THE JEWISH CHRONICLE
The only Jewish publication in the State of Michigan
Devoted to the interests of the Jewish people
DETROIT, MICH., OCTOBER 19, 1917
Vol. II. No. 34
$1.50 per Year
Single Copies 10 Cents
Judaism's Four Characteristic Traits: Loyalty and Universality,
Rationality and Spirituality
By Dr. Kaufman Kohler, President of Hebrew Union College
(Address delivered on occasion of
formal opening of the 43d year of ac-
tivities of the Hebrew Union College.)
Still filled with the lofty thoughts
and sentiments aroused in mind and
heart by the great days of solemn awe
that ushered in the New Year, we have.
under God's blessing, assembled here to
take up anew the task of the Torah.
Yet never before was this college open-
ed in such serious times, full of anxiety
and gloom, as this year. Many a one of
the number of our students has been
called away to serve our country in this
terrible world war, and others have en-
listed, but all are ready and eager to
perform their duty as patriots loyal to
the cause. And who, young or old, can
be calm and at ease in this unprecedent-
ed, undreamed of world tragedy? A
strange saying in the Talmud tells of a
hidden place in the very heavens to
which God himself withdraws to shed
tears of sympathy over the woe of hu-
manity. Truly this is a time for tears
even of heaven. Still we must learn to
see in them the sparkling dewdrops of
a new dawn for the world. The vast
ruins wrought all over the lands will, in
God's providence, lead to a reconstruc-
tion of the whole life of mankind, and
we want to be assured that in this work
of reconstruction, which sooner or later
must come, Judaism, as the sublime
faith in God and humanity. is destined
to play a prominent part. In this spirit
of hope and confidence in Israel's mis-
sion I want to address you today, taking
as my text the glorious words of Moses
(Deut. xxvi 17-19) : "Thou halt avouch-
ed the Lord this day to be thy God in
whose way thou shouldst walk. And
the Lord bath avouched thee this day to
be His own treasured people and to
nlace thee high above all the nations He
bath made. for praise and name and
glory by being a holy people unto the
Lord thy God."
The Fourfold Blessing of Israel.
What is it I ask that is to place Is-
rael high above all the nations? Sure-
ly not territorial dominion or political
power nor any of the cultural forces
that made other nations great. Happy
art thou, Israel; none is like thee, a peo-
ple whose salvation and proud sword of
victory is the Lord. These are the con-
cluding words of Moses' farewell bless-
ing. God, the most High, constitutes
Judaism's greatness, the God of Faith-
fulness, the Father of Mankind, the God
of Truth, the God of the Spirit and ac-
cordingly Judaism's characteristic traits
are its loyalty and its universality, its
rationality and its spirituality.
Loyalty to Faith—Israel's Preserva-
tion.
Israel's God is above all the God of
faithfulness, and the rainbow in the sky
became to the Jew sign and pledge of
God's faithfulness to His covenant with
earth and heaven. So is the whole his-
tory of the Jew text and testimony of
his enduring faith and faithfulness to
his God. Is there a nation or a religion
throughout history that can compare
with Israel in loyalty? No host of war-
riors defied death' or foe so bravely._
none went through fire and water, or
faced calamity and suffering so heroic-
ally as did the host of the battlers for
the Only One God from the days of the
Maccabees until this very day. And this
unparalleled loyalty, this unflinching, un-
compromising fidelity to our faith which
made us the martyr-priest among the
A United Humanity—Israel's Oppor-
tunity.
High above loyalty to country and na-
tion towers Israel's ideal of a united hu-
manity. Universality is the insistent and
persistent aim of Judaism as voiced by
prophet, psalmist and sage. "Oh that
the time conic speedily when all the na-
tions will form one bond of brother-
hood," is the prayer that rose up to
God's throne from the heart of every
worshipper at the synagog during the
past holy days and the petition for the
peace and union of all sons of men
under God's all-encompassing reign
forms the climax of every divine serv-
ice of ours. This universalistic mission
- of the Jew, mapped out in inimitable
language by the great seer of the exile,
— has been typified by .our sages in Ab-
raham when they say that he was sent
to unite by his teaching and practice, a
world divided and disrupted. So says
Maimonides: The coming of Elijah
ANL
as the herald of the Messianic time
means peace and union among all men
under the guidance of the TOrah, Is-
rael's truth, which will make them all
realize that they are brethren.
International Judaism.
