Clmsic =Work by - Abrahams on Pharisees,
Gospels Reissued With Implemented Essay

With a prolegomenon by Dr.
Morton S. Enslin, editor of the
Journal of Biblical Literature and
professor of religion at Bryn Mawr
College, the classic "Studies in
Pharisaism and the Gospels" by
the late Dr. Israel Abrahams has
been reprinted by Ktav Publishing
House (120 E. B'way, N.Y. 2).
This important work, which first
appeared in 1916, is part of the
Ktav-published Library of Biblical
Studies edited by Prof. Harry M.
Orlinsky of Hebrew Union College-
Jewish Institute of Religion.
The 50-year-old classic retains
its great value as a source book
for the study of the Pharisees'
place in Jewish history, their
relationship to the early Chris-
tians, the roots of rabbinic Juda-
ism, the clashes among the
scholars over Pharisaic ideas
and practices and the attitudes
of normative Judaism.
The first and second series of
Abrahams' studies are incorpor-
ated in a single Ktav volume. The
noted scholar's studies take into
account the valuable biblical re-
search that has been conducted
by Christians and their philological
and archaeological as well as theo-
logical contributions to Old Testa-
ment analyses. At the same time.
Dr. Abrahams felt that Jewish
studies of the Gospels also help
Christians better to understand
the New Testament teachings.
There is, in the 1916 text of Ab-
rahams' preface to his important
works, this comment:
"Many modern Christians seem
torn between two sides of the
teaching of Jesus—his prophetic-
apocalyptic visions of the King-
dom and his prophetic-priestly
concern in the moral and even
ritual life of his day, in which
he wished to see the Law main-
tained in so far as it could be
applied under existing circum-
stances. The Christian scholar,
impregnated with Pauinism,
sometimes appears to find these
two aspects of the Gospel teach-
ings inconsistent. Hence we have
the disturbing phenomenon of
waves of Christian thought, the
humanists who regard Jesus as
almost 'exclusively a moralist,
and the apocalyptists who treat
him as almost exclusively a vis-
ionary. The Jew sees nothing in-
consistent in these two aspects.
The very causes which make
Christian commentaries useful
for the Jew if he would under-
stand the Old Testament, may
make Jewish commentaries help-
ful to the Christian for under-
standing some aspects of the
New Testament."
Prof. Enslin's introductory es-

say is in itself a supplementary
evaluation of the vast subject cov-
ered by Prof. Abrahams. Dr. Ens-
lin takes issue with Prof. Erwin
Goodenough's thesis, in his 12-
volume "Jewish Symbols," regard-
ing his contention . about "fictional
'normative' Judaism." Dr. Enslin
is more inclined to support the
position taken by Prof. George
Foote Moore who, with Dr. Abra-
hams, Moore by direct assertion,
Abrahams by implication, both of
whom "felt that the rabbinical
Judaism found in the Mishna and
related writings was essentially
the outgrowth and development of
the life and thought of the previous
century, that is, that by the days
of the Christian beginnings the
tracks had been laid on which later
rabbinic trains ran. Thus the nor-
mative Judaism which Moore de-
scribed, and with which Abrahams
would most certainly have agreed
in essence, was no new 2nd or
3rd Century about face. Both
Abrahams and Moore were, how-
ever, very., careful . . . to distin-
guish between the utterances of
later Tannaim, not to mention
Amoriam,, and those of earlier
date . . ."
Indicating that neither Abrahams
nor Moore paid much attention to
apocalyptic literature and while
"both make occasional reference

to these wildfire productions,"
they considered them of minor
importance, Dr. Enslin emphasizes
that Abrahams was "directly con-
cerned with materials which paral-
lel and illuminate aspects of and
utterances in the gospels."
Abrahams' classic work con-
cerns itself with Pharisaic bap-
tism, with John the Baptist, the
synagogue and its functions, the
rules under which Jews • lived in
ancient times, including divorce
regulations, the Sabbath, health
provisions.
While the Abrahams thesis deals
with the Nev Testament references
to the Pharisees and with gospel

literature in . relation to the Phari-
sees, the discussions of Jewish lit-

urgical and other practices invite
additional interest. The rabbinic
ideas on prayer and evaluative
material on various Jewish prac-
tices provide background for a
knowledge of ancient historical
events and beliefs. The chapter de-
voted to "The Lord's Prayer" has
a background that will enlighten
students of religions. Abrahams
points to an analogy in this prayer
with rabbinic prayers.
The Abrahams volume is, as
indicated, of supreme value to
Christians as well as Jews and
students of both Testaments will
be enriched by its contents.

