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ace, Detroit, Mich.. under Act of March 3 1879.
Dr. Baeck's New Volume:
Great Philosophic Work
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ. Editor
VOL. XIV
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No. 13
Page 4 December 10, 1948
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the ninth day of Kislev, 5709,
the following Scriptural selections will be read
in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion—Gen. 28:10-32:3.
Prophetical portion — Hos. 12:13-14:10 or
1.1:7-12-12 or 11:7-14:10.
Histork Document
.. Israel's application for membership in the
United Nations, submitted by Moshe Shertok,
Foreign Minister of the Jewish State, to UN
Secretary-General Trygve Lie, will be re-
corded as one of the great historic documents.
The full text of the application reads:
"On May 14, 1948, the independence
of the state of Israel was proclaimed by
the National Council of the Jewish peo-
ple of Palestine by virtue of the natural
and historic right of the Jewish people
to independence in their own sovereign
state and in pursuance of the General
Assembly resolution of November 29.
Since that date Israel has been consoli-
dated administratively and has defended
itself successfully against aggression by
neighboring states. It so far has achieved
recognition from 19 powers.
"In behalf of the Government of
Israel I now have the honor to request
the admission of Israel as a member of
the United Nations according to Article
IV of the Charter.
"In view of the special nature of this
application I will request that its con-
sideration proceed without regard for
the deadline fixed by Rule 60, Para-
graphs 1-4, but in conformity with Para-
graph 5 of the same Rule 60 of the
Provisional Rules of Procedure of the
Security Council. A formal declaration
that the government of Israel accepts
all the obligations stipulated in the
United Nations Charter is enclosed.
"My government submits that Israel's
admission to the United Nations will con-
stitute an act of international justice for
the Jewish people fully consistent with
United Nations policy on Palestine and
will contribute to the stabilization of
the Middle East and the cause of inter-
national peace."
Great importance also must be attached
to the following statement that was ap-
pended to this application:
"In behalf of the state of Israel. I,
Moshe Shertok, minister for foreign
affairs, declare that the state of Israel
hereby unreservedly accepts the obliga-
tions of the United Nations Charter and
undertakes to honor them from the day
when it becomes a member of the
United Nations."
The inevitability of Israel's admission to
the UN, in view of the universal recognition
that Israel is a reality, gave weight to these
documents. They represented the final steps
in the fulfillment of Prophecy and in the
realization of freedom and justice for Jews in
their ancient homeland.
The delay in admitting Israel to the UN
is regrettable, but only temporary. Its inevit-
ability is part of the process of the realization
of Prophecy.
UJA Will Be Renewed
American Jewry has had the good fortune
for a number of years of working harmoni-
ously for the rehabilitation of survivors from
Nazism and for the upbuilding of Israel
through the UJA. Continuation of such ami--
cable relations within our communities,
among groups hitherto known as Zionists
and non-Zionists, is of the utmost necessity
in the best interests of Israel's redemption
and the settlement of DPs in the Jewish
State as well as for the advancement of in-
ternal peace among all community leaders.
The agreement reached for the restoration
of peace in the ranks of the United Palestine
Appeal offers assurance that the renewal of
the agreement between the UPA and the
Joint Distribution Committee for a United
Jewish Appeal campaign in 1949 will be ef-
fected during the coming few days. The rift
was a most regrettable occurrence, but, for-
tunately, it did not seriously hamper relief
and reconstruction efforts. Now, American
Jewry can proceed unitedly to work for the
liquidation of misery and for the upbuilding
of the State of Israel.
'Essence of Judaism'
The UN Genocide Convention
It took two years for the United Nations to arrive at a
decision on the proposal to outlaw the crime of genocide and
to prohibit the destruction in whole or in part of national,
ethnical, racial or religious groups. At last, there is an inter-
national agreement which also provides for the punishment
of complicity in genocide and conspiracy to incitement to
such crimes.