Today we seem, alas, further away
than ever from the realization of this
hope. And yet as the prophet says:
"At the evening tide there will be
light." This very collapse of our boast-
ed civilization, this utter failure of all
DR. KAUFMAN KOHLER
our progress betokens the moulding of
a new heaven and a new earth by the
hands of God, and here lies Judaism's
great opportunity, if we but realize it.
nations, the everlasting witness to the victory he had won. Obedience to The world yearns and sighs for God,
the everlasting God, has not only the laws of faith and devotion to the as never before, for a religion which
preserved us so wonderfully ; it land in which the Jew lives were made points not to the other world for salva-
has ever regenerated us and bestowed the unalterable imperatives of the syna- tion, but works for the Kingdom of
new life upon us when great empires gog; -to that extent that often the Jew Heaven on earth by a life of perfect
and civilizations went down to make fought against his brother Jew, and ser- righteousness, peace and love. And no
room for new ones. And this loyalty we vice to the country was held paramount religion nor race can ever equal Israel,
still manifest in our regenerated life in even at the neglect of Mosaic statutes. the prophet nation, in the power or the
the genius that will
synagogue and home. Not they who ad- Read the story of the Jew in Babylonia claim to send forth
of
God
anew upon the
law
write
the
or
Alexandria,
Spain
or
Italy,
in
western
mit unbelievers and apostates into their
heart
of
man
and
win
all
souls by the
ranks as members of the Jewish nation or eastern lands, under the sway of free-
nobility
of
truth
and
the
simplicity
of
can lay claim to loyalty, but all those dom or under fiercest tyranny, every-
who, whether under the rule of ortho- where patriotism was ingrained in his doctrine offered. Not nationalistic, but
doxy or under the banner of progress soul. Whether as soldier on the battle- international Judaism, can fulfill the di-
and reform hold fast to our ancient in- field or as statesman in diplomatic ser- vine promise to place upon Israel's brow a
heritance, to Judaism's everlasting vice, he distinguished himself in heroic the crown of a name and a praise and
truth, guided in all changes of _form devotion and zeal for the welfare and glory eclipsing all nations on earth.
or views by the principle of continuity glory of the nation in whose midst he
Rationality Versus Rationalism.
with our cherished past. Loyalty then lived. Still more so in modern times,
And just as loyalty and universality
to the principles of our faith we de- whether in Europe or America, he is form characteristic traits of Judiasm
mand of all to come to us with the aim outdone by none in winning laurels for which supplement one another, so also
and purpose of becoming a banner-bear- bravery. In these trying days, there- the other two traits I mentioned, ra-
er and an exponent of Judaism. And fore, no cloud of suspicion rests upon tionality and spirituality. The bright
this implies loyalty to our teachings and the Jew, no matter where his cradle jewel of Jewish doctrine is its being in
teachers, to our institution, to your Al- stood or what foreign name he bears. full accord with the dictates of reason -
ma Mater, the fountain of Jewish wis- And as our college ever stood for Amer- its constant appeal to the intellect and
dom at which you are to quench your ican Judaism, so do we, professors and the common sense of man. Not that
thirst for knowledge.
students alike, prize American citizen- religious truth is the outcome of pure
ship as our most precious boon, looking reasoning, the result of philospohical
- Israel's Loyalty to Country.
speculation. Religion is always rooted
But there is another loyalty Judaism up with devotion and dignity to the star- in the soul, a matter of profound senti-
ever insisted on and this is loyalty to ry banner as the symbol of liberty and ment and deep emotion. God appeals to
country. "Seek the peace and welfare human sovereignty, but we refuse to the heart before He appeals to the
of the city in which you will live, and join in the furious cry of hatred of any mind. But the unique grandeur of Ju-
pray for it, for in its peace you will nation or language, nor do we cast sand • daism consists in the fact that it never
have peace." -With this significant mon- and mud into the well- from which we presented itself as blind belief, spurn-
ition did the prophet Jeremiah send have drawn a large part of our wisdom ing or condemning inquiry and free
forth his brethren into a land not their and knowledge. When Israel's song of
always invited and encour-
own, and henceforth loyalty to country triumph resounded at the Red Sea, we thought. It
aged
research
; and Torah, the Law, be-
'was' one of the leading virtues of the are told in the Midrash, the angels
came
the
synonym
of learning. "For
Jew throughout the ages. We Jews wanted to chime in, in the joyous song,
this is your wisdom and your under-
need not be taught the lesson of patriot-
in the eyes of all the peoples,"
ism by our fellow-citizens. At the but God hushed them saying: "My standing
says the law given in offering the Law
threshold of our history Abraham stands creatures arc drowned in the sea and as an inheritance to the congregation of
forth offering the pattern of a patriot you want to offer a song of praise unto Jacob. And as the human mind pro-
fighting for the land of his sojourn and Me?"
(Continued on page 4)
This is the spirit of Judaism.
refusing to take any of the spoils after
,
•
a