As the Editor
Views the News...

Have You Really Done Your Best for Me?

Saadia Gaon's Book of
Beliefs and Opinions

ONE Defense Army

Israel's government last week issued a
warning that those who are collecting funds
for dissident military groups "are guilty of
common fraud." Pointing out that the Irgun
Zvai Leumi and Stern Group now are part
of the defense army of the State of Israel,
the Israeli statement, which is primarily
aimed to protect American Jews against
fraudulent fund-raising activities, declares:

"Whoever supports or tries to enlist sup-
port for dissident military activities in effect
assists in violating laws of Israel and in un-
dermining its very foundations. The provis-
ional government trusts that all well-wishers
will set their faces against such fraudulent
and subversive activities and condemn them
as a crime against Israel and its defense army."

Since the issuance of this statement, Dr.
Abba. Hillel Silver, speaking for the Ameri-
can section of the Jewish Agency, has ap-
pealed to the Jews of this country not to
contribute funds that are asked for the
Irgun or any other organization which has
claimed to be defending Israel. He empha-
sized that "there is today but one Defense
Army of Israel and it is maintained by the
Provisional t overnment of Israel," and called
attention to Irgun's promise to disband its
separate military force upon the establish-
ment of the Jewish State.
A cable from Moshe Shertok throws ad-
ditional light on an issue which has confused
the minds of some people as a result of dis-
sident fund-raising appeals:

