for ourselves, we must ever point upward to the Common Father of all. Marching forward, as I have said, but pointing upward, this is the attitude of historical Judaism. Religiously, the attitude of historical Judaism is expressed in the creeds formulated by Maimonides, as follows: We believe in God, the Creator of all, a unity, a Spirit who never assumed corporeal form. Eternal, and He alone ought to be worshiped. We unite with Christians in the belief that revelation is inspired. We unite with the founder of Christianity that not one jot or tittle of the law should be changed. Hence we do not accept a first-day Sabbath, etc. We unite in believing that God is omniscient and just, good, loving, and mxerciful. We unite in the belief in a coming Messiah. We unite in our belief in immortality. In these Judaism and Christianity agree. As for the development of Judaism, we believe in change in religious custom or idea only when effected in accordance with th^

spirit of God's law, and the highest authority attainable. But no change without. Hence we cannot, and may not, recognize the authority of any conference of Jewish rabbis or ministers, unless those attending are formally empowered by their communities or congregations to represent them. Needless to add, they must be sufficiently versed in Hebrew law and lore; they must lead lives consistent with Bible teachings, and they must be sufficiently advanced in age, so as not to be immature in thought. And we believe heart, soul, and might, in the restoration of Palestine, a Hebrew state from the Nile to the Euphrates even — though, as Isaiah intimates in his very song of restoration, some Hebrews remain among the Gentiles. We believe in the future establishment of a court of arbitration above suspicion, for settlement of nations' disputes, such as could well be in the shadow of that temple which we believe shall one day arise, to be a "house of prayer for all peoples," united at last in the service of one Father. How far the restoration will solve present pressing Jewish problems, how far such spiritual organization will guarantee man against falling into error, we cannot here discuss. What if doctrines, customs, and aims separate us now? There is a legend that when Adam and Eve were turned out of Eden or earthly Paradise, an angel smashed the gates, and the fragments flying all over earth, are the precious stones. We can carry the legend further. The precious stones were picked up by the various religions and philosophers of the world. Each claimed and claims that its own fragment alone reflects the light of heaven, forgetting the settings and the incrustations which time has added. Patience, my brothers. In God's own time we shall, all of us, fit our fragments together and reconstruct the gates of Paradise. There will be an era of reconciliation of all living faiths and systems, the era of all being in at-one-ment, or atonement with God. Through the gates shall all people pass to the foot of God's throne. The throne is called by us the mercyseat. Name of happy augury, for God's mercy shall wipe out the record of mankind's errors and strayings, the sad story of our unbrotherly actions. Then shall we better know God's ways and behold His glory more clearly, as it is written; "They shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith

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the Lord, for I will forgive their iniquity, and will remember their sins no more." (Jer. 31 : 34). What if the deathless Jew be present then among earth's peoples ? Would ye begrudge his presence ? His work in the world, the Bible he gave it, shall plead for him. And Israel, God's first-born, who, as His prophet foretold, was for centuries despised and rejected of men, knowing sorrows, acquainted with grief, and esteemed stricken by God for his own backslidings, wounded besides through others' transgressions, bruised through others' iniquities, shall be but fulfilling his destiny to lead back his brothers to their Father. For that were we chosen; for that we are God's servants, or ministers. Yes, the attitude of historical Judaism to the world will be in the future, as in the past, helping mankind with his Bible, until the gates of earthly paradise shall be reconstructed by mankind's joint efforts, and all nations whom Thou, God, hast made shall go through and worship before Thee, Lord, and shall glorify Thy name.