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To the Editor of the Occident
New York, June 6, 5607.
This event took place on Thursday the 20th
of May, at 4 o’clock, P.M. The object of the founders of the
Congregation was to have a Synagogue where they can worship according to
the Amsterdam Minhag. They number about sixty members. The service was
performed by the Rev. S. E. C. Noot, the Hazan of the congregation,
assisted by several young men. It embraced principally the Psalms
generally read on similar occasions. The reverend gentleman acquitted
himself in a most creditable manner. His voice is exceedingly
harmonious, and his manner of reading exquisitely correct and
impressive, and we feel no hesitation in stating that every one present
felt highly delighted with the manner he performed the service. Too much
praise cannot be awarded to L. Gosling, Esq. President, and Abm. Leon,
Esq. Vice President, of the congregation, for their unremitting
exertions to carry this holy design into execution. At the conclusion of
the service, Mr. Henry Goldsmith, in accordance with a request made of
him, delivered an address in the English language, and as he has
favoured us with a copy of it, we believe that the following extract
will not prove unacceptable to your readers.
After craving the indulgence of his hearers for his
want of experience, (this being the first time that Mr. G. ever
addressed a public assembly,) he took his text from the 127th
Psalm, אם ה' לא יבנה בית
שוא עמלו בוניו בו “If the Lord will not build the house,
vain are the labours of its builders.” In order to arrive at a proper
elucidation of the text, it is necessary to bear in mind that true and
famous adage of our Rabbins,דברי תורה בלשון
בני אדם “The language of Scripture is made suitable to the
understanding of man.” We all know that God does not build a house, we
believe Him to be an incorporeal being, therefore no corporeal qualities
can be attributed to Him. What then means the Psalmist when he says
אם ה' לא יבנה בית? His meaning is, my
friends, if the house you are building is not acceptable to Him, in vain
are all your labours expended, fruitless and bootless are all your
gorgeous ornaments, והיא לא תצלח for it
will not and cannot prosper. The question not naturally occurs, how then
can we insure his acceptance? What can we do to make our humble efforts
prosper? By what means can we succeed in our undertaking? By doing
everything לשם שמים for the love of God
and for Him alone. רחמנא לבא
בעי Our
merciful Father requires a pure heart. He looks at our aims and
intentions. If you are prompted by an honest and sincere desire to have
a shrine where to worship God with all your heart, and with all your
soul, a place where you come to pour out your heart in spontaneous
thanksgiving for the kindness He daily bestows on you, and where you
pray to Him for a continuance of his Divine favours:
אז טוב לכם then it will be well with
you; but mark me, if it be the love of worldly and vain-glorious honours
you are pursuing, know thatכל הרודף אחר הכבוד
הכבוד בורח
He that pursues honour, honour flees from him, and you
will not succeed. If you erect this temple in spite of any individual,
or to vent your spleen on any particular class of individuals: then know
also that כל מחלוקת שאינה לשם
שמים אינה סופה
להתקיים “All divisions and contentions, prompted by an unholy
cause, will never be realized.” Nay, I will even go farther. If your
object be to make invidious distinctions between clime or country, to
exclude any one because he happens to have been born in some particular
latitude: then indeed שוא עמלו בוניו בו.
Vain and futile are the labours of its builders. My brethren, I perhaps,
speak harshly, but feelingly. I have, unfortunately, seen too many of
the evils against which I now caution you. I wish that you, like a
prudent mariner, may steer clear of the shoals and quicksands where
larger vessels were stranded, so that you, with your light and fragile
bark, may arrive in safety in the haven of eternal bliss. I never could
tolerate a difference between one Jew and another
כלנו בני
איש אחד נחנו “We are all the
sons of one man.” We are all the sons of Abraham.בנים אנחנו.
