RWG Passover sermon

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[fol. xi.]

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whose sensitive heart feels more kindly than the heart of man, you who are subject to hard sufferings, feel the whole depth of the sufferings of the poor, of the distress of a wife who has no bread for her sick husband, of the despair of a mother who has no food for her starving children -- you must be the friend of the poor & make your dwelling a storehouse of Providence. You must give bread to the hungry; you must not wait till it is asked for, you must offer it, nay force it into the hands of those whose life is one continual struggle between the pangs of hunger & the shame of begging. Woman's heart treasures true charity & the benevolence of the Jewish woman is proverbial; innumerable blessings are invoked upon those noble-hearted women to whom the way to the poorest houses is familiar, who delight the needy by their presence and console them by their words, while their hand offers substantial relief. Oh, let your houses be graced by acts of charity in thought as in deed. Away with the leaven of unkindness, it ought never to exist either during Passover or after Passover wherever a Jewish woman dwells. But is impossible for you to be good wives & good mothers according to the spirit of Judaism, to dispense charity in the noblest sense of the word

Last edit over 1 year ago by RCH in KZ
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if you are not at the same time religious, if the fear of God is not deeply rooted in your heart. It is not my opinion that you should devote yourself to theology, or plunge into the intricate labyrinth of philosophical discussions. I do not ask you to possess acquire a deep knowledge of dogmas, but I do ask that your heart be warmed by ardent faith. You must know the God of Israel, who preserved our nation amidst the cruellest trials. You must know the deeds & attributes of that God who is the father of all creatures, the Creator of Mankind. Fear Him, love Him & never forget that dishonesty, unkindness, unchastity are opposed to Religion & to his will. Pray unto Him in your grief, hope for his assistance when you are unhappy suffering & you will be feel ineffably relieved & consoled. That is the result of faith. You may call this a platitude, you may call it an old-fashioned lesson, but it is the only practical lesson to learn even in these unspiritual days. For whatelse can we do but trust, and like Job in the presence of the everlasting problems of life, the infinite power of God, place our hand upon our mouth & bow without a murmur. Without a doubt before the fiat of the Almighty, when He answers us out of the whirlwind? When the moment comes for performing the

Last edit over 1 year ago by RCH in KZ
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12 observances of Religion, the true Jewish woman who can be pious without bigotry practice them with sincerity & devotion. The poetical symbols of our Religion are acceptable to her poetical & loving heart; she will exercise around her such irresistible attraction that she will succeed in winning her whole family over to her ideas & convictions. Her example becomes their guide. Then all leaven really disappears & for ever, from her house which she as thoroughly purified. She will preserve a strong link between the Judaism of the past & of the present; a wise adviser of her husband, an affectionate teacher of her children, a Providence to the poor, a faithful servant to the God of Israel, by preserving Judaism at home she will preserve it everywhere. And if our sages attributed to the virtues of the Hebrew women in Egypt, the deliverance of Israel, future generations will in their turn bless the memory of the women of the present & attribute to her the safety our sublime Religion. "Give her" they will say "the fruit of her hands and let her town works praise her in the gales." Amen.

Last edit over 1 year ago by RCH in KZ
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