Hebrew Literature Part 57

Haste then, pure heart, to break sin's deadly sway, And seek the path of righteousness alway; For all our years are but as yesterday- Soon past, and as a watch at night.

Short is man's life, and full of care and sorrow, This way and that he turns some ease to borrow, Like to a flower he blooms, and on the morrow Is gone-a vision of the night.

How does the weight of sin my soul oppress!

Because G.o.d's law too often I transgress; I mourn and sigh: with tears of bitterness My bed I water all the night.

I rise at dawn and still the salt stream flows, My heart's blood would I shed to find repose; But when my soul is downcast with my woes, I will recall my prayer at night.

My youth wanes like a shadow that is cast, Swifter than eagles' wings my years fly fast, And I remember not my gladness past, Either by day or yet by night.

Proclaim we then a fast, a holy day, Make pure our hearts from sin, G.o.d's will obey, And unto Him, with humble spirits, pray Unceasingly, by day and night.

May we yet hear His words: "Thou art my own, My grace is thine, the shelter of My throne, For I am thy Redeemer, I alone!

Endure but patiently this night."

MOSES IBN EZRA.

The Living G.o.d We Praise

The living G.o.d we praise, exalt, adore!

He was, He is, He will be evermore.

No unity like unto His can be, Eternal, inconceivable, is He.

No form or shape has th' Incorporeal One, Most holy beyond all comparison.

He was, ere aught was made in heaven or earth, But His existence has no date or birth.

Lord of the Universe is He proclaimed, Teaching His power to all His hand has framed.

He gave His gift of prophecy to those In whom He gloried, whom He loved and chose.

No prophet ever yet has filled the place Of Moses, who beheld G.o.d face to face.

Through him (the faithful in his house) the Lord The law of truth to Israel did accord.

This law G.o.d will not alter, will not change For any other through time's utmost range.

He knows and heeds the secret thoughts of man, He saw the end of all ere aught began.

With love and grace doth He the righteous bless, He metes out evil unto wickedness.

He at the last will His anointed send, Those to redeem, who hope and wait the end.

G.o.d will the dead to life again restore, Praised be His glorious name for evermore.

ANON.

FOOTNOTES

1 Exod. xxiv. 12.

2 So named from its situation at the mouth ("Pum") of the Bedaitha, a ca.n.a.l between the Tigris and the Euphrates.

3 The Cherem was most fearful. The excommunicate was cursed with the curse of Joshua against Jericho, and the curse of Elisha against those that mocked him, and the curse of fiends of deadly power: "Let nothing good come out of him, let his end be sudden, let all creatures become his enemy, let the whirlwind crush him, the fever and every other malady, and the edge of the sword smite him; let his death be unforeseen and drive him into outer darkness," etc. There were three degrees of excommunication. The first was "the casting out of the synagogue." The second "the delivering over to Satan."

And the third was the anathema proclaimed by priests with the sounding of trumpets.

4 Some think he died twelve years B.C.

5 The Jews say that the Holy Spirit spake to the Israelites during the Tabernacle by Urim and Thummim, and under the first Temple by the Prophets, and under the second by Bath Kol. The Bath Kol, which signifies "daughter voice" or "daughter of a voice," was a kind of divine intimation, which was as inferior to the oracular voice proceeding from the Mercy Seat as a daughter is supposed to be inferior to her mother. It was said to be preceded by a clap of thunder. This, however, was not always the case. The Talmud relates that "Rabbis Jochanan and Simeon ben Lachish wished to see the face of Rabbi Samuel, a Babylon Rabbi. 'Let us follow,' said they, 'the hearing of Bath Kol.' They journeyed near a school, and as they were pa.s.sing it they heard a boy reading from the book of Samuel the words, 'And Samuel died.' Observing this, they concluded that their friend was dead. And it so happened that news was soon brought to them that Rabbi Samuel of Babylon had died." The Bath Kol seems to have been a sort of divination practised with the words of Scripture, like the Sortes Virgilianae among the heathen.

6 The Rabbis make two changes in this verse-they change "kings" into "angels," and "fled" into "led."

7 The expression "they" is often used in the phraseology of the Talmud to denote either certain officials or else the sages and men of authority. The exact reference can only be gathered from the context. So again with the use of "he." In such cases the expression "he" generally refers to the decision on a particular occasion.

8 "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our G.o.d is one Lord," etc. (Deut. vi. 4-9, xi. 13-21; Num. xv. 37-41). Evening prayer might be said after 12.30 P.M. (Acts x. 9.) It is abundantly evident from the Zohar that the ancient Jews understood that in the Shemah there was a confession of the doctrine of the Trinity in unity-three Persons in One G.o.d.

"Hear, O Israel: Jehovah our G.o.d is one Jehovah. By the first name in this sentence, Jehovah, is signified G.o.d the Father, the Head of all things. By the next words, our G.o.d, is signified G.o.d the Son, the fountain of all knowledge; and by the second Jehovah, is signified G.o.d the Holy Ghost, proceeding of them both; to all which is added the word One, to signify that these three are Indivisible.

But this mystery shall not be revealed until the coming of Messiah."

The Zohar gives also an imperfect ill.u.s.tration of this great Truth, by saying that the Trinity in unity is like "the human voice, which is composed of three elements-warmth, air, and vapor."

9 Priests who were legally unclean. (Lev. xxii. 7.)

10 The Mishna begins the night at 6 P.M., and divides it into three watches of four hours each.

11 The Mishna begins the day at 6 A.M. The third hour is 9 A.M.

12 Deut. vi. 7.

13 Ibid.

14 A long blessing begins and ends with "Blessed art Thou, O Lord"; a short blessing only ends with these words.

15 Deut. xvi. 3.

16 Deut. xi. 13-21.

17 Num. xv. 37-41.

18 Because in Jer. x. 10 it is written, "But the Lord is the true G.o.d,"