“We are all true men.” We are all true to the living God of Israel. We
are all true to the sacred covenant He made with us amidst the thunders
of Sinai. The Psalmist tells us טוב ה' לכל ורחמיו על כל
מעשיו
God is good to all, His mercy is extended to all his works;
קרוב
ה' לכל קראיו לכל אשר יקראוהו באמת
The Lord is near to all that call on Him—to all that call unto Him in
truth. Let us learn wisdom and tolerance from the wisest of men. When
King Solomon consecrated the holy temple, after offering up his prayers
for his own people, he continues:
וגם אל הנכרי אשר לא מעמך ישראל הוא. ובא מארץ רחוקה למען
שמך כי ישמעון את שמך הגדול ואת ידך החזקה וזרעך הנטוי' ובא והתפלל אל הבית
הזה אתה תשמע השמים מכון שבתך ועשית ככל אשר יקרא אליך הנכרי:
“Even unto the stranger who is not of thy people
Israel, who comes from a distant country for the sake of thy name, (for
they shall hear of thy great name, thy mighty and thy outstretched arm,)
and he (that stranger) shall come and pray in this house, thou shalt
hearken unto him in the heaven thy dwelling-place, and thou shalt do
according as this stranger shall call unto thee.” Follow this
illustrious example, and Heaven will smile on your holy endeavours. Our
Rabbins tell us,הבא לטהר מסייעין לו
“He that comes to purify himself, it is our duty to assist him,” but
never exclude any person from participating in the worship of the true
God.
Mr. Goldsmith then passed some well-deserved
compliments on the projectors and originators of this congregation; he
expressed his utmost confidence in their liberality and tolerance.
Knowing they were enlightened men, he felt assured they would mete out
equal justice to all. He thus continued: “Besides the evils I have
already pointed out to you, there is another equally pernicious to the
welfare of your congregation, which, if you do not avoid, will prove the
greatest stumbling block to your prosperity. That evil is intestine
quarrels. Fortune never smiles where peace does not preside. One of our
sages tells us, על שלשה דברים
העולם עומד: על
הדין ועל האמת ועל השלום “The existence of this world depends upon
three things, namely, Justice, Truth, and Peace.” They are indissolubly
connected: one is dependent upon the other. Where there is no truth,
there is no justice; where there is no justice, there can be no peace. I
therefore entreat you, my brethren, let truth be your watchword, let
justice be inscribed on your banner, and peace will pervade this
sanctuary. In was when our forefather Jacob freed himself from the
strife and contention which he had with his brother Esau, when he
alighted at Luz slept upon a pillow of stone, dreamed a dream, and what
a dream!—it was when his mind was perfectly at ease, when no feeling of
envy or hatred filled his breast, it was then that he exclaimed,אין זה כי אם בית
אלהים וזה שער השמים
“This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of
Heaven.” Where was the house of God? In his own pure heart. Where was
the gate of Heaven? In his own undefiled conscience. My brethren and
countrymen, let perpetual peace and brotherly feelings reign amongst
you, so that every one may exclaim in entering your Synagogue, “Surely
this is the house of God, and this is the gate of Heaven.”
Mr. Goldsmith then appealed to the audience to
assist this holy undertaking with all the means in their power. In the
course of his remarks he said that this was one of those acts of
benevolenceשאדם אוכל
פירותיהם בעולם הזה והקרן קימת לעולם הבא
of which a man receives the interest in this
world, while the principal remains for the world to come. He concluded
with the following prayer.
ועתה ה' אלהי ישראל השקיפה ממעון רדשך מן השמים וברך את עמך
בני
ישראל ואת הקהל הקדש הזה ואת הבית אשר בנו לשמך בצר להם הקשיבה לקולם
אם חטאו לך כפר עונותם ובהתחננם אליך שמע את תפלתם:
We need not add that Mr. Goldsmith acquitted
himself to the satisfaction of all present. He spoke wholesome truths,
which came home to the hearts of everybody. The evils he pointed out
have hitherto been very prevalent in this city, and have proved the bane
of many a congregation; and we earnestly hope that the above extracts
will have the effect of at least partially eradicating those evils from
the hearts of many of your readers.
Yours, respectfully,
E. D. Y. |