The United Nations Legal Committee's Convention on the
Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide de-
clares that "genocide means any of the following acts com-
mitted with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national,
ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:
"A. Killing members of the group;
"B. Causing serious bodily or mental harm to mem-
bers of the group;
"C. Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions
of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction
in whole or in part;
"D. Imposing measures intended to prevent births
within the group;
"E. Forcibly transferring children of the group to
another group."
Adoption of these rules represents the first international
act to outlaw those ideas, promulgated by the Nazis, which
contributed directly towards the destruction of 6,000,000 Jew-
ish lives, their properties and their religious institutions and
the criminal similar attacks on other peoples under Hitler's
domination.
Had the League of Nations adopted such regulations and
enforced them, more than 10,000,000 lives would have been
saved, the last world war might have been averted and Hit-
lerism might have been prevented.
Complete implementation of the UN decision for the re-
establishment of the State of Israel and the genocide con-
vention are destined to go down on record as the greatest
achievements of the United Nations.
Jerusalem in the Jewish State
On his first visit in Jerusalem since he became President
of the State of Israel, Dr. Chaim Weizmann found a peaceful
city in which shooting had halted as a result of the Arab-
Jewish armistice.
Dr. Weizmann made an important declaration with re-
gard to the future of the Holy City. -He pledged Israel's
agreement to a "special arrangement" to insure access by
all faiths to holy places in the Old City, but made this
reservation:
"It seems inconceivable that the establishment of a Jew-
ish State in Palestine should be accompanied by detachment
from it of its spiritual center and historical capital."
Of particular interest in the statement made by Dr.
Weizmann was his scornful criticism of the civilized world
for having failed to protect the holy places of all faiths when
they were imperilled by war and he added in reference to
the destruction of historic synagogues:
"Do not worry, my friends. Ancient synagogues will be
rebuilt and the road to the Wailing Wall will be opened.
Jerusalem is ours by virtue of the blood that was shed by
our sons in its defense."
Dr. Weizmann's evaluation of the status of Jerusalem
must be accepted as a basis for the solution of the problem
involved in dealing with the Holy City. While sacred associa-
tions of all faiths must and will be respected in the Old City,
the New City was built during the last 100 years, again to
quote Dr. Weizmann, "essentially as the result of Jewish
effort." Therefore no special international arrangement need
be involved in solving the Jerusalem issue.
It is to be expected that the New City of Jerusalem not
only will be included in the Jewish State but that it may
again become the capital of Eretz Israel. There can be no
objections to the internationalization of the Old City in the
interests of the sacred places of all faiths—with the clear
understanding that there should be an end to barriers to Jews
who desire to go freely, at all times, to the Wailing Wall, the
only remaining portion of the acient Temples.
There is peace in Jerusalem today as a result of a direct
Arab-Jewish peace agreement. Similar arrangements should
put an end to warfare between Jews and their Arab cousins
throughout the Holy Land. Then there will be peace in the
Middle East and a rebuke to aggressors. This is the inevita-
ble result of the fulfillment of Prophecy: through the recog-
nition of Israel as a full-fledged member of the nations of
the world.
Dr. Leo Baeck, former Chief Rabbi of Berlin,
now a member of the Hebrew Union College-
Jewish Institute of Religion ,faculty, is recognized
as one of the outstanding authorities on the
philosophy of Judaism, and every new book he
produces inevitably assumes an important role
in Jewish life. His latest
work, "The Essence of Ju-
daism," just published by
Schocken Books, is among
the most impressive works
of its kind to be published
in this country.
It is "a guide to the
ideas and teachings of Ju-
daism" and the publishers
are correct in stating that
it is "by one of the noblest
Jewish minds of today."
This book deals with the
character, ideas and preser-
vation of Judaism. Its in-
terpretations of prophetic
religion, the faith in God
and in man and the task of
Judaism in its aim at pre-
serving the essence of our
faith are outstanding ex-
Dr. Baeck
amples of great scholarship.