Justice: Only Peace Assurance

A truce can be a temporary instrument for peace. But it
also can become a permanent medium for the enforcement
of amity among nations. But permanency can be achieved
only if the objective is justice as much as peace.
It is a matter of record that Israel's spokesmen have never
failed to acquiesce to truce offers,—even when the terms were
not satisfactory to our people. In spite of the feeling that
These facts should make it quite clear to exists in some quarters, especially among the Christian
friends of Israel, that the latest truce terms, as outlined by
all American Jews that there is only one
JewiSh defense force, commonly referred to Count Folke Bernadotte, are detrimental to Jewish interests,
there was a feeling of relief over the cessation of hostilities
as Haganah, and that its support comes from
and
the commencement of negotiations for peace in Palestine.
the State of Israel through the acknowledged
Prayers for the success of the truce are naturally mixed
sources of income—from taxation in Pales-
,tine and the defense funds provided by the with hopes that justice will prevail, that the mediators will
Jewish Agency from income derived from the
be motivated by a sense' of fair play, that Israel will not be
United Palestine Appeal through the United
trapped in her tracks in the building of a homeland whose
Jewish Appeal.
benefits are to serve not Jewry alone but the entire Middle
East.
* * *
Many dangers continue to threaten the security of Israel.
Jewish communities whose security has Not all of the leading members of the Council for Judaism
have left the anti-Zionist organization's ranks, and some of
created a problem are located not in Israel
but in the countries surrounding Israel. Jews its Christian backers—notably Kermit Roosevelt and Wiscon-
are in grave danger in Arabic lands; which sin's Congressman Smith—are giving encouragement to an
have been professing "friendship" for our internecine conflict. The U. S. State Department retains in
people and have been displaying olive its ranks men like Loy Henderson who are antagonistic to the
branches in their right hands while brandish- Jewish position. Ernest Bevin remains our arch enemy. -
ing daggers in the left. Since the emergence
The fact that the U. S. State Department, heeding a pro-
of Israel, Arabs have threatened to make test from American Zionists, has directed the U. S. Maritime
pawns of their Jewish residents, some of Commission to order the restoration of Haifa to the itin-
whom have lived in their lands for many erary of the government-owned S. S. Marine Carp after
centuries without receiving the benefits of closing Haifa's port to American ships, is proof of a change
citizenship.
of heart that augurs well for the future. Furthermore, it is
The murder of 37 Jews in the French Mo- difficult to believe that Bevin, having embarked upon a policy
roccan town of Djorada, as a result of an of destroying the State of Israel, will be permitted to con-
argument over the State of Israel, again di- tiuue his antagonistic attitude.
rects - attention to the tragic plight of Arabic
* * *
Jews. Their lives are in constant Langer and
There are other problems facing Israel. Gerard Swope
their shops never are safe from looters. Loot- put it well when he informed Britain's Ambassador to the
ing is the objective, rather than anti-Zionism U. S., Sir Oliver Franks, that he could not accept the appoint-
—to the discredit of the Arab rulers and of ment as Honorary Commander of the Most Excellent Order
the mandatory powers in instances where
of the British Empire because of Britain's "vacillating, repre-
British and French are the administrators of hensible and non-constructive attitude" towards Jews and
the territories.
Israel. Mr. Swope's younger brother, Herbert Bayard Swope,
It is no wonder, therefore, that President has raised another pertinent issue when he pointed out that
Chaim Weizmann of Israel should have in- Faris el-Khouri of Syria should eliminate himself from the
cluded a half million prospective settlers presidency of the UN Security Council "as a matter of ele-
from Arabic countries in the 1,250,000 figure mental fairness" because he is "one of the most intransigent
of Jews who are expected to come to the representatives of the so-called Arab League" and has a biased
Jewish State in the coming decade. It is interest in the Israel issue.
regrettable that while plans are in progress
In the interest of fairness, el-Khouri should be prevented
for economic cooperation between Israel and from presiding over the important meetings of the Security
her neighboring countries, one of our people's
Council whose decisions may seriously affect Israel's security.
chief concerns is the safety of Arabic Jews.
There is one major condition for the truce, in addition
Our hope and aim is, of course, that the State
to continued Jewish immigration: the existence of Israel
of Israel eventually will emerge influential
IS and therefore must be dealt with as a fact. Any other
enough to be able to put an end to pogroms—
approach to the issue would mean the transformation of
whether they occur in Germany, Morocco or
peace
efforts into a farce. As the Christian Science Moni-
England—through diplomatic intercession.
tor stated, if the Arabs "suppose the truce can be used to
turn back the clock, they will probably be disappointed."
If antagonistic members of the U. S. State Department,
Mr. Bevin and the Arabs have in view the turning back
Member Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Independent Jewish
of the clock, they WILL be disappointed. The martyrdom
Press Service, Seven Arts Feature Syndicate, Palcor
Agency, King Features. Central Press Association.
of David Marcus is one of the warnings against those who,
Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publish-
having witnessed the death of 6,000,000 Jews, now believe
ing Co., 2114 Penobscot Bldg., Detroit 26, Mich., WO. 5-1155.
Subscription, $3 a year: foreign, $4.
they can destroy the foundation for freedom for 600,000
Entered as second-class matter Aug. 6, 1942, at Post Of-
fice, Detroit, Mich., under Act of March 3 1879.
survivors from Nazism and a million more who are await-
in the chance to go to Israel.
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ, Editor
Our spokesmen and friends will have to remain on guard
VOL. XHI—No. 14
Page 4
June 18, 1948
lest
prejudiced parties should step in to harm the cause of
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
peace. Meanwhile it is the hope of all men of good will that
This Sabbath, the twelfth day of Sivan, 5708, the
following Scriptural selections will be read in our
the truce will not be an idle gesture and that it will end in
synagogues:
permanent peace for Israel, the Middle East, the U. S., the
Pentateuchal portion—Num. 4:21-7:89.
Prophetical portion—Judges 13:2-25.
UN and all mankind by way of a search for justice.

"In view of the dissolution of Irgun
Zvai Leumi and its impending complete in-
corporation in the Defense Army of Israel,
all separate drives and allocations are unwar-
ranted and shoUld be discontinued forthwith.
All parts of the Defense Army are financed
with central funds and no question can arise
of any section or group of the Army claim-
ing sparate financial assistance for its maint-
enance or operations expenses."

