the following pretended comment. "Better is a poor and wise child:" that is, the good principle. Why is it called a child? Because it is 'not united to man, except from his thirteenth 6 year and upward. Why is it called poor? Because all do not obey it. Why is it called 'wise? Because it teaches creatures the right way." Than an old and foolish king:" that 'is, the evil principle. Why is it called a king? Because all obey it. Why is it called old? 'Because it is united to man, from his childhood ' even to old age. Why is it called foolish? 'Because it teaches man an evil way, which he 'knows not how to avoid.'*-In the Talmud this evil principle is personified, and represented as acting the part of Satan: The evil principle entices men to sin in this world, and in the other ' world bears witness against them.'† On the language of David in the fifty-first Psalm, which has been already cited, Menasseh Ben Israel remarks: Whether this be understood ' of our common parent, Eve, or whether David 'spoke exclusively of his own immediate mother; 'he meant to suggest, that sin is as it were natural 'and inseparable in the present life: and one of 'our ancient sages infers from this passage, that it 'is impossible, even for men the most eminent in 'piety and virtue, to avoid sometimes falling 'into sin.' In another place he says, 'that not ' only David, but what is more, the whole human * Medrash Koheleth in Eccles. iv. 13. apud Bartoloc. Bib. Rab. tom. ii. p. 67, 68. + Succa, apud Bartoloc. Bib. Rab. tom. ii. p. 61. I race sin from their origin, ever since the intro'duction of sin into the world.'* Of the opinions of modern Jews, respecting the terms of acceptance with God, as well for their ancestors who enjoyed the privileges of the temple, as for themselves who are without priest, altar, or sacrifice, a member of the synagogue has favoured the public with the following representation. According to our faith, a strict and due observance of the decalogue and precepts as ordained by the Almighty, in the law he gave to his chosen people, the Jews, is the only intermediate medium, 'or mediator, that they require, to ensure their salvation in the future state; and they offer in ' proof thereof, how great a sinner king David was, ' and yet sincere repentance was the only mediating 'medium that procured him the Almighty's forgiveness; for, as Jews, they would deem it to imply mutability in the Supreme, were they to 'entertain any belief, that sincere contrition and repentance does now require a mediator to render 'it acceptable to the Almighty. Such are the ' opinions of the Jews on this head, and such are 'mine.' This passage is exceedingly confused and illogical, but I apprehend the meaning to be, as it has been interpreted by another writer,— 'that with the Jew a perfect conformity to the law ' of Moses will ensure his salvation in the next world, and, that for every violation of the divine precepts, whereby eternal life should seem to 6 * Menass. de Fragil. p. 2. et Conciliat. in Psal. p. 66, 67. apud Hoornbeck contra Jud. L. iv. c. 2. p. 346, 347. + Jewish Repository, vol. ii. p. 149. Letter signed S. M. have been forfeited, no other atonement or expiation either now is, or ever was, required by 'the Almighty, than sincere repentance.'* But that Israelites of ancient times, who enjoyed the privileges of the altar and temple, obtained the remission of their sins by repentance only, without any other expiation or atonement,-is a notion altogether at variance with the highest rabbinical authorities. Maimonides, in his treatise on Repentance, says: Because the emissary goat was 'an atonement for all Israel, on that account the 'high priest made a confession of sins over him in 'the name of all Israel.' The language of the Mishna on this subject is very explicit: Moreover, 'for the wilful defiling of the sanctuary and its holy things, the goat which was disposed of ' within, and the day of atonement, made expiation : 'but for the other transgressions specified in the 'law; whether light or heavy; whether committed ' in wantonness, or in ignorance; whether with 'the knowledge of the thing done, or without the 'knowledge of it; whether against an affirmative or a negative precept; whether liable to be 'punished with excision or with death inflicted by 'the sanhedrim; the emissary goat made expiation. This notion is likewise in direct contradiction to the doctrine maintained in the formularies of the synagogue, and solemnly professed by every individual who unites in the prescribed services. The reader is not desired to * Jewish Repository, vol. ii. p. 462, 463. + Maimon. de Pœnit. a Clavering, p. 44. Shebuoth. Mishna Surenhus. Par. iv. cap. vi. pag. 294. receive this assertion without proof, and as it is a point of some importance, his attention is requested to several extracts from the daily, weekly, and festival prayers. If their recitals, lamentations, and confessions be made with any truth, and their petitions uttered with any sincerity, if their private sentiments be not repugnant to their public professions, it will appear to be the opinion of modern Jews,-that their ancestors obtained the remission of their sins by virtue of certain expiations, prescribed in the Mosaic ritual; and that forgiveness is now to be obtained by prayer, contrition, and other means, supposed to be substitutes, accepted by the divine mercy instead of those expiations which it is not at present in their power to perform. In the daily morning service contained in one prayer book, a long and particular account of several piacular sacrifices, and of the ceremonies necessary to be observed, an omission' of which is said to have impeded the atonement,' is preceded by this prayer: Sovereign of the universe! 'thou didst command us to offer the daily sacrifice ' in its appointed time; and that the priests should ' officiate in their proper service, and the Levites at their desk, and the Israelites in their station. But, at present, on account of our sins, the temple is laid waste, and the daily sacrifice hath 'ceased; for we have neither an officiating priest, nor a Levite on the desk, nor an Israelite at his 'station. But thou hast said, that the prayers of 'our lips shall be accepted as the offering of bulls. 'Therefore let it be acceptable before thee, O Lord, ' our God, and the God of our ancestors, that the prayers of our lips may be accounted, accepted, ' and esteemed before thee, as if we had offered 'the daily sacrifice in its appointed time, and had 'stood in our station.'* In another prayer book, part of the daily morning service is as follows: May it be acceptable in thy presence, O Eternal, our God, and the God of ' our ancestors, to compassionate us, to pardon all ' our sins, forgive all our iniquities, and to grant us ' remission for all our transgressions; and that the holy temple may speedily be rebuilt in our days, 'that we may offer in thy presence the continual 'burnt-offering, that it may atone for us; as thou 'hast commanded in thy law.' Here they recite the first eight verses of the twenty-eighth chapter of Numbers, and the eleventh verse of the first chapter of Leviticus, as containing the law of the daily morning and evening sacrifices; and then proceed: May this recital be as acceptable unto thee, O Eternal, our God, and the God of our ' ancestors, as if we had offered thee continual burnt-offering in its due season.'-Sovereign of 'the universe! whilst the holy temple was esta'blished, if a man sinned, he brought an offering, 6 and made an atonement for himself; but now, "because of our iniquities, we have neither sanc'tuary, nor altar, nor offering, nor priest, to atone for us; there is nothing left us but the comme'moration of them. O may that be our expiation, ' and we will render the prayers of our lips instead ' of offerings.'+ * Spanish and Portuguese Jews' Prayer Book, p. 14. |