There is a splendid evaluation of Jewry's
right to be different. Dr. Baeck points out that
"without minorities there can be no world-historic
goal." He shows that ° 'just because it was always
a minority, Judaism has become a standard of
measurement of the level of morality." There is
particular strength in the book's concluding
paragraph:
"Judaism lies open for all to see. We
acknowledge the treasures possessed by other
religions, especially by those that sprung
from our midst. He who holds convictions
will respect the convictions of others. Filled
with reverence for its tasks, we Jews realize
what our religion really means. We know
that there can be applied to it the words of
one of the old Jewish sages: 'The beginning
bears witness to the end, and the end will at
long last bear witness to the beginning.'
"The Essence of Judaism" is an all-inclusive
book. It deals with the devoutness (kavvanah)
in Judaism. It is a discourse on all aspects of
Jewish philosophic lore. The views of the emin-
ent author on the originality of the prophetic
teachers in Israel should serve as a guide for
teachers and laymen. The interpretations of pro-
phetic religion and the community of faith will
inspire the readers to lofty ideals.
This volume is another tribute to the high
purposefulness with which Schocken Books selects
the volumes it accepts for publication.
First Book of Maccabees
Edited by Able Scholar
In time for Hanukah, Schocken Books has is-
sued the text of "The First Book of Maccabees,"
richly annotated with a scholarly commentary by
Dr. H. A. Fischel, an able authority on early rab-
binical literature.
The English translation of the text contained
in the Apocrypha, used in this volume, is by
W. 0. E. Oesterley, and only minor changes have
been made.
Since it is one of the books not included in the
canon of Holy Scriptures, the publication of this
volume should find a hearty welcome in Jewish
ranks, as it fills the important need of availa-
bility of the record of the great Maccabean
struggle.
The scholarly approach of the editor of this
valume also is reflected in his introduction in
which Dr. Fischel gives an historical analysis of
the Hasmoneans. We learn about the anonymous
author of "The First Book of the Maccabees" that
he "wrote in Hebrew, frequently following the
Bible's literary example, particularly inthe case
of its historical narrative, the lives of trie Jewish
kings, and its occasional interludes of Psalm and
prayer." Dr. Fischel adds:
"The Greek Version, incorporated in the Sep-
tuagint, and the English version based on it, faith-
fully preserve many of the Hebraisms and the
Biblical flavor of the lost original. The author must
have been an eye witness or at least a contem-
porary of those eventful days, and must have had
access to the documents of the Maccabean archives,
perhaps as the royal chronicler. His report is thus
fairly accurate, and in many instances preferable
to the parallel works of Second Maccabees, Jo-
sephus, and the classical historians."
From both the historical and literary points of
view, the new Schocken book is very valuable, and
enriches the Jewish library.
'
Hammer on the Rock :
A Short Midrash Reader
One of the latest additions to Schocken Li-
brary is the short Midrash Reader, "Hammer on
the Rock," edited by Nahum N. Glatzer, in the
English translation by Jacob Sloan.
It contains "representative selections of the
wisdom and poetry of the Talmud and Midrash,
the central works, with the Bible, of Israel's tra-
dition." It gives the reader, whose knowledge will
be greatly . enriched by a reading of this excellent
book, an excellent understanding of the legal de-
liberations that were conducted in the academies
of Babylon and Palestine. It contains the dialogues
and epigrams of the Talmud and the Midrash and
is splendidly annotated with explanations in a
series of notes.
The 200 passages incorporated in this book
reveal the Talmudic attitude on all conceivable
subjects, including labor, redemption, spiritual
values, martyrdom, hatred of Jews, learning, hu-
mility, etc.
"Hammer on the Rock" (the title is taken from
Jer. 23:29 "Is not My word like -. . . a hammer
that breaketh the rock in pieces?") is fascinating-,
for its parables and instructive for the knowledge
it offers.
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