Arab Massacres

THE JEWISH NEWS

A Great Mastereco

One of the very great Gaonic classics, Saadia
Gaon's "The Book of Beliefs and Opinions," for
the first time appears in its entirety in an English
translation. The great task of rendering the work
in English, in translation from the Arabic, was
done by Dr. Samuel Rosenblatt, rabbi of Congre-
gation Beth. Teiillo, Baltimore, and a lecturer. at
Johns Hopkins University, and commences a new
significant series of Yale Judaica.
Published by the Yale. University Press, New
Haven, Conn., this very scholarly work is the first
unabridged translation of
the entire masterpriece
by Saadia Gaon ever to
appear in any language.
Dr. Rosenblatt has done
a magnificent job, his
work being marked by
clarity, by excellent edit-
ing where it became nec-
essary to cut original
long sentences and, by
syntex adjustments.
Launched in 1944 as a
project of Judaica Re-
search at Yale University
on the Rabinowitz Foun-
dation. made possible
Dr. S. Rosenblatt
through the generosity of Louis M. Rabinowitz of
New York, the Yale Judaica Series will consist of
translations of medieval and ancient Jewish
classics.
Rabbi Rosenblatt's work begins with a brief
biography of the great scholar Saadia Ben Joseph,
who was born in Egypt in 882, who lived in Pales-
tine, Aleppo and Bagdad and who was named to
the Gaonate of Surra in 928. He died in 942.
The treatises in "The Book of Beliefs and Opin-
ions" deal with the meaning of belief, acts of kind-
ness, "authentication of the prophets by their per-
formance of miracles," the importance of tradi-
tions, prayers, penitence, sinful thoughts, punish-
ments, redemption and fulfillment.
The treatise on redemption could well serve
as a Zionist essay. It is a magnificent interpre-
tation of prophecy, of faith in Israel's redemp-
tion and is replete with Biblical quotations
and with emphasis on prophecies such as that
of Isaiah 54:7: "with great compassion will I
gather thee."
There are interesting commentaries in the book
on reward and punishment, retribution, longevity,
abstinence, eroticism, worship, the ideals of human
conduct, resurrection of the dead and sex. • Long-
evity and sexual relations provide two of the m6St
fascinating commentaries of all time, chAlenging
most modern views. Moderation in sexual rely
tions and regularity in eating are advocated among
the principles to be pursued for the attainment of
long
Real genius is reflected in the work of Saadia.
Gaon. His work could well have been written
today and would have been considered a high-
ly modern interpretation of the ethical sub-
jects he discussed in his "Book of Beliefs."
Rosenblatt's "Saadia Gaon: The Book of Beliefs
and Opinions" is a truly great book and its pub-
lication must be chalked up as a triumph for the
publishers; the sponsoring foundation and the
translator.

BOOK
OF BOOKS
A Bible Quiz With

Answers

By Dr. Solomon Goldman

What do you know about the
Bible, its history, its people,
and its influence on the world?
Test your knowledge in this
quiz by Rabbi Solomon Gold-
man, author of the new thir-
teen volume commentary, "The
Book of Books." The answers,
from Dr. Goldman's monumen-
tal project in Biblical scholar-
ship, are printed with special
permission of the publishers,
Harper & Brothers.

(The second of a series)
What has been the impact of the Bible
upon the world? •
It has fused together into a unity the interest
and aspirations of mankind and has articulated
them into a language of incomparable force. It has
comforted the sorrow-laden and the heavyhearted;
it has inspired the timid and hesitant; it has sum-
moned to self discipline the weak and wayward;
it has pleaded with the greedy and mighty for
righteousness, for the democratic way of life; it
has purified the pagan conceptions of God and
the Universe of their dross, and set down its own
understanding of the Creator and Creation in
words that were as simple and suggestive as they
were sublime; it has irrigated and fecundated half
the threatening, challenging voice of prophecy; and
it has held out to an anxious humanity; the promise
of'•an end of days when men should live in pros-
perity and peace with none to make them afraid.
From what famous play in English liter;
ature does the question "The devil can cite
the scripture of his purpose" come from?
This famous quotation comes from Act 3 of
Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice."
What great American military leader and
president described the Bible as "the rock
on which our republic rests."
This statement was made by Andrew Jack-
son, the seventh president of the United States,
to his physician while on his death bed.

What 20th century American president
Said: "No other book of any kind ever written
in English — perhaps no other book ever
written in any other tongue—has ever so af-
fected the whole life of a people as this
authorized version of the scriptures ( King
James) has affected the life of the English-
speaking peoples."

This statement was made by Theodore Roose-
velt in a book "Realizable Ideals: The Bible and

the Life of the People."