The Jewish student's companion. First part: Post Biblical history. Second part: Explanation of Mosaic commands

J. Mendes (Jacob Mendes) De Solla

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• Langue: English
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UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA.
THK SLOSS COLLECTION OF THE SEMITIC LIBRARY
OK THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA.
GIFT OF
LOUIS SLOSS.
1897.FEBRUARY,
Accession No. Class No./
COLL.THE JEWISH
S
FIRST PART:
Post Biblical History.
SECOND PART:
of Mosaic Commands.Explanation
BY
J, MENDES DE DR, TH.SOLLA,
]
Of THE AL[^
WIIYERSITY( )
Of
NEW YORK:
HEBREW BOOK UNION
1880.
RIGHTS[ALL RESERVED.]in theEntered to act of 1880, byaccording Congress, year
DE DR.MENDES SOLLA, TH.,J.
in the office of the Librarian of atCongress Washington.
STEAM PRESS OF
H. O. A. INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL,
NEAR THIRD AVE.76TH ST.,PREFACE.
The author of in his when noEcclesiastes, time,already
"
and little was observed that thereknown,printing writing
is no end to the of books." It is nomaking many wonder,
that in our when has becometherefore, days, book-making
so isnew issued from theuniversal, any production press
be received with the remark that we have tooapt'to already
books. But the Preacher was with wis-many giftedthough
more than all his wasdom, contemporaries, knowledge very
limited will that withand nothen, intelligent person deny
the of the demand for new booksgeneral spread learning
ismust The method ofkeep pace. imparting knowledge
from time to time and we believe andchanged, improved,
new with the newmediums of toinstruction correspond
methods are The author of this volume,naturally required.
deems it to furthertherefore, unnecessary say anything by
of of this newfor theway productionapology appearance
of his thatas he does the earnest convictionlabors, feeling
a book such as he now ventures to before the islay public
much needed to aid our scholars in the ofstudy History
and Theology.
As to the first it is desirable thatpart, certainly every Jew
should have at least a of theknowledge historysuperficial
of his nation that him at leasthe should have before
; vividly
the thelinks in the chain of events sinceprincipal long
exodus from down to our own As notEgypt, days. every
one can devote sufficient time to the of history,regular study
24IV
this SYNOPSIS both instructive and toprovemay pleasant
the earnest who desires to refresh his or-inquirer memory,
some new information.acquire
Our national is a of honest tohistory subject pride us;
the of it is calculated to us with andstudy inspire courage
fortitude in in our efforts to thepersevering uphold proud
name of our aancestral not onnobility; nobility resting
vain or but on thearistocracy empty titles, sterling qualities
of endurance for the sake of ofprinciple; sacrificing worldly
interest to the conviction of of anddoing right; struggling
of when from thepath duty, deviatingpersevering^p^the
same and wealth. And it is ourhonor, fame,would^bring
Ipost-biblical "history especially might say exclusively
which tends to us with these exalted itsentiments;inspire
is the of our not ofhistory martyrdom through many ages,
the time ''when Israel dwelt man under hiseverysafely
vine and his us what man isunder /which teachesfig-tree," ;
willof and if he has thecapable enduring accomplishing,
and the firmness to walk on the courseA Thatsteadily right
lesson our stands much in need ofgreat rising generation
and that this serve as ahumblelearning, production may
towards this end is the writer's earnest de-step promoting
sire.
The second of this book is of stillpart greater import-
inasmuch as it the of our reli-concernsance, partpractical
is a teacher of but wegion. great morals, may^History
learn ethics likewise from various other sources. A direct
and of what we to dopositive information, however, ought
or abstain we should dofrom and the reasonsdoing, why
this and avoid of far more,is necessity,doing that, urgent
to the In theparticularly young. present enlightened age,
we cannot ourselves with the thatsatisfy specious reasoning
we such because we were told to do so thosedo or so by
we saw our fathers dowiser and better than ourselves
;^thatbefore and that we cannot be in inso us, wrong following
want a a valid for whattheir andreason, reason,steps. ,^We
we are to and unless ourrequired do;' religious perform-
ances are based on the consciousness that we are doing
what is and such are vain andright useful, performances
The second of this is intendedvalueless. book, then,part
intention andto an at into thegive insight, least, general
of the Mosaic in accordance with the viewstendency Laws,
of the as laid down in his Moreh Nebu-great Maimonides,
to such laws as to uschim,!and explain especially appear
with ourbecause not reconcilable presentincomprehensible
con-mode of In that those whotherefore,thinking. order,
theas far as the strict observance oftinue, practicable,
Mosaic be better informed as to the oflaws, may origin
not adhere tothese and that those who doinstitutions;
some are re-them as a whole know the reasonsmay why
to betained and others at is for bothdiscarded, important
ofin to that which constitutes the basisregardenlightened
acts of devotion. This informationtheir faith and their
in a tothe second of the book is intended, measure,part
supply.
I have made use ofin the of this book,That, compilation
need not bevarious works in and otherEnglish languages
but whatwriter of can his readersfor nosaid, history give
his but I here can-he finds in the works of predecessors;
toinstate that I have not instances,hesitated, manydidly
other works evenor to translate fromverbatim,copy, nearly
for not al-reasonto the extent of whole Myparagraphs.
that II or translatedthe author is,copiedways crediting
toor andhave in most cases abbreviated, added, changed,
as it is witheach line or mixed myphrase, upparticularize
of invertedsuch a confusionown wouldwords, produce
as to theand dottings, disfigure typograph-commas, spaces,
be a source ofical of the and annoyancebook,appearanceVI
"
to the Ireader. have done as Moliere said : Je prends
mon bien oti le trouve." I make this statementje general
to of the crime ofexculpate myself plagiarism.
DEM. DR.TH.SOLLA,J.
W.CURACAO, I., August, 1879.