Sacrilege! Sacrilege! he indignantly cried, and seemed to be afraid to touch it. I remember how wrought up and excited the rabbi became when he was made aware of its presence in the schoolroom. I recall that upon one occasion, one of the pupils by some chance brought into the religious school a book containing the name of Jesus. To my old and pious religious teacher this injunction left no room for the study of anything but Jewish lore. Joshua commands that The words of this Torah shall not cease from thy mouth, and thou shalt meditate thereon day and night. To look elsewhere for wisdom or knowledge seemed to him a waste of time and energy, and showed a lack of appreciation of Jewish thought and Jewish literature. All truths, all knowledge worth having had in his opinion been uttered by the Hebrew prophets and the great Jewish Talmudists and commentators. The greatest savant or philosopher, if unable to read Hebrew, was to him an ignoramus.
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I recall how innocent he was of all worldly knowledge, with what contempt he looked upon secular instruction, and how to him the sum of all human wisdom was confined to the Torah and the Talmud. Tho thirty-odd years have since passed, I distinctly recall him as he sat at the head of the table, surrounded by Jewish lads between the ages of seven and thirteen, his long flowing locks and white beard giving him the air of one of the Biblical patriarchs. If the views set forth in the following pages will in some way stimulate thought on the subjects therein presented and help correct some of the mistaken notions which, despite our enlightened era, may yet cling to Jew and Christian concerning each other, the author of this volume, who is a most worthy representative of the Jewish people in America, will feel well rewarded for whatever labors he may have expended.Īs I look back into my early boyhood days, the picture is vividly brought to my mind of the old rabbi under whose instructions I received my religious training. The wonderful story of the Jewish race and the Jewish faith is commanding the attention of the most thoughtful people the world over. Never before was the interest in the Jew and Judaism so pronounced and so universal as it is today. An effort has been made to be as explicit and simple as possible, tho at the risk of occasional repetitions. These addresses are designed, not especially for the theologian, nor for the layman not for the churched, nor for the unchurched not for the Christian, nor for the Jew but for all who are earnestly interested in these inquiries. The widespread attention which some of these addresses, when delivered from the platform, have commanded from Jew and non-Jew, and the continual demand for printed copies, have prompted the publication of this volume. In the following chapters the author has endeavored to answer these and kindred queries as a Jewish liberal. What is the modern Jewish idea of Jesus? Do the Jews look forward to the coming of a Messiah? Do they continue to look upon themselves as God's chosen people? Does the modern Jew approve of intermarriage? These and similar questions have been asked of the author by non-Jews who were seeking enlightenment on these subjects. THE ETHICS OF MOSES AND ITS INFLUENCE ON PRESENT CIVILIZATION No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. This 2011 edition published by Barnes & Noble, Inc.Īll rights reserved. JESUS THE JEW AND OTHER ADDRESSES HARRIS WEINSTOCK