12 Friday, June 7, 1968

THE DETROIT JEWISH RHOS

—

Soviet Writers Honor Writer Vergelis

Aron Vergelis, editor of the Rus-
sian Yiddish literary magazine
Sovietish Heimland, was honored
by Soviet writers on his 50th birth-
day May 7, according to a release
from Novosti Press Agency sub-
mitted by the Russian embassy in
Washington to The Jewish News.
The release states that tele-
grams of greetings were received
from the USSR Writers' Union and
friends and colleagues from many
cities, including Kiev, Minsk, Kish-
inev, Leningrad, Birobidzhan, Toi-
lisi and Chernovitsy. In his re-
sponse to greetings at the party
Vergelis spoke on prospects of
Sovietish Heimland and all. Soviet
literature.
Describing the function ; the No-
vosti release states:
"Poet Avraam Gontar called
Vergelis one of the outstanding
present-day Jewish poets. He said
Vergelis in his lyrical verses and
poems in his own way praises
Soviet man, the creator of a new
life. With every passing year his
voice sounds louder and more
vividly.
"Vergelis has edited Sovetish
Heimland from the first days of
its existence. The novels, 'stories,
poems, works of criticism, feature
stories, and articles published in
Sovetish Heimland during the past
years could fill several volumes.
"The speakers stressed that Axon

Vergelis had greatly contributed to
these achievements.
"Poet Vergelis was congratulated
by writers Iosif Rabin, Samuil.
Gordon, Girsh Osherovich, Yakov
Sternberg and Boris Polevol; by

Grigory Plaskov; sculptor Zair
Azgur; Member of the USSR Aca-
demy of Arts, Merited Artist of
the RSFSR Venyamin Shvartser;
Honored Art Worker Viktor Kornis-
sarzhevsky; Composer Zinovy
Kompaneyets, and others."

Ex-Intelligence Chief
r
Sues Israel Government

TEL AVIV (ZINS) — Isar Har-
Al ("Tiny Isar"), former chief of
"Shin-Bet" (Israeli Intelligence)
lodged a complaint against the
Israeli government in the Supreme
Court, claiming, that it banned his
book in which he tells the story
of how he and his agents captured
Adolph Eichmann, and brought
him to Israel.
Isar charged that he had \vette -
the book when Ben-Gurion
still premier. Ben-Gurion gave 2
proval for its publication.
Also Levi Eshkol approved it,
but at the insistence of the foreign
ministry withdrew permission on

the ground that its publication at
this time is not in the interests of
Israeli security.

Britain Will Halt Protests
on USSR Jewish Policy

LONDON (JTA) — The British
government will make no further
representations to the S o v i e t
government at the present time
concerning the situation of Jews
in the Soviet Union, the House of
Commons was informed.
The issue -was raised by Dr.
M. S. Miller, Labor MP, who asked
what further steps had been taken
or were envisaged by the govern-
ment, during the course of Inter-
national Human Rights Year, to
raise the problem of Soviet Jewry
with the Soviet government.
Goronwy Roberts, minister of
state in the foreign ministry, re-
plied that Prime Minister Harold
Wilson spoke informally about the
problem to Soviet Premier Alexei
Kosygin during his visit to Mos-
cow last January and indicated
that he felt there would be no
advantage in making further rep-
resentations at that time.
"There has been no change in
the situation which would justify
any further steps at present," Rob-
erts said.

One cup of wine is good for a
woman, two are unbecoming;
three—and she will demand aloud.
—Kethuboth 65.

The Manifold Lives of Cyrus Adler

Cyrus Adler was one of those rare people
who, from time to time, come along to
astonish the world with the vast variety
of their activities. At the age of 20, he
received his. B.A-. from the University of
Pennsylvania and promptly enrolled in the
graduate school of Johns Hopkins. There he
became the first student to attain a Ph. D.
in Semitics in an American university.
Shortly after his graduation Adler be-
came an Associate Professor in Semitics.
He found the time to become Assistant
Curator of the U.S. National Museum. In
1892, Adler was named Librarian of the .
Smithsonian Institution, whose Assistant
Secretary he became seven years later.
One would think he had made his mark,
but his career was just beginning.
While still at the Smithsonian, Adler

had a hand in establishing the Jewish
Theological Seminary and the Jewish Pub-
lication Society. He was a founder of the
American Jewish Historical Society and
an editor of the Jewish Encyclopedia In
1908, he left the Smithsonian to take the
post of President of Dropsie College.
Adler's unflagging energy saw him head
a project to furnish a new authoritative
translation of the Bible; he helped create
the American Jewish Committee; and he
became President of the Jewish Theologi-
cal Seminary.
When Adler died in 1940, this tribute
to his accomplishments was paid by Presi-
dent Franklin D. Roosevelt: "Scholar,
patriot, humanitarian and religious leader
. an earnest worker in the cause of peace
and advocate of good. will among men,"

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